GreenYes Digest V98 #118

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Fri, 22 Jan 1999 17:30:17 -0500


GreenYes Digest Wed, 13 May 98 Volume 98 : Issue 118

Today's Topics:
AB 1951 (D-Baca) Pro CPVC piping
Economic Study RFP Issued
Energy Content
Energy required to produce 1 kwh of electricity
Federal Recycling Issues
PET Bottles (3 msgs)
SEN. JAMES: A TRUE WOMAN OF COURAGE
White House Conference

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Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 17:26:14 -0700
From: Myra Nissen <myracycl@inreach.com>
Subject: AB 1951 (D-Baca) Pro CPVC piping

Anyone hot to act against PVC legislation in So. Ca. may want to take
note of AB 1951 (D-Baca), and perhaps take the opportunity to legislate
for an alternative flexible pipe that is PVC free... "This bill puts
back into place a state law that authorized homeowners in specific
ccounties to use CPVC piping in their homes. AB 1951 allows the use of
CPVC plastic pipe in residential buildingd in Riverside and San
Bernadino Counties, and in all other local areas where the legislative
body determines that metal pipe systems may fail. The prior stat law
allowing the use of CPVC pipe ceased operation on January 1 of this
year."

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Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 13:59:37 -0400
From: Edward Boisson <nerc@mail.sover.net>
Subject: Economic Study RFP Issued

Announcement -- The Northeast Recycling Council has recently issued a
Request for Proposals to conduct Phase One of the U.S. Recycling
Economic Information Study. Proposals are due by June 4. The RFP is
available on our web site at www.nerc.org.

The goals of the project are to obtain economic statistics on recycling
and reuse businesses in the ten Northeastern states, and test and refine
a data gathering methodology which will be applied to the remainder of
the nation in Phase Two. Please feel free to pass this information on
to prospective contractors, or to provide their contact information to
me.

-- 
Edward Boisson, Executive Director
Northeast Recycling Council

nerc@sover.net Phone (802) 254-3636 Fax (802) 254-5870 139 Main Street, Suite 401 Brattleboro, VT 05301

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Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 10:07:26 -0500 From: "RecycleWorlds" <anderson@msn.fullfeed.com> Subject: Energy Content

On Fri, 8 May 1998, David L. Turner asked "Can anyone point me to some information sources that would provide the equivalent number of Kilowatt hours (or other energy units) for a barrel of oil?"

1 kwh = 3,413 Btu 1 barrel of crude oil = 5,800,000 Btu

____________________________________ Peter Anderson RecycleWorlds Consulting 4513 Vernon Blvd. Ste. 15 Madison, WI 53705-4964 Phone:(608) 231-1100/Fax: (608) 233-0011 E-mail:recycle@msn.fullfeed.com

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Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 11:47:29 -0400 From: Richard_Denison@edf.org Subject: Energy required to produce 1 kwh of electricity

From: Richard Denison@EDF on 05/12/98 11:47 AM

Subject: Re: Energy required to produce 1 kwh of electricity

Regarding the value below for 1 kwh: This is a theoretical value that does NOT account for the losses associated with converting fossil fuel into electricity. The average efficiency of that process across all types of electricity generation in the US is on the order of 32%, so to translate a given amount of fossil fuel into electricity a widely used figure is 10,712 Btu/kwh.

Sources: Franklin Associates, The Role of Recycling in Integrated Solid Waste Management to the Year 2000, prepared for Keep America Beautiful, Stamford, CT, September 1994, Chapter 6, Appendix I. Hunt, R.G. et al. (1992) "Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis: A Lifecycle Environmental Assessment for Products and Procedures," Environmental Impact Assessment Review 12: 258.

Note that the above value is based on the average for the national electricity grid, which includes roughly the following contribution by different sources of electricity generation (1991 data):

Coal 54.5% Nuclear 21.7 Hydropower 10.2 Natural Gas 9.3 Oil 3.9 Other 0.4 TOTAL 100.0

Fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil) account for 67.7% of this total.

Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1992) Life-cycle Assessment: Inventory Guidelines and Principles, Vigon, B.W. et al., Report No. EPA/600/R-92/036, Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, Cincinnati OH, November 1992, p. 48, citing: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, ?Monthly Power Plant Report,? EIA-759, 1992; Canadian Electric Utilities and Natural Energy Board, 1991.

From: RecycleWorlds <anderson@msn.fullfeed.com> on 05/12/98 03:07 PM GMT

To: GreenYes <greenyes@ucsd.edu> cc: (bcc: Richard Denison) Subject: Energy Content

On Fri, 8 May 1998, David L. Turner asked "Can anyone point me to some information sources that would provide the equivalent number of Kilowatt hours (or other energy units) for a barrel of oil?" 1 kwh = 3,413 Btu 1 barrel of crude oil = 5,800,000 Btu ____________________________________ Peter Anderson RecycleWorlds Consulting 4513 Vernon Blvd. Ste. 15 Madison, WI 53705-4964 Phone:(608) 231-1100/Fax: (608) 233-0011 E-mail:recycle@msn.fullfeed.com

Richard A. Denison, Ph.D. Senior Scientist Environmental Defense Fund and Alliance for Environmental Innovation 1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 1016 Washington, DC 20009 Phone 202/387-3500 Fax 202/234-6049 email richard@edf.org

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Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 14:35:26 -0400 From: Cindy Shea <mcshea1@gte.net> Subject: Federal Recycling Issues

Bill,

Re the White House Conference. I second the need for greater producer responsibility for waste and add three more topics:

1. Design for the Environment -- to include eliminating toxics, ease of disassembly and reuse, recyclability, etc -- design products and processes up front to close the loop. Federal R,D&D, tax incentives, phase out of toxics, and threatened penalties could help.

2. Require local responsibility for waste. New York City's method of preparing for the closure of its Fresh Kills landfill in 2001 is to draw up plans for exporting 13,000 tons of garbage daily. Interstate commerce laws need to be changed to prohibit unwanted exports.

3. Close the organics loop. We're adding nutrients to already stressed water supplies instead of adding them to our ever-depleted soils. As more people take up gardening, and companies and municipalities take up landscaping, we can cut down on the need for fertilizers and the landfilling of organics while boosting the health of soils, plants, and water supplies. National goals, and incremental state bans on organics in the landfill are components. The feds could also require composting toilets in national parks. How about a federal extension service to encourage residential and commercial composting. Models include Seattle on the home front and southern California on the commercial. (See State of the World 1998, p.104)

Good luck carrying the torch, Cindy Pollock Shea Promoting Sustainable Development

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Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 15:02:43 -0500 From: "RecycleWorlds" <anderson@msn.fullfeed.com> Subject: PET Bottles

According to May 1998 Modern Plastics, a New Zealand company, Integral Bottles, claims to have developed an "integral" handle onto PET bottles using normal injection blow molding.

This is important because this bears on the last application where PVC has a rational applications that had been not as readily met by PET.

Large bottles of, for example, window washer, require handles to avoid being dropped. Previously, it required a more expensive extrusion molding process to adapt a handle to a PET bottle, which was not required to add a handle onto a PVC bottle.

Integral Bottles claims that their handle can be added at "minimal extra cost". ____________________________________ Peter Anderson RecycleWorlds Consulting 4513 Vernon Blvd. Ste. 15 Madison, WI 53705-4964 Phone:(608) 231-1100/Fax: (608) 233-0011 E-mail:recycle@msn.fullfeed.com

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Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 14:33:17 -0700 (PDT) From: Pat Franklin <cri@igc.org> Subject: PET Bottles

Peter,

I am interested in the subject of PET bottle handles, but I did not understand your email. Please explain.

Pat Franklin

At 03:02 PM 5/12/98 -0500, RecycleWorlds wrote: >According to May 1998 Modern Plastics, a New Zealand company, Integral >Bottles, claims to have developed an "integral" handle onto PET >bottles using normal injection blow molding.

