Our Goal:
Where are we now?
• National Landfill
Diversion Rate: 34%
• San Francisco’s
Diversion Rate: 80%
• SF still sends 1400 tons
to the landfill PER DAY
• Recycling Rates for 10
Largest U.S. Cities
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Los Angeles: 65%
San Jose: 60%
New York: 55%
San Diego: 54.9%
Chicago: 52.4%
Dallas: 44.6%
Philadelphia: 42%
Phoenix: 23%
Houston: 16.7%
San Antonio: 4%
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Source:: : Waste & Recycling News (3/2/09)
Why Work Toward
Zero Waste?
Landfills:
• Contribute to climate change
– 3rd largest source of human-based
methane emissions
• Contaminate air and ground water
• Waste valuable natural resources
– Mining, processing , &
transportation of virgin material
creates air and water pollution
and climate change
What happens to the stuff
you put in the black bin?
Black Bin = Landfill
Trash
The vast majority of office building trash is
recyclable or compostable in San Francisco.
What happens to the stuff you
put in the green bin?
Compostables
Plastic coffee cup lids and straws
can be put in the recycling.
Plastic cutlery, lids, and chip bags
don’t belong in the compost.
Combats Climate Change
Compost reduces methane emissions
–
Cover crops or grasses grown using
compost sequester carbon in the soil
–
Recycling saves energy
–
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95% of the energy is saved by making
aluminum cans from recycled cans
instead of virgin ore.
60% of the energy is saved by making
paper from recycled paper instead of
from virgin materials.
88% of the energy is saved when plastic is
made from recycled plastic rather than
from the raw materials of gas and oil.
Conserves Water
•
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Agriculture uses 80% of the
state’s water
Compost can hold twice its
weight in water.
• The process of recycling paper
instead of making it from new
materials generates 74 percent
less air pollution and uses 50
percent less water.
Compost Increases Soil
Fertility
•
Compost is a natural
alternative to chemical
fertilizers
Compost is rich in nitrogen
and other nutrients that
directly benefit plants.
• Earthworms &
microorganisms eat the
compost. As the particles pass
through the bodies of these
organisms, the nutrients break
down into pieces small enough
to feed plant roots.
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Compost Collection & Processing
Compost is checked for quality, loaded into long haul
trucks, and transported to our compost facility in
Vacaville (Jepson Prairie Organics) where it actively
composts for 4-6 weeks, turning into “black gold”.
Compost Contamination
Film plastics and glass shards are some of the most
problematic contaminants.
What happens to the stuff
you put in the blue bin?
Recyclables
Soft plastic items such a bubblewrap envelopes belong in the trash
Paper coffee cups should be placed
in the compost.
Recycling = Jobs
•Landfilling and incineration generate the
fewest jobs per ton of waste.
•10,000 tons sent to landfill= 6 jobs
•10,000 tons recycled= 36 jobs
•California 75% recycle rate by 2020
would create > 110,000 new recycling
jobs:
•31% - materials collection
•24% - materials processing
•45% - manufacturing
•38,600+ additional indirect jobs
Source: Tellus Institute, 2011 report: More Jobs, Less
Pollution: Growing the Recycling Economy in the U.S.
Pier 96 - Recycle Central
700 tons of material is processed at Recycle Central every day.
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Mechanical & manual separation is used to sort recyclables into
individual commodities which are then baled and sent to
processing facilities.
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Recycling Contamination
•Items like plastic bags and rags get caught in the spinning
discs of the sorting equipment.
•Liquids and food waste contaminates paper and cardboard.
Thank You
You make it happen.
RecologySF.com