Californians Against Waste - Comments

Aseptic Containers

Recycling News — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:15:52 -0600

These containers are more commonly referred to as Aseptic Containers. They are made from paper(70%), polyethelene (24%) and aluminium (6%). The conglomeration of materials makes recycling of aseptics more difficult and thus more costly. However, many haulers do accept them in the blue bin. Call your local hauler to find out if they accept aseptics for recycling. More and more product manufacturers are beginning to adopt this technology. As a result, CAW is sponsoring SB 1625 which will expand California's Bottle Bill to include more container types which will include aseptics.

food packaging that can't be recycled

kscheuer — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:47:40 -0600

That is my current pet peeve also. Even Seventh Generation is using plastic bottles and plastic tops. You can recycle the bottles but not the tops. I'd love to have a source for the old style glass bottles and metal tops. The only choice is to make the item at home (shampoo etc.) or just stop using it (soy sauce etc.). Does Mr. Green ever answer these questions? I've written to the manufacturers and complained at the stores to no avail.

Convenience, freshness and

nicoduca — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:21:21 -0700

Convenience, freshness and design continue to drive the packaging market. Manufacturers should not only focus on these issues, as a significant percentage of consumers -- at least British -- think that food has too much packaging. According to Mintel's exclusive research among a representative sample of over 1,000 British consumers, excess packaging is the respondents' top concern, followed by views about various alternative forms of packaging for drinks products, and lastly by views about the aesthetic aspects of packaging and its influence on purchasing.

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Just like ink cartridges

sodaman — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:28:48 -0700

Just like ink cartridges come with mail-in prepaid recycling bags so too could electronic equipment. Charging a disposal fee doesn't ensure proper disposal; it's just a tax that upsets people. You could have something like a coupon that goes back to whoever recycles... make the electronics companies turn this into a way of marketing and recycling in the process. Prop 65 lawsuits are too often focused on extorting from the unaware and the outcome generally benefits lawyers much more than California citizens; we all pay for those with higher prices and don't necessarily ensure that people will recycle anyway. Making recycling convenient and rewarding recyclers... like CRV does... is the way to go; it's not a tax for those who recycle and its administration is paid for by those who waste... very well done.

I would consider contacting

CAW FrontDesk — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 18:02:56 -0700

I would consider contacting your local county's recycling program (link to a list of CA County Waste and Recycling divisions). Some county's do not take them for hazardous waste reasons or will allow if the buckets are thoroughly cleaned.

Re: Fast Food Litter

Mr Recycle — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:56:03 -0600

The number one component of marine debris--as measured by beach cleanup studies--are cigarrette butts, which are themselves a kind of toxic plastic trash. The City of Oakland requires fast food restaurants to pay a litter clean up tax. Had not thought about a CRV-style deposit, though getting recycling bins in store and getting problem materials out should be step #1.

Wasteful Cell Phone Bills

Mark Bowers — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 10:27:57 -0600

It's not just iPhone/AT&T that is churning out too much paper to print cell phone bills.

Sprint's wireless division recently changed its billing format to (1) drop the information on itemized calls (2) increase the font size of the remaining information and (3) increase the page size to 8.5 x 11 instead of the previous compact page.

Net result? My bill contains less information (no detail on calls) and takes up literally twice as many square inches of paper! I'm old-fashioned enough to maintain hard copy records, but this may push me to on-line billings.

So far I've found no way on the bill or on the Sprint web site to contact the company to point out the folly of this wasteful change.

incandescent bulbs needed?

sattamander — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 18:32:34 -0600

Help me here folks. All I know is that the fluorescent light bulbs are not an option for some people. Flourescent bulbs tend to flicker though unseen by most people but for some us us with panic disorders they soon have us getting rather uncomfortable. I have also read that epileptics have problems with these types of bulds also, though this seems to be of some debate.

One other point is that the color spectrum of fluorescent light bulbs isn't quite up to snuff with the old incandescent bulbs though they are getting better. Due to this fact photograpers might not be pleased by a move to outlaw the latter.

I do use fluorescent light bulbs in my house but not where I need to be working close up with items or when reading.

Best Buy

sattamander — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 18:14:12 -0600

Don't know if you have a Best Buy store near you but I did notice that they collect these right inside there door at the one by us. Hope this helps.

Only other option would be to call your local trash service and ask them where you can take them.

