Proposal For Reusable Containers in Supermarkets and Reusable Shipping boxes

Plastic is ending up in our environment and our oceans, causing problems for humans and animals.  The plastic recycling system has been shown to be broken because China no longer deems it profitable to import other countries plastic wastes for recycling.  I've been interested in sharing my ideas for reusable plastic shipping boxes as well as plastic food containers with the larger goal of reducing plastic waste, while simultaneously keeping costs down for the average consumer, through efficient reuse of plastic and glass containers utilizing RFID technology that will allow tracking, product ID, as well as a deposit system for reusable boxes and packages.

When many people visualize refillable/ reusable containers, they imagine taring glass jars and filling them from bulk bins at a natural foods specialty store.  I'm trying to fix the issue of inefficiency.  When I compare these bulk bins and the checkout process, and compare it to shopping at Aldi, I notice that Aldi is many times quicker and much more efficient.  A small Aldi store in a small footprint can sell much more product than a typical larger grocery chain while usually using only a single cashier.  A bulk store will never be this effective.  Aldi also has the added benefit of overseeing their entire supply chain including the packaging of their food items.  This means they can implement my reusable packaging idea without wrestling their vendors into such a scheme.  I've been reading articles online that suggest Aldi will grow into the third or fourth largest grocery store chain, giving it a lot of clout and market share.

Another company that comes to my mind when I am pitching my idea is Amazon.  Amazon is the largest internet retailer in the United States.  If they started using plastic corrugated boxes that were reusable instead of cardboard, this would reduce a lot of cardboard waste.  In addition to Amazon, these boxes could be standardized into sizes so that any company could use them, and any shipping company could collect them for reuse.

The basic idea behind these shipping boxes and food containers is the RFID tracking chip that is embedded.  I have included pictures below to diagram steps in a supply chain of my proposed system:

9.  Display ready boxes are loaded onto a pallet, which is again read by an RFID reader, sent to the retailer database, ready to load onto a truck for shipment to the store.

10.  Pallets are unloaded and scanned into the store, allowing for quick inventory tracking.

11.  Robotic RFID scanning robots may roam the aisles to check inventory periodically so that items may be restocked and reordered.  A similar system that uses cameras is being tested at walmart and other stores, but since all products have RFIDs embedded, inventory can be tracked more precisely.

12.  A customer may checkout of the store simply by moving their cart past sensor bars, which would charge them for each item, as well as issue a deposit amount for each container to incentivize returning of the containers.

13.  When customer returns to store, they drop off their used containers into a collection bin at the front of the store.

14.  The collected items are sent to a washing/ processing facility

15.  When items arrive at the processing facility, their RFID tags are scanned again, which logs the event in the retailer database, and automatically credits the deposit back to the customers account.

16.  Items are washed and inspected on an automated line that ensures that containers do not leak, and are sufficiently cleaned.  One idea I had would be to check for air leakage to ensure that the container is airtight.

17.  Washed food containers are returned to the food dispensing facilities where they are refilled, and this starts the process over.

A similar scheme could be employed for shipping boxes.  In this case the embedded RFID tags could be assigned by different shipping companies to identify the shipment.  The boxes would be made of corrugated plastic instead of cardboard because plastic is more sanitary, and stronger for reuse.  Boxes would be easily broken down for return back to the shipping companies.  Boxes would come in uniform sizes, and these sizes could be easily standardized from existing box sizes at Amazon (ie A3 box size is a Amazon standard that could be adopted universally)

This concludes my proposal.  I may add more details later on as I see fit, and maybe add more diagrams.  Please let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Choosing a Bicycle

I am often asked by friends what to look for when choosing a bicycle.  The short answer is: look for a bike that fits, is inexpensive, and it works.  In this post I will tell you what I look for in a used bicycle.  If you are looking for a new bicycle, it is acceptable to ask bike shop staff their opinions as most local bike shop staff are trustworthy (Performance and Dicks Sporting Goods are NOT local bike shops).

