WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ARCHIVE   BACK TO ARCHIVE INDEX

29 Jan 99 - deconstruction; junk mail; envelopes; cards; investment ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition ----------------------------------------- Excerpted from message from Robin Snyder, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, forwarded by Tom Kacandes: ALERT!! On December 18, 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency published a proposed regulation that will affect the deconstruction industry. The regulation is only "proposed" at this stage, but after public review it will go "final." Now is your chance to review the draft regulation and make your opinions known. The proposed rule is: Lead: Management and Disposal of Lead-based Paint Debris, OPPTS-62160, December 18, 1998. COMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 16. It is located on the Internet at: http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-TRI/1998/December/Day-18/tri33326.htm If you have any questions or need additional information about this action, please contact the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-5323; Tova Spector, 202-260-3467; or Rajani Joglekar, 703-308-8806. To submit comments, be sure to identify the appropriate docket control number (OPPTS-62160) in your correspondence. Submit written comments to: Document Control Office (7407), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460. E-mail: Snyder [ D O T ] Robin [ A T ] epamail [ D O T ] epa [ D O T ] gov ------------------------------------- From Jeffrey Smedberg, County of Santa Cruz (CA) Public Works: We recently received at home, by bulk rate mail, an offer for a pre-approved Titanium Master Card and a free gift of 2 cases of Coke. When the mailer - a folded card - is opened, it plays the fizzing sound of a soda can being opened (some reviewers thought it sounded more like a toilet flushing). The sound plays every time the card is opened, by means of an electronic mechanism (2" x 2" x 1/4" thick) consisting of a circuit board, a speaker, and powered by three alkaline button batteries. We are wondering if Coca-Cola and Master Card helped the paper mills upgrade their contaminant-sorting machinery, or if we now need to re-educate residents, who we just taught to recycle junk mail, to take it to the Household Hazardous Waste collection site instead. We nominate this Coke and Master Card mailing for the Most Wasteful Mailer of the Year Award. Coca-Cola was a previous winner of this prestigious national award in 1995 by the National Waste Prevention Coalition. E-mail: DPW179 [ AT ] SCRUZA [ DOT ] cahwnet [ DOT ] gov Note from Tom: The National Waste Prevention Coalition has presented its Junk Mail Awards (for Most Wasteful Mailers and Most Responsible Mailers) only once, in 1995. If we ever decide to present the awards again, this will definitely be a contender! ---------------------------------- From Linda Wishart, Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality, Portland, OR: The receptionist in our business office saved return envelopes received throughout the year.... three boxes full. They couldn't be used because: #1. They were too small for our printed checks and voucher that we mail back. #2. Most of the checks are mailed from Salem and our office is in Portland. A few that can be used are kept and used for the return payment. If I had been told about the discarded envelopes, it wouldn't have left as much of an impression as seeing the three over-flowing boxes. I can't imagine a solution other than recycling these, but maybe someone else can. E-mail: WISHART ( D O T ) Linda ( A T ) deq ( D O T ) state ( D O T ) or ( D O T ) us ---------------------------------- The next two postings are in response to the recent postings about electronic greeting cards: ----------------------------------- From Barbara Frierson, City of Alameda (CA) Public Works: Regarding electronic greetings: I don't much like 'em. Mostly because I don't have audio on my computer, and without it the greetings are pretty uninteresting. Senders might make sure the recipient has compatible equipment before using the mode. Also recipients may have to enter a long, number-filled address to retrieve their message. Takes the edge off the fun, for me. Guess I'd rather get a phone call or a bouquet of REAL posies! E-mail: bfrierso [ A T ] ci [ D O T ] alameda [ D O T ] ca [ D O T ] us ------------------------------------- From Roger Guttentag, consultant and writer, Harleysville, PA: In response to recent items on e-cards: E-cards will save paper to the extent that senders and receivers are content to savor their e-cards on a strictly digital basis. However, I can envision situations where e-cards can result in greater paper consumption. Sending 10, 20, 30 (and so on) e-cards may be easier than sending the traditional equivalent (no handwriting messages, envelope addressing, buying stamps, etc.). Now imagine everyone who receives the e-card prints it out to share with friends and relatives. Traditional greeting/holiday cards have the following advantages over e-cards: 1. Portability - They can be carried and passed around. 2. Accessibility - Only the human eyeball is needed. 3. Tactility - You can touch them as well as experience the pleasure of reading a handwritten message (however brief it is). Greeting card messages added by the sender is probably one of the few surviving forms of personalized, handwritten communications. Frankly, the well-designed or craft-made greeting cards are also nice to hold and look at. My view is that digital media will really start to save paper when it can meet or provide a superior alternative to satisfying the criteria I discussed above. For example, a small, inexpensive, hand-held digital document viewer with wireless receive and send capabilities (for handling such documents as e-cards, books, magazines, newspapers) with a digital pen option to allow hand-written messages to be digitally recorded and then sent to similar instruments for personalized communications would be a good start. E-mail: rgutten [A T] concentric [D O T] net ------------------------------------ Excerpted from message by Moira DeRosa, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: The Materials for the Future Foundation and the Southwest Public Recycling Association are looking for high-quality recycling businesses to participate in one of three upcoming recycling investment forums. The Forums offer businesses direct access to investors, training on investor outreach, and valuable networking opportunities. To qualify, businesses must: be involved in the materials recycling, composting or reuse industries, including collection, processing, brokering, manufacturing, equipment or retailing activities; operate or plan to operate a facility in the Western United States; be an existing venture seeking expansion financing or a promising start-up with a unique opportunity for success; have strong, proven management or a plan for completing the management team; be seeking investments between $50,000 - $5 million; and have a complete business plan. Participating businesses will be selected by a panel of financial professionals based on a review of their business plan. The upcoming Southwest & Western Investment Forums will take place in: Phoenix March 29, 1999; San Francisco May 17, 1999; and Irvine, CA, July 12, 1999. Forum sponsors are U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9, Arizona Department of Commerce and Environmental Quality, and the California Integrated Waste Management Board. For more information, e-mail: - Coy Smith, Executive Director, Materials for the Future Foundation, at: coymff [A T] aol [D O T] com - Mitra Khazai, Acting Executive Director, Southwest Public Recycling Association, at: mitrak ( A T ) aol ( D O T ) com - end -