Oregon Schools Facilities Management Association April 13, 2011 Dorothy Fisher Atwood Zero Waste Alliance

Following nature's model... Working for the elimination of waste and toxics. - Portland-based non-profit established in 1999 by Larry Chalfan - SOSI – Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative - Development of standards (e.g. EPEAT, Outdoor Industry) - Management systems implementation: sustainability, environmental (ISO 14001), energy (ISO 50001) - Direct technical services, waste stream reduction/elimination (PDC Green Gain Program)

Key Lessons What is waste –Importance of upstream –Mass Matters Less consumption is “more” –More money –More environmental benefits –More for future generations Can’t do zero waste alone

What is Waste? Something we throw away…… ………what else?

What is Waste? Something we have purchased and reduced to a value of zero or less Actions taken that don’t create or add value Costly - permits, fees, disposal costs, safety risks A sign of inefficiency and lost money

Waste is…. General Wastes: 1.Solid Waste - Garbage 2.Hazardous Waste 3.Air Emissions 4.Waste of Resources - Energy, Water, Materials 5.Waste of Human Resources 6.Over consumption 7.Space Manufacturing Wastes 1. Waste from Overproduction 2. Waste of Waiting Time 3. Waste of Transportation 4. Waste in Processing 5. Waste of Inventory 6. Waste of Motion 7. Waste from Product Defects -from Toyota

Zero Waste - Defined Zero Waste is a whole- system approach to redesigning the flow of resources through society. - Warren Snow, Zero Waste New Zealand

Material Flow Today

Material Flows Tomorrow

What and where are the impacts of waste? Courtesy of David Allaway, DEQ (503)

Materials & “Upstream” (Production) Use “Downstream” (end of life management) Life Cycle Stages

Upstream Impacts Extraction and harvesting of raw materials –Energy use –Habitat impacts –Pollution and wastes Product/packaging manufacturing –Energy use –Consumptive water use –Pollution and wastes Transportation of raw materials, products –Energy use –Pollution

Downstream Impacts Energy and pollution associated with collection and transportation of waste and recyclables Leachate from landfills Methane and other air emissions from landfills Emissions from incineration Liner failure Land, air, and water quality impacts of burning, stockpiling, and illegal dumping of garbage (not well quantified)

Which are greater - upstream or downstream impacts?

Tellus Institute Packaging Study (1992) Prepared for the Council of State Governments, U.S. EPA, and State of New Jersey. Relied solely on public sources of information. Evaluated and “monetized” human health impacts of emissions not captured by pollution control devices.

Tellus Study Results

Tellus Study Results (continued) Note: These costs are per-ton, not per- package!

California/LBL Greenhouse Gas/Product Life Cycles (2004)

What does all this mean? The first R, Reducing, ie – preventing waste by reducing consumption has the largest benefit by many times.

Solid Waste Policy in Oregon Waste management hierarchy: –Reduce (prevent waste), then –Reuse, then –Recycle, then –Compost, then –Recover energy, then –Landfill

Comparison: Prevention and Recycling Recycling reduces upstream impacts. Prevention (reducing so not consuming) eliminates upstream impacts.

A Common Question: To Box, or To Bag?

Bags and Boxes Boxes have recyclability and recycled-content advantages over most types of bags. But bags have waste prevention advantages over boxes (for non-breakable items), due to lower weight (less mass). Different types of bags and void fills for boxes exist – can we state with any certainty that one general approach is better than the other, from a cross- media perspective? Do different options shift pollution from solid waste to a different medium?

Common Business Perceptions The choice of void fill is the most important environmental choice. Plastic is “made from oil” and is therefore “bad”. By extension, products not made from oil aren’t “bad” (or as bad). Downstream (disposal) impacts are more important, than upstream (manufacturing) impacts. –Wastes that biodegrade are inherently “good”. –Recyclability is important.

DEQ Packaging Study: Materials Evaluated *Different levels of post-consumer content also evaluated. ONP = Old newspaper

Results: Petroleum

Results: Natural Gas

Results: Coal

Results: Solid Waste

Results: Atmospheric Particulate

Results: Atmospheric NOx

Results: Atmospheric Fossil Derived Carbon Dioxide* *Landfill, waste incineration, and forestry-related emissions not included.