Three Types of Bicycles:

Road Bike

These bikes feature the "rams horn" handlebars, skinny tires, and derailleur gears.  Rams horn are also called drop handlebars.  The reason this type of handlebar is made is to have multiple hand positions during a ride.  You will find that most road bikes will put the rider in a more uncomfortable, but more aerodynamic position with their handlebar height lower than or about seat level.  If you are inclined, you can buy a new stem to make the handlebar higher and ride at a more upright posture.  Other people prefer to turn the horns upward because its cheaper and easier to do, but if you're going to resort to that then you might as well start with another type of bicycle.  The skinny tires are great for roads because there is less rolling resistance, but it is important to keep those tires fully inflated to prevent pinch flats.  Most of these skinnier tires are 100 PSI or greater.  The higher pressure also helps with less rolling resistance.  The wheel size of newer road bikes is 700c.  Older road bikes have 27" wheels, but you can usually swap it out for a 700c wheel if you'd like to upgrade your wheels.  More on that later.

Mountain Bike

These bicycles are probably best known for a straight handlebar, knobby tires, and shock absorbers (springs on cheaper bikes).  First off I'd like to point out that for general riding on streets, shock absorbers aren't all that useful.  Bicycles with a rear suspension are slightly less efficient as far as power transfer than hard tail bicycles.  Bicycles with rear suspension are also harder to mount fenders and a luggage rack to, which are two essentials for every day cycling.  Front suspension doesn't have any of these shortfalls, but unless you're doing some hardcore stump jumping, suspension in general isn't going to do much for you.  Mountain bikes are sturdy general purpose bicycles.  Knobby tires can be switched out for high pressure slick tires if you just want less rolling resistance.

Hybrid/ Comfort Bike

Similar to a mountain bike in that they have a straight handlebar.  Most of these bicycles are built for a more upright and comfortable riding posture and have tires that are wider than road bikes, but skinnier and less knobby than mountain bikes.  They are good for general purpose riding and I'd recommend this type of bicycle for someones first bicycle purchase.

Fitting your bicycle:  

Bicycle fit is very important to selecting a bicycle.  Generally you should have a 2-3 inches between your crotch and the top tube (for straight across top tubes) and for sloping top tubes that is still 2-3 inches over the effective top tube (see picture).  For a website that will give you a ballpark of what size bicycle you're looking for click here.  When looking at bicycle on craigslist, ask sellers to measure the frame size to save yourself travel time.  You can even send them the picture (the one that that includes the words frame size) below in the email.

Now that you know about the different types of bicycles, I will include some quality indicators.  These are things that I look for to determine whether or not one used bicycle is better than another.

Bottom bracket/Crank

American Bottom Bracket

American bottom brackets are an older style of bottom bracket and feature a one piece crank called an Ashtabula crank.  The bottom bracket (the part of the frame that the crank goes through) is slighly larger to allow a single piece crank to be installed.  These indicate a cheaper bicycle.

European bottom brackets indicate a higher quality bike frame that is usually slightly lighter.  As you can see pictured above, the bottom bracket part of the frame is slightly smaller than the American counterpart and the crank that goes with it bolts onto a square tapered spindle.  This type of bottom bracket allows for different types of cranks to be used and newer spindles and bearings are sold and replaced as a whole cartridge making them easier to service.

Steel Rims vs Aluminum

Like American style bottom brackets, steel wheel rims are now only featured on the cheapest bicycles.  Steel rims do not brake as well as aluminum rims, they weigh more, and bend easier.  This is the reason I said you can upgrade your wheels on a road bike because older road bikes sometimes feature 27" steel wheels.  Get a bicycle with aluminum rims.  If you unsure if the rim is steel or not, stick a magnet on it.  Be aware that upgrading a wheelset is going to cost over $100, so you might as well start out with some good wheels when looking for a bicycle.  Another thing to know about are double-walled aluminum wheels which are less likely to bend than single walled ones.

Assessing the condition of the bicycle:
Take a crank and spin it backwards to see if the chain is seized.  Inspect the tire sidewalls and tread for wear.  Squeeze the brakes and try to push the bicycle forward.  Do you think these brakes will bring you to a complete stop within half a car length?  Are the rims bent?  Take the wheel and spin it.  Can you see or feel a wobble side to side or an up and down hop?  At this point you should probably take the bicycle for a spin around the block to see how it fits.  Cycle through all the gears and listen and feel for any chain skipping.

Things to add to your new-to-you bicycle

Now that you purchased a used bicycle, the things listed below will make your riding experience better. 

Fenders: 

  

If you ever find yourself on wet roads, you will need these.  Look for full fenders that go around the wheel.

Lights:
Get a good LED headlight that is greater than 300 lumens.

