Stop Trashing the ClimateStop Trashing the Climate

Brenda PlattBrenda Platt

Institute for Local Self-RelianceInstitute for Local Self-Reliance

BioCycle West, San DiegoBioCycle West, San Diego

April 15th, 2008April 15th, 2008

Stop Trashing the ClimateStop Trashing the ClimateBrenda PlattBrenda Platt

Institute for Local Self-RelianceInstitute for Local Self-Reliance

presented at thepresented at the 16th Annual Maine Recycling & Solid Waste Conference16th Annual Maine Recycling & Solid Waste Conference

Bar Harbor, Maine, May 5, 2009Bar Harbor, Maine, May 5, 2009

U.S. huge contributor

! 4.6% of global population

! Consume one-third of Earth!s timber and paper

! Generate 22% of global CO2 emissions

! Produce 30% of world!s waste

Wasting Trend in U.S.Wasting Trend in U.S.

LandfillLandfill greenhouse gas emissions,greenhouse gas emissions,

% of total% of total

Total 2005 = 7,260 megatons CO2 equiv.

The global warming potential conceptThe global warming potential concept

CO2

Methane - 100 year time horizon, 21 times more potent than CO2

Methane - 20 yrs,72 times morepotent

Climate ChangeClimate Change Tipping PointTipping Point

! Global emissions must peak and decline over thenext 10 to 15 years in order to limit global warming to2oC above pre-industrial limits.

! Uncontrolled climate change will lead to widespreaddevastation, economically and environmentally.

! A short window of opportunity exists to radicallyreduce GHGs and stabilize atmospheric CO2

concentrations before our climate reaches a “tippingpoint.”

LandfillLandfill greenhouse gas emissions,greenhouse gas emissions,

% of total, 20 yr time horizon% of total, 20 yr time horizon

Total 2005 = 8,754 megatons CO2 equiv.

Disposal sector emissions,Disposal sector emissions, 8.1% of8.1% of

total, 20 yr horizontotal, 20 yr horizon

The Wasteberg

For every ton ofmunicipal trash, 71tons of waste areproduced duringmanufacturing, mining,oil and gas

exploration,agriculture, and coalcombustion.

Upstream = 71 x MSW Waste

Sectors impacted by wasting, % of

total, 20 yr horizon

Impact of Waste Reduction

X XX XX

X

Landfill Gas Capture Systems Band-Landfill Gas Capture Systems Band-

Aid Approach at BestAid Approach at Best

! Rules do not require gas collection for the first 5years.

! Rules allow removal of gas collection systems 20years after landfill closes.

! All landfill barriers will ultimately fail during post-closure period, after which precipitation will re-enterthe landfill and in time cause second wave ofdecomposition without any controls.

! Gas generated inside landfills escapes all day,everyday from every landfill in America.

! Over lifetime of landfill, gas capture could be as lowas 20%.

Waste incinerators are NOT good forWaste incinerators are NOT good for

the climatethe climate

Zero Waste PathZero Waste Path

Aiming for zero waste is key GHGAiming for zero waste is key GHG

abatement strategyabatement strategy

AbatementAbatement MegatonsMegatons % of% of AbatementAbatement

StrategyStrategy COCO22 eqeq.. Needed in 2030 toNeeded in 2030 to

Return to 1990Return to 1990

Reducing wasteReducing waste

via prevention, reuse,via prevention, reuse,

recycling, compostingrecycling, composting 406406 11.6%11.6%

LightingLighting 240240 6.9%6.9%

Vehicle EfficiencyVehicle Efficiency 195195 5.6%5.6%

Lower Carbon FuelsLower Carbon Fuels 100100 2.9%2.9%

Forest ManagementForest Management 110110 3.1%3.1%

Carbon Capture & StorageCarbon Capture & Storage 9595 2.7%2.7%

WindWind 120120 3.4%3.4%

NuclearNuclear 7070 2.0%2.0%

Source: ILSR, GAIA, and Eco-Cycle, Stop Trashing the Climate (2008), and McKinsey &

Company, Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much and at What Cost? (2007)

Zero waste path:Zero waste path: less coal plantsless coal plants

By significantly

reducing waste

disposal, the U.S. can

take the equivalent of

21% of its coal-fired

power plants off the

grid by 2030.X

A Call to Action!

! Implement zero waste targets and plans.

! Stop disposing organic materials – COMPOST!

! Pursue recycling-based local economicdevelopment.

! Make manufacturers responsible for their products.

! Regulate single-use plastics.

! Reduce junk mail.

! Buy recycled.

! Institute pay-as-you-throw trash fees.

Organics Diversion: Core ClimateOrganics Diversion: Core Climate

Protection StrategyProtection Strategy

! Prevents landfill methane emissions

! Stores carbon

! Improves soil!s ability to storecarbon

! Substitutes for energy-intensivefertilizers, pesticides, fungicides

! Improves plant growth, and thuscarbon sequestration

! Reduces energy use for irrigation

! Anaerobic digestion offsets fossilfuel consumption

U.S. municipal waste disposed

Source: US EPA, 2007 data (http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/msw99.htm)

169.2 million tons in 2007169.2 million tons in 2007

Yard Trimmings Generated and

Recovered in the US, 1960-2007

Thousands

of tons

Source: US EPA, 2007 data (http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/msw99.htm)

Compost Applications

! landscape and nursery

! agricultural and horticultural

! vegetable and flower gardens

! tree and shrub planting

! sod production and roadside projects

! wetlands creation

! soil remediation and land reclamation

! sports fields and golf courses

! sediment and erosion control

Composting, lots of models

On-farm composting

Toronto

Unit-based Pricing Sends a Clear Message

Worcester, MA

Population 173,000

San Francisco, CA

Population 775,000

Unit based pricing is just a different way of paying for wasteUnit based pricing is just a different way of paying for waste