ETC> ETC> ETC> Pat Franklin Container Recycling Institute 1911 Ft Myer Drive, Suite 900 Arlington, Virginia 22209 703/276-9800 fax 276-9587 email: cri@igc.org web: www.igc.apc.org/cri/

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Date: Wed, 13 May 98 11:44:00 +0200 From: DEFRANCISCO_MANUEL/MADNE@pxledi.bxl.be.solvay.com Subject: PET Bottles

In Spain the only system to recycle the PET is the chemical way.

Are there any other way ?

M. de Francisco Avda. Montserrat, 118 08760-Martorell (Spain) Phone: (34) 3 7734960 e-mail : madfran@iies.es

---------- >De: ANDERSON / UNIX, MM (anderson@msn.fullfeed.com) >Para: GREENYES / UNIX, MM (greenyes@ucsd.edu); RECYCLE / UNIX, >MM (recycle@envirolink.org) >Asunto: PET Bottles >Fecha: Martes 12 de Mayo de 1998 13:02 > >Recipient Type: BCC > >------- >According to May 1998 Modern Plastics, a New Zealand company, Integral >Bottles, claims to have developed an "integral" handle onto PET >bottles using normal injection blow molding. > >This is important because this bears on the last application where PVC >has a rational applications that had been not as readily met by PET. > >Large bottles of, for example, window washer, require handles to avoid >being dropped. Previously, it required a more expensive extrusion >molding process to adapt a handle to a PET bottle, which was not >required to add a handle onto a PVC bottle. > >Integral Bottles claims that their handle can be added at "minimal >extra cost". >____________________________________ >Peter Anderson >RecycleWorlds Consulting >4513 Vernon Blvd. Ste. 15 >Madison, WI 53705-4964 >Phone:(608) 231-1100/Fax: (608) 233-0011 >E-mail:recycle@msn.fullfeed.com > > > >

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Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 10:00:33 -0400 From: "Bill Sheehan" <bill_sheehan@mindspring.com> Subject: SEN. JAMES: A TRUE WOMAN OF COURAGE

[The following column is about Georgia state Senator Donzella James. She was awarded the first GrassRoots Recycling Network Legislator of the Year award at the Rock Eagle conference last year for introducing the first zero waste goal bill in the U.S., as well as producer responsibility legislation in the form of a bottle bill. -Bill Sheehan]

STATE SEN. DONZELLA JAMES: A TRUE WOMAN OF COURAGE

Column by Liz Conroy Athens Banner-Herald, May 2, 1998

When a parent loses a child, a part of that parent often dies, too. But sometimes a new strength comes from within that grieving adult. Often that strength helps that person bring positive change to the world. This is the case, I found, with a remarkable legislator and mother -- state Sen. Donzella James, D-Atlanta.

Regular readers of this column know I am interested in women of courage. I clip articles of women who are willing to speak out and fight for people's rights and for a better environment. The many articles on James were starting to fall out of my file folder. I had never personally met her, but I kept reading about this lone woman who would speak up in the Georgia Legislature when others were silent.

For example, Senator James cast the sole "no" vote on pursuing a censure resolution against state Sen. Ralph David Abernathy III after he was found entering the country with marijuana (Associated Press 12/19/97). James pointed out no action was taken regarding state Sen. Rene Kemp, D- Hinesville, charged with DUI in October 1996. Yet everyone knows that a drunk driver is a lawbreaker, and can potentially kill innocent people. That's how James's youngest son died. He was about to graduate from high school when a drunk driver killed him.

She felt that a person entering the country with a small amount of marijuana in his undershorts is not a risk to someone's life. He's showing poor judgement and setting a bad example. But his actions never put any life in danger. Nor did his action require arrest, only a hefty fine which he paid.

So I disagree with my own state senator's response. "We're dealing with an issue that is much graver than the incident that occurred a year ago," said Ethics Chairman Eddie Madden.

For James, as a mother and a legislator, the issue of drunken driving has gravely affected her life. So she not only stands up to the Senate Ethics Committee, but fights to strengthen DUI laws and laws to better educate young drivers.

Next, I learned she has also taken on a powerful corporation, the Coca-Cola Co.

