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23 Oct 03 - food; Merge; Nalgene bottles; Freecycle; EPA; bags ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive --------------------- From Janine Bogar, Thurston County Solid Waste Division, Olympia, WA: I was just speaking with a woman who is concerned about all the produce and other foods that grocery stores throw out daily (she was told a thousand pounds a day for each store). Much of this is still edible. She has tried getting stores to donate this food to local shelters or food banks, but found the stores are very hesitant to do so because of a fear of liability if someone was to get sick from bad food. Of course, fresh produce is much healthier than the processed foods that seem to fill most food banks; plus, some cultures (the woman I spoke with works for the local refugee center) rely strongly on fresh produce for their native diets. As so often is the case with waste reduction, it would truly be a win-win-win-win situation if this food was to be kept out of the trash and distributed to hungry people. I recall hearing of a program in Portland that was collecting leftover deli food at the end of each day for local shelters, so that program must have found a way past the liability issue. I would be very interested in seeing copies of any waivers for food donation that might be in existence. I would also like to know if anyone has done work with stores collecting produce for distribution to needy folks. Thanks. E-mail: bogarj (AT) co (DOT) thurston (DOT) wa (DOT) us --------------------- From Melanie Case, Lewis County Solid Waste Utility, recycling program, Centralia, WA: Flipping through the television guide on Sunday morning I discovered a show on the Lifetime channel called "Merge." It is yet another decorating show, but its focus is newlyweds combining all their stuff into one household. The re-decorating takes place while the couple is on their honeymoon. The household items - some very beautiful and REUSABLE - that the hosts decide will not be included in the newly "merged" home get SHREDDED. I could not believe my eyes or ears! The hosts said the items must be shredded so that the bride or groom cannot sneak items back into the house after the redecorating has taken place. I plan to write the Lifetime network and share my disgust. I hope others will too. E-mail: mjcase [AT] co [DOT] lewis [DOT] wa [DOT] us --------------------- Excerpted from a 10/16/03 article by Lauren Van Arsdale in the Athens (Ohio) News: NALGENE WATER BOTTLES - NOT JUST FOR OUTDOORSY TYPES ANYMORE Nalgene water bottles, first used by Boy Scouts and campers, now swing from the hands and bags of more than just outdoor enthusiasts. Like many other U.S. consumers, students at Ohio University (OU) in Athens have taken to the reusable plastic bottles for a variety of reasons. "My Nalgene is nice to carry because I don't have to buy other beverages that would produce waste," OU junior Lindsey Soter said. "I can attach it to my bag, it's unbreakable, nice for hiking, and carries a lot of water. I also don't have to get up during class to go to the water fountain." Along with convenience and durability, size also is a factor in the 32-ounce bottles' growing popularity among college students. Specialty Bookstore, which serves Ohio University students, has been carrying the Nalgene water bottles for a couple of months, according to general merchandise manager Michelle Davis. "I ordered them because they are really big in colleges right now. They are much more popular than other water bottles," she said. Nalgene bottles first began selling in outdoor specialty stores. Wild Mercantile, a local store, carries the bottles, which are one of the store's biggest sellers. The store carries a variety of sizes, shapes and colors, but the colored variety is more popular than the original clear bottle, said co-owner Joe Hazelbaker. The Nalge Nunc International company, which makes the Nalgene bottles, began producing red-, yellow- and blue-tinted varieties of the bottle in 2000 and this year added a darker red, sapphire blue and a sage green. The recent popularity of the Nalgene bottles "coincided with the need to be hydrated," Hazelbaker said. "When I was in high school, it was still in vogue to deny athletes water. In 1985 somebody brought water into class and that was odd; now its everywhere," he said. Due to the increased awareness of keeping the body hydrated, consumers began to reuse plastic bottled-water bottles, but a recent study conducted by the University of Calgary in Canada linked an unhealthy amount of bacteria with the tops of reused soft plastic water bottles that package bottled water. The small opening on the top of disposable bottles makes hand-washing harder, and washing them in the dishwasher is not an option because they melt. Unlike the soft plastic bottles, Nalgene water bottles can be washed in the dishwasher without melting. ---------------------- From Tom Watson, King County Solid Waste Division, Seattle, WA, and the National Waste Prevention Coalition: As described in the article above (and based on other