For a tail light I recommend you get the brightest LED blinkie you can find.

Luggage Rack:

Get one for the back.  Get a front luggage rack and hold even more stuff.  You can put a milk crate on it to carry lots of stuff.  Unfortunately most rear luggage racks you buy in the United States are not strong enough to support a passenger, because most cyclists want to be single forever I guess :/

Panniers:

Carry stuff on your bicycle, not your back!  Keep in mind that water resistance is market jargon that means absolutely nothing.  If you need waterproof panniers, get some vinyl ortlieb ones.  I try not to drop brand names much, but there aren't many offerings of waterproof panniers.

Better Saddle
Almost all bicycles come with terrible saddles.  I recommend a cutout style saddle that is vinyl like this one pictured.  Cloth saddles will rip and wear quickly.  Don't opt for anything super skinny or extremely wide.  Wide saddles will chafe.  Skinny saddles are uncomfortable for obvious reasons.  Get a saddle that has its widest point about an inch or two wider than your sit bones.

Strong lock

If you live in an urban area, make sure you invest in a hardened steel chain or U-Lock.  Good brands are Onguard and Kryptonite.  ABUS is even better.  Keep in mind that any lock can be defeated, but most people don't bother busting through hardened steel locks.

That is everything I can think of for how to buy a bicycle.  Suggestions?  Leave a comment.

Bicycle Safety: The Child Metric

I've been thinking about bicycle safety and making bicycle facilities here in Cleveland OH.  A great primer on bicycle safety can be found here.  One way to view bicycle safety is to use this image:

A little girl or boy on a bicycle.

Now take a picture of a small child and superimpose it over a google street view of the Detroit superior bridge.

Nice lane control Pete!  I wanted to find a picture of a smaller kid.  How does the idea of a small child traveling over the Detroit Superior bridge feel to you?  Are you concerned for their safety?  Does it seem out of place?  Well here's a little nugget for you to think about: if you are worried about a small child getting ran over on our streets, and the image evokes strong feelings of concern for the childs safety, consider that I am also just as vulnerable to being killed on this bridge.  More money needs to be put into bicycle awareness and appropriate bicycle facilities until we can use an image of a seven year old traveling on any given road in Cleveland, without evoking feelings of fear for the child's safety.  If you still have fear for that child, then Cleveland is not doing it's job of protecting cyclists.

Same old, same old.

Now that we have totally gotten out of this recession *sarcasm* people are once again spending in droves. It seems consumer mindset is in full swing. I say this is a bad thing. We cannot go back to buying things we don't need and we cannot keep buying things to make us happy. We should be conserving resources! Has anyone learned anything from whats been going on? Last year there was a huge focus on being "green" which was mostly a marketing campaign, but the marketing campaign was a response to a growing environmental consciousness. Now since money is flowing once again, it seems everyone has forgotten about helping the environment. Our priorities are screwed up.

The future

I spend a lot of time thinking about how I am perceived. Being an American probably means I am using more energy, eating more food, and buying more stuff than my European counterpart. It's not exactly my fault, I am trying to cut back. Admitting you have a problem is the first part of therapy. As a country we need to step back and examine our priorities. Americans need to buy less and stop referring to themselves as consumers. Buying less plastic junk will also mean that people will have to rethink their work: does my job have a place in a sustainable future economy? I believe we are going to move back to agriculture eventually, organic agriculture to be precise. I also believe people are going to be driving a lot less than they are now. This concept should be embraced. People should relocate close to their workplaces, library, grocery store. The new model will be central cities as well as small villages surrounded by farmland. The new cities will be walkable as well as cycling friendly.

About being seen on a bicycle.

My mom keeps nagging me about putting more lights on my bicycle so I finally put down for another xenon strobe light and LED light strips on my bicycle. It was my aunts complaining that drove my mom to tell me to put more lights on my bicycle. I am partly pissed off because I feel as if my aunt doesn't believe in the cycling cause. She believes it is too dangerous to ride on the road and therefore they do not belong there. I believe that the continued habit of driving everywhere is dangerous for our society, but that's a different topic. I will put the extra lights on my bicycle begrudgingly, but they are necessary to keep me from getting killed. Cars suck.

Living in a unit, instead of a house.

