Today's Topics:
"WHY DO WE RECYCLE" BY FRANK ACKERMAN
Sierra Club entity supports industrial hemp (2 msgs)
Use of glass cullet in flowable fills
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Date: Wed, 05 Mar 1997 09:41:02 -0400
From: WOODY GETZ <WGETZ@FRE.FSU.UMD.EDU>
Subject: "WHY DO WE RECYCLE" BY FRANK ACKERMAN
Carolyn Chase wrote:
>
> I'd just like to make a comment as an activist member of the general public
> who read Frank's book about a month or so ago. I do know more than your
> average person about recycling and landfill costs etc, since I am on the
> City of San Diego Waste Management Advisory Board, but I have never been in
> the recycling business.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Similarly, though not in size, I have served on our County's 2 Solid
Waste Management Plan (Writing) Committees (1991-92 & 1995-96) and
currently am the Environmental Representative to our Allegany County
Solid Waste Management (Advisory) Board (1997-98). I have a BS in
Accounting/Economics but no direct professional recycling business
experience. Currently, as a member of Frostburg Area Recyclers (FAR) -
a citizens recycling advocacy group I co-founded 5 years ago, I am
working to get our municipality (Frostburg, MD) to adopt a VRP (variable
rate pricing) model for curbside MSW collection. We have a
County-managed, voluntary drop box program for basic household
recyclables.
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>
> I want to remark on point one.
>
> One actually works to our benefit, iff we understand how it works to our
> benefit. Understanding this is what will allow, eventually for recycling to
> become economically viable. NOTHING generally ever starts out economically
> viable or priced correctly. Processes/products/services are MADE or become
> economically viable because enough of the people combined with enough
> talent, brains, power and hard work SET UP systems to make the economics
> work for other purposes.
>
>
> 'You've got to conserve what you can't replace'
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dear Carolyn,
The more I work on these issues I find that since we exist in a
capitalistic society, nearly all arguments for or against any solid
waste management strategy deal with that inevitable bottom line.
Even your well-made point, which I agree with, references economics in
all but the first sentence.
I also find however that most of the MSW (including recycling) systems
I encounter suffer from lack of clarity, poor record keeping, and hidden
subsidies which sustain both economic and ethical/moral inequities.
I have found that there is a strong connection between the economic
issues and the ethical/moral issues which I believe should be
continually uncovered, examined, and addressed.
For instance, in addition to the more "pure" economic issues
surrounding VRP of MSW, FAR is constantly exposing the ethical/moral
issues of the hidden subsidy created by "flat fee" pricing wherein
smaller generators of MSW (smaller families,
reducers/re-users/recyclers/composters, single and/or older person
households) are forced to subsidize large MSW generators!
This in addition to the fact that flat fee pricing encourages everyone
to waste.
Finally the same quarterly bill that our municipality's households
receives for "Trash", "Water", & "Sewer" services have VRP for "Water" &
"Sewer", but -- as so many entities continue to do -- a flat fee for MSW
collection.
These inequities between households as well as between payment models,
for services which amount to city managed public utilities, create both
economic and ethical/moral dilemmas which can be addressed
simultaneously without making too big an issue as to which one is the
bigger problem.
Thanks for both offering your opinion and asking for reactions to
yours.
Reduce/ReUse/Recycle/Compost - It's a small planet!
Woody Getz
Sierra Club, Western Maryland Group/Maryland Chapter
Environmental Representative, Allegany County Solid Waste Management
Board, 1997-98
FAR (Frostburg Area Recyclers)
CRoWD (Coalition for Responsible Waste Disposal)
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Date: Wed, 05 Mar 1997 09:00:44 -0400
From: WOODY GETZ <WGETZ@FRE.FSU.UMD.EDU>
Subject: Sierra Club entity supports industrial hemp
DavidOrr@aol.com wrote:
>
> Last weekend, a top Sierra Club volunteer entity voted to support
> cultivation of industrial hemp. I'll forward info as soon as I can
> get the text of the resolution.
>
> David Orr
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Dear David,
As a local (Group) Sierra Club officer for several years, I have never
come across the term "volunteer entity". Would you please clarify.
Thank you.
Woody Getz
Sierra Club, Western Maryland Group/Maryland Chapter
Environmental Representative, Allegany County Solid Waste
Management Board, 1997-98
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Date: Wed, 5 Mar 1997 11:25:13 -0500 (EST)
From: DavidOrr@aol.com
Subject: Sierra Club entity supports industrial hemp
Hi Woody,
The Sierra Club has many "entities" that are volunteer-run, such as a
group or chapter. I use "volunteer entity" to describe groups, chapters,
RCCs, committees, task forces, etc. The board and its appointed GovComs
also fall under this generic label. In the case of the hemp resolution,
the entity was the Committee of RCC Chairs that authored it.
Hope this helps,
David
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Date: Wed, 5 Mar 1997 08:54:20 +0600
From: "John Reindl 608-267-8815" <reindl@co.dane.wi.us>
Subject: Use of glass cullet in flowable fills
Dear List Members -
A researcher here in Wisconsin is proposing to study the feasibility of
using mixed color glass cullet in flowable fills. He has done similar
research on the use of other materials for flowable fills with good
success.
Does anyone know of similar research or experience in the use of glass
cullet as a flowable fill?
Thanks much!!
(PS - Could you please respond to me directly as well as to the list?
For some reason, I am not receiving messages sent out to the list,
although my name is on the list of subscribers.)
John Reindl, Recycling Manager
Dane County Dept of Public Works
reindl@co.dane.wi.us
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End of GreenYes Digest V97 #46
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