Zero Waste Communities
Richard Anthony
Richard Anthony Associates
Zero Waste
 Thomas Malthus the
consequences of the
increasing gap between rich
and poor
 Karl Marx the ultimate result
of the gap is revolution and
the redistribution of wealth.
 Club of Rome Study, Meadows
 Mend our ways or nature will
force us
Close the Loop
Black Hole
Efficiency in Managing Resources
 Matter and energy are constants E=MC2
 There is no “away”
 No such thing as a free lunch
Zero Waste
 Zero Waste goals (efficiency)
 Create Jobs from Discards
 End Welfare for Wasting (level the playing field)
New Millennium Rules
 6 “R’s”
 Reduce (source reduction)
 Redesign
 Repair (fix)
 Reuse (durable vs. single use i.e., cameras,
napkins)
 Recycle (everything else)
 Regulate
Job Creation: Reuse and Recycling vs. Landfill and Incineration
Type of Operation
Jobs per 10,000 TPY
Product Reuse
Computer reuse
296
Textile Reclamation
85
Misc. Durable Reuse
62
Wooden Pallet Repair
28
Recycling-Based Manufacturers
25
Paper Mills
18
Glass Product Manufacturers
26
Plastic Product Manufacturers
93
Conventional Materials Recovery Facilities
10
Composting
4
Landfill and Incineration
1
Source:
Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Washington DC, 1997; “Wasting and Recycling in the United States
2000”; GrassRoots Recycling Network, Prepared by Brenda Platt and Neil Seldman
Recycling the Twelve Master Categories
Textiles
3%
Ceramics
5%
Plant Debris
25%
Putrescibles
5%
Wood
10%
Soils
3%
Reusable
Goods
5%
Chemicals
2%
Paper
25%
This version of the chart ©1998 Daniel Knapp and Mary Lou
Van Deventer. Excerpted from Total Recycling: Realistic
Ways to Approach Ideal, in progress; to be published by the
University of California Press.
Plastics
7%
Glass
5%
Metals
5%
Palo Alto Zero Waste Strategic Plan
MISSION
Divert 75% of discarded materials from landfills or incinerators by
2010 and achieve Zero Waste, or close to it, by 2020.
SUPPORTING OBJECTIVES
1.
Design and manage products and processes to reduce the volume and
toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not
burn or bury them. Ask product designers and marketers to consider Zero
Waste to be a critical design criterion.
2.
Increase incentives for waste generators and service providers to design
out waste and separate materials for their highest and best uses.
3.
Develop programs and policies to address specific needs of each major
sector in Palo Alto: manufacturers; retailers; restaurants; medical services;
offices; and single-family and multi-family residential dwellings.
4.
Increase reuse, recycling and composting collection and processing options
and develop new markets that add value to materials recovered and
minimize residues requiring disposal. Zero Waste systems should be
particularly encouraged that provide the greatest economic development
benefit for the region (e.g., jobs, increased tax base).
Palo Alto Zero Waste Strategic Plan
SUPPORTING OBJECTIVES Continued
5.
Engage community-wide support to achieve Zero Waste through more
interactive community participation, outreach and education programs.
Encourage people to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all
discarded materials are resources for others to use. Coordinate outreach
programs for sustainability and pollution prevention with Zero Waste,
waste prevention and recycling programs, and use Zero Waste Business
Principles as basis for their evaluation of business performance. (Obtain
input and include recommendations from City staff and Zero Waste Task
Force on other opportunities for local, countywide and regional education
and outreach programs that would support Zero Waste messages.)
6.
Minimize environmental impacts and City liabilities from wasting and
ensure that the burdens and benefits of zero waste systems are equitably
distributed. Eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that may be a
threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.
7.
City lead by example to achieve Zero Waste goals for all facilities owned or
leased by the City.
Palo Alto Zero Waste Strategic Plan
KEY STRATEGIES, Years 2005-10
STRATEGY 1:
Determine how and where materials are discarded, and establish a
monitoring and tracking database system to evaluate performance
of diversion and source reduction programs by material type and
sector. Identify the value of materials that are currently being
landfilled, and the potential for additional recovery through
expanded reuse, recycling and composting.
STRATEGY 2: Ask local businesses to adopt Zero Waste goals, to develop Zero
Waste plans, to adhere to Zero Waste Business principles, (1) to
meet waste diversion targets, and to source separate designated
materials that can be reused, recycled or composted.
STRATEGY 3: Adopt policies and economic incentives to restructure the
marketplace to encourage waste prevention, reuse, recycling &
composting. Change Ordinances, contracts, franchises, permits,
zoning, General Plans and garbage rate structures so that it is
cheapest to stop discarding materials, and reusing, recycling or
composting discarded materials is cheaper than landfilling or
incineration.
