U.S. Zero Waste Business Council Presents
FUTURE OF COMMERCIAL FOOD SCRAPS
IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Orange Coast College- Student Center, Costa Mesa, CA
January 15, 2013
Circular Economy and Current
State of Food Scraps in SoCal
Dan Noble
President
Executive Director
Noble Resources Group
Regulatory & Market Consulting
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
“We Build Healthy Soil”
www.healthysoil.org
Topic Outline

Noble Resources Group

Efficiencies from “Closing the Loop”





Food Scraps & Integrated Utilities




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Sustainability & Zero Waste
Increasing Resource Prices
Emerging Circular Economy
Organics Value Cycle
Integrating the Resource Value Cycles
Water – for growing things
Organics – what we grow
Bioenergy – delivering the “6 F’s”
Foods Scraps in Southern California


Organics Project: Sierra Club, Phase 1 Report – Jan 2013
Next Steps: Today and Beyond
Noble Resources Group
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Noble Resources Group
Mission
Noble Resources Group (NRG) leads and supports other leaders to
transition their companies, agencies and communities to succeed in
the developing renewable economy.
Clients
Past



Founding Financial Editor – Environmental Business Journal®
Water View Reports – Environmental Business International, >100 clients
WateReuse Foundation – “Indirect Potable Reuse Best Practices”
Currently Representing

Association of Compost Producers

Inland Empire Disposal Association
“We Build Healthy Soil”
Noble Resources Group
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
ACP

A Public/Private Association - 501(C)3 - of:

•
Burrtec
•
City of Santa Rosa
•
County of San Bernardino
•
Engel and Gray
•
Supporting beneficial reuse of organics in California,
with compost playing a central role to build and
maintain sustainable healthy soils, keeping our
state’s lands productive, green and biologically diverse
for generations to come.
Garick Corporation (a Waste
Management Company)
•
Harvest Power
•
Inland Empire Utilities Agency
•
Kellogg Garden Products
•
Los Angeles County Sanitation
Districts
Our Mission:
•
P.F. Ryan and Associates
•
Agromin/Rainbow Disposal
•
Serrano Creek Soil Amendments
•
Synagro
•
University of California,
Cooperative Extension
•
Vision Recycling



•
Public and Private Organics Residual Generators

Green Waste, Manure (into and out of animals)

Food Waste, Biosolids (into and out of people)
Public and Private Compost Producers
Public and Private Compost Marketer/Distributors
Our Vision:
Dedicated to increasing the quality, value and amount of
compost being used in California. We do this by
promoting activities and regulations that build healthy
soil, benefiting people and protecting air, water and soil.
ACP members work and invest together to increase
compost markets and improve compost product &
manufacturing standards. The association provides
education & communication on compost benefits &
proper use through support of scientific research &
legislation aligned with developing and expanding quality
compost markets.
Noble Resources Group
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Organic Carbon & Soil
Organisms


Compost Contains
~50% Organic Matter by
Weight
Organic Matter is made
of Carbon Compounds so
it:





Provides food (energy)
to the soil organisms
Provides tilth for water
infiltration, holding and
oxygen penetration
Sequesters carbon
Must keep adding to the
soil as it is eaten
(degraded) by the soil
organisms
Also it provides Organic
Nutrients (“NPK”, i.e.
nitrogen, phosphorous
and potassium)
Noble Resources Group
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Defining Sustainability
for an Enterprise or Community
The Triple Bottom Line:



People: Personal and Community Wellbeing
Planet: Renewable Environment/Resources
Profit: Financial Abundance
Sustainable View
Typical World View
SUSTAINABLE
ENVIRONMENT
Society
Journey to
ECONOMY
Environment
Sustainability
Sustainable
Society
Sustainable
Economy
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Daly Pyramid – A fourth bottom line?
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Lesson’s Learned – 3P’s Revisited
Sustainability
–
Principles
– of the 3 P’s

