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04 Mar 03 - copier; job; Massachusetts; plastic bags; packaging ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive -------------------- From Terry Foecke, Materials Productivity, Richfield, MN: We could use some help in buying a replacement copier for our office. We could leverage this help by making recommendations to our clients doing office paper reduction projects. For about eight years we have been using a Toshiba 1310, which we purchased used. We bought it because of its excellent repair history and because our tests showed it would copy (without jamming) on once-used paper of almost any type and condition. It is now beyond repair unless we buy another one to cannibalize for parts, which we choose not to do because we would like to improve our energy efficiency by upgrading. Can anyone provide leads on a unit that can use once-used paper without indigestion? We would be most pleased to purchase used, to keep equipment out of the waste stream, and we have clients who would do the same. E-mail: tfoecke (AT) matprod (DOT) com -------------------- Link to a McDonald's Restaurants job posting for a "Social Responsibility Associate": http://www.ethicalperformance.com/recruitment/vacancies.html Click on the McDonald's listing. (This listing is on an international corporate social responsibility jobs website.) This job would be at the McDonald's main corporate office in the Chicago area and would pay $40,000 to $45,000 a year. Job duties would include: - Assist in developing an Environmental Management System within McDonald's. - Provide support on environmental programs and projects. - Assist in McDonald's social responsibility reporting efforts. - Work with supply chain issues related to sustainability. - Crisis management related to environmental, health and social issues. -------------------- From Eric Friedman, Massachusetts State Sustainability Program, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Boston, MA: I would like to introduce the new Massachusetts State Sustainability Program's website at: http://www.state.ma.us/envir/sustainable This program, established by Executive Order No. 438 last year, is designed to promote a wide range of environmentally sound practices (from greenhouse gas reductions to waste prevention to environmentally preferable purchasing to sustainable design, etc.) at state facilities, within the context of long-range planning and more efficient operations. We will continue to update this page and provide more information as it becomes available. Thanks. E-mail: eric [D O T] friedman [A T] state [D O T] ma [D O T] us --------------------- Excerpted from an article by Chee Chee Leung in the 3/4/03 Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald: AUSTRALIA CAMPAIGN AIMS TO REDUCE USE OF PLASTIC BAGS Trials of plastic-bag-free checkout lanes began at selected supermarkets across Australia on March 3rd, marking the start of a Clean Up Australia campaign aimed at reducing the use of plastic bags. The Coles, Bi-Lo and Woolworths chains will also promote recycling and the use of alternative packaging such as calico, paper and reusable plastic bags during the campaign. "Fifty per cent of glass is recycled, 70 per cent of newspaper is recycled, and yet only 3 per cent of plastic bags are recycled," said Clean Up Australia's chairman, Ian Kiernan. "Surely we can do better than that." In Australia, 6.9 billion plastic shopping bags are used each year, 4,000 are thrown away a minute, and 230,000 are dumped in landfills every hour. Kiernan said the trial, which runs until March 28, was focused on educating the community about the four Rs - refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle. In December, environment ministers called on retailers to meet voluntary targets of a 50 per cent reduction in the use of plastic bags, and a 50 per cent increase in recycling bags by the end of 2004. If the deadline is not met, customers could be faced with a plastic bag levy. The head of the Australian Retailers Association, Stan Moore, said retailers were finalising a national code to manage plastic bags that would include measures such as increasing the number of items packed in each bag, and the provision of recycling facilities. Moore said consumer reaction to the plastic-bag-free checkout lanes would determine whether the initiative would be adopted permanently, with much depending on the speed of transactions involving the alternative packaging. Coles is testing the system at its Katoomba, Forestville and Canberra stores. Woolworths is testing a similar initiative at Kellyville, Mona Vale, Mayfield, Top Ryde, Northbridge and Caringbah until March 28. Bi-Lo will be testing the concept in Melbourne. ------------------- From Tom Watson, King County Solid Waste Division, Seattle, WA, and the National Waste Prevention Coalition: There is an excellent cover story on packaging, along with several accompanying articles, in the Winter 2002 Whole Earth magazine. This issue should still be available at major newsstands (and can probably also be found at some libraries). The two-part, 13-page cover story was written by Daniel Imhoff. Here are a few excerpts from the article: PALLETS An estimated 400 million wooden pallets are produced in the United States each year, consuming 20 percent of all lumber (and 40 percent of all hardwood) used. Most pallets are used once or twice before being discarded and chipped for mulch, paper production, energy incineration, or landfilling. Currently, plastic pallets, made by companies such as IFCO Systems, capture just 3 to 4 percent of the market. Reusable plastic pallets are five to ten times as expensive as wooden ones, but come with a five-year warranty. NEW PACKAGING DESIGNS Several new packaging designs that reduce waste have been developed recently. They include: - The GeoCup. The brainchild of architect Tim Johnson, the Geo-Cup has two vertical "cool zones" for finger placement. These add only seven percent more material to the design, and eliminate the need for Styrofoam, doubled paper cups, or ribbed sleeves on single cups. The GeoCup, slated for release this year, uses plantation wood fibers, agricultural tree-free content, and "benign chemistry" to minimize toxics in paper production. For more information see: http://www.geocup.com - The No-label Refillable Bottle. Brauerei C. & A. Veltins, a German brewing company, has designed a new glass bottle for its Gastronomy brand. It was designed for optimum efficiency in the refill process, storage, and transportation, by: 1) having no labels to remove and replace during the refilling process, relying instead on its distinctive shape and tactile features to communicate the brand; 2) a broad opening to make filling more efficient; and 3) a squat neck, reducing wasted volume and increasing efficiency in storage and transportation. The German packaging industry awarded Veltins one of its prestigious 2002 design prizes for the bottle. BIOREGIONALISM The bioregionalism movement encourages packaging reduction. Bioregionalism means (in part) supporting local providers of food and materials. By doing this, we build more self-reliant communities, reduce the need for much packaging, minimize the impacts of transportation, and develop vital supply networks suited to the conditions of the places where we live. Examples of bioregionalism include: Farmers' markets; Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) "farm-in-a-box" consumer purchasing programs; buyers' clubs; chefs' initiatives; and buy-local campaigns. These efforts have all helped lay the groundwork for a food culture based on relationships with familiar suppliers and seasonal varieties of fresh foods. - end -