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29 May 02 - Environment Days; Neat Sheet; sustainability; NYC; carpet ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive -------------------- Link to the City of Toronto's Spring, 2002, WasteWatch newsletter for Toronto residents, which includes information on "Environment Days," waste reduction and recycling events held by the City: http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/garbage/wastewatch/wastewatch_spring02-1601.pdf Scroll down to "Environment Days" (Environment Days are separate from the Community Clean-Up Day; the Clean-Up Day has corporate sponsors, but it appears that the Environment Days do not). Environment Days are each hosted by Toronto City Councillors, which are like city council members. There are more than 40 of these events, held annually April through September in neighborhoods throughout the city. At these events, residents can: - Donate various items for reuse, including household items, printer cartridges, eyeglasses, hearing aids and paint. - Pick up, for free, leaf compost and paint. - Buy several items, including backyard composting bins and rain barrels. - Drop off for recycling: household hazardous waste, some electronics items, and several other materials. -------------------- From Charlotte Becker, Association of Oregon Recyclers, Gresham, OR, responding to the 5/21/02 posting about the Neat Sheet, a new reusable ground-cover tarp made by Kimberly-Clark: The Neat Sheet is probably useful, but my first thought when I saw the ad for it in the Sunday paper was, "Do we really need this?" You know that if people pay only $7.99 for something like this, it will probably go into the trash the minute it gets dirty. I can just see concert venues and picnic areas littered with these things, because folks don't take the time to fold them up and carry them away. I see it as an emergency use item - best sold at stadiums, concerts, etc. to the folks who forget to bring a blanket or an umbrella. Kind of the way disposable diapers started. Just for emergencies and vacations. I have the $2 off coupon, so I may go get one and test it. A better product is a reusable blanket with a water-proof backing that folds into a small rectangle and snaps together. It has handles for easy carrying. It's a nice product, cost about $15 at Target and is less likely to get left behind as litter. E-mail: mail [ AT ] aorr [ DOT ] org -------------------- Link to information on the Mid-Atlantic Sustainability Conference: Energy, Buildings and the Bottom Line, to be held June 26-29, 2002, at Rutgers University, Newark, NJ (forwarded by Athena Sarafides): http://www.nesea.org/buildings/be/nj This conference will bring together leaders in the fields of energy-efficient design, renewable energy generation, school and university construction, environmental purchasing, sustainable business and land-use planning. The conference is sponsored by the New Jersey Clean Energy Program and other agencies and businesses. -------------------- Link to a May, 2002, report from the New York City Waste Prevention Coalition, "Why Waste the Future? Alternatives to the Mayor's Proposed Waste Prevention, Composting and Recycling Cuts" (forwarded by Kate Krebs): http://www.wastesaver.com/WPCreport.pdf This report deals mostly with recycling but does have some reduction and reuse information, especially Appendix C - The New York City Waste Prevention Coalition's 5-Year Action Plan (note that this action plan was written two years ago, however). -------------------- Link to a Green Seal environmentally preferable purchasing report on carpet, published in December, 2001 (first seen in the National Recycling Coalition's Recycling Policy Reporter): http://www.greenseal.org/cgrs/Carpet%20CGR.pdf - end -