Source: Kristen Brown, Green Waste Solutions, www.thewastesolution.com

Overall Waste Generation Decrease 20+%

Source: Kristen Brown, Green Waste Solutions, www.thewastesolution.com

Communities with Zero Waste Goal

Source: Gary Liss, Zero Waste International Alliance, www.zwia.org

California, USA• Del Norte County

• San Luis Obispo County

• Santa Cruz County

• San Bernardino County

• San Francisco City and County• City of Oakland

• Berkeley

• Burbank (informally)

• Palo Alto

• California Integrated Waste Management Board

Other USA

• Boulder County, CO

• Summit County, CO

• Carrboro, NC• Seattle, WA

• Central Vermont Waste Management District

Other North America• Halifax, Nova Scotia Regional District

• Nelson, British Columbia Regional District

• Kootenay Boundary, British Columbia Regional

District

• Cowichan Valley, British Columbia• Central Kootenay, British Columbia

• Smithers, British Columbia Regional District

• Nanaimo, British Columbia

• Toronto, Ontario

• Sunshine Coast Regional District, British Columbia

Zero Waste Is an International

Movement

Source: Gary Liss, Zero Waste International Alliance, www.zwia.org

South America• Buenos Aires, Argentina

Australia

• Eurobodalla Council

• Willoughby Council• South Australia State Government

• Canberra

• The State of Western Australia

• The State of Victoria

New Zealand

Over 50% of cities adopted ZW as a goal

Europe

• Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council• Bath and NE Somerset District Council

• Wales

• Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council

AfricaSouth Africa, adopted the Polokwane Declarationon Waste Management at 1st National WasteSummit in 2001

Asia• Candon City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

• San Isidro, Sueva Edija, Philippines

• Pilar, Sorsogon, Philippines

• Linamon, Lanao del Norte, Philippines

• Sigma, Capiz, Philippines• Kamikatsu, Japan

• Kovalem, India

• Kanchrapara Municipality, West Bengal, India

Boulder Farmers’ Market

Composting & Recycling CollectionComposting & Recycling Collection

System Designed For High DiversionSystem Designed For High Diversion

Recycled Paper

21%

Glass and Plastic Bottles

Aluminum and Steel Cans

5%

Construction and

Demolition Waste

25%

Other

15%

Food Scraps

20%

Yard Trimmings

5%

Compostable Paper

10%

Courtesy of City of San Francisco

Easy to Understand Program

Courtesy of City of San Francisco

Designed for Easy Participation

Kitchen Pail

Labeled Lids

Wheeled Cart

Courtesy of City of San Francisco

Special Event Composting

Courtesy of City of San Francisco

Color-Coded Compostable

Design for 400k cups at SF Festival

Courtesy of City of San Francisco

NorcalNorcal’’s s Jepsen Prairie OrganicsJepsen Prairie Organics

Regional Composting FacilityRegional Composting Facility

Courtesy of City of San Francisco

Compost Used on Organic Farms and

Vineyards to Build Healthy Soils

Courtesy of City of San Francisco

Changing the rules in SF

! Bans polystyrene take-out containers

! Requires retail bags to be compostable plastic,

recyclable paper, or reusable

! Bans use of city funds to purchase single-serving

bottled water

! Will not give a street closure permit for events unless

composting collection is in place

! Extended producer responsibility (EPR) resolution

San Francisco EPR resolution

Calls on its Department of the Environment to:Calls on its Department of the Environment to:

““help City government lead by example by working withhelp City government lead by example by working with

the City Purchaser and Office of Contract Administrationthe City Purchaser and Office of Contract Administration

and other departments to include EPR language, suchand other departments to include EPR language, such

as leasing products rather than purchasing them andas leasing products rather than purchasing them and

specifying product and packaging collectispecifying product and packaging collection andon and

recycling requirements, in contracts for commodities...recycling requirements, in contracts for commodities...””

Why EPR?

! 72.5% of MSW is manufactured products &packaging

! When manufacturers are responsible they:

" Use environmentally safer materials

" Consume fewer materials

" Design their products to last longer

" Create better recycling systems

" Are motivated to minimize waste costs

" No longer pass the cost of disposal to the government andtaxpayer

Extended Producer Responsibility (2004)

Clean Production Action, www.cleanproductionaction.org

Challenges & Opportunities

! Leadership

! Policies

! Infrastructure

! Operator Training and Technical Assistance

! Permitting and Siting

! Education & Outreach

! Connections to Other Key Issues

The Tipping Point

! Innovators, the adventurous ones

! Early adopters, infected by innovators

! Early Majority

! Late Majority

! Laggards

Source: Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point (2002)

Make the Connections

! Climate protection

! Soil protection and revitalization

! Sustainable agriculture

! Anti-nuclear power

! Zero waste

! Environmental health(safer, better designed products)

! Anti-waste incineration

! Community and economic development

! Cost Cutting

! Green jobs and pro-worker

Job Creation:

Reclamation vs. Disposal

Type of Operation Jobs/

10,000 TPY

Computer Reuse 296

Textile Reclamation 85

Misc. Durables Reuse 62

Wooden Pallet Repair 28

Recycling-Based Manufacturers 25

Conventional MRFs 10

Composting 4

Disposal Facilities 1

MRF = materials recovery facility

TPY = tons per yearInstitute for Local Self-Reliance

Starve a Landfill

Feed the soil

Conserve resources

Protect the climate

Create jobs

Sustain new businesses