Toronto Environmental Alliance

Published in the Toronto Star: http://www.thestar.com/article/513736

October 11, 2008
Just say no. To packaging.

The benefits could be wider-ranging than you expect, says Franz Hartmann, executive director of the Toronto Environmental Alliance.

He hopes new garbage bins issued to householders will push them to leave packaging at store counters.

"If your bin is full, you have to pay to have the extra garbage removed," Hartmann says. "So why bring home excess packing material? Let the retailer deal with it.

"That way, you're sending a message to the retailer and the retailer will eventually send a message to the manufacturer."

Making manufacturers responsible for recycling old appliances and electronics would, Hartmann believes, "make them rethink how they design their products, to make it simpler to remove the key components and deal with them.
"They'd also have the impetus to make products that last longer."