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30 Mar 04 - diapers; Starbucks; bagel; batteries ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive --------------------- The first three messages are in response to the article posted 3/19/04 about the concept of using no diapers, as an alternative to disposable or cloth diapers. This concept is sometimes called "elimination communication" or "diaper-free," and involves parents learning their infant's signals when they are getting ready to pee or poop. --------------------- From Michelle Gaither, Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center, Seattle, WA: I have a 17-month-old and have been practicing some degree of "elimination communication" since he was 2 months old. Since I work part-time, I have not been able to devote enough attention to the effort to have him "signal" me before, so he still wears diapers. He does great though, and goes nearly every time I sit him on his little toilet, or hold him over a big toilet. We've gone a whole day with a dry diaper. He also proudly recognizes that he's gone, with clapping, and pointing. Although the effort has been significant, it's well worth it. It's great communication; I figure I've reduced diaper use by at least 60 percent to date; and, I expect he'll be potty-trained a year earlier than my other two. E-mail: Gaithermj (A T) aol (D O T) com --------------------- From Laurie Gustafson, Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance, St. Paul, MN: As a mother of two, soon to be three, and living in a cold climate, I can't imagine having the time to watch for the cues before my babies have to pee or poop. There are so many things to worry about when raising children, not to mention our society's view on the topic. Not that I believe that society's view should be followed all the time, but some things are not worth the effort. As parents know, you learn to pick your fights. I've been to countries where kids don't wear diapers, and frankly I saw kids peeing and pooping on the streets. Maybe that was unusual, maybe not. But I can't imagine asking my kids to do the same here. And as for cleaning up accidents at home and elsewhere, one less thing I have to clean, the better. Potty training, while it can be stressful, is usually just another developmental achievement for kids. Most kids survive it OK. I say if you've got the luxury to watch your kids' cues for elimination, good for you. But for the rest of us, we will struggle with the cloth vs. disposable debate. E-mail: laurie (D O T) gustafson (A T) moea (D O T) state (D O T) mn (D O T) us --------------------- From Michelle Portman, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Boston, MA: I congratulate those non-diaper parents described in the article. I recently adopted a baby (16-month-old) from Russia. The caregivers there didn't seem to use any diapers on the babies, but rather some sort of combination of tights and underwear. The little ones spend a significant amount of time getting put on the potty (all together it seems), but it certainly does train them at a young age. Unfortunately, our little one went right on peeing and pooping in the portable potty we brought to Moscow, but once the travel home (to the U.S.) began, she wouldn't continue it. The orphanage workers were desperate for Pampers and get boxes as presents from Americans who go over there to adopt - unfortunate perhaps. E-mail: Michelle (D O T) Portman (A T) state (D O T) ma (D O T) us --------------------- Excerpted from a 3/26/04 article on the LetsRecycle.com website, an online recycling information service based in London, UK: REAL NAPPY WEEK UNDERWAY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM The eight annual Real Nappy Week - an event sponsored by the UK government and the Women's Environmental Network to encourage parents to use reusable cotton nappies (diapers) instead of disposables - is being held March 26 through April 4. More than three-quarters of all local governments in the UK have signed up to support Real Nappy Week. The Women's Environmental Network estimates that about 15 percent of parents now use "real" nappies. The Network has received 75,000 Pounds ($137,000 U.S. dollars) from the UK government's Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) - a not-for-profit agency funded by the government - to coordinate this year's Real Nappy Week. Disposable nappies account for around 4 percent of total household waste in the UK, making them a prime target for waste minimisation action. WRAP is leading the work on the government's new waste reduction strategy, which has set a target to convert an additional 155,000 households to using real nappies by April 2006. A total of 800,000 Pounds ($1.46 million U.S. dollars) will go into its reusable nappy programme. In addition to Real Nappy Week, WRAP's nappy programme will provide support for nappy laundering businesses starting in major urban areas. Deputy Mayor of London Jenny Jones, who was to launch the week's events, said: "Disposable nappies create an unnecessary amount of waste, with up to 5,400 nappies used per baby. By contrast, a baby only needs 18-24 real nappies." In Scotland, the Scottish Executive has given an additional boost to WRAP, allocating almost 650,000 Pounds ($1.19 million U.S. dollars) over the next two years for its nappy work. For more information on Real Nappy Week, see the Women's Environmental Network's Real Nappy Week website at http://www.wen.org.uk/rnw --------------------- From Don Van Dyke, California Integrated Waste Management Board, Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Reduction Section, Sacramento, CA, responding to the item posted 3/19/04 about Starbucks' environmental awareness promotional campaign, which will run through Earth Day, April 22, and includes a major waste prevention component: I have always been very appreciative of Starbucks' waste prevention efforts. Their Web site tells about some of the things they have had success with: http://www.starbucks.com/retail/spring_environment.asp I have talked with their staff. They have tried more things than what their Web site says. The staff seem genuinely concerned with waste prevention and the environment, and they