(1) http://www.grrn.org/zerowaste/business/
Palo Alto Zero Waste Strategic Plan
KEY STRATEGIES, Years 2005-10 Continued
STRATEGY 4: Develop programs and policies to address specific needs
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
Residential discarded food (2) collection and composting
Expanded institutional and commercial recycling; particularly for
paper recycling and other services needed for top 4 waste generating
sectors (Medical/Health Services; Restaurants; Other Retail Trade;
and Business Services)
Institutional and commercial discarded food collection and
composting
Expanded emphasis on deconstruction and support for adaptive
reuse
Expanded recovery, reuse and recycling of used building materials
Expanded support for collection and drop-off of other reusable
products
Successful implementation of City’s new ordinance to encourage
construction, remodeling, landclearing and demolition debris
recycling.
(2) Whenever referenced, also includes food contaminated paper (e.g., pizza boxes and frozen food
containers) and assumes CIWMB hierarchy for food scrap management is followed, to (1) prevent
food waste, (2) feed people, (3) convert to animal feed and/or rendering, and (4) compost (see
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/FoodWaste/).
Palo Alto Zero Waste Strategic Plan
KEY STRATEGIES, Years 2005-10 Continued
STRATEGY 5:
Support existing reuse, recycling and composting businesses and
nonprofit organizations and help them expand to the degree the
operators of them want to do so, to minimize public investments
required. Develop locally owned and independent infrastructure, on
an open, competitive basis.(3) Develop local or regional resource
recovery park(s) to provide locations for expansion of reuse, recycling
and composting businesses.
STRATEGY 6:
Extend use of landfills (Palo Alto and Kirby Canyon) as long as
possible, so don’t have to arrange for more capacity elsewhere.
Minimize long-term landfill liabilities by ensuring that full capital and
operating, closure and post-closure costs are factored into current
rates and financial assurances.
STRATEGY 7:
Adopt Precautionary Principle and expand focus on purchasing
environmentally preferable products. Help City’s Sustainable
Purchasing Committee to expand the purchase of environmentally
preferable products. Encourage or require all new private
construction and major renovation projects in Palo Alto to follow the
lead of the City’s Green Building policy and build only LEED-certified
Green Buildings.
(3) http://www.crra.com/irc/guide.html
Palo Alto Zero Waste Strategic Plan
KEY STRATEGIES, Years 2005-10 Continued
STRATEGY 8:
Support state and federal policies to eliminate subsidies,
internalize externalities for virgin material production and
wasting, and involve producers in taking physical and/or
financial responsibility for their products and packaging to reuse,
repair or recycle them back into nature or the marketplace. Work
with other local governments and businesses to build useful
alliances and share successes.
STRATEGY 9:
Adopt Zero Waste as an economic development priority to make
Palo Alto businesses more sustainable and globally competitive.
STRATEGY 10: Fund community Zero Waste initiatives with fees levied on the
transport, transfer and disposal of wastes and by leveraging the
investments of the private sector. Structure fees and taxes in
ways that provide additional incentives for designing out waste,
reuse, recycling and composting.
Palo Alto Zero Waste Strategic Plan
KEY STRATEGIES, Years 2005-10 Continued
STRATEGY 11:
Develop Zero Waste Implementation Plan (ZWIP) after the City
updates its detailed 1997 waste characterization study (scheduled
for FY2005-2006), to detail proposed policies and programs,
budget and cost implications, and timing of implementation.
Identify City priorities for additional publicly financed facilities to
support to be developed, including appropriate reuse, recycling
and/or composting activities for Palo Alto Landfill site consistent
with existing zoning once the landfill is closed.
Recommendations must be environmentally sustainable,
practically implementable, economically viable, and socially
responsible. Do not implement local bans, mandates and
required product stewardship policies until the adoption of the
ZWIP and evaluation of progress over the course of the year after
adoption of the City’s Zero Waste Policy. However, immediately
support state and federal producer responsibility and advanced
recycling charges for difficult to recycle or toxic materials.
Evaluate implementation of new policies and programs and
recommend how to continuously improve them after adoption of
the ZWIP.
Palo Alto Zero Waste Strategic Plan
KEY STRATEGIES with TACTICS
Include appropriate tactics from “Menu of Policy Options” and
program recommendations after agreeing on Mission, Objectives
and Strategies (similar to those suggested in Draft 1 of the
“Outline of Palo Alto ZW Action Plan”).
Service Needs Assessment
 The Needs Analysis will identify possible areas that
would benefit from expanded services.
 Identify service needs by class and discard item.
Programs
Item
1.
REUSABLE
Appliances
Small Appliances
Durable Plastic Items
Textiles
Mattresses & Furniture
Composite C & D
Books & Catalogues
Other Reusables and Repairables
Facilities
Needs
Service Needs Assessment Continued
Programs
Item
2.
