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03 Oct 03 - diapers; labels; batteries; videos; grant awards; cars; dumping ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive --------------------- From Angelique Mullen, Bay Area Cloth Advocates, San Francisco, CA: I was just wondering if anyone knows where to find accurate waste statistics. Specifically, I am looking for stats on how many disposable diapers are thrown away every year in the U.S. Many of the sources I read say 18 billion, but that is from the late eighties, so I am sure it must be more by now. Thanks very much. E-mail: terang [AT] sbcglobal [DOT] net --------------------- The next three messages are in response to the 9/29/03 posting from Lisa Friend asking if anyone knows of a good source for "we are reusing this envelope" labels. -------------------- From Jeffrey Smedberg, County of Santa Cruz Public Works Department, recycling programs, Santa Cruz, CA: For many years I have used labels sold by Friends of the Earth to easily reuse envelopes. They are still offered on the Friends of the Earth website at: http://www.foe.org/mail/merch.html E-mail: dpw179 [AT] co [DOT] santa-cruz [DOT] ca [DOT] us --------------------- From Susan Ziolko, Clackamas County Community Environmental Services, waste reduction program, Clackamas OR: We have had rubber stamps made to use - especially on large envelopes and boxes that are being reused. They say: "Pardon My Looks, I'm Reused!" This saves the labels and can work on many items. E-mail: susanz [AT] co [DOT] clackamas [DOT] or [DOT] us --------------------- From Michelle Portman, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Resource Protection, Boston, MA: I just use plain labels about 1.5 x 1.5 inches for reusing envelopes - especially those that come pre-addressed from banks, non-profits soliciting donations, credit card companies, etc. It seems like printing special "reuse" labels is redundant and obviates part of the source reduction aspect. E-mail: Michelle [ DOT ] Portman [ AT ] state [ DOT ] ma [ DOT ] us --------------------- From Sondra Flite, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Trenton, NJ, responding to the 9/29/03 posting saying that one concern for a corporation using the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) program is that batteries must be managed under the Universal Waste rules at the generator site: Technically, citizens' personal waste is exempt from being universal waste. It's household hazardous waste. But since you can't tell whether businesses are putting their phones and batteries in the collection, you may as well categorize the whole collection as Universal Waste. The Universal Waste program is very friendly to collectors, so stores collecting batteries, such as Best Buy, can easily comply, either within the RBRC program or not. Best Buy becomes a Universal Waste Handler. A small-quantity handler has almost no requirements. A large-quantity handler in New Jersey has to tell DEP that they exist, keep records on what they collect, label the material, keep it for no more than a year, and report once a year. They don't need permits, and they don't pay fees. RBRC is also a handler, and needs to do the same, and make sure the materials go to a recycler. A piece of cake for any large corporation. E-mail: Sondra [DOT] Flite [AT] dep [DOT] state [DOT] nj [DOT] us --------------------- From Susan Ziolko, Clackamas County Community Environmental Services, waste reduction program, Clackamas OR, in response to the 9/29/03 posting seeking a video that promotes office waste prevention: The Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Master Recycler Program, with a grant from the Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ), produced three waste prevention videos several years ago. One focuses specifically on offices ("Better Than Recycling: Waste Prevention in the Office"), one on manufacturing ("Better than Recycling: Waste Prevention in Manufacturing and Distribution"), and the third is more general ("Why Should I Bother: Waste Prevention in the Workplace"). They range from 13 to 16 minutes long. Info in the videos overlap each other, as they weren't all intended to be shown to the same audience. They were produced by Oregon State University and can be purchased from them. E-mail: Puborders (AT) orst (DOT) edu If you are in Oregon, they can be borrowed from your local DEQ solid waste & recycling office, as well as from many local government solid waste & recycling offices. E-mail: susanz [ AT ] co [ DOT ] clackamas [ DOT ] or [ DOT ] us Note: These videos can be viewed on the OSU Extension website at: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/videos/index.php?PHPSESSID=eabb69d4456fa9e2c248161dddad5d09 Click on the drop-down box under "Business Management" and select the video title. (This link forwarded by Kyle Pogue.) --------------------- Excerpted from a message from Sarah Weimer, California Integrated Waste Management Board, Sacramento, CA: ANNOUNCEMENT OF CALIFORNIA REUSE ASSISTANCE GRANT AWARDS The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) is awarding the following seven applicants with Reuse Assistance Grants from Fiscal Year 2003/2004 funds. The grant recipients, amount awarded, and project descriptions are as follows: City of Arcata - $19,225 The City will partner with the Arcata Endeavor, a local nonprofit agency that operates the Multiple Assistance Center for homeless families and individuals in Arcata. The Endeavor will recruit and hire a reuse project coordinator and a Driver-Distribution Manager who will be responsible for working with local grocers, restaurants, and caterers to reclaim edible food and distribute it to hungry people, either in the form of free meals served at the site or food boxes distributed to needy families. The project will be extended to include donations of clothing and household items. It will significantly decrease the amount of food that is wasted and increase the ability of the Endeavor to provide meals and commodities to homeless and indigent families in a cost effective and organized manner. City of Lakewood - $43,615 This project will divert the city's Bulky Item Collection donations to reuse facilities; this will cover many elements of reuse, including construction and demolition debris, electronics, and household bulky items. The project will focus mainly on the residential sector. The City will also work with the local hauler to divert as many of the collected items as possible to local charitable organizations that have need for those items. It is estimated that this program will divert 67.5 tons on average per month for reuse purposes. Kern County - $8,382 Grant funds will kick off an electronics reuse program for commercial businesses and residents in Kern County. Businesses and residents will participate by donating dated electronics to the local, nonprofit thrift store network, including Goodwill and the Salvation Army. Collected electronic waste will be transported to and processed by the Bakersfield Association of Retarded Citizens (BARC). Material that is in good working order, refurbishable, or marketable will be managed