[GreenYes] Re: the Gandhi cycle of social change at work

[Gary Liss <gary@no.address>]

Eric,

NZ Sustainable Business Network chief executive Rachel Brown 
countered the report perfectly:

"What we want to do is get businesses working at the top end, and so 
efficient that they are not creating waste in the first place."

Gary

At 07:45 AM 2/28/2007, Eric Lombardi wrote:
>I know I don't have the exact wording right, but it goes something 
>like "First they laugh at you, then they ignore you, then they get 
>mad at you, then they join you!"
>I think this is a perfect example of Stage Three, eh?
>
>Eric Lombardi
>[]
>
>Thursday, 01 Mar 2007
>
>
>Report damns push for zero waste in NZ
>
>
>
>A report damning the Government's push for zero waste in New Zealand 
>claims the goal is unachievable and too expensive for businesses and 
>individuals alike.
>
>The New Zealand Industrial and Economic Research report was 
>commissioned by Business New Zealand specifically to look at the 
>feasibility of the zero waste ideal.
>
>Business New Zealand chief executive Phil O'Reilly said the report 
>showed the Government's waste policy was "a nice thing to think 
>about" but was difficult to achieve.
>
>"It would massively expensive and you have to ask whether that is 
>the best use of New Zealand's resources," he said.
>
>The report cited the massive costs of transporting glass to Auckland 
>for recycling as an example of how it was sometimes more 
>cost-effective to simply dump waste.
>
>Stopping short of estimating the actual cost of zero waste, Mr 
>O'Reilly said the report exposed some "real illogicality" in the policy.
>
>"The better way of thinking about this is get rid of waste until it 
>costs you more than not (getting rid of it). That will lead you to a 
>rational economic outcome."
>
>Mr O'Reilly said there was a lot more room to reduce waste in the 
>business and consumer communities, but zero waste was taking it 
>"several steps too far".
>
>Sustainable Business Network chief executive Rachel Brown said the 
>report was "an excuse for doing nothing" and missed the point of zero waste.
>
>"We should strive for it. We shouldn't say we can't do it today 
>therefore we shouldn't have it."
>
>The focus on recycling was the wrong way to think and was misleading 
>businesses in the gains in rethinking their processes, she said.
>
>"What we want to do is get businesses working at the top end, and so 
>efficient that they are not creating waste in the first place."
>
>Global leaders such as 3M and carpet company Interface had rejigged 
>production processes and saved millions of dollars, Ms Brown said.
>
>She said the Government needed to put more funding into driving 
>reductions in waste.
>
>"If they said, 'Here's a pot of money, with clear goals around 
>reducing waste,' watch them (businesses) put their hands up," Ms Brown said.
>
>"That is what we are experiencing and it says to me there is a real 
>will in the business sector."
>
>
>
>
>>
>

Gary Liss
916-652-7850
Fax: 916-652-0485
www.garyliss.com 
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