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Magazine plastic wrap

Recycle centers rarely take plastic bags - ours doesn't either. Walmart, Lowes, Target, Home Depot and many grocery stores take them - the collection box is usually just inside the front door. Ft. Stockton has a Walmart :)

Supposedly most of the bags are turned into park benches and BMW motorcycle seats.:laugh
 
Ft. Stockton has a Walmart :)

Given local stores I have no need to go to Fort Stockton to an obsolete little Walmart. And I certainly am not going to ride or drive a 250 mile round trip to drop off plastic bags. Sheesh!:scratch
 
And I certainly am not going to ride or drive a 250 mile round trip to drop off plastic bags.

Nor would I Paul, nor would I. I was only trying to point out to the uninformed that, contrary to beliefs, their little MOA magazine polybag is indeed recyclable - for 97% of the recipients if so desired.
 
Exsqeeze me, but is there anything in my post.... posted to answer the OPs question... that asked you for a friggin' lecture? :mad

Not sure why I am wasting my time because I care about the environment, too... however... I also understand the concept of diminishing returns.

fwiw, plastic is cheaper than paper, weighs less, takes less space and is moisture-proof and transparent (important factors related to mailing costs and marketing capabilities... and the energy required to manufacture and transport a material. Did you know that it takes about 4 times more energy to make paper? Paper of course can be recycled, but have you studied that industry closely lately?)

also fwiw, Bioplastics are not a complete answer. Maybe biodegradable plastic is?

It's really not that big of a deal. People that care so much can just subscribe digitally. Environmental activism isn't all that hard.... :dunno



So, clearly, one instance damns everything? :rolleyes


< rant >

You know, it seems sometimes that our Forum is going pretty much exactly the way our Facebook Group goes... a lot of finger-wagging pedantry in response to honest questions and answers. Yeah, I am known for going on about things like this, :rolleyes but it sure would be great to see a group norm evolve that reduced the amount of anal nannyism in our community. Or... maybe, this type of online interaction is reflective of our brand? I know that this does not happen at our rallies or other meat space interactions. If I were to judge my enjoyment of this club based upon on-line interaction, I would not join. What gives?

< /rant >

Easy there, big guy--I think you've misinterpreted the focus of my comments, which apparently stirred the grease mud and roiled the skid demons. :wave

My comments were not directed at *you*; they were directed at the standard bullet list of responses that questioners get every time the plastic cover issue comes up. And this is the Campfire section, where monosyllabic answers don't add much to the discussions. I had hoped that given your tenure and stature in the forums that you might be able to respond with deeper information. Something along the lines of "director so-and-so researched this with our mailing company back in whenever, and reported back that A) they can't do this change, or B) we can do it but the change would be greater/lesser by a factor of $X, or C) we can do this, and for a small additional fee can furnish printed mailer envelopes where you can sell the ad space on the envelopes to help offset the cost, or D) something else.

Every time I've seen this issue come up in the forums it's the same list of immediate responses as to why it *can't* be done, usually accompanied with a dismissive suggestion to the questioner to just do a digital subscription. But here's the rub--the present digital format is a nice addition to the website and probably reads ok on a regular PC, but reading it on a tablet is truly a miserable experience, more so for those of us with aging eyesight. We have discussions in the forums bemoaning the lack of young people entering motorcycling, specifically BMW motorcycling, yet I think it would be a safe bet that most of the GenX/Y/Millenials we'd like to bring into the fold are more environmentally aware and proactive than we old boomers, and likely more well-versed and quality-sensitive when it comes to digital materials. And they spend their digital lives on tablets and cell phones. For them, telling them without data that the slipcover can't change or they should just accept a substandard digital delivery is just an answer of "because". And I maintain that's never a good answer from parents, politicians, or...publishers.

Hopefully smoothing out the grease mud and straightening the bars,

DeVern
 
Sometimes, mostly everyday, I feel badly for the folks that run the MOA. You guys come up with the most obscure problems to solve. The only think that is more absurd is the bored BMW engineer that solves problems that do not exist while ignoring the ones that do.



The little lights aren't twinkling Clark...…...
 
Some problems are obscure only because we choose not to look at them. Problems are so much easier to solve while still small, before they blossom into big problems. :)

Best,
DG
 
My comments were not directed at *you*

DeVern - well, you quoted me.

Here is why (my guess, I have no inside knowledge to our big secrets) I think we don't do paper envelopes: at our Board meeting we learned that the MOA barely broke even, financially.... even though we raised our dues.... so every penny counts.

As noted above, recycling wrappers and digital only memberships are the best way to express concerns, imo.
 
Yes, sure, but ...

Since China stopped buying plastic to recycle many recycle centers will no longer take it. Ditto steel cans. Right now all I can find that they will still take is cardboard and aluminum cans. YMMV at other locations.

Oh, when the Chinese stopped taking our recyclables ........... the landfill tipping charges jumped to handle the extra volume.
 
I may have been the first to complain and suggest plastic wrapping ... just as all the major car clubs do, i.e. BMW, Mercedes, Porsche. I was complaining more than 10 years ago for sure.

There was one month when all I received was the cover. About every month there was some degree of shredding.

There were a few years I paid extra for 1st class shipping so I could get the plastic wrap ... I'm happy now that it's available to everyone.

To assuage any self-righteousness regarding plastic, note that they are recyclable at your grocery store.

Just wait for the industry to provide a better solution. No need to criticize the club in the meantime. If you must, you could instead perhaps take comfort in how incredibly long it took them to see the light.
 
There were a few years I paid extra for 1st class shipping so I could get the plastic wrap ... I'm happy now that it's available to everyone.

A fine example of the true DEMOCRATIC VALUES of OUR club...…..Everyone shares in the benefits!!! How it flows so simply, like knowledge of funds transferring from the treasury into the mists...……...:dunno
 
Operations Committee

Regarding the poly bag ON wrapper:

A little over a year ago the Operations Committee looked hard at eliminating the poly bag over the ON... for costs purposes. The staff was directed to conduct a cost benefit analysis to the membership. The benefit to the member and the club as a whole overwhelmingly outweighed the detractors. The latest anti plastic environmental movement was not weighed as a variable.

Many of the points Ian already raised touched on the decision points: clear, cheap, protects the product, provides for “onserts” as a source of revenue, or the ability to place other critical club news separately on top of the magazine, like the annual financial report, and the election ballots.

Ultimately the board has the responsibility to act on behalf of the membership as a whole. As much as we would like to accommodate the needs and “desires” of every member, clearly, based on this discussion and others like it, that is an unattainable and unrealistic goal.

The club, like any other major institution, is subject to market forces. Printing, paper, and postage costs continue to rise with little competition in the industry to allow the club to negotiate the best deal, much of these forces drive board and staff decisions.

For what it’s worth, I was a leading proponent on the board for an all digital membership. It took some time to get that membership option available, but it is available for our members who want to reduce their environmental impact, or for those who simply prefer digital over paper.

I suspect this isn’t the “answer” you were looking for; but there you have it, the board response on the forums, and the transparency you requested in the decision making process. I hope this helps.
 
Regarding the poly bag ON wrapper:

there you have it, the board response on the forums, and the transparency you requested in the decision making process. I hope this helps.

Thanks "Chief"!!!

Such honesty and reliable information given to us, this member at least, is fantastic and superb for building confidence that the leadership is doing what we elected them to do...…….LEAD...…

Thanks for what YOU do...….God bless.....Dennis
 
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