Results: Atmospheric Mercury

Results: Biological Oxygen Demand

Results: Waterborne Suspended Solids

Mass Matters Weight of materials used is a critical factor: –All bags evaluated have lower burdens than boxes (in most categories) because of their much lower weight. –This confirms the relative ranking of waste prevention and recycling in the waste management hierarchy. Recyclability and recycled content are not always the best predictor of life cycle energy use or emissions: –BUT, once you’ve chosen a packaging material, increasing post-consumer content and recycling opportunities can have benefits.

Please don’t interpret the study as being “anti- paper”... don’t interpret the study as being “anti- box”... don’t interpret the study as being “anti recycling” or “anti-recycled content”

What’s the “Zero Waste” Option?

Comparison: Reuse and Recycling Reuse = using a product in its original form, without the repulping, melting, grinding, or other mechanical or chemical reformulation associated with recycling. Benefits of reuse are typically greater than the benefits of recycling. For example:  Reusing a personal computer saves times more energy than recycling it.  Reusing a corrugated box saves times more energy than recycling it, and may save the business times more money.

Net Energy Savings from Recycling Aluminum Cans: 207 MM BTU/ton Carpet: 106 MM BTU/ton HDPE/LDPE: 51 – 56 MM BTU/ton PET: 53 MM BTU/ton Personal computers: 44 MM BTU/ton Steel cans: 20 MM BTU/ton Source: US EPA

Net Energy Savings from Recycling (continued) Newsprint: 17 MM BTU/ton Corrugated: 16 MM BTU/ton Phone books: 12 MM BTU/ton Office paper: 10 MM BTU/ton Glass: 2.7 MM BTU/ton Magazines/third class mail: 1.1 MM BTU/ton Aggregate: 0.6 MM BTU/ton Source: US EPA

How Much Energy Does Oregon Save by Recycling? Recycling in Oregon in 2007 saved ~30 trillion BTUs of energy ~2.7% of total statewide use Equivalent of ~241 million gallons of gasoline Recovery in Oregon in 2007 reduced greenhouse gas emissions by ~3.6 million tons of CO2e ~5.1% of total statewide emissions Equivalent of 770,000 “average” passenger cars

What is Zero Waste? Goals: - Closed Loops or “Cradle to Cradle” - Goal: 100% resource efficiency, no released toxics Drives Design - Design for the Environment - Design for End-of-Life Management The concept acknowledges that our “Take-Make- Waste” society is compromising nature’s ability to provide for us and future generations

Today’s Industrial System Nature’s Cycles Industrial System

Zero Waste’s System View Nature’s Cycles: Cyclical, No Waste! Goal: Society’s Cycles: Closed- Loop BiodegradableNon-biodegradable

Zero Waste Leader Epson Portland Inc.  Zero Waste to Landfill as of March % diversion, 4.5M lbs in % to energy recovery for electricity generation  Since its baseline year of 1997 Reduced total waste by 37%, Reduced VOC emissions by 96%, Reduced hazardous waste by 24%  Saved $308,000 in 2000 via Zero Waste to landfill through recycling.

Zero Waste supports the triple bottom line Economic Sustainability Waste reduction improves efficiency and lowers costs Costs of compliance with regulations is reduced Environmental Sustainability Reduces demand for resources and energy from nature Reduces wastes to nature Social Sustainability More resources and energy become available for others Closing the loop (cradle-to-cradle) generates new jobs

Sustainability and Zero Waste Sustainability is a vision Considers future generations Doesn’t tell us what to do A Zero Waste Strategy Visionary, stretch endpoint (not a short-term goal) Looks at all processes, products, activities and services Utilizes tools of industrial ecology, LCA, DfE, EMS, etc.