Wine and liquor bottles - Yes

sattamander — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 17:48:01 -0600

I would support this since everytime I am at the recycling center I see people trying to put these containers in the reverse vending machines. Some actually make it through. But in reality I don't think it wil happen anytime soon. For one they don't seem to be a cause of litter so they aren't very visible. But even more important is the fact you are going up against the liquor industry and very few, if anyone, has success against these guys.

I would like to say personaly that AB 3056 Bottle bill has made an important impact from my point of view and I am both happy and sad at the same time. Happy because I see a lot more people recycling now that the price has jumped up. Seems a nickel and a dime register to a lot more people than 4 and 8 cents. Sad because the lines are growing very long at the recycling centers and no new ones seem to be opening up. Plus the fact that the existing centers are full and unable to take in more recycling usually before 3pm in the afternoon. They say they have daily pick up but I find that hard to believe. If it is true I can honestly say that recycling in my town has gone up at least 400% since last year.

Used to be last year we could go to the reverse vending machine at 8pm and we would be the only ones there and we could put in two 32oz trash bags with no problem. Today if you get there after 6pm the machine is full and you have to come back. Makes me wonder if some people aren't saying forget it it is too make hassle. Plus the crowds are starting to get rather testy over the waits.

Fast food litter

sattamander — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 17:31:07 -0600

I would like to pass a law that fast food beverage containers be subject to a CRV like fee. Might not keep people from throwing them on the road but at least it would give someone an incentive to pick them up. I read above that "unrecyclable takeout food packaging like foamed polystyrene are the second largest component of litter". Really? What is first, recyclable takeout food packaging? In my neighborhood fast food packaging is far and above the leading cause of litter PERIOD. If I had a nickel for ever fast food cup I would easily take in 20 bucks a week!

Maybe we should pass a law that fast food joints have to hire people to clean up litter in an area of a mile around their stores. Or just have them help fund the clean up by someone else. But let us make sure that it does NOT create a new government Bureaucracy since that will accomplish nothing but more waste.

Not picking on the fast food joints but let's face it the facts are the facts. They, or more rightly put, their customers, create a great deal of the litter in this state.

Plastic bags

sattamander — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 17:16:26 -0600

Next to fast food packaging, plastic bags seem to be the second leading cause of litter in our area. Strange too, you never seem to see paper bags on the road side. One reason for that is that paper bags are not as "mobile" as plastic bags. Have you ever seen a paper bag stuck up in a tree? Doubt it. Plastic bags are a nuisance due to the fact that they are so light. A week does not go by that I don't find one stuck in a tree or a bush somewhere high up enough that most people can't easily get them down and into the trash.

I would like to say that the benefit of plastic over paper is that plastic bags are waterproof but most plastic bags we get have holes in them or easily rip so this argument seems to fall quickly.

Bottom line I would like to see them banned and then right after that I would like to pass a law that fast food beverage containers be subject to a CRV like fee. Might not keep people from throwing them on the road but at least it would give someone an incintive to pick them up.

food packaging that can't be recycled

cglindberg — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 15:49:42 -0600

I have started paying more attention to the recycle symbols on the plastic containers and found that there are many that can't be recycled. Tubs seem to be the worst for me. Healthy products like yogurt for instance. I contacted Trader Joe's to complain and they said they do the best they can within the limits of what their manufacturers use and keeping their prices down. Are there any tub type containers that are made from better materials that we could be looking for or pushing stores to use? Thanks.

Take batteries to the library

Beth aka Fake Plastic Fish — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 21:11:34 -0600

In Oakland, all the public library branches have used battery containers. I don't know about other California cities.

Takeout Food Packaging Poll

Recycling News — Wed, 02 May 2007 15:44:26 -0600

Interest has been growing in requiring restaurants to use recyclable/compostable food packaging, which can help local governments achieve their waste diversion goals and helps decrease the amount of harmful plastics entering our waterways as marine debris litter. Currently, San Francisco, Oakland and Santa Monica require restaurants to use recyclable or compostable takeout food packaging. According to several state-wide litter characterization studies, food packaging from fastfood restaurants is one of the most abundant types of litter. Much of this is unrecyclable plastic, which travel our watersheds to the oceans where it will be a choking hazard for marine wildlife for hundreds of years. CAW-sponsored AB 904 builds upon these ordinances and creates a state-wide recyclable/compostable food packaging requirement for fast food restaurants.