First, thank you Roger for the reference to French waste
policies. I have now bookmarked that Lycos Enviro Service.
Second, I'd like to encourage everyone to share stories and
examples of progressive waste policies from outside the USA.
I often use "foreign" examples to give an idea credibility,
and audiences sit up straighter when they hear about how
Australia, or Finland, is approaching something. The GRRN
Coke campaign used the "Why Not Here" argument effectively
when referring to Coke's recycling activities in other
countries.
In 1993-94, a few of us on the NRC Board waged a battle to get
the NRC to endorse the German/French/Canadian approaches to
producer responsibility and minimum content legislation. At this
time in the industry, the markets had been slumped for a couple
of years and the arguments had momentum. But it was a hard fought
battle, and we lost by a vote of 50/50 ... in a Coalition like the
NRC, a split vote is a victory for the status quo. Incredibly,
even with 50% Board support, the issues were put away as "settled",
and as far as I know, the NRC Board has not gone back to reconsider.
My point is to describe the two main reasons we lost: (1) the markets
had started back strong, and eventually developed into the Great Bull
Markets of 1994-95; and (2) the industry reps jumped on improving
markets bandwagon and claimed that they would create a uniquely
American approach to the two issues which wouldn't require a heavy-
handed top-down approach to compliance. Well, you can imagine how well
our counter arguments went over... "The market highs are temporary!"
and
"Don't believe them! They'll never create a meaningful voluntary
system!"
In this culture that loved Reagans "Smile, be happy" approach to life
(I like that too!), we went down but not without a good fight.
Lessons learned through this? First, let us never forget that the
growth
of recycling and other landfill diversion programs is first a social
issue,
and second a market issue. And, let us not pretend that friendly
coalitions
with "the other side" will ever get us a cleaner Earth. It's all power
politics, and thats OK. Let's embrace and enjoy the struggle ... and
let's
do what Saul Alinsky preached so effectively ... "Create a critical
debate
where the sides are clear and a person must choose." This approach isn't
for
everyone, and thats fine... pressure needs to come from many angles. But
for
those of us that are tired of seeing all the world's environmental
indicators
continue going the wrong way, sucking us down into environmental hell,
its
past time to create a stronger vision of the future where the "Rules of
the
Game" have been changed, and if industry doesn't want to do it cleanly,
then
they won't do it at all. And those entrepreneurs that will play the new
"clean"
game will win. I believe that after we win the political fight to change
the
rules, industry will clean up their act cause it is winning and profits
they are
after in the end, not environmental destruction.
America is far behind other nations in "changing the rules of the
game"... and
that is why I ask for stories, and for all of us to start bringing the
rest of the
world "home"... into your towns, and companies, and city councils. If
they can
do it somewhere else, why not here?
Eric Lombardi
EcoCycle, Inc
At 09:49 AM 5/28/99 -0400, Roger M. Guttentag wrote:
>>>>
<excerpt>Dear listmembers:
There is an interesting article about French waste policies which can be
accessed at the following web address:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/may99/1999L-05-27-04.html
Sincerely,
Roger M. Guttentag
215-513-0452
Read <italic>Recycling in Cyberspace</italic> in Resource Recycling
May / June 1999 topic: Electronic Product Discards
***************************************************** To post to the
greenyes list, send a letter to: greenyes@earthsystems.org To
unsubscribe, send a message to: greenyes-request@earthsystems.org with
the subject unsubscribe. If you have any problems, please write to
www@earthsystems.org. GreenYes is archived on the GrassRoots
Recycling Network web site: http://www.grrn.org
******************************************************
</excerpt><<<<<<<<