1 Waste Minimization and Recycling Program- USDA Headquarters Complex Federal Environmental Symposium – East Recycling Track 17 June 2009

2 Overview Waste Diversion Rate Waste Reduction Program Recycling Program Waste Sort Outreach & Training Green Team

3 USDA HQ Complex

4

5 Complex Stats On the National Mall 2.5 Million sq. ft. 7,600 employees 3 buildings 2 cafeterias

6 E.O Goals USDA Waste Diversion Goal: 40% by December 31, 2010 Baseline: 21% recycling rate in FY 2005 Flagship Facility: The Headquarters Complex will serve as the model facility for USDA

Waste Diversion FY 08 Recyclables + Compost Recycling Rate = Total Waste Stream = = 40% FY08 Recycling Rate + Waste = % Waste Stream Diversion Rate Reduction from Baseline (1674 – 1327) = 40% = 40% + 21% = 61%

8

9

10 Waste Minimization Efforts Electronic Replacing Printed Media: Grants, Loans, Subsidies, Applications Newspaper, Magazines, Journals Forms, Timesheets, Travel Mail Reduction Campaign Reuse of Pallets Donation of Three-Ring Binders Reuse of Personal Property

11 Waste Minimization Efforts

12 Pallets are reused and… …so are these biobased soap barrels. They will be made into rain barrels.

Unwanted Mail Box Reduce Unwanted Mail Campaign Office of Operation Place unwanted mail in container for deletion from Mailing Lists.

14 Centralized Excess Property Operations—Beltsville, MD Picks up, reassigns, auctions, and ships for recycling or refurbishment: - Furniture - Computers - Other Electronics - Equipment Works w/ non-USDA agencies, too

15 Recycling Program PPPPaper CCCCans (aluminum & steel) BBBBottles (plastic & glass) CCCCardboard UUUUsed Cartridges (inkjet and laser) CCCCompostables SSSScrap Metal PPPPersonal electronics BBBBatteries FFFFluorescent Tubes

16

17

18 Paper Recycling-- Deskside Container

19 Paper Recycling—Centralized Container

20 Cans & Bottles Containers

21 Compostables: The food trays are compostable along with the food scraps

22 Compostables Hauler

23

24 Cardboard Baler

25 New Containers

26 Cafeteria Bi-Metal Cans

28 Used Printer Cartridge Recycling

29 Scrap Metal Recycling

30 Used Fluorescent Tube Recycling

31 USDA HQ Recycling Tonnage—FY08

32 52 Fewer Trash Removals per Year

33 HQ Waste Sort, February 2009

34 Waste Sort Findings 800 Lbs sorted Still 25% is recyclable (200 lbs): - 8% mixed paper - 6% high grade paper - 6% plastic & glass bottles - 4% newspaper - 1% aluminum cans 2% is liquid in plastic bottles Caps on bottles—we’re hauling air!

35 Training

36 Training, cont’d

37 Outreach—America Recycles Day ‘07

38 …and ‘08

39 Awareness— s

40 Awareness - Website

41 Green Team

42 Green Team, cont’d

43 Goals For FY 2009 Training for Janitorial Staff Supporting the Greening of the Mail Center Increasing revenue from recyclables Trash Sort in 2009 Obtaining additional recycle containers Improve Signage for recycle containers Outreach Effort in November (America Recycle Day) Recognizing outstanding efforts in Waste Minimization Efforts & Recycling. Incorporating Headquarters Plan into the new Headquarters EMS Program.

44 Contact Info Ed Murtagh – Mark Sajbel –