Sustainability = Collaboration – People

Sustainability = Renewability – Planet

Sustainability = Abundance

– Profit
Sustainability = Integration – of the 3 P’s
both Internal & External, and
Horizontal & Vertical
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Sustainability = Collaboration
All about managing differences!
Conflict  Contrast  Collaboration
Forcing
SELF ASSERTIVE
100
Collaboration
Collaboration
Compromise
0
Avoidance
COMPASSIONATE
100
Accommodation
0
Noble Resources Group
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Sustainability = Renewability

Linear to Circular Economy

Nested Cycles and Markets

Zero Waste … or darn near!
Noble Resources Group
10
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Efficiency of “Closing the Loop”
Increasing Resources Prices
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Efficiency of “Closing the Loop:”
Emerging Circular Economy:
an industrial system that is restorative by design
Technical
Nutrients
Biological
Nutrients
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Biological Nutrients
Carbon’s “6 F’s”
Fuel
Food
Flowers
Fiber
Feed
Fertilizer
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Biological Nutrients
Organics Residual Products
Land application, compost, bioenergy

Biosolids

Food scraps

Green material

Manure

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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Mesophilic, Back Yard Composting
Thermophilic, Industrial Composting
© 2010
Associatio
n of
Compost
Producers
,
www.h
ealthy
soil.or
g
Noble Resources Group
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Biological Nutrients - Bioenergy
Anaerobic Digestion
Mass Burn
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Journey to Sustainability:
Development of a Circular Economy
Linear Economy*
Natural Resources &
Resource Industries
•Air
•Water
•Land & Minerals
•Energy
•Biological
Industrial
Processes,
Distribution &
Product Use
Waste &
Pollution
From Eugene Odum, Ecology, 1963
and www.Ecocycle.org, 2008
Noble Resources Group
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Journey to Sustainability:
Development of a Circular Economy
Circular, Zero Waste, Economy*
Industrial
Processes,
Distribution &
Product Use
Natural Resources &
Resource Industries
•Air
•Water
•Land & Minerals
•Energy
•Biological
Waste &
Pollution
Environmental Industry
From Eugene Odum, Ecology, 1963
and www.Ecocycle.org, 2008
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
The Organics Value Cycle
Haul, Pre-process:
Communicate
& Report
Communicate
& Report
Process:
Generate:
•Landscape trimmings
•Food/Ag waste
•Biosolids
•Manure
Communicate
& Report
Gov. Agencies
• EPA: air, water, solids
• LEA, Planning, CDFA
• CEC/PUC, etc., etc.
Stakeholders
• Env. Eng. & Tech.
• Env. Activists
Communicate
& Report
Use:
•Landscape
•Agriculture
•Environmental
•Bioenergy
•Compost
•Chip and Grind
•Anaerobic Digestion
•Fertilizer
•Energy (gas, electric)
Market:
Communicate (Sell!)
& Report
19
•Compost
•Fertilizer
Noble Resources Group
•Energy
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Topic Outline

Noble Resources Group

Efficiencies from “Closing the Loop”





Food Scraps & Integrated Utilities





Sustainability & Zero Waste
Increasing Resource Prices
Emerging Circular Economy
Organics Value Cycles
Integrating Resource Value Cycles
Water – for growing things
Organics – what we grow
Bioenergy – delivering the “6 F’s”
Foods Scraps in Southern California


Organics Project: Sierra Club, Phase 1 Report – Jan 2013
Noble Resources Group
Next Steps: Today and Beyond
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Integrating Resource Cycles:
Water, Carbon and Energy/Fuels

Water



Carbon (organics)



Quantity (infiltration and storage)
Quality (pollution, mainly nutrients!)
Renewable (atmosphere, plants, animals, compost!)
Non-renewable (fossil fuels)
energy
Energy/Fuels


