global landscapes conference 2014, presentation by close the loop company
TRANSCRIPT
We only have one planet with finite resourcesNature builds up & breaks down…
We humans make products that do not break down, creating problems throughout the world on land and sea for generations to come.
PA’s 1st Benefit Corporation ~ a new legal entity type to create a positive impact on society and the environment ~ forgos maximizing profit to pursue public good, even when doing so cuts into revenue.
The start of a new economy in Pennsylvania, one based on a triple bottom line: people, planet, purpose
And you CAN do well by doing good!
We offer:
Free Website Building Workshops, for unemployed and underemployed to start their own small businesses, through a partnership with:
Give & Take Days…all items FREE!
Give & Take Days, annually since 2009
To truly “close the loop”, we need to do 3 things:
1) recycle our waste 2) make something new out of it 3) buy recycled
According to the EPA, the waste materials generated in the US annually:
Plastics - 30 million tons of plastic waste (nearly 60 billion pounds). Only 8% of plastic waste was recycled in 2006
Glass – 13.2 million tons of glass, about 22 % recycled
Tires – 300 million tires in the US, 12 million in Pennsylvania alone.
Plastic Waste
…can be turned into Plastic Wood Fencing
Plastic Recycling in the USA 2008
Source: 2008 United States National Post-Consumer Plastics Bottle Recycling Report
Of the Recycled Plastic Bottles Collected:
Source: 2008 United States National Post-Consumer Plastics Bottle Recycling Report
Less than half of the PET (#1) collected goes to US manufacturers of recycled products, the majority goes overseas to China and other countries.
In 2014, the Svendborg Maersk was struck by high wind and waves off the coast of France and lost more than 500 containers, now at the bottom of the ocean.
Glass Waste
The Process of Glass Recycling
…can be turned
into a sparkling
landscape glass
walkway or used in a gas fire pit
This is where we came from…
This is the progress we’ve made:
Waste tires can be turned into playground surfacing, horse footing, rubber timbers & tiles…
Here’s the Solution:
It takes 525 gallon-sized milk jugs to produce one 2-rail section of plastic post & rail fencing.
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It takes 100 tires to make 1 ton (2,000 lbs) of rubber mulch ~ enough to cover an average size home playground.
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It takes 4,000 beer bottles to make 1 ton (2,000 lbs ~ about 1 cubic yard) of glass mulch. It takes 100 beer bottles to make 1, 50 LB bag of glass mulch.
The Kardashev scale ~ Civilization’s ability to harness energy (Nikolai Kardashev, 1964)
Type I ~ harness all of a planet’s energy (according to Dr. Michio Kaku, we are at .7) Type II ~ harness all of the energy from a star Type III ~ harness all of the energy from a galaxy
In your lifetime there are ~50 yrs of petroleum left for gasoline, heating, plastics, tires, much more…
Question: Will we be forced to mine landfills for raw
materials?
Areas of Green Opportunities:Areas of Green Opportunities:1)1) Conserve, recycle, and efficiently use energy Conserve, recycle, and efficiently use energy
and materialsand materials
2)2) Use renewable & alternative sources of energyUse renewable & alternative sources of energy
3)3) Purchase materials with recycled contentPurchase materials with recycled content
4)4) Reduce the amount of waste we throw away.Reduce the amount of waste we throw away.
5)5) Encourage Extended Producer Responsibility Encourage Extended Producer Responsibility or enact legislation to require it. or enact legislation to require it.
Impacts of Buying US Made Recycled Products
Investing in American made products creates jobs Sets a good example & helps our economy Long-term economic and environmental benefits. What better raw material to use than our waste
materials transformed into a valuable resource ~ in nature there is no waste.
Design products with the end of life in mind… cradle to cradle, not cradle to grave (landfills).
Focus for the future:Focus for the future:
Leave less of a footprint on the earth…
Favorite quotes:
Waste is really a design flaw. ~ Kate Krebs, NRC
Plastics, like diamonds, are forever! - Capt. Charles Moore, Algalita Marine Research Foundation
If only they made a pesticide for litterbugs! ~ Monroe ~ Monroe County, PA Beautification OrganizationCounty, PA Beautification Organization
Be the change you wish to see in the world. ~ Mahatma Gandhi
