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18 Aug 05 - mail; books; bags; blog; electronics; corn; paper; job; Arizona; boxes
** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM **
-- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition
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Forum archive: http://www.nwpcarchive.org
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From Lynne Chaimowitz, University of Michigan, Waste Management Services,
Ann Arbor, MI:
There are two issues on our campus at the University of Michigan that I am
having problems solving. I am the waste reduction intern here and I was
wondering if anyone has any ideas how the dorms could halt all of the
catalogs and other mail that they receive for students who are no longer
residents. They receive tons of Pottery Barn and Victoria's Secret catalogs
over the summer. Is there any way to prevent this? I am looking for an
efficient way to avoid the catalogs, so Housing can prevent this incredibly
large amount of waste.
Also, is there a way to more sustainably dispose of or reuse the book
jackets that must come off before going on our library shelves? The book
jackets have too much plastic for them to be recycled with paper. And our
local "scrap box" can't take them. The scrap box is where young kids take
things people don't want and use them for art projects. We give them
assorted odds and ends, but they need to be kid-appropriate, and some books
our library gets are not appropriate for children. Does anyone know if
publishers can not include the book jacket? Thank you for your help.
E-mail: lchaimow (AT) bf (DOT) umich (DOT) edu
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From John Halenar, environmental writer and consultant, Ridgewood, NJ,
responding to the 8/4/05 message seeking examples of grocery stores that
have phased out the use of paper and plastic bags, in favor of reusable
bags:
I always wonder when I read items like that: What do people who don't take
paper grocery bags from their grocery store do with their garbage when they
put it out for collection? Every paper grocery bag that I get from the
grocery store is reused as a kitchen garbage bag. I can't put garbage loose
in my outside garbage can; I don't want to use plastic garbage container
liners; if I didn't have paper grocery bags, I wouldn't know what to do
with my garbage when preparing it for collection. Any suggestions?
E-mail: johnhalenar [AT] yahoo [DOT] com
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Link to two entries from the blog of Rob Zverina, related to deconstruction
and construction (seen in Seattle Weekly):
Zverina is a Seattle filmmaker and artist who also works for the RE Store, a
non-profit used building materials store in Seattle, doing deconstruction.
Some of the entries in his personal photo-based blog (short for web log)
deal with his RE Store work, or related topics. Here are two samples:
http://www.zverina.com/2005/0324.htm
Run the cursor over the photo to see "before" and "after" shots of this RE
Store salvage job.
http://www.zverina.com/2005/0419.htm
This entry describes construction methods in the Czech Republic, which
Zverina observed during a visit there.
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Link to information on a series of networking calls in September and October
about electronics product stewardship, sponsored by the Product Stewardship
Institute (forwarded by Julie Rhodes):
http://www.productstewardship.us/networking/invite.html
For anyone who
is not a Product Stewardship Institute coalition member, there is a fee of
$150 to participate in the three calls.
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From KaDeena Lenz, Resource Venture, Seattle, WA:
NatureWorks has produced new drink cups made of PLA (polylactides), a
polymer derived from corn. It is smooth, clear and visually
indistinguishable from petroleum-based plastics. Now if we could only get
Starbucks to adopt this technology for their iced beverages!
For more information, see this article in the July/August 2005 "Green
Guide": http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc.mhtml?i=109&s=greenware
E-mail: kadeenal (AT) resourceventure (DOT) org
(Note from Tom: We are running this item because home composting is often
considered a form of waste prevention, and these cups apparently can be
composted at home.)
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Excerpted from an 8/1/05 item in Computerworld magazine (forwarded by
Polagaya Fine):
This true story was submitted by a hospital IT (information technology)
person: With federal HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act) security regulations in full force, I reminded the staff at my hospital
that when they print reports containing patient information, those reports
can't be left in the printer tray. "They must be either secured under lock
and key or shredded," I wrote. But one user had a problem: "I don't always
have time to pick up my reports from the printer. Is there any way I can
set up my PC so I can send my documents directly to the shredder?"
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Link to a job posting for a national coordinator for the Center for a New
American Dream's Responsible Purchasing Network:
http://www.newdream.org/about/careers.php#rpn
The salary is $58,000 a
year for a four-day work week. The deadline for applications is Sept. 20,
2005. The Center is located in Takoma Park, MD, just outside Washington,
DC.
Note: The Center for a New American Dream is also seeking a new executive
director. That job listing was previously posted on this Forum. That
listing can be viewed by clicking on the above link and scrolling up. No
salary figure has been listed for the executive director job; the deadline
for applications for that position is Aug. 28, 2005.
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Link to the new website for the Arizona Resource Exchange (forwarded by Lisa
Friend):
http://www.azrex.org This website allows users to
see how many postings there are in different parts of the state. It also
features an e-mail alert system. The exchange is sponsored by the Arizona
Environmental Strategic Alliance, the Earth 911 organization, and the
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
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Excerpted from an 8/9/05 article by Samantha Gonzaga in the San Gabriel
Valley Tribune, a newspaper in the Los Angeles area (forwarded by David
Stitzhal and Carl Hursh):
USED BOXES UNFOLD INTO BOOMING BUSINESS
Marty Metro's mantra is to rescue, reuse and recycle cardboard boxes. Four
years ago, Metro didn't just found a company with UsedCardboardBoxes.com. He
created an industry. His company now has warehouses in Pomona, Long Beach
and Los Angeles in California, and in Tampa, Florida.
UsedCardboardBoxes.com's solution to reducing moving costs is to "rescue"
packing boxes that retail companies don't want. Consumers can buy or resell
their own used cardboard boxes, which are sold for a fraction of the price.
Partnerships with retail companies like Guess? jeans, Waldenbooks, Borders
Books and Music, and American Apparel keep the company warehouses stocked
with undamaged boxes. The boxes range from 1 to 6 cubic feet. One of the
ingenuities of the business is its technology infrastructure. Instead of
fully relying on its stores to generate business, the company website
(http://www.UsedCardboardBoxes.com )
gives customers the option of having the boxes delivered to their homes
within 24 hours. Zip code validation technology enables the company to
determine if requests can be met by UsedCardboardBoxes.com's warehouses.
Orders that fall outside the coverage area are connected to the site's "box
exchange" engine, which matches them with companies or individuals looking
to get rid of used boxes.
Boxes can be bought individually (starting at 50 cents) or in packages. The
one- to two-bedroom moving bundle begins at $65, which comes with 45 boxes,
a box-cutter, Sharpie marker, tape and bubble wrap. Need something sturdier
than boxes? For the same cost of buying the boxes, customers can rent
Rubbermaid storage bins. These too, can be delivered.
The response to the company's services has been phenomenal, Metro said.
Citing company policy, Metro did not release sales figures. He noted that
the company donates a portion of its profits to Los Angeles-based
TreePeople, an environmental group whose programs include tree-planting at
schools, parks and shopping centers.
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