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27 Mar 03 - youth projects; phone books; Cost of Cool; conferences; gardens ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive -------------------- From Susan Salterberg, Center for Energy & Environmental Education, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA: WANTED: GOOD IDEAS FOR WASTE REDUCTION SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECTS Does anyone have ideas of good waste reduction service-learning projects for 6th-12th graders? I am trying to generate a list, and find it is difficult. The clothing collection initiative in Oregon listed in the 3/20/03 Waste Prevention Forum is a good idea, but it's more reuse. Anyone with ideas (either for reuse or reduce), please send them my way. And thanks to those who responded to my earlier question about curriculum resources. E-mail: salterberg [ A T ] uni [ D O T ] edu -------------------- From Michelle Portman, waste prevention advocate, Newton, MA: HELP! SOS FOR PHONE BOOKS I have six huge phone books from three different companies that have been delivered to my front yard within the last month. I have not requested these and I have contacted one of the companies four times to have at least two of them picked up. The second delivery company I've contacted once. But to no avail. Every time I speak to them they say they will send someone to pick them up but by the end of the day, the phone books are still there! I'm considering lodging a complaint with the police or throwing the books into the street. Does anyone have any suggestions? I fear that just putting them into the trash can will encourage companies to keep delivering them. E-mail: michelle [ A T ] rozin [ D O T ] com --------------------- From Tom Watson, King County Solid Waste Division, Seattle, WA, and the National Waste Prevention Coalition (NWPC): PHONE BOOK REDUCTION PROJECT In view of Michelle's posting above, I thought this would be a good time for a short update on the NWPC's Phone Book Reduction Project. We're currently putting together information and developing strategies based on input from government agencies, activist organizations and others around the country. We have also been in touch with the environmental manager for one of the largest directory publishers in the U.S. Here's a quick summary of the issue: Unwanted telephone books are a waste problem (and sometimes a litter or nuisance problem) in many communities. Local governments have received numerous complaints about unwanted phone books, from both residents and businesses. Many local governments feel that they (and their taxpayers) bear the financial burden for recycling and disposal of unwanted phone books, and they would like the directory publishing industry to take more responsibility for them. Phone book recycling promotion by directory publishers is NOT enough. Possible solutions include: Phone book distribution systems that efficiently allow residents and businesses to "opt out" from receiving phone books; a greater emphasis on online or CD-ROM phone directories, to reduce the need for print versions. Please contact me if you would like to give your views about this issue, if you have information about the extent of the problem in your area, or if you would like to become directly involved with this project. Thanks to everyone for your interest and support on this! E-mail: tom [ D O T ] watson [ A T ] metrokc [ D O T ] gov Phone: (206) 296-4481 ------------------- Links to information on "The Cost of Cool" video, which was mentioned in recent postings as a teaching resource for 7th to 12th graders (forwarded by Anne McLaughlin): Description, ordering information: http://www.videoproject.net/cost_of_cool_exp.html Background information: http://www.population.org/Whatsnew/whatsnew0501cool.htm Online teacher's resource guide: http://www.videoproject.net/resourceguide.html The video was produced by Population Communications International. -------------------- From Tom Watson, King County Solid Waste Division, Seattle, WA, and the National Waste Prevention Coalition (NWPC): Two state recycling associations, Washington and Indiana, will hold conferences this spring that will include speakers on waste prevention, sustainability and related issues, in addition to lots of great recycling info. - The Washington State Recycling Association (WSRA) will hold its annual conference, "Rising Above the Plateau," May 4-7 in Spokane. For information see: http://www.wsra.net/d0_conference.asp - The Indiana Recycling Coalition (IRC) will hold its annual conference, "Unplugged & Recharged," May 8-9 in Indianapolis. For information see: http://www.indianarecycling.org/page4.html ---------------------- Excerpted from a garden column by Ann Lovejoy in the 3/6/03 Seattle Post-Intelligencer: TEN GREAT WAYS TO GO ORGANIC IN YOUR GARDEN AND LAWN To me, going organic isn't just about not using chemicals. On a positive note, it means simplifying garden care, reducing chores and using as few resources, from water to fertilizer, as possible. 