continue to make some headway with fair trade, organic, and shade-grown coffees. I have to admit that if all large corporations did what they do, the world would be noticeably improved, at least a little. My only gripe is that the Starbucks 10 cent discount for reusable mugs has been completely invisible in some stores. Some Starbucks stores do not have it posted anywhere that I have been able to find. Hopefully this will change with their Earth Day efforts. By the way, there are some posters that promote mug reuse at http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/BizWaste/Posters/Utensils.htm, including one that food establishments can use to inform their customers about mug reuse discounts. The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) has offered these for years. The concept is not new. Neither Starbucks nor CIWMB can claim to have developed the idea. The posters can be downloaded as a PDF file for printing with a color printer onto 8.5 x 11 inch paper. CIWMB provides 11 x 14 inch copies printed on poster paper at no charge for use in California. CIWMB would probably be willing to mail a few to addresses outside of California if the demand was not great enough to seriously deplete the supply. E-mail: dvandyke [ AT ] ciwmb [ DOT ] ca [ DOT ] gov --------------------- Excerpted from a message from John Halenar, environmental writer and consultant, Ridgewood, NJ: During the New York City local news last week, I saw a commercial for a new Philadelphia Cream Cheese product featuring one bagel, a single-serving container of cream cheese, and a tiny knife/spreader, all packaged in a molded, compartmentalized plastic package. Apparently, the waste prevention message just isn't getting through to Corporate America - or to the American consumer, for that matter. What more can we do? Not buying these ridiculous products is, of course, a good first step. But it's frustrating because no one seems to be paying attention. It's almost as if someone is offering a prize for the most wasteful product idea. E-mail: johnhalenar ( A T ) yahoo ( D O T ) com --------------------- Excerpted from a 2/29/04 article by Lorraine Mirabella in the Baltimore Sun: RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES BATTLE DISPOSABLES FOR MARKET SHARE Americans are spending more than ever on more types of batteries - and there's no end in sight. The average U.S. household uses 28 battery-powered devices, according to battery maker Duracell. And that number is growing. Battery sales are growing at a rate of 5 percent to 6 percent a year, with worldwide sales in 2003 totaling $5.17 billion for the top three battery makers - Energizer Holdings Inc.; Duracell, a division of The Gillette Co.; and Rayovac Corp. Research firm Euromonitor International projects U.S. battery sales will be $2.9 billion this year. Within categories of batteries, rechargeables are growing fastest, driven by sales of cordless vacuums, power drills, phones, and notebook computers. Since the early 1990s, sales of rechargeable batteries have averaged nearly double-digit annual growth. Take the popular AA batteries. Consumers are still spending more on disposables - $604 million worth sold last year in grocery stores, drug stores and mass merchants - compared with rechargeables, which had sales of $11.6 million for the year, according to A.C. Neilson. But sales of the disposable AAs fell 8.21 percent, compared to a 20 percent jump in sales of AA rechargeables, composed of nickel metal hydride. Rechargeable batteries keep getting more powerful and are being used more and more - in CD and MP3 music players, remote control toys, voice recorders, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other devices that require consistent, heavy power. One of the biggest areas of growth has been in digital still cameras, as manufacturers make them more compact and increasingly design them for use with rechargeables. Rechargeable batteries are also getting smaller as cameras, cell phones and other products become more and more compact. And as the batteries get smaller and lighter, they've also become more powerful thanks in part to a movement toward lithium ion and lithium polymer batteries, two similar technologies that decrease battery size but increase power and run times. For some consumers, a battery that no longer holds a charge has become an excuse to toss out an otherwise working product and get a new one. Cell phone batteries, which cost around $28, might last a year, or two at the most, and by then newer phones are available with newer features. "A lot of people will upgrade their phone and get a free cell phone before they spend that $28," said Mike Stevens, owner of Stevens Battery Warehouse in Pasadena, Maryland. In the highly competitive battery market, battery makers are rushing to come up with new products and develop faster ways to charge batteries. Rayovac recently introduced a rechargeable system that takes just 15 minutes to power the special AA or AAA batteries. Duracell is coming out this year with new disposable batteries called Prismatics that are more powerful and longer lasting than alkalines. Prismatics, a line of flat, rectangular batteries that resemble a stick of chewing gum, are compatible with 270 devices on the market, including major brands of portable CD players, CD/MP3 players and mini disc players. These batteries can be used as alternatives in products that take rechargeable batteries. The battery designed for digital cameras will range in price from $8 to $12, while those for digital audio devices will sell for $5 to $7 for a two-pack. Kara Salzillo, a Duracell spokeswoman, said, "It's a convenience thing. Research has indicated that consumers want a choice between rechargeable and primary batteries." What consumers want is a way to charge cell phones, laptops and other devices faster and to keep them holding charges longer, says Subhash Narang, director of the product development center at SRI International in Menlo Park, California. The answer, he says, is a new battery that can be charged in five or 10 minutes. Such a battery is under development in the company's laboratories and could be licensed to manufacturers and on the market within the next two years. - end -