Why would she do this? Currently, most of our politicians are getting major campaign fund contributions from special interest groups, and Coca Cola is one of the biggest contributors. Yet James is taking a courageous stand against this huge power structure.

In early 1997, James introduced container-deposit legislation. Most of us know this as the "Bottle Bill." It's the bill that would require a ten-cent deposit on beverage containers in this state. Like many Georgians, I support this bill because it creates great incentive for people to recycle containers, and for others to pick them up off our roadsides and beaches. Moreover, it keeps these containers out of our landfills. Having spent time in Michigan, a state with a ten-cent deposit on containers, I've seen it work. But the industry giant named Coca- Cola Co., based in Atlanta, and other beverage companies are more concerned about profits than about the environment. So they oppose it. Still James won't give up this fight. Where does she get her courage to take stands on such issues?

Suddenly, I get a chance to speak with James at a dinner party in Athens. I'm tongue-tied! What do I say to someone whose leadership I so admire? James is calm and relaxed, so I relax, too. Soon she is describing how her family and her church experience strengthened her, as did her contacts with several great leaders. I had to ask, "Did that include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?"

"Yes," she responded. "I have to admit, though, I met him by literally running into him as a small child." She was playing tag with friends in the basement of the Ebenezer Baptist Church when she crashed into a man in a robe. Immediately she burst into tears, afraid of being punished. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stopped, bent down and asked, "Why all the crying? Whose pretty little girl are you?" He gave her a hug and said, "Now I want you to say a prayer, and stop running around here, so no one gets hurt."

Sen. James spoke softly, "To think that such a busy and important man took that moment to teach me as a young child. He inspired me right then. I later read all of his speeches. He really touched my life."

She went on to explain how many people, including Maya Angelou, Julian Bond, Shirley Chisholm and others had reached out to her. Now she feels glad to be able to reach out to her community as their public servant. Already, by her example, she has inspired me as a fellow mother involved in church, community and making a better environment for our children.

*********************************** Sen. James djames@inet.legis.state.ga.us 404-656-0049

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Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 10:13:32 -0500 From: "RecycleWorlds" <anderson@msn.fullfeed.com> Subject: White House Conference

Bill Sheehan asked what other issues to bring to the White House conference. Another issue key to recycling's economics is design for recycability(tm). Resin makes a high value added container. If plastic's inherent value could be recovered as part of recycling programs, some of the concerns from the past could be reduced. Unfortunately, because, among other things, plastic is molded at low temperatures (250-450F) compared to other materials, costly upgrading must be undertaken to eliminate contaminants that will not simply "burn off" before it can be recycled. That upgrading cost subtracts most of resin's value remaining to be paid back to recyclers. Consequently, in this era of recycling, plastics remains highly controversial notwithstanding its performance advantages. This quandary could be avoided by designing for recyclability(tm) in the selection of closures, adhesives, labels, pigmentation and barrier properties. If even a small part of the innate ingenuity of the plastic industry were applied to recyclability, major strides would be made to reduce processing costs, and returning far more of plastics' value to the recyclers who incur the substantial cost of collecting a material with such a low weight to volume ratio. In the first half of the 1990's extensive efforts were expended in this direction. Successes include the elimination of the PVC liner in the caps on carbonated beverage bottles and the HDPE base cup from those bottles. That cooperative effort, however, has been sadly difficult to discern in the second half of this decade. The challenge is to convince the packaging parts of the plastic industry that their own self interest lies in returning to those constructive times once again. Were this to happen, the price paid for scrap plastic bottles could easily double, making plastic a net contributor to positive revenues for recyclers. With the growing concerns over alleged health effects from the monomers used to make polymers in some resins used in consumer products, the plastics industry needs more than ever to be able to point to their product's environmental advantages. ____________________________________ ____________________________________ Peter Anderson RecycleWorlds Consulting 4513 Vernon Blvd. Ste. 15 Madison, WI 53705-4964 Phone:(608) 231-1100/Fax: (608) 233-0011 E-mail:recycle@msn.fullfeed.com

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Date: (null) From: (null)

Myra Nissen myracycl@inreach.com

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End of GreenYes Digest V98 #118 ******************************