UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thursday, October 24, 1996
5A
Environs calls for boycotts of big business
By Dave Breitenstein Kansan staff writer
Some KU students are going out of their way to not support large companies, but it isn't because the products don't fit in their budget.
KU Environns has boycotted several large manufacturers in hopes of drawing students' attention to several environmental issues. PepsiCo Inc., Mitsubishi International Corp., Decker Corp. which makes Teva sandals, McDonald's Inc. and Shell Oil Co. are some of the companies Environns avoids.
"Most of the campaigns we are involved in are with other groups that we work with," said Jatinderpal Hundal, Olathe junior and Environs secretary. "If we worked by ourselves, it wouldn't have much of an effect. But since we work with so many other organizations, the large companies will notice and change what they are doing."
The group has been working on the McDonald's boycott and staged a protest on Saturday in front of the restaurant at 911 Massachusetts St.
Environs opposes the amount of packaging waste produced by McDonald's and the improper treatment of animals. Hundal said.
Environs is trying to get students involved in boycotts and make them aware of environmental dangers that some large companies ignore.
"We have some flyers that we distribute to students," Hundal said. "At least once or twice a year we have a speak-out telling about our boycots. We also have an information table in the Union every week."
"We want the general population to be aware of these companies and how they can help and protect the environment," she said.
Although Hundal said she was against large businesses because they hurt the environment, she admitted it was difficult at first to avoid their products.
Pepsico not only includes soft drinks, but also Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Ocean Spray, Frito-Lay and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Boycotted businesses
Teva sandals — makes large profits, but pays workers salaries below the poverty level
Mitsubishi — largest corporate destroyer of the rain forests
McDonald's — high rate of food and packaging waste; animal rights issues
Shell Oil — oil wells polluting farmland
"The hardest part about doing a boycott like PepsiCo is because they are so large," Hundal said. "It's been a while since I had a Pepsi product, but I got used to doing without. Carbonated beverages aren't good for you anyway. I just try to avoid big corporate products altogether."
Another large company Environs boycotts is Mitsubishi, which manufactures automobiles, televisions and videocassette recorders, and owns Nikon, Kirin Beer and Value Rent-A-Car. Environs has convinced the University to boycott Mitsubishi products for the last five years.
"We did some research on the University and found that the only Mitsubishi products they bought were $200 worth of chemicals a few years ago, but nothing since." Hundal said.
Natalie Sullivan, Lawrence junior and treasurer of Environs, said the group had effectively educated some students, but not everyone had received the message.
"People who come to the information table and get flyers know about what we do, but I don't think a majority of the people on campus have gotten the word." Sullivan said.
PepsiCo officially announced it was withdrawing operations from Burma because business had been hurt by boycott. Sullivan said.
Environmental groups are not the only ones boycotting some corporations.
"Even Circuit City now boycotts Mitsubishi, "Sullivan said.
Supermarkets offer choice: recycling paper or plastic
By Dave Breitenstein
Kansan staff writer
Look inside the cabinet under your kitchen sink. If there are 500 paper and plastic bags, you are not taking advantage of a policy that some Lawrence grocery stores have.
Some local grocers are giving money to consumers willing to help the environment by reusing grocery bags. While each store pays a different amount, the goal of the service is the same.
"Bags will last in a landfill for years, but another customer can reuse it right away when you bring it back to us," said Wade Chalstrom, director of Hy-Vee, 3504 Clinton Parkway. "A lot of people don't even know that we pay for returned bags, but those who do are concerned about the environment."
According to supermarket industry estimates, the average shopper uses about 500 paper and plastic grocery sacks a year. Many of these bags end up in a landfill since most people do not reuse them.
Chalstrom said the policy was not a ploy to attract environmentally conscious shoppers.
"I don't believe it's a marketing tool, but
we want to work with people who are interested in helping the environment, and this definitely helps," he said.
Candi Griffin, front-end manager at Checkers, 2300 Louisiana St., said there were not many people who took advantage of the store's 10 cents a paper bag return policy.
"Most people will just keep the bag for themselves," she said. "They can return plastic bags to be recycled, but we don't pay for them because it is a health code violation to reuse those bags."
Griffin said customers returned about 40 grocery bags a day.
"It's usually older people that return bags because they want the discount, and they don't want to have to dispose of them," she said.
Sabrina Steele, night manager at Food 4 Less, 2525 Iowa St., said the store did not compensate shoppers for returned bags, but some people still brought them anyway.
"We have people that bring in their own grocery bags, but we don't give them a discount," she said. "I don't know if they are doing it for the environment, or maybe they are just trying to keep shopping costs down.
A new life for old bags
Daycare center takes step forward
Senate unanimously accepts guidelines
By Spencer Duncan Kansan staff writer
Student Senate passed a resolution last night allowing Senate negotiators to begin working with KU administrators on building a campus child-care center.
Scott Sullivan, University Affairs committee chairman, presented the resolution to the Senate. It outlined guidelines that the negotiators will use when dealing with the University.
"Acceptance of this resolution
means that you are giving the OK to allow negotiations to begin with the University on the construction of a child-care facility." Sullivan said. "It is a very important issue."
The resolution guidelines will be used by Student Body President Grey Montgomery and members of a Senate University affairs subcommittee for what student senate expects in the center's construction.
Montgomery will go to the KU administration and attempt to begin negotiations. When asked whether he was willing to negotiate on behalf of Senate and the student body, Montgomery gave a resounding, "Yes, I am willing to do that."
The proposed center would be run by Hilltop, a current campus child
care provider.
Among the guidelines that will be used in negotiations:
an estimated $5 to $6 student fee increase;
a proposal to build the center at Stauffer Place Apartments near Daisy Hill;
a recommendation that the University examine a faculty and staff fee to help finance the center.
A few minor amendments were made to the resolution before unanimous passage. The most significant was a change by Jason Angilan, graduate senator. He and Montgomery added a provision stating that all guidelines were subject to change through the negotiation process.
"That gives flexibility to the negotiators to really negotiate and do what needs to be done to get this thing built," Angilian said.
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