I am always looking at ways to become more efficient and from my last post I talked about choosing a place to live. This post is about what type of living I hope to accomplish. My whole life I have spent living in single family homes (except for a duplex) and am now investigating whether it would be worth my while to live in a unit rather than a house. The main reason is efficiency. I don't really do anything with a lawn, so it doesn't make sense to have one. I especially don't need a driveway or garage, because I don't own a car. I like the idea of having shared walls to reduce heating and cooling costs and would like a building that isn't too high up to access my room with a flight of stairs (not a fan of elevators). The building must have secure bicycle parking in their garage and should be close to a grocery store, my workplace and a library. I am a big fan of ownership and have no interest in renting. I am looking for a permanent place. I would like to have a flexible association willing to investigate conservation measures such as adding extra insulation, having solar hot water panels on the roof, as well as allowing rooftop gardening. This is my American dream.

progress is slow.....

With global warming becoming a reality I have been thinking of moving to another country that is more supportive of cycling and transit. The answer of course would be somewhere in Europe. Here's where it gets a little sloppy though: even though places such as Germany and the Netherlands are very cycling friendly, they are also nearly 5000km away from Cleveland. Jet travel will inevitably get more expensive and I may not have the opportunity to visit my family if I live over there. Over the past few days I have been obsessing over this. Questions always pop up in my head about where I would like to be five years from now.
I guess my consensus now is that I am probably going to stay around the midwest area. I like my family and the community here. I might not stay in Ohio. They are way too conservative here and ODOT is not my friend. Maybe I will move some place that has more of a "village" feel. Here are my criteria for finding a city in which I would like to live: it must have groceries, library and work within 10mi of my home. It must have public transportation. It should have some type of cycling culture (at least 5% modal share is probably the highest number one could hope to reach over here) and it should have some type of nightlife scene and outdoor activities. The place should also have a low crime rate. Maybe college towns will fit the bill. My job is pretty portable, I can work anywhere there is a hospital, which is everywhere.
I am always looking for a transformation in how our nation is responding to the rising need of cycling, walking and transit and progress is always slow and depressing. It seems everyone in America is still fixated on driving everywhere because that is all they know. Every now and then there is a ray of hope. I like reading planetizen because it shares my point of view, but there is little interest in my views in the regular news.

No more paper!!!!!!!

About a month ago I got a Tablet PC with the notion of using it for my online classes. So far its been great to read off of and write notes. All my class notes are in PDF so I use PDF annotator to add comments to it, just as I would a regular sheet of paper. By the end of this class it will save me time (not having to print everything out) and money (not having to buy ink) and I feel really good about not having to use any more paper. I also feel more organized with this system because all the PDFs are already named for me and I dont have to punch and bind all those papers. Why aren't more people doing this? Maybe all the teachers should provide students with the option of using electronic documents for handouts and assinments. Unorganized paper spreads across my desk like the plague!

What I'm doing with my life.

I have been exercising more recently. I am still riding my bicycle and walking my dog, but I have also started to take yoga and pilates classes at a nearby gym. What really makes this such a great deal is that my dad and mom are both doing it, so I am motivated to go as well. As far as food goes I haven't been eating very healthy food. Most of my meals are meat and potatoes with a side of ice cream. Cholesterol city. I tried to become a vegeterian about a year ago because of the health benefits and for the environmental benefits but fell of the wagon because my parents werent into it, and they usually cook dinner. Oh well.

Anybody's Workout Plan

I am going to start doing some strength training exercises for my abs and lower back every morning. Most of what I have learned about exercising has come from my high school weight training gym class such as how to do proper crunches, push ups and so fourth. Starting up an exercise regimen can be very confusing and is foreign to many people. Many people will read countless books or buy expensive equipment to try and figure out what it is they are supposed to do. I have found the best way to get back into exercising is to take some classes at a gym, rec center or YMCA. Making time for strength training classes is the hardest part because of the travel time to and from a gym, but once you learn the routines they are easily duplicated at home. Once familiar with the workout routines, you can pick and choose areas to work on and make your own chart. Expensive, bulky machines are usually not necessary as most strength exercises can be performed using dumbells and free weights and a comfortable mat. Used weight sets are easy to come by and so obtaining fitness equipment is cheap. Of course this post only focuses on strength training because if you ride your bicycle places you already have your cardio taken care of ;).

