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26 Sep 02 - NWPC project; pay-as-you-throw; food waste; toothbrushes ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive -------------------- From Tom Watson, King County Solid Waste Division, Seattle, WA, and the National Waste Prevention Coalition: How can something be vibrant and relevant, yet almost invisible at the same time? That's the way I feel about waste prevention. Those of you on this listserv are leaders in waste prevention (which we loosely define as reduction and reuse, but not recycling), so I'm guessing that you might sometimes feel the same way. Many hot environmental topics today are intimately connected with waste prevention: product stewardship, green building, sustainability, over-consumption, marketing excess, toxics reduction and global warming, just to name a few. Yet waste prevention is still fighting for visibility and recognition. If you look at local, state and federal waste management programs, it's still recycling that gets most of the attention and funding, not reduction and reuse - even though many of those agencies proclaim reduction and reuse as their top priorities. At recycling and solid waste conferences, it's becoming less common to see a track - or even a session - on waste prevention. How do we respond to this? Well, we stay informed (the goal of this listserv), and we keep plugging away on our local, regional and national waste prevention projects. As part of the effort to keep waste prevention visible and relevant, the National Waste Prevention Coalition (NWPC) will launch a new project in the next few months. We would like your help in selecting that project and making it happen. Just as quick background, the NWPC was established by waste prevention leaders from around the nation at a meeting in Portland, OR, in 1994. I coordinate the NWPC as part of my job with King County. The NWPC itself is loose-knit, without formal membership or dues. But most of the NWPC's projects are more tightly-structured, with steering committees, deadlines, etc. The NWPC's current active projects include this listserv and the Business Junk Mail Reduction Project. Past projects include the Dry Cleaning Waste Prevention Project and the Junk Mail Awards. So, to help us select the new project, I'm going to list some ideas for projects that have been proposed so far. Please respond to me directly by Friday, October 4, if you like or dislike certain ideas, if you or your agency would be interested in participating in one of these projects, or if you have other project ideas you would like to propose: Project ideas: - JUNK PHONE BOOK REDUCTION - Unwanted phone books are a growing problem around the country. In many cities, companies dump phone books on residents' porches, or stacks of phone books in front on a business or apartment building, whether they want them or not. Many people want one phone book, but hardly anyone wants three or four different ones. This project would raise awareness about this issue and provide national resources to help agencies and organizations do their own local campaigns. These resources might include contacts at the phone book companies, strategies, success stories, statistics, and model legislation. - WASTE PREVENTION SWAT TEAM - This project would set up a small team of people (membership could rotate) that would respond to breaking issues by taking various actions, including: writing to company executives; writing letters to the editor; sending postings to relevant listservs; marshalling resources in a particular part of the country to deal with an issue; contacting other organizations; organizing letter-writing campaigns. - DOUBLE-SIDED PRINTING BREAKTHROUGH PROJECT - This project would attempt to break through the barriers to double-sided printing by putting together solid information and testimonials from printer manufacturers, offices that do double-sided printing, etc. - WAR ON OBSOLESCENCE - This project would provide compelling information and resources to fight the current trend toward obsolescence and disposability in clothing, electronics and furniture. Please add to this list by suggesting more project ideas, or send me your comments on these ideas, by Oct. 4. Thanks! E-mail: tom ( D O T ) watson ( A T ) metrokc ( D O T ) gov Phone: (206) 296-4481 -------------------- Link to a July, 2002, study by Lisa Skumatz, "Variable Rate or 'Pay-As-You-Throw' Waste Management: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions" (first seen in the WasteCap Wisconsin September e-mail bulletin): http://www.rppi.org/ps295.pdf This study was published by the Reason Public Policy Institute, a division of the Los Angeles-based Reason Foundation. -------------------- Link to an 8/16/02 article by Jim Johnson in Waste News about the amount of food waste generated per household in the U.S. (first seen in the WasteCap Wisconsin September e-mail bulletin): http://www.wastenews.com/headlines2.html?id=1029531529 New research from the University of Arizona shows that the average household creates 474 pounds of food debris per year - much higher than an earlier estimate of 156 pounds annually. -------------------- From Renee Kimball, "Enuf! The Planet's Favorite Band," Portland, OR: THE WHOLE TOOTH This is about "recycling" but is also more about "producer responsibility." These folks make their toothbrush from recycled content and then take it back when it's dead: http://www.recycline.com They have a partnership with Stonyfield Farm yogurt, who will also take back their yogurt containers from anyone who sends them in. E-mail: rrrrenee (A T) aracnet (D O T) com - end -