Approaches and Support Tools  Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA)  Design for the Environment (DfE)  Green Chemistry  Environmental Management Systems (EMS)  Product Stewardship/Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)  Supply Chain Management  Full Cost Accounting (FCA)  Pollution Prevention (P2)  Resource Flow Mapping  Waste Exchanges and Eco-Industrial Parks

Steps to Zero Waste 1.Understand Current Conditions –Map resource flows –Do a waste audit 2.Create a Zero Waste Vision of your organization –Set goal with target date and interim milestones –Select metrics 3.Identify Potential Zero Waste Opportunities 4.Prioritize and select 5.Implement, monitor, measure, check back

Resource Flow Mapping Air Materials Human Product By-products Administrative Activities Production Activities Zero Toxics Use WaterSoil Solid Energy Hazardous Resources Emissions Lifetime Emissions Waste Apply the model to each department and operation

Example: Operations Map Vehicle Maintenance Yard Resources Products Recyclables Waste Combustion gasses Used parts (some) Used spill clean up materials Trash Haz. Waste New vehicles Vehicle fuel (B20 and gasoline) Lubricants Service parts Misc. shop supplies Tools and equip. Office supplies Water Electricity Nat. gas Used vehicles Scrapped vehicles Used parts (rebuild) Used oils Scrap metal Cardboard, paper Transportation services, mobility Vehicles maintained  Management & Procurement  Facilities Management  Fuel Islands  Emergency Service  Heavy Equipment  Light Vehicles  Fabrication  Parts  Mark Ready  Acquisition  Remote Fueling Functions

Current Conditions - Waste Audit/Sort Why do it? baseline information progress measurement – program refinement actual information vs. speculation tangible, graphic, and persuasive (in the front hall)

Creating a Zero Waste Vision Imagine ~ no technological barriers no economic barriers no infrastructure barriers collaboration between all parts of society Imagine closing all the loops

BHAGS: Big Hairy Audacious Goals Sustainability Endpoints Matter: zero-waste, closed-loop systems Energy: from renewable sources, not ancient sunlight Non-toxic chemicals and materials No net carbon releases Zero Emissions Zero harm to the ecosphere - habitat, atmosphere, water

Bold Vision  What do we intend to look like in years?  Will we earn the respect of future generations for our social, ecological and economic legacy?

Collaborative Partnerships Proactively address complex environmental and community issues. Share best practices; leverage information Create a community of participants Build common purpose - Goals Share resources –By products become feed-stock –Waste heat is used as a benefit Collaborate on transportation logistics

Principle: Garbage in… Something of value out. Anne Anderson, illustrator. Anne Anderson's Old, Old Fairy Tales. Racine, Wisconsin: Whitman Publishing Company, Like Rumplestiltskin, spinning straw into gold!

Materials Exchanges “One business’ trash may be another business’ treasure.” Example: Sattex obtains 100 fiber drums a month from exchange services, saving $16,000/year Statewide promotion of exchange services: (NOT IMEX

DEQ Waste Prevention Strategy: Guiding Principles Prevent waste to achieve the greatest environmental benefits. Determine benefits by examining the full life cycle, not just the waste stage. Responsibility should be shared between consumers and producers. Collaboration with partners is essential to successful execution of the Strategy.

Key Lessons Learned What is waste –Importance of upstream –Mass Matters Less is more –More green house gas reductions –More environmental benefits –More money Can’t do zero waste alone

Parting thought... “We do so much to prepare our children for the future, but are we doing enough to prepare the future for our children?” Larry Chalfan, ZWA Founder

Contact: Dorothy Fisher Atwood Management Systems Specialist Zero Waste Alliance Associate

Sources for Information: Zero Waste Alliance NW Pollution Prevention Resource Center National Recycling Coalition: Association of Oregon Recyclers The Composting Council of Canada The Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries The Steel Recycling Institute Tetra Pak The Plastics Foodservice Packaging Group

Federal, State, and Local Government Environmental Protection Agency Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Metro Recycling Information metro-region.orgmetro-region.org Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability King County Solid Waste Division dnr.metrokc.gov/swd/nwpcdnr.metrokc.gov/swd/nwpc California Integrated Waste Management Board Alameda County Waste Management Authority

DEQ Waste Prevention Resources Grants Packaging waste prevention: g/lifecyclereport.htm Business resource efficiency “success stories”: cess/index.htm cess/index.htm