Fuel (gas/liquid) to – (CH2)x – + 2xO2  xCO2 & xH2O
Air Pollution & Global Warming
Noble Resources Group
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Integration in the Watershed:
Water, Carbon and Energy/Fuels
Atmosphere: N2 , O2, CO2
Water
Quantity
Quality
Plants
Renewable
Carbon
Soil
Minerals
Carbon,
Nutrients:
N, P, K
© 2010
Associatio
n of
Compost
Producers
,
www.h
ealthy
soil.or
g
+ Pollution
Ag + Hort.
Food
Fiber
Feed
Fuel
Flowers
Fertilizers:
(N,P,K)
Noble Resources Group
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Water Use - Residential
Majority of water is used to grow things
… the 6 F’s! How Efficient are we??
Noble Resources Group
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Integrating Key Utilities
What Utilities?
 Water & Wastewater
 Organics (carbon materials)



6 F’s production – Agriculture & Horticulture
Residuals Reuse (solid waste utilities)
Bioenergy (energy utilities)
What Levels of Organization?
 Statewide – Resource Policy and Planning
 Local – Community and Regional Utilities
 Facility – Home and Business Systems
Noble Resources Group
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Nested Utility Cycles
Commercial
Indu
stry
Residential
Tier 3: Between Communities –
“Government to Wholesale Markets”
“Macroeconomics”
Tier 2: Community, Municipality,
Agency – Wholesale - Retail “Markets”
“Meso-economics”
Tier 1: Residential, On-site/Facility “Onsite Market” – “Microeconomics”




No one niche is “right,” correct or “the best”: How are we
building efficient synergies? Micro- to meso-, supply to demand
Sanitation (water & solids) agencies are typically involved
in all at the same time. How strategic and logistical are we?
Synergies of Solids & Water Market Development Strategies
and Tactics to build resource value and system efficiency, esp.
w/ renewable energy!!
Resources Group
Still a goal for all our communities! But25 … already started! Noble
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Integrating Supply & Demand
Why Integrate Supply and Integrate Demand?
 Non-integrated creates inefficiencies



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Higher water use
Higher organics “waste” and GHG (carbon) “waste”
Higher energy use
Integrating Water, Organics and Bioenergy

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Reduces Water Use and Water Pollution
Builds renewable carbon management

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Reduces non-renewable energy

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Reduces organic waste and green house gases
Reduces fossil fuel use
Reduces oil imports
Builds energy security
Creates a sustainable economy
Noble Resources Group
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Topic Outline

Noble Resources Group

Efficiencies from “Closing the Loop”





Food Scraps & Integrated Utilities





Sustainability & Zero Waste
Increasing Resource Prices
Emerging Circular Economy
Organics Value Cycle
Integrating the Resource Value Cycles
Water – for growing things
Organics – what we grow
Bioenergy – delivering the “6 F’s”
Food Scraps in Southern California


Organics Project: Sierra Club, Phase 1 Report – Jan 2013
Noble Resources Group
Next Steps: Today and Beyond
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Food Scraps in SoCal:
Organics Project – Sierra Club

“The Organics Project: Phase One Report – January
2013 –



http://angeles2.sierraclub.org/zero_waste_the_organics_project
Prepared by: Jeremy Drake & The Organics Project Team of the Angeles
Chapter Zero Waste Committee.
Initial Findings:

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
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57% of cities have adopted environmental policies
Yard trimmings from two cities are NOT sent to landfills
Food scraps diversion programs are most prevalent in the commercial sector
Cities want more access to commercial composting and anaerobic digestion
facilities
Organics source reduction programs are more numerous than diversion
programs
Organics waste reduction education and incentive programs are
underutilized
Some cities do not know what happens to their waste
Noble Resources Group
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Next Steps: Today and Beyond


The Organics Value Cycle Revisited
Source Separation




MRF Separation (Materials Recovery Facility)



Food Scraps to Anaerobic Digestion
Food Scraps & Green Material to Composting
Processing




Disposers to POTW’s
Food scraps in the Green Bin
Onsite Processors
Composting
Anaerobic Digestion
Bio Products
Marketing, Use (and Generation, again)


