[GreenYes] ReProduct cards

Amy Perlmutter

Perlmutter Associates
23 Avon Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-354-5456

Strategic planning, partnership building, communications, and program design for a sustainable future

Begin forwarded message:

Date: Mon, Aug 25 2008 4:29 pm
From: Mary Lou Van Deventer

Hi Kate -

Here are some excellent thoughts from a posting done by Tania Levy of
the City of Berkeley on CRRA's listserve.

Mary Lou Van Deventer
Urban Ore
Berkeley, CA

TO END THE AGE OF WASTE

On Aug 22, 2008, at 1:58 PM, Levy, Tania wrote:

Thanks for sharing. I must be missing something in the logic here.
It seems that this company (plus Sen Kerry and Brad Pitt) hear the
word "recycle" and think no farther.

If this process works as described:
Some random papers are made from plastic, The products are sent or
given to a "consumer". This resident or business receptionist looks
closely enough at his junk mail, greeting card envelope or magazine
to recognize that it's plastic, cares enough about carpet to put
the label (and stamp?) on it, and leave it for the postman to pickup
and ship cross country to the carpet facility.
Say the "consumer" keeps the book or magazine for a while - of
course he has saved the label to send it back, and has informed his
housemates, cleaning person, etc. of its special treatment.

Excuse me - who has the time to do this? And why?

Say people do respond. Then, the postal service delivers tons of
loose plastic papers to Shaw (extra trips), postage paid - at 41
cents per ounce they pay $13,000 per ton shipping cost.

In Reality: people will toss it into their paper recycling bin (if
not the trash), the MRF will sort it (if it's recognizeable) and
discard it. Can it be recycled with plastic bottles or bags????? Or
the mechanical and human sorters will not recognize it, and it will
remain in the paper to make more work for the paper mill.
Who will pay for the extra work, extra sorter on the paper line,
etc.???

TOO MANY LOOPS, uncertainties, inefficiencies, and costs, with no
visible incentives for people to do this much work.
AND WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE HERE? Paper is easy to recycle.

Why not just make your paper products from recycled fiber, or
something compatible with recycling, then recycle it locally with
the other papers??
Why doesn't Shaw make their carpet from plastic that is already
available in bulk, delivered clean and ready to use - like PET
bottles?

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE CRRA GET THE FACTS, THEN WRITE BACK TO WASTE
NEWS SOON.

TANIA LEVY, BERKELEY