Building Zero Waste Communities

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Building Zero Waste Communities

• Tools to take home

Rob Howe Sustainnovation Consulting October 20,
2009 National Zero Waste Recycling Conference
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Principles of Sustainability

• What we take from the earth
• Minerals, metals, natural resources
• Fossil fuels
• What we make from the earth
• Pesticides, plastics, chemicals
• What we do to the earth
• Alter eco systems and reduce living species
• Meeting fundamental needs
• Food, shelter, clothing - basic human needs

The Natural Step
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Life Cycle Analysis

• Hidden History case study
• 1 ton of finished product comes from 71 tons of
  energy and materials to produce
• The Myth of Away

Source Gary Liss Associates, Natural
Capitalism, Lean Thinking, Womack and Jones,
google images
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Islands of Plastic
Sources Across the Pacific Ocean, Plastics,
Plastics, Everywhere, CHARLES MOORE / Natural
History v.112, n.9, Nov03. Kathy Marks and Daniel
Howden, The Independent, Tuesday, 5 February
2008. Google images, www.current.com/items/862903
91_more_on_the_great_pacific_garbage_patch
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Definition of Zero Waste

• Zero Waste is a goal that is both pragmatic and
  visionary, to guide people to emulate sustainable
  natural cycles, where all discarded materials are
  resources for others to use.
• Zero Waste means designing and managing products
  and processes to reduce the volume and toxicity
  of waste and materials, conserve and recover all
  resources, and not burn or bury them.
• Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all
  discharges to land, water or air that may be a
  threat to planetary,
• human, animal or plant health.

Source www.zwia.org/standards.html
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What does Zero Waste mean?

•   "If it cant be reduced, reused, repaired,
  rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold,
  recycled, or composted, then it should be
  restricted, redesigned, or removed from
  production.   The goal is to combine aggressive
  resource recovery and industrial redesign to
  eliminate the very concept of waste.  
  Eventually, the communitys resource-use system
  will emulate natural cyclical processes, where no
  waste exists."

Source Martin Bourque, Berkeley, CA Ecology
Action at the GRRN Zero Waste Conference in NYC
in 2005
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Urban Environmental AccordsUnited Nations
Environment Program

• Establish a policy to achieve zero waste to
  landfills and incinerators by 2040.
• Adopt a citywide law that reduces the use of a
  disposable, toxic, or non-renewable product
  category by at least fifty percent in seven
  years.
• Implement "user-friendly" recycling and
  composting programs, with the goal of reducing by
  twenty percent per capita solid waste disposal to
  landfill and incineration in seven years.

Source http//www.livabilityproject.org/files/Acc
ords.pdf
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Product Stewardshipthrough Extended Producer
Responsibility (EPR)

• Voluntary product design changes
• Design for Environment
• Biomimicry
• Industrial Ecology
• GOAL
• ZERO WASTE

• In response to legislation
• Home Appliance Recycling Law (Japan)
• Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
  Directive (Europe)
• Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
  Directive (Europe)
• End of Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive (Europe)

Source Product change resulting from EPR,
Pledger, L., 3-10-09
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Current Waste Reduction Programs

• Recycle on the Go
• Electronics Take Back
• Beverage Take Back
• Clean Car Campaign
• Mercury Policy Project
• Clean Production Action
• COOL 2012 Campaign

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City of Austin, TX

• Achieve UN Urban Environmental Accords Goals
• Reduce per capita solid waste disposal to
  landfills by 20 by 2012
• Zero Waste by 2040 waste reduction of 90 sent
  to landfills
• Lead by example
• Commercial and Multi-family Recycling regulations
• Conduct extensive outreach
• Focus on Composting
• http//www.cityofaustin.org/sws/video/GreenDistric
  t400.swf

Source http//www.ci.austin.tx.us/sws/0waste.htm
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Zero Waste Communities

• Austin, TX
• Alaminos City, Philippines
• Canberra, Australia
• New Zealand with over 66 of NZ Cities
• Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Seattle, WA
• Boulder, CO
• Central Vermont Waste Mgt. District
• San Luis Obispo, CA
• Fresno, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Del Norte County CA
• Oakland, CA
• Santa Cruz County, CA
• Berkeley, CA
• Palo Alto, CA
• Marin County
• Los Angeles, CA
• Chicago, IL

Source www.zwia.org
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EPA Record-setting Recycling Programs

• Compost Yard trimmings
• Target a wide range of materials
• Require resident participation
• Institute economic incentives
• Design programs for convenience

Source http//www.ilsr.org/recycling/recordsetter
s/keycharactrrs.html
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Setting up a Recycling Program

• Step 1 Identify funding at community or state
  level
• Step 2 Select a Recycling Coordinator
• Step 3 Determine the Waste Stream
• Step 4 Practice Waste Prevention
• Step 5 Include Concessionaires, Staff,
  Volunteers
• Step 6 Select a contractor/hauler
• Step 7 Establish a collection program
• Step 8 Facilitate Outreach and Education
• Step 9 Monitor and Evaluate the program

Source http//www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/r
ogo/program/index.htm
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References to help you make Zero Waste a
reality Who What Web link Zero Waste
International Alliance Zero Waste
Resources http//www.zwia.org GRRN Zero Waste
Resources http//www.grrn.org GAIA Zero Waste
for Zero Warming http//www.gaia.org ZERI Zero
Emissions Research Initiatives http//www.zeri.org
Eco-cycle Zero Waste Resources http//www.ecoc
ycle.org Earth Resource Foundation Zero Waste
Business Conferences http//earthresource.org ILSR
Stop Trashing the Climate Report http//www.ils
r.org Zero Waste Communities List of ZW
Communities http//www.zwia.org/zwc.html ZW
Business Principles ZW Business
Principles http//zeroheroes.biz Zero Waste San
Diego City website http//zerowastesandiego.org
/ Zero Waste British Columbia Recycling Council
of BC http//www.rcbc.bc.ca/education/zero-waste
Zero Waste New York City NYC ZW program
http//www.consumersunion.org/other/zero-waste
/ Zero Waste Businesses ZW reference list
http//www.grrn.org/zerowaste/business/profi
les.php References for Climate Change and
Recycling Who What Web link U.S.
EPA Climate change and environment
http//www.epa.gov/climatechange Earth 911
Environmental and recycling info
http//www.earth911.org Environmental Literacy
Council Climate and environment
info http//www.enviroliteracy.org IPCC
Climate change http//www.ipcc.ch Nat
Resources Defense Council Environmental info and
resources http//www.nrdc.org
Stopglobalwarming.org Climate change, global
warming http//www.stopglobalwarming.org UN
Environment Program Climate change and
environment http//www.unep.org World Health
Organization Climate change and environment
http//www.who.int/globalchange/en World
Resources Institute Climate change and
environment http//www.wri.org Pew Center for
Climate Change Info-conservation and environment
http//www.pewclimate.org
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Rob HoweSustainnovation Consulting, a division
of Meridian Associates978-299-0447www.sustainnov
ation.com
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Every choice we make creates the world we live
in -Phyllis Ballata