Make Short Impulsive Phone Calls to Improve the World

Something neat happened this morning.  I had 2 Walmart products in my hand and as I turned them over I realized the peaches were in a container that is not recyclable in my area (number 7 plastic means "other") but the apple sauce was in a recyclable container. (number 5 is polypropylene).  I also noticed the toll free number for customer service on the package, so I asked the kids to stop making noise and I picked up the phone.  5 minutes later I'd left a message asking them to work with their suppliers to get the product I described into a recyclable container rather than a disposable container that would just end up in a landfill (or worse incineration).  While on the line I remembered their eggs come in styrofoam rather than biodegradable... so I added that to my call.  How easy.. 5 minutes and I've reached out and asked for things to be better, and explained that as a customer I will feel better about buying their products if I can recycle their packaging.

So let me encourage you to be impulsive and call customer service when you notice a small improvement that can be made.  Maybe its a pothole that needs fixing, or a safety concern with traffic.  Just take the few minutes and call so the people who can make a change have the info they need.

Challenge:  Make 1 impulsive "improve the world" call this week.

Tips:

• Be nice.  The person on the phone is being paid to help you.  The problem wasn't caused by them.
• Ask for a callback or update so you can be informed of the progress they make.
• Ask if the company is working on that sort of thing.  If so ask if there is another place you can call to provide this information. (I don't care who you are, transformational change is hard work)
• Don't attempt to control... Just ask for what you want and explain your motivation.

Cheers,  have fun making the world a better place.
Greg.

No detectable recycling at the "John Wayne" Airport in Orange County CA

I had a weird epiphany of sorts in the John Wayne airport in California this morning.


After purchasing orange juice in a plastic bottle at the McDonalds I looked in vain for a recycling container.  I wandered from Gate 14 to the food court (gate 7?).  No recycling containers... None obvious at McDonalds, None obvious at Starbucks.  (the places putting the plastic bottles into the waste stream.)


I finally stopped and asked a janitor who smiled a gentle apologetic smile and motioned to the trash bin.  I gave up and tossed them in.


Ironically I walked past several large advertisements for the "Nature Conservancy", the "Toyota Prius" boasting 50 mpg and another environmentally focussed advertisement.  Makes me wonder if the environmental awareness or ethos of California is highly geographical, or if it as skin deep as much of the marketing and entertainment from CA.  Maybe some of the professed "Californian progressive environmental message is greenwash. Sorry California (and John Wayne in particular) I'm sure you're doing better in other areas, but not being able to recycle paper or plastic/glass bottles at an airport in 2010 seems like a rather obvious "oversight".


In the words of John Wayne, “Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday.”
So John Wayne Airport, I dare ya to fix it and post a photo!  If you are sorting all the waste from those big garbage cans for recycling, I'm happy to update this post to reflect that, but highly recommend you also update your trash can labeling.


[UPDATE: Thanks for the update "John Wayne Airport"! (see their comment below) it seems that John Wayne IS in fact recycling, but is doing it offsite by sorting their waste!  In many ways this "hidden" approach is even BETTER than visible because it catches items that folks at the airport would mistakenly discard in the trash.  Now this seems to fit better with John Wayne's  Environmental policy and practice statement on their website.  As promised here is my update.  Thanks for the quick response. (I'm impressed)]


Cheers,
Greg.

More Un-Recyclable Waste

The other day I purchased some clothes at Walmart and didn't notice them send the plastic hanger home with the clothes in my shopping bag (yes i had enough that I needed a bag).  I got home and was about to recycle the hanger when I realized there was not resin code...  So either its going back to Walmart or its going in the trash.  (Yet one more item to put by the front door in the hopes I remember to take it with me when I leave the house).

I think I'm going to keep beating this drum because it just makes sense.  All plastic products need to be marked to facilitate recycling with their resin codes.  (even if it is a 7 meaning "other, probably not recyclable").  I called "The accessory store" to urge them to get these hangers labelled as I suspect thousands a month leave the Walmart ecosystem.

Cheers,
Greg.

Is Walmart Helping Customers Ask Manufacturers to be More Socially Responsible?

