WASTE PAPER

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 263, 5 August 1942, Page 8

WASTE PAPER

New Salvage System Outlined APPEAL FOR CO-OPERATION Changes in the system of collecting ' paper were outlined by the publicity officer of the Wellington Waste Reclamation Committee, Mr. R. H. Beaumont, when he addressed the Chamber of Commerce last night, appealing for assistance. “By a wide margin,” he said, “Wellington has consistently led all other centres in paper salvage, but our committee now faces two major problems which necessitate a complete change in our policy if all the paper available in Wellington is to be reclaimed. These difficulties are labour shortage for packing and inadequate transport for collection. “As waste disposal is not classed as an essential industry, we have been advised that tliere is little hope of securing the necessary labour. As quickly as we secure useful workers we lose other members of our stall. Many, of course, go to military service. The W.W.S.A., realizing our difficulties, have arranged for 20 of their members to work nt our depot in relays. These women do splendid work, but they cannot possibly cope with all the paper available in the city. “Our committee has decided that the only course left is to appeal for greater public co-operation, and this applies first to the city business area, which has at least 70 per cent, of our available paper supply. Already many big firms approached have agreed to co-operate, while smaller firms and retail shops have promised to carry out our scheme, working m groups of four, five or six. . “Briefly the plan is: First, to change the existing system of saving oilice paper in sucks to a method whereby it can be packed tightly in wool packs so that it requires no further attention at the depot, but can be sent straight to the mills. If adopted on n, large scale, this .scheme should considerably increase our turnover, relieve packing work and storage space at the depot, lessen demand on our transport, as paper packed in wool packs would considerably exceed quantities now delivered in sacks. Wooden frames for holding wool packs should be available shortly, and will be supplied at cost price to firms or groups of firms. Bales will be supplied free of charge and when filled tightly and sewn will be replaced with empty packs. “The co-operation of each. firm, in order to make this scheme a success, is only a small matter,I involving in most cases just a question of organization. By stamping the paper down regularly the bales can be tightly packed, and firms will be doing almost exactly 7 the same work as would previously have been done at the depot. “The only other assistance we seek from firms is transport. Many firms have their own trucks or regular carriers who, when passing the depot, could easily deliver their paper. This would be a relatively small item for each firm, but m the aggregate the assistance to our "organization would be considerable. Our only two trucks are kept busy collecting paper from schools, institutions, printers and helping deliver paper to rail and wharves.”