Stephanie Barger, Executive Director Earth Resource Foundation

Solid Waste = 4.4 lbs/person/day Recycled = -1.3 lbs/person/day Net Waste = 3.1 lbs/person/day = 1,132 lbs/person/yr “Throwaway Society” Photo Credit: Peter Stackpole, Aug 1, 1955 (Getty Images) 2 USEPA 2001

(APC, 2004) And recovering VERY little!!! We are generating a LOT of plastic!!!

 Algalita Marine Research Foundation found some areas of the Pacific Ocean to have 6 times as much plastic debris as zooplankton Plastic vs. Plankton

Over 1,000,000 seabirds and marine mammals die each year from plastic ingestion or entanglement John Cancalosi/Still Pictures

Global Markets Global Growth Global Regulations Peak Oil Concerned Consumers China European Union Water and Air pollution

Wasteberg Municipal Waste tip of the “wasteberg” Upstream manufacturing waste is 70 times greater Source; Kevin Drew, San Francisco

How much is polystyrene costing the state?

Reduce Reuse Recycle = Zero Waste GOING BEYOND RECYCLING

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. *

Zero Waste & Global Warming  Recycling & composting all remaining discards in CA = eliminating all auto exhaust in CA  ZW should be part of Local, State and Business Sustainability Plans Wasteberg  Landfills are one of the largest sources of Greenhouse Gases (GHG)  Methane is 21 x more potent than CO 2 71 Tons Upstream per Ton MSW

Provide Incentives Before Ban or Mandate Eliminate Waste by Designing Out of Products and Processes Foster Sustainable and Green Businesses Retailers Take Back Difficult to Recycle Materials Resource Recovery Park Producer Responsibility Expand City Outreach & Technical Assistance and Lead by Example Jobs from Design & Discards © Copyright Eco-Cycle, 2004 with text modifications by permission. Empowered Consumer The Zero Waste Economy Designing a Full-Cycle system – Upstream and Downstream

Is Zero Waste Attainable ?  Nature Is The Model  Zero Waste, Or Darn Close  Businesses Have Achieved Over 90% Waste Reduction Picture: Methane Earth; Credit: GISS, NASAGISSNASA

Pillars of Zero Waste Upstream Downstream Green Businesses and Jobs

3 key solution concepts Precautionary Principle Sustainability Producer Responsibility

Who Cares? They Do!! Earth Resource High School clubs

Pre - Zero Waste Laws Citywide Polystyrene Bans  Bay Area  Calabasas  Santa Monica  Malibu  Laguna Beach  Newport Harbor High School (Newport/Mesa School district)  Saddleback Valley School District  Pacific Grove Soon to be  Newport Beach  Burbank  UCI  Huntington Beach  Monterey County  San Diego and many more Polystyrene Bans – City and Special Events  Aliso Viejo  Huntington Beach  Newport Beach  Ventura  San Juan Capistrano  Many More Plastic Bag Bans (proposed also)  San Francisco  Oakland (pending)  Marin County  Burbank  Malibu  Santa Monica  County of Los Angeles ????

Leaders in Fees and Bans IKEA  5 cent charge on bags  Large display showing how much oil was saved  Large display showing how YOU have saved the environment  Clerk does not touch bags – customer has to intentionally purchase Whole Foods  Worked with plastic industry for recycling bags – unsuccessful  Understood the environmental impact  Completely banned plastic bags  Paper bags made from 100% recycled paper (close the loop)  Priority is reusables Ireland  Motivation for fee was because of concerns about tourism and pollution emerald hills  15 cent charge on bags  HUGE outreach and educational campaign to stores and consumers  Law designed with sufficient funding structure  Continual evaluation of the program – raise the price again

Purchasing for Zero Waste  Precautionary Principle  Return to Vendor  Lease, Rent and Share Equipment  Reduce Packaging  Reusable Shipping Containers  Buy Recyclable, Recycled and Compostable Items  Buy Remanufactured Equipment  Purchase Durables  Buy Less Toxic Products Source: Alicia Culver, Green Purchasing Institute

Downstream  Ensure the highest and best use of products and packaging at the end of their useful lives  Reuse products and packaging, retaining their original form and function  Recycle or compost materials that are not reduced or reused

SO WHO’s DOING ZERO WASTE? And WHY?

