| News you can use and reuse | Vol. 14, No. 2, Spring 2005 |
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| • Recycling Dropsites & Preparation • What to do With Everything Else • About Used News/Services Provided by BRING |
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| TABLE OF CONTENTS Capital Campaign Tops 50% Mark Help Make the Match Earth Day Celebration and Art Sale Meet the BRING Staff Recycling Report From Salem Planet Improvement Center Donors Donor and Volunteer Thanks Plastic Film Recycling Wired To Waste Prevention Secondhand Saints Lane County Master Recyclers Compost and Worm Bin Workshops, Earth Machines Climate Change Worsens, US Position Unchanged BRING Recycling Warehouse |
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Capital Campaign Tops 50% Mark Quarterly Funding Highlights • Lane County has awarded the Planet Improvement Center $100,000 in economic development funds. • A challenge gift of $25,000 from the Evergreen Hill Education Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation has been matched by a generous anonymous donor. • The Rex Foundation, the Grateful Dead’s charitable foundation in San Francisco, awarded us a $5,000 grant. • In memory of longtime BRING volunteer and recycling advocate, Zachary Zakon, who passed away in January, we have received gifts totaling $1,772 from 26 donors. Thanks to everyone for this heartfelt tribute to Zachary.
Earth Day Every Day Take the pledge; make the plunge. Use the list below to identify new ideas or habits that benefit the earth’s natural systems and make all life possible. • When you receive a catalogue you did not ask for, pick up the phone and use their toll free number to remove your name from the mailing list. • Leave your grass clippings right where they land on the lawn. It reduces the need to fertilize, rake, bag and dispose. • At the office, print or make copies on both sides of a page instead of just one side. • Reduce energy usage: hang dry clothes; turn off lights, TV and other appliances when not in use. • Reduce water usage: take shorter showers; turn off tap while brushing teeth; water lawns deeply once a week or not at all. • Use rechargeable batteries instead of single-use alkaline batteries. • Avoid the double cost of packaging (paying for unnecessary packaging on your product, then having to pay to dispose of it) by choosing items in bulk. Avoid single serve items. Pick packages that are recyclable. • Reduce use of toxics in the garden. Use compost to build healthy soils that resist pests naturally. Pick up a Natural Gardening book on least toxic garden solutions at BRING’s office. Join the EARTH DAY CELEBRATION April 23rd, 11A.M.–5P.M.EWEB Fountain Plaza BRING’s Earth Day Art Sale Local artists have donated artwork to benefit BRING’s capital campaign. You can help meet the match by coming down to select your new centerpiece for garden or livingroom. Items will be made with a minimum of 75% recycled or reused materials. The Earth Day Celebration will be in the EWEB Plaza right on the river Saturday, April 23rd, 11A.M.–5P.M. Now in its sixth year, the Earth Day Celebration is going as strong as ever. Don’t miss the Procession of all Species led by the exuberant Samba Ja! at 2P.M. There will be food booths, educational activities for young and old, and good music all day. Meet the BRING Staff: Warehouse and Decon Last issue we featured BRING’s office and Glenwood staff, now it’s time to meet the folks that run the warehouse and take down buildings.