We are all “user/generators” (not “consumers”) in the circular economy
Marketing Product Use within the Organics Value Cycle
Noble Resources Group
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
The Organics Value Cycle
Haul, Pre-process:
Communicate
& Report
Communicate
& Report
Process:
Generate:
•Landscape trimmings
•Food/Ag waste
•Biosolids
•Manure
Communicate
& Report
Gov. Agencies
• EPA: air, water, solids
• LEA, Planning, CDFA
• CEC/PUC, etc., etc.
Stakeholders
• Env. Eng. & Tech.
• Env. Activists
Use:
•Landscape
•Agriculture
•Environmental
•Bioenergy
•Compost
•Chip and Grind
•Anaerobic Digestion
•Fertilizer
•Energy (gas, electric)
Communicate
& Report
Market:
Communicate (Sell!)
& Report
•Compost
•Fertilizer
•Energy
Noble Resources Group
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Education vs. Marketing
Pros:
Education:

Teaching or training
people to “do it them
selves” (DIY)



Cons:


Marketing:

Providing a specific
solution “for a price”
“We’ll take care of it” –
Burrtec
Empowers people, low cost
Government & Industry doesn’t have to
deal with it
Organics value cycle is already personal
Requires attention, higher burden
Can be inconvenient and messy
Pros:


Convenience - others do the dirty work
Can leverage economies of scale
Cons:


Disconnects users from resource cycle,
still feels like consumer, not user
Must now market use of material
Noble Resources Group
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Next Steps:
Compost Facilities
Current Windrow Technology
Solar Powered, Control Irrigated
Aerated Static Pile
Noble Resources Group
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Barriers to Transformation
They’re in our mind (culture/consciousness) … AND
imbedded in past investments (financial)!

Specialized (non-integrated) Professions


E.g. civil, structural, electrical, chemical “engineers” vs. ecological engineers
Air, water or solid specialists, vs. cradle-to-cradle integralists!

Resources Laws & Information Systems Based on Linear, nonintegrated vs. Circular-integrated Economic Models

Profit/economic-centric vs. Planet & People-centric view

Trillions of Dollars of “Sunk Investments”, low existing Prices


E.g. landfills, oil refineries, manufacturing practices, mines, etc., etc.
People DO NOT want to “abandon” those investments!
Solutions Include 
Building Economies of Scope vs. Economies of Scale



i.e. lot’s of little, distributed, integrated values, vs. a few, large, centralized, specialized
values
Building the Circular Economy using integrated biological and
technical Nutrient Cycles
Information Systems that Support these approaches
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Reference Sites
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Bay-Friendly Landscaping & Gardening Coalition, www.bayfriendlycoalition.org
Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, www.livingeconomies.org
Circular Economy, www.thecirculareconomy.org
City of Portland, Office of Sustainable Development, www.portlandonline.com/bps/index.cfm
CorporateResponsibility.net, www.corporateresponsibility.net
Ecocycle, Inc., www.ecocycle.org
Grass Roots Recycling Network, www.grrn.org
U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce, www.usgreenchamber.com
Inland Empire Regional Composting Authority, www.ierca.org
Inland Empire Utilities Agency, www.ieua.org
Integral Institute, www.integralinstitute.org
Integral Leadership in Action, www.integralleadershipinaction.org
Living Building Challenge, www.livingbuildingchallenge.org
The Organics Project, angeles2.sierraclub.org/zero_waste_the_organics_project
Paul Hawken, “The Ecology of Commerce” www.paulhawken.com
Sustainable Business.com, www.sustainablebusiness.com
Sustainable Industries, www.sustainableindustries.com
Towards the Circular Economy, www.thecirculareconomy.org
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“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
Questions?
Comments?
Discussion…
Dan Noble
Noble Resources Group
Regulatory & Market Consulting
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™
(619) 992-8389
For a Free “Integrated Utilities” white paper, and
“Organics Strategy & Tactics” initial consultation
email
DanWylderNoble@gmail.com
Noble Resources Group
35
“Developing Integrated Utilities & Manufacturing”™