Today's Topics:
CRT's - just the beginning (2 msgs)
Hayward job announcements
Milk Bottle Design
SEEKING SUBSIDIES INFO & ACTIVISTS
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Loop-Detect: GreenYes:98/65
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Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 12:08:07 -0500
From: Pablo Collins <collins@csandh.com>
Subject: CRT's - just the beginning
With all the questions about computer CRT disposal, it is worth noting
that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Within the next ten years,
the majority of TV sets in use will be dumped, made obsolete by the
shift to digital or high definition television.
This shift from analogue to digital signals has been in the works for
the last decade, passed into law, and is being implemented by the
Federal trade commission.
TV stations are just starting to use a digital broadcast equipment.
Digital TVs will be on the market within the next year. Existing
analogue broadcast signals will go off the air in approximately 2007.
Today's analogue TV sets, will not receive the digital signal without a
converter - most will probably be junked.
Households and most small businesses, however, will not be required to
take any special steps in disposing of their TV's - they are exempt
under the small waste generator rule.
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Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 21:46:37 EST
From: Jango <Jango@aol.com>
Subject: CRT's - just the beginning
Regarding the post (below), I've been researching this, and while it
seems likely that HDTV will slowly take over (over the next two decades),
it is not clear that there will be a wholesale trashing of TVs come
January 1, 2008. Market forces obviously will be at work, as will
consumer rationality. First thing to remember is that there are two kinds
of technology: the kind that works and the kind that's broke. I'd love to
do a study here, but it seems to me that people tend to throw out stuff
that's broken (or that they can't fix) and not stuff that just might be
useful someday.
I've talked to several people in the last week who run Brown Good
recovery programs (home electronics) and they are always surprised at the
number of TVs some people put out on the curb for recycling...meaning
that people hang on to stuff that has value (or had it) much longer than
we might think and that people tend to be rational enough not to want to
put workingTVs in the trash.
Also, the converter box technology is still in development. As this comes
on line, consumers may need to make a decision about spending, say $75 on
a converter box, and .... who knows .... $500/$900/$2000/$5000 for HDTV?
What would you choose? No one can say when HDTV will actually be down to
a consumer acceptable price (industry thinks that you'll be willing to
spend maybe $150 more for an HDTV than an analog one).
This is not to say that TVs in the trash isn't a problem. A report out of
Hennepin County MN in 1995 found that 50% of the lead content from
incinerator ash was caused by TVs and CRT monitors. Also, as opposed to
computers which have use if the user is creative, eventually analog SDTV
will have no use without the converter box.
Let's be careful here. There may well be a problem, and it should be
dealt with rationally, but the recycling infrastructure for CRTs should
be able to deal with it (plastics may be a problem), but there has to be
a wholesale trashing for the economics of collection/processing/marketing
to take over and that's not fully clear yet.
Another thing to be worried about is that the monitor industry is already
moving to a whole new level of technology (flat screen, like LCD and
Active Matrix) and there may well be a whole new recycling problem with
those machines if environmental design isn't a key principle.
I personally think trash disposal is a function of space. If the average
American home could just be designed with an extra 4000 sq feet, there
would be enough outmoded durable good storage space for the next century.
;>)
>With all the questions about computer CRT disposal, it is worth noting
>that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Within the next ten years,
>the majority of TV sets in use will be dumped, made obsolete by the
>shift to digital or high definition television.
>
>This shift from analogue to digital signals has been in the works for
>the last decade, passed into law, and is being implemented by the
>Federal trade commission.
>
>TV stations are just starting to use a digital broadcast equipment.
>Digital TVs will be on the market within the next year. Existing
>analogue broadcast signals will go off the air in approximately 2007.
>Today's analogue TV sets, will not receive the digital signal without a
>converter - most will probably be junked.
>
>Households and most small businesses, however, will not be required to
>take any special steps in disposing of their TV's - they are exempt
>under the small waste generator rule.
David Biddle
Center for Solid Waste Research
7366 Rural Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19119
215-247-2974 (voice and fax)
jango@aol.com
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 18:47:00 -0800
From: "Lacaze, Skip" <Skip.Lacaze@ci.sj.ca.us>
Subject: Hayward job announcements
The City of Hayward, California, has announced two job openings.
Recycling Specialist -- "to coordinate and promote the City's recycling
programs" mostly by developing commercial recycling programs and
supporting the Solid Waste Manager in managing the garbage/curbside
recycling/compost contract. The hire will be on an interim basis as a
Recycling Specialist ($19.61/hr) or Administrative Analyst II
($21.81/hr) until the position is formally advertised and permanently
filled later this year.
Intern -- The City is also recruiting for a full-time intern for a
six-month position.
Please contact the Public Works Department at (510)583-4705 for an
application package.
You may send a resume directly to:
Solid Waste Manager
Public Works Department
777 B Street
Hayward, CA 94541
fax (510)583-3610
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 14:28:30 -0600
From: "RecycleWorlds" <anderson@msn.fullfeed.com>
Subject: Milk Bottle Design
After so many bad problems with the new generation of milk bottle
designs, I just saw a new bottle that not only does not make the
situation worse, it makes it better.
Golden Guernsey Dairy has a one quart bottle that has a round base,
sculpting up to a gracefully shevlt neck, all in the normal
translucent HDPE bottle.
But, more to the point, the label is an improvement. In the
conventional milk bottle, the pressure sensitive label uses an
adhesive that is very difficult to remove in order to not slide off
when the bottle sweats. Here, because the bottle's base is now round,
a shrink wrap label without any adhesives is uses.
This is great and I would urge those who follow these issues to call
Golden Guernsey at 800-289-7787 and express your appreciation to them.
However, in terms of longer term impact, like the pigmented gallon jug
(albeit that was a deleterious change for recyclers), these two
designs really only gain market share on a zero sum basis without
increasing overall market share for milk in the beverage market. This
is as contrasted with Dean Dairy's single serving Chug bottle that
competes with a bottle of soda.
My fervent hope is to see new bottles designs that help expand overall
market share in configurations which either do not impair or improve
recycling.
____________________________________
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
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 14:42:45 -0500
From: "Bill Sheehan" <bill_sheehan@mindspring.com>
Subject: SEEKING SUBSIDIES INFO & ACTIVISTS
SEEKING INFO AND ACTIVISTS ON SUBSIDIES HARMFUL
TO RECYCLING
The GrassRoots Recycling Network and Taxpayers for Common Sense
are interested in subsidies that undermine recycling and materials
efficiency. We're compiling information and anecdotes in a report and
identifying interested people and organizations who will help us
release the report at local press conferences.
We are primarily dealing with federal subsidies this year, but intend to
include more state and local subsidies next year. Focus is on clearest,
simplest, "red meat" subsidies where taxpayers spend money,
give away resources, or provide tax breaks.
If you have information or are interested in getting involved, please
contact one of the following, providing your affiliation and full contact
info:
*Bill Sheehan, GrassRoots Recycling Network -- bill_sheehan@mindspring.com
or voice: (706) 208-1416
*Christian Sinderman, Field Director of Taxpayers for Common Sense --
christian@taxpayer.net or voice: (202) 546-8500 x114 or fax: (202)
546-8511
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End of GreenYes Digest V98 #65
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