Recycling Report From Salem The 73rd Oregon Legislature began work on January 10, 2005. There have been several bills introduced relating to recycling, with several more expected to be in print by the time USED NEWS goes to press. Here’s what the recycling community has their eyes on: SB 291: Introduced by former BRING Board President, Senator Floyd Prozanski, this bill would allow for professional source separation by a third party, and would allow an individual to remove recyclable material from a bin, container, or box without receiving prior permission from the owner. This bill stems from the efforts of a local company that inserts itself between the garbage hauler and commercial customers. They guarantee to reduce costs to the generator by closely managing discards. For instance, if they see cardboard boxes in the garbage container, they would be able to retrieve those discards and place them for recycling collection by the service provider. This bill is controversial as garbage haulers are concerned about their liability exposure regarding injuries a person might receive if they climb into hauler owned garbage containers. In addition, the potential for gaining access to generators’ personal information has haulers opposed to this bill. HB 2507: Introduced by several representatives, including Springfield’s Terry Beyer, this bill would create an interim task force to study the issue of how best to manage sodium azide, a chemical used to inflate automobile air bags. This issue relates to recycling in that automobiles are a large source of scrap steel and non-ferrous metals. Automobiles are typically salvaged for parts first, then crushed for transport to a recycling facility, where they are shredded into fist sized chunks with some of the largest grinding equipment you’d ever hope to see. At issue is the toxicity of sodium azide, and what happens to it through this process. It is a very reactive chemical, so the proper disposal of air bags is of concern to autowreckers. Safety for their employees and the issue of managing hazardous wastes is sure to be a topic of the interim task force, should this bill pass. The House Environment Committee agreed to consider a draft bill (at writing it is without a number) that would require the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to appoint a committee to review statewide material recovery goals and make recommendations. The bill was introduced to the Committee by the national garbage and recycling firm, Waste Management Inc. As DEQ reviews and considers raising the material recovery goals, Waste Management wants to make sure that they keep in mind the higher costs associated with reaching higher percentage rates. The House Environment Committee has additionally taken a great deal of interest in the state’s bottle bill. They’ve heard testimony from the Association of Oregon Recyclers, the Oregon Grocery Industry Association, and the Oregon Beer and Wine Industries Association. They’ve also toured a regional material recovery facility in Wilsonville and one of Metro’s transfer stations. Word is that a revised bottle bill is in the works, with the Association of Oregon Recyclers taking steps to convene an industry led and professionally mediated process which would comprehensively examine the issue with the goal of creating a detailed legislative concept for the 2007 session. At issue are declining redemption rates, the impacts of commingled and single stream collection, un-remunerated costs for grocers, and the limited definition of a beverage container. After 33 years of an unchanged, yet very successful bottle bill, it is time for this bill to receive some attention. Other states working on bottle bills include New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Virginia. To find out more about how to contact your Legislator, to examine committee memberships, or to see specific bills, go to www.leg.state.or.us/. —Alex Cuyler, Recycling and Solid Waste Specialist, City of Eugene Planning and Development Local Businesses Support the Planet Improvement Center The local business community has supported our capital campaign generously. As of press time in mid-March, we have raised more than $130,000 in corporate and in-kind donations from the following companies. Thank you to the following businesses:
$5,000 – $9,999 Capital Campaign Donors Thank you for helping us build the Planet Improvement Center! Click here for the list of donors MECCA Store Open Saturdays Your donations make it possible! Thanks to all of you who gave us operating support last quarter. Anonymous (7) Dan Brenner Christine Donahue Joyce Hatch Pamela Leonard Cary & Gretchen Lieberman Deborah Noble Rowland Orum Julie Rogers in memory of Zachary Zakon Cynthia Smith Paula Staight Sue Thompson Elizabeth Thorin Judith Volem David R. West Robin Winfree & Mark Andrews Ken Wong Volunteer Thanks Thanks to the following for making the newsletter mailing parties more fun than ever: Alan Hamel, Cheri Smith, Lin Silvan, Pat Ferris, Michael Golden, Nancy Stark, Betty Weaver, Sara Webb, Sharon Mulford, Alexandra and Don Gerrard, Nancy Zimmerman, Lynne Coates, Anita Pierce, Hilary Fisher, Virginia Klassen, Judy Potter, Sylvia Shaw, Maryann Francis, Pat Sweeney, Laura Poueymirou, Karyn Kaplan, Robyn Foy, Jess Worland, Dean Worland, Alec Formatin, Jill Devine and Xena. Thanks to these happy crafters for making items that BRING can sell with proceeds going to the capital campaign: Mimi Delfiner, Michael Golden, Alexandra, Karen Carlson, Sylvia Shaw, Pat Ferris, Eva Trevarrow, Aruna Aleem, Kent Calvin, Marilyn Sass, Betty Weaver, Trudy Lyne, Jeff Lander, Anita Pierce, Hilary Fisher, Mark Zentner, Elizabeth Sereda, Pat Sweeney, Jennifer Fogerty-Gibson, Chris Veloon, Laura Poueymirou, Kris Gruin, Helen Goche, Taylor Ford For office and operational professional services: Charlie Fleishman, Nora Hagerty, Alain Despatie For help on board committees: Hallis, Carla Orcutt, Dana Singer, Marcia MacDonald, Sulwyn Sparks, Hillary Dearborn, Jane Gibbons, Bev Soasey, Lois Safdie, Chuck Bader, Patricia Atkins, Jeannine Heidenreich, and the Slug Queen, Scarlett O’Slimera.