articles and personal observation), Nalgene water bottles appear to be a national fad. It's great to see a durable, reusable product - which is replacing a disposable product - become a lifestyle statement, almost an icon. However, it should be noted that there has been some controversy about the company that makes the Nalgene bottles, Nalge Nunc International Corp., whose Outdoor Products Division is based in Rochester, NY. Some animal rights activists have called for a boycott of Nalgene water bottles because Nalge Nunc also manufactures and distributes devices used in animal research. Here is a link to information about the boycott, on the website of Rocky Mountain Animal Defense (RMAD), a non-profit organization based in Boulder, CO: http://www.rmad.org/nalgene.html On that web page, RMAD recommends a competing durable plastic water bottle. For its part, Nalge Nunc International has issued a strong defense of the products it makes that are used in animal research. This statement is located on its website at: http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/about/whitepaper.html ---------------------- Link to the website for Freecycle, a network of e-mail listservs where people can exchange items (forwarded by David Allaway): http://www.freecycle.org Freecycle listservs are currently available in 31 cities. Each local Freecycle listserv has its own moderator. Everything posted on the Freecycle exchange listserv must be free. The Freecycle network is organized by "Downtown Don't Waste It," a nonprofit recycling organization in Tucson, Arizona, where the first Freecycle listserv was started in spring, 2003. --------------------- Excerpted from a message from Kelly Doordan, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9, Office of Pollution Prevention and Solid Waste, San Francisco, CA (forwarded by Timonie Hood): The U.S. EPA is seeking feedback on the Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC) initiative launched by Acting EPA Administrator Marianne Lamont Horinko to put the "resource conservation" back into the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act by challenging all Americans to get involved in reducing waste through innovative voluntary programs. Information on the RCC is at: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve Brief suggestions on possible voluntary projects or partnerships that meet RCC goals and could grow with national attention are welcome, as are general comments on the RCC. While the RCC focuses on voluntary partnerships, EPA remains firmly committed to active enforcement and compliance assistance programs. The RCC has three broad goals that are linked directly to EPA's mission and cut across traditional programs: 1) Conserve energy by using better materials and design, and recover energy from things now viewed as waste; 2) Increase materials and resource efficiency through source reduction, reuse, and recycling of hazardous and municipal solid wastes (increase recycling rate to 35 percent), among other waste streams; 3) Reduce target chemicals at all stages in the life cycle, including products, waste (municipal, industrial, and hazardous), and emissions. There are currently 30 chemicals targeted for reduction, listed at: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/minimize/chemlist.htm Information on the EPA's Current Innovations Pilot funding solicitation (deadline December 5, 2003) is at: http://www.epa.gov/oswer/iwg Comments on the Resource Conservation Challenge, including your address and phone number, should be submitted by November 28, 2003, to: rcc-challenge [ A T ] epa [ D O T ] gov ----------------------- Excerpted from 10/10/03 and 10/16/03 columns by Sam Venable in the Knoxville (Tennessee) News Sentinel: OUT COMES NEWS, IN GOES EVERYTHING - REUSE IDEAS FOR NEWSPAPER BAGS Readers of this column have plenty of ideas about what can be done with the thin plastic bags that newspapers are often delivered in: - "I've used them for dirty diapers. I use them for temporary storage of 'almost clean' paint brushes and rollers I'm going to use the next day. They're terrific when you're dead-heading flowers. They're good for storing mittens and gloves. And, of course, they're ideal for cleaning up after your dog." - Anne McIntyre - Storing loaves of homemade bread. - Marion Collins - "Whenever I see poison ivy, I just put the sleeve on like a glove, pull the plant, then take my hand out, sliding the bag back over the poison ivy. It never touches my skin." - Lynn Baker - "Give them to a day-care center. They're perfect for sending clothes home when kids have had 'an accident'." - Jennifer Bolix - "Great for your bathing suit when you go swimming." - Nancy Swaggerty - "Stick a wet umbrella inside. It saves a mess in your vehicle." - J.L. Jenkins - "I put my wallet in one when I'm fishing on rainy days." - Terry Miller - About half a dozen readers said their newspaper carriers reuse the bags. - A number of people recycle these newspaper bags. - And two readers suggested that they might make serviceable condoms for elephants - although neither volunteered for installation. - end -