Corporate Recycling

Bibliography On Recycling in Corporate America
Copyright 2001 by Oscar Ausboe

Brower, Michael, Ph.D. and Warren Leon, Ph.D. The Consumers Guide To Effective Environmental Choices. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1999. This is a book specifically designed to give practical advice to consumers, allowing them to make decisions or choices, regarding environmental use etc., that truly work towards making a difference. I found ch. 7, “What You Can Ask Government To Do,” particularly interesting and useful when it comes to making things happen.

Galle, Bo, and Jerker Samuelsson, “Measurements of Methane Emissions from Landfills Using a Time Correlation Tracer Method Based on FTIR Absorption Spectroscopy.” Environmental Science & Technology, 01 January 2001, 21-25. An informative, but rather scientific article regarding measuring techniques to evaluate and calculate methane emissions within landfills. Just the data regarding the amounts of emissions produced in a landfill was most useful personally.

Millstone, Sacha, et.al. The Greening of American Business. Edited by Thomas F.P. Sullivan. Maryland: Government Institutes, Inc., 1992. This book, which was put together by a number of people each interested and experienced in their particular subject, is a source of information far anybody concerned with the environmental issues America is faced with today. It was an easy read, and useful throughout; especially the examples of corporate ideas and practices developed to positively effect the environment and at the same time be economically profitable for the company.

Strasser, Susan. Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2000. When it comes to education of “garbage” in America, this is where to start. Strasser knows what she is talking about, and if we all were as persistent as she was, we wouldn’t have a waste problem. Examples regarding different ways products were reused in recent history were very enlightening, and should be reconsidered as a very viable option in dealing with our increasing waste concerns.

Wamback, Stephen. <SWAMBAC@co.pierce.wa.us> “Re: Recycling,” 10 January 2001. Personal email (10 January 2001). Response via email to a question I posed in reference to corporate policy implemented by local facilities, such as the Pierce County waste Division, regulating, enforcing, or promoting recycling programs directed towards county businesses. The reply was opposite of what I had hoped to hear, nevertheless the county does not oversee corporate recycling programs, but they will give advice if asked. This led me to further pursue EPA regulations concerning this topic.

Primary Sources:

Findley, W. Roger, and Daniel A. Farber. Cases and Materials on Environmental Law. St. Paul, Minn.: West Publishing Co. 1999. A fairly detailed text dealing with virtually all aspects of environmental law. Although many of the example cases were dated, all the information was quite informative. The most useful topic for me was mentioned often, and that pertained to he issue of responsibility, which in the nutshell stated that, “association equaled liability.”

McDonald’s Worldwide Corporate Site, “A Good Neighbor,” n. d., <http://www.mcdonalds.com/countries/usa/corporate/info/student/media/neighbor.pdf> This online data source provides an array of information regarding McDonald’s Corporation. From its history to its community involvement, it was very informative, and the only way to directly get information from or about the company. The portion I was most interested in, Environmental Participation was meager to say the least. It provided me with some fairly good points (numbers) to reference, but other than that, 2/3 of a page of data didn’t seem quite enough information regarding such an important topic.

Pierce County Department of Planning and Land Services, Pierce County Comprehensive Plan- November 10, 1994, Pierce County, WA: Department of Planning and Land Services, 1994. This plan is collection of material for any interested party to refer to regarding any and all aspects of Pierce County projected planning, such as housing, transportation, and what I was most interested in, the Environment Element. Which dealt with county environmental regulation and goals that focused on preservation, and recycling (public initiated concern).

Rueters. “McDonald’s Offers Regional Variation On Specialties,” The New York Times, 19 January 2001, C-12. This article was simply cited in order to show an example of how a particular corporation (McDonald’s) is interested in change, but how change could be detrimental to our environment. Their focus was only to discover an alternative method to promote business however.

United States Environmental Protection Agency. “Basic Facts.” n. d., <http://www.epa. gov/epaswer/non-hw/mincpl/facts.html> This web location is designed to provide reference to many aspects in which the EPA is involved with or responsible for. There were numerous examples of recycling methods, either in action or projected. However, I merely referenced them to get accurate and reliable data regarding waste production amounts in the U.S. Because of who they, most or all of their information can be trusted, and that is important, particularly when evaluating a subject as delicate as environmentally based issues.