Wired To Waste Prevention  Here are our favorite news items from the National Waste Prevention Coalition’s forum hosted by Tom Watson and King County Solid Waste Division. You can find these and many more news bits and commentary from experts across the country at the Forum archive: www.nwpcarchive.org. To subscribe to the forum, send an email to the list manager, Tom.Watson@metrokc.govwww.optoutprescreen.com Here’s a link to a new website that allows people to remove their names from mailing lists for pre-approved offers of credit or insurance, often the source of unwanted mail. This website and phone number are offered by four major consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion. Opting out through this service will not necessarily eliminate all credit card offers in the mail, but may reduce them. Previously, this opt-out service was only available by calling a toll-free phone number, 888-5-OPT-OUT (888-567-8688). Is There A Baby In Your Life? Yours, a relative’s, a friend’s or co-worker’s? If so, read this important article on educational toys. Bottom line? Save your money; create less waste; reduce stress on infant and you. “Bringing up Brainy: A Look At The Educational Toy Market” Reporter: Erica Johnson. Broadcast: January 16, 2005. www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/money/brainybaby/index.html Electronics Design Aims to Reduce Hazardous Wastes Before the Panasonic SD Video Camera was born, designers planned for its death. When the $400 camera wears out and can no longer record video, play music or take photos, Panasonic engineers want it to do one final thing: be easy to get rid of. It has no lead, no mercury and no brominated flame retardants—all hazardous substances that make consumer electronics such as personal computers, digital cameras and televisions dangerous to bury in landfills and difficult to recycle. The camera’s aluminum casing can be smelted and made into other products. When its lithium ion battery runs out, it can be dropped off at one of 30,000 retail stores nationwide. “We wanted to eliminate hazardous materials and make it easy to recycle,” said David Thompson, director of corporate environmental affairs for Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., which owns Panasonic. “This is a design objective that’s being built into all of our products.” And not just at Panasonic. Computer and electronics makers around the world increasingly factor a product’s destruction into its creation. The trend is driven in part by environmental regulations but also by shorter product cycles and a consumer culture that allow obsolete gadgetry to stack up faster than ever. For example, Americans annually toss out more than 100 million cell phones, according to Collective Good International, a group that collects and resells used cell phones. Each day, 10,000 TVs and PC monitors go dark, according to the National Safety Council. And an estimated three-quarters of all home PCs, working or not, are stuffed in closets, attics and basements—in large part because getting rid of them can be such a hassle. —Excerpted from a 1/21/05 article in the Los Angeles Times by Alex Pham Waste Management Inc. Will Sponsor Freecycle The Freecycle website (www.freecycle.org) has mushroomed from a handful of people two years ago to a massive extended family of small communities across North America and beyond. Supported totally by volunteers in each community, here’s how it works: If a member has an old couch, for example, that she doesn’t want anymore (but it’s too good to throw out), she simply puts a posting on her local Freecycle website. Another member who wants it replies to the posting and comes by to pick up the couch. No money exchanges hands. Now there are more than 2,000 local groups, with anywhere from one to 13,000 members. It all started in Tucson, Arizona, with Deron Beal. Before he started Freecycle, Beal worked for a non-profit recycling company. In fact, he still works there, and manages the Freecycle movement in his spare time. At an average of one pound per item, Beal says worldwide, the Freecycle movement manages to keep 40 tons of stuff a day out of the landfills. “People have always said the Internet is going to become a democratic medium for people to get in touch and empower each other directly,” says Beal. “That’s what we’re finally starting to see on the Internet—a lot of grassroots efforts like this one that are really able to take off. And people locally at each city are able to take the reins themselves and really make it happen. We’ve got nearly a million members now. We’ve grown 2,300 percent in the past six months.” There’s no doubt Freecycle is growing, and fast. Which means the inevitable is happening: The corporate world wants a piece of the Freecycle action—and it’s willing to pay for it. Beal is negotiating a sponsorship deal with Waste Management Inc. (WMI), which Beal says is “one of the largest recyclers in the world.” Beal hopes the deal will bring in enough cash that he can quit his day job, “and my dream, of course, is to have enough money so that I can hire somebody to be doing the programming for the new web page.” Beal insists, “It’s a beautiful thing to have a company step forward—that’s into recycling—and say, ‘don’t give us your recyclables, reuse it.’ That’s a pretty inspiring thing for a waste management company to step forward and do.” —Excerpted from a 2/6/05 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) news story
