Re: [greenyes] Maybe a good Idea

["Doug Koplow" <koplow@no.address>]

This idea is an intriguing one.  There seem to be a number of potential challenges in making it work properly; I'd be very interested in any further insights you might have on how these challenges have been met.

1)  As a substitute for municipal waste collection in poorly-served districts, trash return for food makes sense.  Is there a limit to how much can be earned by each person?  If there is no limit, do people pick up garbage from areas that are served by collection programs (e.g., where they might work), to "supplement" what they collect from their own districts?  If there is a limit, how does the municipality assure that all of the waste in the poorly-served districts is returned?

2)  Using the program as a tool to enhance litter collection in public areas would seem more challenging.  Litter density is often low, and the effort to fill a bag from a beach, as opposed to somebody's trash can, would be much higher.  Again, how have the municipalities ensured that targeted trash is returned, and untargeted trash is not?

Thanks for any insights on this.

-Doug Koplow

_______________________________
Doug Koplow
Earth Track, Inc.
2067 Massachusetts Avenue - 4th Floor
Cambridge, MA  02140
www.earthtrack.net
Tel:  617/661-4700
Fax: 617/354-0463



>>> vze3gxms@no.address 01/06/04 03:56PM >>>
Hi Eric.  Happy New Year.  Long time, no hear.

Curitiba (1.6 million), the capital of the state of Paraná, really 
started this back in 1989.  In certain "low collection infrastructure 
districts" (principally low-rent areas) residents that brought bags of 
8-10 kg of  trash got a bus ticket.  In 1991 the city changed it to bags 
of fruits & vegetables in season -- bananas, grapes, etc -- for 1-4 bags 
of trash turned in, and for 5 and up turned in, sacks of rice, black 
beans, potatoes, onions, or even honey or sweets.  Curitiba still 
operates this "buy back trash" program in 41 of its barrios.

I'm trying to remember which specific cities other than Curitiba 
currently run such a program.  Might have to get back to you on that 
once I perused my files.  I know I have seen it mentioned in several 
city programs.  If memory serves, Porto Alegre, Recife and maybe 
Fortaleza had such a program, but I'll have to confirm.

There's also an interesting program underway by the Brazilian 
supermarket chain, Pão de Açúcar, you might be interested in.  They have 
placed Tonra reverse vending mechines on the premises of their 
hypermarkets which award points for every beverage bottle or can 
returned.  So many points on the machine's coupon generator can get the 
bearer free food, such as a bag of high quality rice or black beans 
(staples of the Brazilian diet).  People getting the coupons also have 
the option of donating them (a collection bowl is placed next to 
machines), with the food obtained with them being donated to local food 
banks participating in the government "Fome Zero" ("Zero Hunger") program.

Also, last month in São Paulo Alcan, in cooperation with SP's Metro, 
sponsored a program where Metro riders bringing in empty aluminum 
beverage cans for recycling and who asnswered a survey about recycling 
received theater pickets or a CD.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Keith

Eric Lombardi wrote:

>Hi Keith,
>
>When you say "many Brazilian municipalities" could you tell me who they are?
>This topic interests me greatly.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Eric
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Keith Ripley" <vze3gxms@no.address>
>To: <greenyes@no.address>
>Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 3:16 PM
>Subject: Re: [greenyes] Maybe a good Idea
>
>
>  
>
>>Many Brazilian municipalities now offer bags or food or mass transit
>>tokens or fare cards in return for a bag of collected recyclables.
>>Supposedly it has done wonders for cleaning up beaches, streets. Get the
>>poor involved in cleaning things up, while trading them something quite
>>useful to them for the collected recyclables.
>>
>>While this may help solve the litter problem, it does not necessarily do
>>much regarding waste if the collected material simply goes into
>>overflowing trash bins or to the town dump.
>>
>>keith mcdonald wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>I heard of a third world country the mayor or president pays in food
>>>coupons the homeless to pick up the trash on the streets and the take
>>>it to a recycling center it has cleaned up the city and helps the poor
>>>has anyone seen this article we here in the US could learn a lot from
>>>them. Keith McDonald
>>>
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>>-- 
>>Sr. Keith Edward Ripley
>>Temas Actuales
>>6333 Beryl Road
>>Alexandria, VA 22312-6304
>>EE.UU
>>telefono: 703-813-6016
>>telefax: 703-813-6017
>>celular: 703-731-7108
>>e-mail: keith.ripley@no.address 
>>www.temasactuales.com 
>>
>>Autor del libro "Solid Wastes and Recycling in Latin America & the
>>    
>>
>Caribbean: Trends & Policies"
>  
>
>>   http://www.raymond.com/promo_raymond-library/lactoc02.pdf 
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-- 
Sr. Keith Edward Ripley
Temas Actuales
6333 Beryl Road
Alexandria, VA 22312-6304
EE.UU
telefone: 703-813-6016
telefax: 703-813-6017
cel. 703-731-7108
e-mail: keith.ripley@no.address 
www.temasactuales.com 

Autor do livro "Solid Wastes and Recycling Policy in Latin America & the Caribbean"
http://www.raymond.com/promo_raymond-library/lactoc02.pdf 

Esta mensagem é só para o uso do Destinatário e pode conter informação que é CONFIDENCIAL. Se você não é o receptor destinado, mediante a presente você está notificado que se proibe estritamente a diseminação desta comunicação. Se você tenha recibido esta comunicação por erro, por favor apagar todas as copias da mensagem e seus anexos e nos notifica imediatamente.
Obrigado.