1. Don't weed - Mulch Chemicals can poison the soil as well as weed seeds. Instead, reduce bare earth by adding ground covers. Where earth must remain uncovered, spread a deep (4 to 6 inch) layer of mulch. Many mulch materials help suppress weeds, retain moisture and regulate soil temperatures, but only natural materials will also feed your soil and plants. The best mulch of all is mature compost, which builds healthy soil, making for strong root systems and flourishing, disease-resistant plants. 2. Make compost Recycle garden wastes into garden gold by composting. For best results, make your pile at least a cubic yard (3-by-3-by-3 feet); this is the smallest efficient size for composting. To avoid pest problems, puree all kitchen scraps and bury them deeply in your pile. To speed the composting process, cut all yard waste into small (2-4 inch) pieces before adding them to your pile. Balanced compost contains equal portions of green/damp and brown/dry ingredients. Start with a 4- to 6-inch layer of dried leaves. Top this with 4 to 6 inches of green stuff. Add an inch of soil, then repeat the pattern until your bin is full. 3. Brew living tea Aerobically brewed teas are packed with beneficial biota; there may be millions of good-guy bacteria in a single teaspoonful. These teas are used to inoculate both soil and plants with biota that promote healthy growth. Used on planting soil, the teas promote strong root growth and help suppress damping off and mildews. Used on lawns, the teas can combat red thread and molds. Used on foliage, aerobically brewed teas help reduce or eliminate foliage problems like rust, powdery mildew and black spot. Because it is alive, aerobically brewed tea must be used the day it is made. For best results, start spraying tea early, before problems have developed. 4. Go probiotic Natural care reverses the usual way we deal with pests and diseases. Instead of attacking a problem, we try to support the solution. When we do all we can to promote strong, healthy growth, plants often will outgrow the problem or pathogen. Thus, we use probiotics - products like the aerobically brewed compost teas that encourage the rapid growth of beneficial soil and foliage bacteria and other biota. In recent years, probiotic mycorrhizae have been increasingly popular for promoting sturdy, extensive root growth in new or stressed plants. Mycorrhizae are a beneficial fungal symbiont that create a lacy web of rootlike threads that can pull in as much as 100 times more water and nutrients for the host plant. Mycorrhizae are mainly available as tablets or powders that must be placed 4 to 6 inches deep in the soil, in contact with actively growing roots. 5. Support the solution The best way to have a healthy, thriving garden is to feed your soil. The best soil food around is mature compost, either homemade or commercial types. An annual mulch of an inch of compost (rake it in lightly) can cure lawns of many diseases, from rusts to mildews. An annual mulch of 3 to 4 inches of compost will keep most garden beds weed-free. Add compost (50-50 with garden soil) at planting time to encourage rapid root growth and to inoculate garden soil with beneficial bacteria. 6. Reduce your lawn Lawn care tops most chore lists. No ground cover, perennial or shrub needs weekly mowing and trimming. Few plants (except aquatics) need so much water. Reduce the lawn and your repetitive chores will likewise be diminished. How? Expand planting beds, adding self-reliant natives and plants that prefer your local climate. 7. Go native As water becomes more expensive and less available, it makes excellent sense to use native plants in our gardens. 8. Right plant, right place A high percentage of plant woes are caused by poor choices and inappropriate placement. How can we improve things? In simple terms, give the poor plants what they want. Put shade lovers in shade and sun lovers in sun and your plants will respond appreciatively. 9. Layer, don't till In recent years, soil scientists are learning that disturbing the top few inches of soil harms the colonies of beneficial critters that bring soil to life. Instead of tilling, simply layer on soil amendments, from lime to cottonseed meal. Spread lightweight amendments with a drop seeder or a whirlybird hand seeder. Layer on heavier bulk materials with a shovel, then rake them out evenly. Finish with a 2- to 3-inch top-dressing of compost and you'll have fewer weeds to contend with as well as healthier soil. 10. Bring in the birds When we fill our yard with plants that are attractive to birds, we can solve several garden problems at once. First, birds are a great line of defense against many pests, from aphids to weeds. Since birds happily eat both bugs and seeds, a garden full of birds tends to be a healthy place. In addition, many bird fodder plants are easy growing, low maintenance woody shrubs that require very little attention once established. Third, naturalistic settings favored by birds are based on natural models that thrive without much help from people. The full article, which includes additional information tailored to gardeners in the Pacific Northwest, is at: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/nwgardens/111123_gardenlist06.shtml - end -