The left-over arm, neck, and chest fabric is not wasted. I cut the arms into 3/4 inch wide loops for weaving on a potholder-type loom, and save the neck loops for when I make a larger loom. With the chest fabric that is left, all I have to do is cut away the seams to reveal two nice rectangles that I can use as hand towels. Instead of using the same terry towel over and over, these scraps become washable single-use towels—much more sanitary for guests. I have a basket for clean towels on the counter and the used ones can be tossed in a hamper and dumped in the washer without having to touching them. They can be used for hankies too—I never buy paper tissues! —Ruby Free Compost Workshops For beginning to experienced composters, workshops cover the basics (how composting works, which materials to use, and differing techniques) to site-specific troubleshooting. Workshops are led by certified OSU Lane County Extension Service Compost Specialists and cater to seasonal issues. No registration required. For information call the City of Eugene, Solid Waste & Recycling Program at (541) 682-5542. 2005 Compost Workshop Schedule
 Worm Bin Composting Workshops Learn how to let worms eat your garbage and create a powerful organic fertilizer. This two hour workshop offers extensive instruction about worm bin management, food requirements, harvesting and using worm castings, and the latest in plant nutrition—worm casting tea. Make your own worm bin and take it home with you. Worms included! Saturday, April 23 10 a.m. - Noon $25.00 prepaid Lane County OSU Extension Service Auditorium 950 West 13th Avenue, Eugene Participants must pre-register; no walk-ins will be accepted on the day of the class. (Two family members taking a class will be considered one registration.) Registration forms are available at the Extension Service office, M-F, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Limited to 25 participants. Call 747-1419 for information. Workshops are taught by certified OSU Lane County Extension Service Compost Specialists. Lane County Master Recyclers The Lane County Master Recycler Program has trained over 170 volunteers. Master Recyclers live in Florence, Cottage Grove, Junction City, Marcola, Vida, Creswell, Dexter, Pleasant Hill, and of course, Eugene and Springfield. The benefits of having these dedicated advocates for recycling and reuse are obvious when you consider how great a sphere of influence one individual has: at work, at home, with friends and family, in all social activities and where we do business. Master Recyclers are far and wide in Lane County, and it is making a difference! In 2004 alone, 94 active volunteers contributed approximately 1,450 hours of community outreach in 3R’s education and waste reduction efforts. Most volunteers continue helping long after their required thirty hours of community outreach are completed, and many hours go unreported. • Master Recyclers stepped up their workplace recycling, reported much greater participation and enthusiasm from co-workers, and identified savings in garbage service and waste reduction in general. • Master Recyclers helped conduct waste audits at Lane Community College, Spencer Butte Middle School and for the Association of Oregon Recyclers to support changes to the Bottle Bill. • Master Recyclers staffed educational booths and displays at over a dozen community festivals such as Lane County Fair, Earth Day (downtown and U of O), Oregon Country Faire, Eugene Celebration, Saturday Market on America Recycles 2004, Filbert Festival, Lane County Home Show, Safety Day and Bethel Celebration. • Master Recyclers helped the innovative new recycling programs at the Willamette Valley Folk Festival, Art and the Vineyard, Oregon County Fair, Gay Pride, Multicultural Festival (Sheldon Park) and the U of O Street Faire. • Master Recyclers volunteered time and energy to many of Lane county’s private non-profits including BRING, MECCA, and the Computer Reuse and Recycling Center. They pitched in on projects in the public sector: Lane County, City of Eugene, Springfield Public Works and the University of Oregon. We are proud and happy to live in a community where citizens willingly give of themselves with enthusiasm, good will and creativity. We are lucky to have Master Recyclers among us, who in 2004 spread their talents to an estimated 23,330 men, women and children in Lane County. —Lorraine Boose, Master Recycler Coordinator, Lane County Waste Management
Climate Change Worsens, US Position Unchanged 2004 saw the publication of many discouraging reports about collapsing ecosystems and, especially, an escalation of global warming and climate change. Revelations leading up to this year’s February 16th start-date of the Kyoto Protocol (an international agreement to control or reduce the causes of global warming) made it clear that the extent of devastation from global warming was more widespread and further advanced than previously surmised. Some reports concluded that the window of opportunity for turning things around was rapidly closing, and that further and more extreme changes - in temperature, rainfall, ocean pH, species loss, rising seas, and to the viability of the myriad interconnected systems comprising life on earth - were inevitable, even if tough worldwide responses were implemented at once. Moreover, measures taken today might not yield any benefit for decades or, in some cases, scores of years. But no piece of news in 2004 was more demoralizing than the ongoing US opposition to a concerted worldwide attempt to deal with the main cause of climate change; i.e. greenhouse gas (GHG) production, the primary source of which is the burning