Zero Waste Businesses are Leading the Way ( >90% Waste Diversion)  Anheuser-Busch, Fairfield, CA  Apple Computer, Elk Grove, CA  Del Mar Fairgrounds  Fetzer Vineyards  Frankie’s Bohemian Café, SF  Greens Restaurant, SF  Hewlett-Packard, Roseville, CA  Mad River Brewery  New Belgium Brewery, Fort Collins, CO  NUMMI, Fremont, CA  Pillsbury  Playa Vista, LA, CA  Ricoh Electronics, Inc  San Diego Wild Animal Park  Scoma’s Restaurant, SF  Vons-Safeway  Xerox Corp  Yost Printer, Monrovia, CA Presented at the Zero in on Zero Business Conference Source:

Ricoh Electronics, Inc. Zero-Waste-to-Landfill – Achieved Feb ‘01 100% Resource Recovery Tons

Leadership  Was & Is Essential  Began at highest level  President practices daily to honor his employees

Identify Waste Waste Profiling Recipe for Success 7: Use of 5R Concept

Ricoh’s “Recipe for Success” = Total Participation Objectives Leadership Benchmarking Organization Project plan Training & Promotion Use of 5R Concept Verification Continuous Improvement

Plus-Plus Program  + = impressive improvement  ++ = opportunities for improvement  Fun + education = efficiency  No waste cans today

Promotion Everywhere  Every employee must participate  Everyone informed and educated  Everyone does their part  No one left behind

Partnership With Suppliers Green Procurement RETURNREUSERECYCLEREFUSEREDUCE Recipe for Success 7: Use of 5R Concept Reduce total cost within Supply Chain REDESIGNRESPECT

5R – Reduce Activity Supported by our Suppliers & Customers REDUCE Reduce Unnecessary Packaging Material  Packaging cost  Packaging time  Freight cost Reduction of:  Labor time for switching cans and cleaning leftover chemicals  Water usage  Packaging material cost Reduction of: 6 individual cases were put into a master carton… Chemical came in many small cans… …now in drums= …no more master carton = Packaging Optimization- Joint Effort

5R – Recycle Activity Supported by Our Supplier Before Styrofoam glued to the corrugated liner After No glue used, but snaps on type Results 1.No glue to buy and store 2.No drying time 1.Much easier to separate Styrofoam from liner 2.No more use of a knife to cut the glued joint RECYCLE Optimized Packaging Style & Recycle waste

Plus-Plus Program  Education practiced internally and externally  Ricoh requires vendors to have zero waste  Ricoh works with communities world wide to achieve its goal of sustainability “The best thing is not what we planted in the ground, but what we planted in the children’s minds.” – Ricoh’s President

Kean Coffee (founder of Dietrichs)  Coffee grounds given to customers for plants  Bioplastic or paper cups made from recycled paper  Reusables in the coffee house  Burlap bags given out for reuse  Partnered with grocery store for recycling milk jugs  ALL coffee is fairtrade and organic  Owner takes full responsibility for Zero Waste implementation  Community Supporter  Recycling Bins

Recycling for Re-Use and Donation Hilton San Francisco

 Food  Prepared and Packaged  Bread and Pastries  Mini-Bar Snacks  Banquet Overages  a pallet or a carton What can be recycled or donated?

 Conference Give-Aways  Mugs  Tee-shirts  Tote Bags  Conference Display  Foamcore  Decor  Sets and Scrim

What can be recycled or donated?  Hotel Supplies and Equipment  Renovation and Remodeling  all furnishings, accessories and carpeting  De-construction, building & plumbing supplies  Outdated amenities, china & glassware  Linen and Mattresses  Uniforms  Office supplies

What can be recycled or donated?  There isn’t much that cannot be recycled.  Solid waste management groups can help find homes.  Building Resources, S.C.R.A.P., Theatre Exchange and Schools

Healthy Farm & Production Practices These are other practices of ours, though they are not necessarily required by organic regulations we have always operated this way Pasture-based Feeding Balanced Diet Milking 3x A Day (vs. 2x) Pasteurized, Not Raw Not Homogenized Kosher Returnable Glass & Recyclable Plastic The Straus Difference

Next Steps  Adopt Zero Waste as a Goal and Plan for it  Educate Community on Zero Waste  Identify local Zero Waste Businesses as models  Attend the 4 th Annual “Zero in on Zero Waste” Business Conference June 2010  Become a Zero Waste Leader at your work, play and live!!

If you’re not for Zero Waste, how much waste are you for?

Stephanie Barger, Executive Director Earth Resource Foundation