[GreenYes] CRRA Conference 2002 Report

[RicAnthony@aol.com]

CRRA Conference 2002 Report
Recycle Scene 
Richard Anthony
July 2002

"Someday, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon…"
Rick Blaine, Casablanca

"… The whole world will get the vision of zero waste and together we will 
close the loop."
Everybody comes to Rick's, Oakland July 16, 2002

CRRA CONFERENCE 2002 REPORT

The international zero waste training went well with representatives of Non 
Government Organizations from South Africa, India, and Asia.  We liked the 
idea that "trees, women and children, should be more important than property."

The CRRA Board of Directors reemphasized their support for a national 
discussion of beverage container producer responsibility and the 
environmental impacts of land disposal.

The Zero Waste Workbook, workshop conducted by Liz Citrino, had attendees 
from the Seoul Korea Solid Waste Advisory Committee.
 
At the CRRA Members Meeting Neil Seldman, President of the Institute For 
Local Self Reliance described the contribution to global recycling made by 
CRRA.  This included First State Association 1974; host and sponsor of the 
first National Recycling Congress 1980; California Recycling Plan, 1984; The 
Agenda for the Nineties 1989; The Agenda for the New Millennium 1996; and a 
founder of the grassroots recycling network.  Kate Krebs, CRRA member from 
Arcata, California, now the Executive Director of the Washington, DC based 
National Recycling Coalition (NRC) called for CRRA involvement in NRC 
activities.

Linda Moulten-Patterson as chair of the California Integrated Waste 
Management Board made historical statements regarding the new state goal of 
zero waste.  Her promise to lead the board in this bold new direction was a 
far more important message than the one of natural capitalism made by the 
other morning speaker.

Key points from the sessions that I attended include. 

New York's' recycling program has eliminated glass and plastic. Landfill 
costs are undervalued.  Plastic film and Styrofoam are polluting the 
shoreline and ocean and in Los Angeles, the Regional Water Quality Control 
Board has called for a zero pollution discharge in the storm drains, and 
public agencies are calling for phasing out sales of certain plastics in Los 
Angeles.  California should have an advance disposal fee for CRT's this year. 
 Half the towns in New Zealand have a zero waste goal.  Ecocycle has 
developed a plan to organize for a zero waste goal in your community.  There 
is a growing zero waste movement in England.  San Francisco has a 75% 
diversion goal.

The entertainment on Tuesday night was at Rick's Place.  We presented a 
musical comedy version of Casablanca with biting satire to a standing room 
only crowd of enthusiastic recyclers.  I am still humming the landfill song 
set to the tune, Downtown.  

Jerry Powel was asked to comment on Dr. John Skinners article that called 
zero wasters perverse, because we want to plan a system without burning and 
burying and suggested the theme should be zero wasted.  Jerry responded that 
"you guys don't have anything to worry about, the argument is insignificant."

I slogan that I think sums up this years conference is "Think globally act 
globally."  Next year we will have Ontario.


Richard V. Anthony
Richard Anthony Associates
858 272 2905
www.richardanthonyassociates.com
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