of fossil fuels such as gas, coal, and oil. The US position, based on the grounds that slowing down GHG emissions would hurt the nation’s economy, has drawn general disapproval from all quarters. Yet the US government has rigidly clung to this pale and specious argument. In Europe, where environmental laws are more stringent and where governments are aggressively pursuing regulatory solutions for reducing global warming, economic factors are not expected to be severely impacted. The predicted cost to the European Union for complying with Kyoto is 1/10th of 1% of the total economic output. Instead of being a drag on the economy, many think that technological innovation brought about by adapting to changes will likely spur growth. Our Footprint Broadens The human race is now plundering planet earth at a pace that far exceeds the earth’s capacity to support life, according to the World Wildlife Foundation’s (WWF) Living Planet Index 2004. The amount of land needed to support each person, the so-called Ecological Footprint, has increased by 2 1/2 times in the past 40 years. It now takes 2.2 hectares of productive land and ocean to support each person living today. Unfortunately, the WWF says there is only 1.8 productive hectares per person that’s available. Over the same 40-year period, energy consumption increased 7-fold and is by far the leading component of humanity’s surging appetite for resources. The exploding use of fossil fuels and the GHGs created in its wake are the significant measures for a world living beyond its means. Our modern lifestyle is assembled around our ability to consume gas, coal, and oil wherever we are. Burning fuel suffuses every activity with few exceptions. From extracting raw materials, to trucking, processing, manufacturing, distributing, driving to and from work, heating, producing electricity, fertilizing fields, managing pests, developing medicines, whatever you can name: carbon fuel is the underlying mechanism. What About The U.S.? At present, US policy seems conceived around securing a lasting supply of oil for a hungering marketplace and gives little or no support for economization, sustainable technologies, or regulatory action. With China and India emerging as staunch new competitors for existing fuel supplies, the US government has embarked on an aggressive and costly campaign to exert influence in the oil producing regions and shut out competitors. While this might have been smart policy in the past, it is ridiculous now to pursue market domination at the expense of conservation and innovation. The cost of military operations, permanent bases overseas, subsidies to extractive industries, and the other means now being embarked upon to secure a steady supply of fuel are much more expensive and a larger drag on our economy than the alternatives. It also tends to create false expectations and a sense of security that, in light of the heaps of scientific evidence currently available, is unjustified and unwise. If the Government Won’t, We Must When I saw the movie “Fahrenheit 9/11,” what was most shocking was not the Bush family connection to big oil and the implications thereof, but that the audience saw that relationship rather than their own lifestyle as the core problem. While many in the audience were aroused or incensed, I sat wondering how Michael Moore could so badly miss the mark. The modern industrialized western lifestyle and global warming are joined at the hip, and the policies of the government are our creation, based on the fact that we demand and use oil everyday, everyone. That this administration has close ties to the oil industry is not as important as the lifestyle we share that places such importance on oil. The US consumes 25% of the world’s resources, and presumably creates at least 25% of its GHG, although one suspects more. As in any change we demand of the world, the first steps are to look at our own relationship to the problem. I know it’s hackneyed, but change really does come from within, and we need to be the change we want to see. —David Wollner, Business Manager Baby Steps – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Buy Recycled or Used Products. Remanufacturing consistently uses less energy than manufacturing goods from virgin materials. Purchase Green Power. Call your electric supplier and tell them you want to purchase wind generated power. Drive Less. Bike, walk, jog, carpool, take the bus, or buy an alternatively powered vehicle. Shut off your engine instead of idling while waiting at a RR intersection, etc. Reduce Energy Use at Home and Work. Buy energy efficient bulbs and appliances, change out old ballasts, have an energy audit done, and turn down the thermostat. Plant Trees. Trees capture carbon from the atmosphere and provide shade in the summer. Design Wisely. If building new, incorporate efficiencies from the get-go; Passive solar, daylighting, and other inexpensive features can conserve lots of energy in the long run. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Compost. These all conserve resources and energy. Landfills are a major cause of pollution because they produce methane, a much more powerful GHG than carbon dioxide. Some estimates peg landfills as the cause of up to 10% of total GHGs produced in the US. Eat Local Organic foods. Organic foods do not have petroleum-based inputs. Local food requires less packaging and transportation. Don’t Be Afraid to Tell Others. —David Wollner, Business Manager BRING Recycling Warehouse
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by Ruby the Resourceress