PAPER
Cardboard
White Ledger
Newsprint
Magazines / Catalogs
Other Office Paper
Paperboard
Other / Composite Paper
3.
PLANT DEBRIS
Leaves & Grass
Prunings
Branches & Stumps
Facilities
Needs
Service Needs Assessment Continued
Item
4.
Programs
PUTRESCIBLES
Food Waste
Fish and Meat Waste
Sewage Sludge
5.
WOOD
Untreated Wood
Treated Wood
6.
CERAMICS
Concrete
Asphalt Paving
7.
SOILS
Gypsum Board
Fines
Facilities
Needs
Service Needs Assessment Continued
Item
Programs
8. METALS
Auto Bodies
Aluminum Cans
Steel Cans
Ferrous Metals
Non-Ferrous
9.
GLASS
Clear Glass Containers
Mixed Glass Containers
Clear Glass
Green Glass
Mixed Glass
Brown Glass
Window Glass
Other Glass
Facilities
Needs
Service Needs Assessment Continued
Item
Programs
10. POLYMERS
#1 PET (CRV)
#2 HDPE Colored
#2 HDPE Natural
#1 PET Plastic
#4 Plastic Bags
Tires
Other Plastics
Asphalt Roofing
Film Plastics
11. TEXTILES
Poly Fibers
Cotton and Wool
Facilities
Needs
Service Needs Assessment Continued
Item
Programs
12. CHEMICALS
Used Motor Oil
Household Hazardous Waste
Disposable Diapers /
Feminine Hygiene
Treated Medical Waste
Facilities
Needs
Del Norte Discard Composition Analysis
Categories*
Discarded Tons/Year
Discarded %
Discarded Tons/Day**
1. Reusables
1,014
5.7
2.8
2. Paper
3,780
21.2
10.5
472
2.6
1.3
Sludge
876
4.9
2.4
Other
3,781
21.2
10.5
328
1.8
0.9
6. Ceramics
1,772
9.9
4.9
7. Soils
1,045
5.9
2.9
8. Metals
1,662
9.3
4.6
673
3.8
1.9
1,671
9.4
4.6
11. Textiles
507
2.8
1.4
12. Chemicals
236
1.3
0.7
Total
17,817
100
49.5
3. Plant Debris
4. Putrescibles
5. Wood
9. Glass
10. Polymers
* Source: Based on data from 1999 Del Norte County Discard Generation Study and Urban Ore “Clean Dozen” scrap categories.
** 360 days/year
Source Separation Categories/Clusters and Destination Points
TWELVE MASTER
CATEGORIES of
DISCARD MATERIAL
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reusable
Paper
Vegetable Debris
Putrescibles
Wood
Ceramics
Soils
Metals
Glass
Polymers
Textiles
Chemicals
CLUSTERS
PROCESSING CENTERS
Paper and Containers;
Paper, Metals, Glass,
Polymers
Recyclables;
Papers, plastic, glass and
metal containers
Metals;
scrap metals and
auto bodies
Organics;
Food, vegetative debris,
food dirty paper, paper,
plant debris, putrescibles,
wood
Organics;
Food, vegetable debris,
and food paper,
putrescibles, untreated
wood and sheetrock
Discarded Items;
Furniture, appliances,
clothing, toys, tools,
reusable goods, textiles
Reuse & Repair;
Reuse, repair, dismantling,
reconditioning,
remanufacturing,
manufacturing and resale
of furniture, large and
small appliances,
electronics, textiles, toys,
tools, metal and ceramic
plumbing, fixtures,
lighting, lumber and other
used building materials
Inerts;
Rock, soils, concrete,
asphalt, brick, land
clearing debris, and
mixed construction
and demolition
materials
Special Discards;
Chemicals, construction
and demolition materials,
wood, ceramics, soils
Household
Hazardous
Wastes;
Used motor oil,
paint, pesticides,
cleaners, and other
chemicals
Cost/Benefit Analysis of
Resource Recovery Park by Cluster
Capital
$/Year*
O&M
$/Year
Annual
Costs
Trans/
Disp.
**Savings
Sales
$/Year
Tons/
Year
Captured
Benefits/
(Costs)
$/Ton
Reuse
34,817
432,311
467,128
106,425
413,700
1,419
+$37
Recycling
58,475
169,928
228,403
323,925
108,410
4,319
+$47
RRP
Organics
79,113
158,928
238,041
509,000
74,040
6,796
+$51
Total
172,405
761,167
933,572
940,050
596,150
12,534
+$48
Cluster
* Amortization; 20 years land and structures, 6 years equipment and fixtures
** $75 dollar per ton savings from avoided transfer and disposal. Cost/Benefit Analysis of
Resource Recovery Park by Cluster
“Site Plan for Del Norte Resource Recovery Park”
Prepared in March 2001 by Mark Gorell, Urban Ore