The key obstacle to all recycling is the lack of an easy, centralized
approach to collecting all items. Every single thing that a consumer
discards should be collected by the municipality and from there
distributed to various organizations--free, if necessary to stimulate
an use for it. Serious recycling at this point requires hours of a
consumer's week. Only retirees can make this type of effort. In
some cities, discarding more than your alloted weeks' worth of
"trash" costs $35/bin, so there is great incentive to fill the recycling
bin with whatever the city will take. This should be true in the whole
U.S.
Carol
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Carter <bcarter0@flash.net>
To: Martin.Lawrence@epamail.epa.gov <Martin.Lawrence@epamail.epa.gov>;
cri@igc.org <cri@igc.org>
Cc: greenyes@earthsystems.org <greenyes@earthsystems.org>;
WCARTER@tnrcc.state.tx.us <WCARTER@tnrcc.state.tx.us>
Date: Thursday, May 20, 1999 12:27 AM
Subject: Re: Refillable Bottles
>I wholeheartedly support the return of returnables. My job situation does
>not allow me to take a leadership role at this time or to participate from
>my workplace, but I'd do what I can from home in my "spare" time.
>
>The key obstacles I see to refilling systems now is our consolidated
>grocery retailing system that favors megamerchandisers which can contract
>to supply regional and national grocery chains. Return of refillables over
>the distances supplied by present-day major bottling plants would be
>expensive in money and energy. Grocers also work harder to squeeze profit
>from every square foot of floor space and every hour of staff time, and the
>handling of refillables has a relatively low return on investment.
>
>I agree with Martin that local brands produced in metro areas are the best
>prospects for new refilling systems. The tough question is not who would
>be interested in bottling their beverage in refillables, but who will be
>willing to accept the empties back? Maybe the California redemption system
>is a model to consider -- don't ask the supermarkets to redeem the bottles,
>but get them to assure that there is a redemption center within a certain
>distance that will do so. If they don't have to handle the bottles, maybe
>they won't mind selling beverages in refillable bottles and collecting the
>deposits (for a small handling fee), especially if consumers are demanding
>them.
>
>On the manufacturing front: The glass bottle makers have been major
>opponents of deposit systems but supporters of recycling, partly on the
>logic that people buy more bottles if the bottles can't be refilled.
>Perhaps the industry will soon be willing to rethink that logic as they
>rapidly lose market share to plastic and metal.
>
> --Bill
>
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