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13 Sep 02 - zero waste; organics; used textbooks; EPA; diapers; Ecoteams ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive -------------------- Link to a 9/12/02 press release from the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives and EarthLife Africa, describing how the Global Forum, one part of the recent Earth Summit in Johannesburg, had a higher waste minimization rate than other summit venues because of the Zero Waste Project sponsored by those groups (forwarded by Gary Liss): http://www.no-burn.org/press/releases/wssd_announce_091202.html The Zero Waste Project at the Global Forum attempted to design as much waste out of the system as possible to start with, particularly plastics, such as PVC and polystyrene. The project also included extensive education. -------------------- From Dwight Mercer, waste diversion program, City of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada: Does anyone have a typical amount (a range of values will do) of what an average single detached dwelling (assume 2.5 persons) generates in compostable organics on an annual basis? Will consolidate responses and return upon request. Thanks. E-mail: dmercer [ AT ] cityregina [ DOT ] com --------------------- Excerpted from the Consummate Consumer column by Don Oldenburg in the 9/3/02 Washington Post: HOW TO FIND USED COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS Here's a tip for consumers appalled at the price of college textbooks: At http://www.BestBookBuys.com students can search by author, title, even ISBN number from their required reading syllabuses and compare prices of new and used books among 25 reputable online stores (including Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and half.com). Can it save money? Here's an example: BestBookBuys.com found seven online bookstores selling "General Chemistry" by Kenneth Whitten, a standard textbook that lists for $113. The search turned up prices (including shipping) that ranged from the full list price to $101.70 new from Booksamillion.com, to $58.58 at textbookX.com (used) and $6.19 at half.com (used). BestBookBuys.com also provides a listing of hot deals and updated discounts on shipping and book prices - along with "coupon" codes to use when buying from the company online. --------------------- Link to a 9/9/02 release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about their new Resource Conservation Challenge program: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/headline_090902.htm Scroll down to see a list of specific small grants connected with this program. A website for the new program is at: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/index.htm According to the release, EPA is "urging Americans to take renewed responsibility for their individual impact on the environment." The release adds that with this new program, EPA is "challenging Americans to meet or beat two goals by 2005: boosting the national recycling rate from 30 percent to at least 35 percent and curbing by 50 percent the generation of 30 harmful chemicals normally found in hazardous waste." --------------------- Excerpted from a message from Michelle Portman, Waterways Program - Bureau of Resource Protection, Department of Environmental Protection, Boston, MA, responding to the 9/6/02 item about cloth diapers: Just some additional info on the cloth diaper front: A great company for ordering anything over the Internet having to do with cloth diapers is: http://www.cloth-diaper.com I have also just recently discovered a diaper service that is quite economical. They serve the Boston area (i.e., some parts of Eastern Massachusetts) although they are based in Rhode Island. You can have 110 diapers delivered and picked up dirty for $16. Company info: Happy Endings, 49 Water St., Warren, RI, 02885, 1-877-2DIAPER E-mail: Michelle [DOT] Portman [AT] state [DOT] ma [DOT] us -------------------- Link to a 9/4/02 article by Simon Birch in the London newspaper The Guardian about "Ecoteams" in the United Kingdom: http://society.guardian.co.uk/societyguardian/story/0,7843,785342,00.html Made up of between six and eight households, the goal of each Ecoteam is to improve the environmental performance of individual households. Some of the most dramatic results have come from the amount of garbage the Ecoteams have reduced. - end -