On Walmart.ca I read this today;
http://walmart.ca/wms/microsite/GreenerGood/en/product_form.jsp
One of our Sustainability goals is to create zero waste. To that end, Walmart Canada has committed to reducing, reusing or recycling materials that would otherwise be sent to landfill.
Our company has challenged our vendor-partners to make more eco-friendly decisions when packaging their products. We have asked them to eliminate wasteful over-packaging, to include more recycled materials and to ensure more of their packaging can be recycled.
If you believe that a product you purchased at Walmart is packaged in a wasteful or inappropriate manner, please provide us your feedback and we will forward to the manufacturer.

So I reported the eggs I had purchased that were packaged in styrofoam and shipped 3450 KM from the packer to my local Walmart Store.  We'll see if there is any response.  I know our local costco offers eggs packaged in a cardboard/paper-fiber container that CAN be recycled.  I am hoping at a minimum Walmart will offer me the choice of better packaging for my eggs.  At the most, I hope they replace the styrofoam packaging and source their eggs closer to their final destination.  I'll update this post with any good news from Walmart on the "reducing wasteful packaging" front.

Sometimes its hard to tell the difference between "greenwash" and a genuine committment to make the world a better place.  I'm hoping it is genuine for Walmart, because it sounds like they have some really good ideas for making their business more sustainable from top to bottom. Check back to see if this particular instance makes a positive change.

UPDATE:  I haven't heard a thing back from Walmart.  I suppose this was greenwash / good intentions, or something they let slip through the cracks.  Sad....  Hey corporations.  Be good.  If you're good we'll enjoy doing business with you.  If you work hard to look good without actually being good, we'll find out and see through your insincerity.  So when you say "we want to hear from you". Answer the darn email. (and not with marketing BS).  Now I'll be the first to point out that incremental improvements are good.  If a company transitions from 20% good to 40% good, that progress is positive and to be encouraged.  However, pretending that a 20% company is as good as a 40% good company is insincere.  Action not words people.

Cheers,
Greg.

Recycling Plastic - ideas for increasing adoption.

I learned today that our curbside recycling program will take #1,2,4,5 plastic (not 3,6,7). So I called the helpful folks at the Recycling Council of BC hotline: 604 732 9253 (or if you prefer a really easy toll-free number: 1 800-667 4321).

flickr credit: Rafa from Brazil

They told me that Wastech (the transfer station would accept plastic containers with any "resin number". So I thought it was strange that the garbage transfer company accepted more types of plastic for recycling than the recycling folks.


I'm under the impression that the most critical point in diverting waste from landfill to recycling is at the point of disposal where a product is being "placed in the trash".  Compared to the more technical challenges of sorting, washing, chipping, selling shipping and making use of recycled material.  Getting homeowners and businesses to actually start the recycling process is key.  Here in Abbotsford we have a fantastic advantage with our "unsorted curbside pickup".  We make it really really easy for people to "do the right thing".  Effectively we remove barriers of effort for folks to encourage recycling and reduce the amount of waste going into landfill or worse incinerators.

flickr credit: Montgomery Cty Division of Solid Waste Services

For myself I find a quick rinse and a slam dunk in our recycling bin and I'm done.  Its actually easier to recycle in our house because the garbage is hidden away under the sink.  There are two things that slow me down in my attempts to recycle;

• Not knowing what plastics can and can't be recycled. (which I solved today by phoning)
• Not seeing the 'resin codes' on the plastic objects I would like to recycle.

That second problem of "unmarked plastics" is a real challenge.  Here are some things that work or might work;  

• Smell it.  If it smells like a plastic shower curtain or inflatable toy, it is probably PVC plastic #3, it is probably not recyclable.
• In the past, I've contacted companies like the Solo cup company who to their credit have retooled their production lines to include the "resin codes" for recycling on the bottom of their disposable drinking cups.
• If the government required that all plastic manufactured items bore a permanent recycling symbol, people would not find themselves stumped at the recycling bin.
• Currently for reasons of import taxation all items brought into the company must list where they originate.  I think this demonstrates that such a mark is attainable.
• Permanent so that the mark is not removed over the useful life of the plastic object
• This would need to include packaging which often has an extremely short lifecycle like in the case of plastic used in packaging children's toys.
• Survey the resin codes on plastic being sent to landfill to determine which plastics are most frequently discarded in order to expand the resin codes accepted in an order that makes sense.

flickr credit: mag3737

I know we have it really easy in Abbotsford with our recycling program.  What is your experience with recycling plastic?  What would you do to make it easier?

Cheers,

Greg.