Auto Industry

Its funny to me, the fact that our the big three automakers are struggling to make ends meet. There is the Chevy Volt, another empty promise. I remember reading one of those science magazines back in the 90s promising we would have electric cars on the road by the year 1997. The automakers are choking themselves because of their stubborness to not improve fuel efficiency and affordability. Instead of offering people cheap, fuel efficient cars they tell us we should be driving light trucks. Fuel efficiency is not high tech or new, a Geo metro from the 90's could get 50mpg. Tata motors of India is now manufacturing a vehicle that costs $2000 and gets 50mpg. There is no American automobile that can compete with the Tata. But what about hybrids? Hybrids get 50mpg. The problem comes with a steep price tag of about $20k. Most people will never even break even on their investment, even at $4/gal. It is not economical to buy a $20k car when anyone can buy a $10k car that goes 32mpg. I guess what Im trying to say in this post is many people want affordable and efficient cars and the industry is not responding to that demand. If the industry dies thats their own problem, because free market means you either win, or you die. Its called natural selection.

Eye Candy

So I was checking out a Popular Science magazine a few days ago and I came across an article called "The Green Megacity".  One of the things that struck me was the absence of a bicycle in their futuretropolis, I guess they arent technological enough /sarcasm.  Something really did catch my eye however, and this was the SkyTran by Unimodal.  SkyTran is an awesome concept with one major problem: no working prototype.   SkyTran is a PRT or "Personal Rapid Transit".  Basically PRT is a low capacity vehicle on elevated guiderails that is computer controlled.  I hope within my lifetime I can see PRT systems come into reality.  PRT systems are efficient because they are powered by electricity and they save space because they are elevated and do not need parking spaces.  It is these advantages which make PRT suitable for dense urban areas.  Since tracks are elevated there will be no conflicts with pedestrians and cyclists making cities safer and more welcoming.  The full benefit of a PRT system will be realized in a car-free metropolis, freeing up street space for the people and not the vehicle.  This is the future I want to see.  Skytran isnt the only PRT system, it just looks the coolest.  Check out the other ones in the Wikipedia entry!
Here are some links for you to enjoy:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_rapid_transit
  
• http://www.popsci.com/futurecity/plan.html   (pie in the sky)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njdfz75P65U

People surprise me sometimes. It surprises me that driving has dropped 3.7% over the past year because this is the first time I have ever seen a decrease. Americans are actually being serious about *gasp* not driving their cars everywhere. The majority of Americans already spend upwards of $5000/yr on car ownership and it keeps climbing. With each dollar increase people are letting go of their car-driven lifestyles and moving to a more car-lite one. Our transportation policy needs to reflect the change. We need to stop building new highways and start taking care of our old ones. We need to start putting more money into our transit agencies and Amtrak. Why are will still funding our dying airlines so earnestly when we could be building high speed rail? Why are we making it so hard for people to change? Build the new transportation infrastructure now and give them transportation choice!

Off the cuff Apple rant

It seems funny to me that Apple inc. is such a praised corporation.  Why do people clamor over an Ipod and shun a common Mp3 player?  Why do graphic designers demand an apple as industry standard?  Why is the Iphone considered so innovative when PDAs have been around for years?  To answer all these questions: its marketing.  Steve Jobs always gets it right and hits all the right notes.  Itunes was not the first online music store, but it was the first music store with the Apple brand.   It was the Apple name that won the trust of the RIAA to sell music online.  Ipod was not the first Mp3 player, but it was one of the first to feature a decent menu system.  Ipod shuffle is just pointless because an Mp3 player for a third the price has the same amount of memory and can shuffle just as well.  Macintosh computers cannot boast better PPC processors anymore, because they are now under the same x86 arcitecture as intel.  Iphone looks pretty but it really isnt all that innovative, just another touch screen PDA.  It would seem the only claim to fame of owning anything made by Apple is for the bragging rights of having something your friend cannot afford.  I will give the Apple design team credit for making all the products really shiny, because everyone is drawn to shiny things.

Intro

Most of this blog will be about alternative transportation (mostly bicycling) and other topics I feel like talking about. As of this post I have been a full time bicycle commuter for three years and I recommend it for everyone. The reason bicycling is so important to me is that it is quick and dependable. During my childhood, my bicycle was my primary means of getting to school, and now as an adult I see no reason to stop. I live in a relatively bike-able area. I love talking to other people about cycling and I’m trying to put myself out there. I ride a recumbent most days but I have a standard diamond frame for winters and crappy weather. Maybe I will post some pictures later.