by BARC technical staff and will eventually be sold or donated through the thrift store network. Unmarketable material will be demanufactured by BARC staff, with component parts used for the refurbishing program, or will be responsibly recycled. Marin County - $37,728 This project will involve the creation, promotion, and maintenance of a local web-based materials exchange program, MarinMax, which will divert a significant amount of reusable material from disposal. MarinMax will focus on connecting those with surplus building materials, electronics, and other durable goods with those who can utilize these materials. MarinMax will be hosted on Marin County's Hazardous and Solid Waste Regional Agency web site, Marinrecycles.org. Additionally, Marin County Public Works staff will conduct a sizable community outreach program to solicit listings from building associations, nonprofits, schools, and businesses. Nevada County - $45,021 (partially funded from FY 2002/2003 funds) Grant funds will be used to include the design, planning, construction, and promotion of a building materials reuse facility. There is currently no reuse opportunity available for these materials in the County. Santa Cruz County - $46,328 This project will assist with the refurbishment and distribution of discarded computer equipment, and upgrade the existing ProMAX materials reuse network using the CIWMB-funded NapaMAX web site as a template. A vocational training program providing computer technician certification will be established for inmates of the County's minimum-security detention facility, who will, in the course of their study, refurbish equipment that can be redistributed to low-income individuals, charitable organizations, and educational institutions. The County has identified an ample supply of working reusable computers destined for disposal, and a huge market that can use the refurbished computers. Sourcing and distribution of used computer equipment will be aided by an upgrade of the regional materials exchange program, ProMAX. Ventura County - $49,700 Grant funds will be used to support the struggling Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Ventura County's only reuse option for construction and demolition discards. The majority of the funds will be used to pay two California Conservation Corps members to collect donations of reusable building materials from homes and construction sites for two years. This is key to the project's success, as no pick-up service is currently available. The remaining funds will be used for on-screen ads in two theatres, Spanish language radio ads, and quarterly, targeted bulk-mailings. These efforts are intended to generate high-quality donations, increase awareness of the ReStore and its tax donation benefits, and expand the ReStore's customer base in the English and Spanish speaking communities of the County. In addition to the Reuse Assistance Grants, the California Integrated Waste Management Board has an ever-growing list of reuse resources, which are available on the Board's Reuse web site at: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/reuse/. E-mail: sweimer ( A T ) ciwmb ( D O T ) ca ( D O T ) gov --------------------- From Ed Minas, Kirkland, WA: I am interested in exploring what a car-free community might be like and would like to find like-minded people who would like to start a discussion group. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions as to how I might connect with folks who would like to explore the idea? Thanks in advance. E-mail: shelties [A T] bainbridge [D O T] net --------------------- Excerpted from a message from Jamie Cahillane, Center for Ecological Technology, Pittsfield, MA: An "Idle-free campaign" has started in my hometown of Lenox, Massachusetts. A group of local residents is trying to get people, trucking companies and visitors to shut off their vehicles if they will be sitting for more than 10 seconds. A little-known Massachusetts state law already exists that limits engine idling to no more than five minutes, and this campaign would like to build on that. For more information on this campaign, contact me at jamiec (A T) cetonline (D O T) org or Richard Gregg at rhgregg ( A T ) aol ( D O T ) com --------------------- Excerpted from a 9/30/03 article by Nancy Kinsey Needham in the Los Angeles Times (forwarded by Gary Liss): OVERNIGHT DONATIONS LESS THAN CHARITABLE Charities call them "midnight donors." They're the people who dump their worn couch, out-of-date computer or 15-year-old refrigerator outside thrift stores - acts that cost charities thousands of dollars. "We spend about $5,000 a month in Ventura County on trash-disposal fees for items dumped outside our facilities at night," said John Benedetti of the Salvation Army. Goodwill pays $7,000 to $10,000 a month for abandoned items to be carted away from its 10 stores in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. In each case, the money spent might have gone to feeding or clothing the poor, or training a worker for a new job. Throughout Southern California, Goodwill paid $475,000 in 2002 to haul away unwanted donations, said Kim Ferraro, vice president of development and community relations. That figure does not include the cost of warehousing items such as used computer monitors that cannot be easily disposed of because of their toxic parts, Ferraro said. Kathy Leahy, chief executive of Goodwill Industries of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, agreed. "Middle-of-the-night donors are a huge concern and expense for us." In addition to its trash bill, the organization pays a full-time crew to go to each facility twice a day and clean up unwanted donations, she said. Plus, an operative works throughout the night to discourage midnight donors. Still, daybreak brings stacks of toxic waste, tires, broken appliances and other discards piled outside their doors. If anything of value is left, there are those who also come at night and take it, Leahy said. "People could be cited - if we caught them," said Eric Nishimoto, spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. But, as far as Nishimoto can tell, there have been no arrests in connection with illegal dumping at thrift stores in Ventura County in 2002 or so far in 2003. Deputy District Attorney Derek Malan said his office has yet to see a case involving someone illegally dumping outside a thrift store, but there would be consequences if someone were caught in the act. Dumping on public or private property can result in up to six months in jail and a fine of $500 to $4,000, Malan said. The fine can be doubled if tires are dumped. People need to use common sense when deciding what to do with an item, thrift store managers say. "I think people honestly mean well and don't realize how much it costs us to pay to take away a couch or a file cabinet," said Joy Hagestad, volunteer manager of Senior Concerns Bargain Boutique in Thousand Oaks. Goodwill's Leahy said: "Somehow they think we don't have to pay for dumping, but we pay by the pound. People need to think - If it's trash to them, if it's not something they would buy in a retail store, we can't use it." - end -