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Municipal Government Caught in Middle
In the e-dialogue Dec. 6 Chris Ling concluded "... It seems that responsibility for waste is largely divided between good producers and good consumers, yet the unit that bares the brunt of the costs of waste management is the municipality - which is largely not responsible for the waste generation and has the least power to change the amount of waste generated, they are able to tinker round the edges diverting here, generating energy there but ultimately can have a limited maximum effect."
It seems to me this observation demands that we go up to 20,000 feet to get a view of these responsibility issues. Ultimately it is the only way we can share enough information about "cradle to cradle" solutions (like Interface Carpet) where the manufacturer take responsibility for the total life of the product and by so doing implicates (wraps in) the responsibility of the consumer too. Municipalities have a role in creating this dialogue -- how about sponsoring private/public dialogue around this?? (say sponsored by those who are leading the field like Interface or Dell?? plus a few tax payer orgs. who ought to be very interested in whether they pay to the government or private sector for these costs??)
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Comments
In the case of the auto
In the case of the auto manufacturer and Dell computers, I suspect that only the most readily recyclable materials are recycled, and that the cost/effort put into the recycling programs are miniscule compared to that put into manufacturing new goods. And during bad times, any part of the recycling program that is costing them money is going to have to be cut. Interface Carpet did well by getting customers to rent their carpet instead of buying it, allowing them to do regular replacement of high-wear areas and building a more loyal customer base in the process.
As pointed out above, the burden of responsibility isn't on the companies, so relying on corporate responsibility is only going to go so far, and only when good economic times permit.
I'm not sure what the Body Shop allowing customers to refill bottles is an example of? Seems somewhat analogous to a grocery store allowing you to buy some foods in bulk or allowing you to use a cloth shopping bag? Perhaps I am missing something.
If a company the size and
If a company the size and reach of Dell is enaging in such activity - then there was the example of German auto manufacturers that Ann (I think) introduced - then there must be a financial case for undertaking such activity.
I wonder what Dell actualy does with the returned material, and how many people use the facility. Maybe they don't advertise it too strongly as if everyone took advatage of it they would not be able to cope.
Another example the springs to mind is the Body Shop's refillable bottles.