>From: Alex <admeddemda@xxxxxx> >hmmm. I think sometimes children just happen.... anyway.... pay per >bag garbage is one way to reduce trash.... but there are again, other >ways. Bc pay per bag is letting those with more $ get away with >consuming more. This is a fact of life, but it's better to turn it into a privilige than have it a "right", which, because of its ubiquity it is abused and in the end NO ONE can use it, whether or not they can pay. PS I have often made the observation that those with $$$ generate *less* solid waste than those in the "middle" or "lower" class!!! They tend to buy higher quality items which last, and have less packaging, but they also have the education needed to make wise decisions. This is certainly not universal and doesn't necessarily extend beyond solid waste but it is common. In the "working class" (poor) neighbourhoods I often see far more garbage at the curbside than elsewhere -- these people often lack education, and they also have to buy lower quality (disposable) items with more packaging. >I favour better recycling... as in, all "garbage" is sorted.... >apparently that could reduce real garbage to something like 10% of >current volume.... Well, yes and no. Recycling merely shifts the problem since (a) it gives people a false sense of accomplishment and (b) it allows manufacturers off the hook (pop-bottle manufacturers pushed for publicly funded recycling since it allowed them to get rid of REUSABLE glass bottles and increased waste generation phenomenally). The *most* effective way of reducing garbage is user-pay. Yes, you have a certain portion who will ignore the cost and keep producing garbage at will but, by and large, people respond. When I was invovled with some communities who were implementing user-pay, we found that garbage generation was down 65 to 85%. Recycling rates doubled and the final piece of the puzzle was composting which sky-rocketed. The *most* effective programmes were where you had to have a ticket for *every* bag. Where you were allowed 1 untagged bag or (usually 20 kg), diversion rates were markedly lower (40-60%) and user pay a *lot* less effective at diverting waste. it comes down to psychology. EVERYONE responds to $$$. Only a minority VOLUNTARILY modify behaviour in response to community needs. With fees you still have CHOICE but at least it's a case of "user-pays". Eric. _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail _________________________________________________ For information concerning the MUGLO List just click on http://muglo.on.ca/pages/members.html#Joinmuglo Don't forget to periodically check our web site at: http://muglo.on.ca/