Stephanie Barger, Executive Director Earth Resource Foundation www.earthresource.

org

Reduce Reuse Recycle = Zero Waste GOING BEYOND RECYCLING

SO WHOs DOING ZERO WASTE? And WHY?

3 key solution concepts

Precautionary Principle Sustainability Producer Responsibility

Who Cares?

They Do!! Earth Resource High School clubs

The Zero Waste Economy

Designing a Full-Cycle system Upstream and Downstream
Expand City Outreach & Technical Assistance and Lead by Example Provide Incentives Before Ban or Mandate

Jobs from Design & Discards

Eliminate Waste by Designing Out of Products and Processes Foster Sustainable and Green Businesses

Resource Recovery Park

Retailers Take Back Difficult to Recycle Materials

Producer Responsibility

Empowered Consumer

Copyright Eco-Cycle, 2004 with text modifications by permission. www.ecocycle.org/zerowaste/zwsystem

Reuse is the big R

TOYOTAs Zero Waste Policy
Recycle

Some Recycle More Recycle Less $1 Million from Recycling $13 Million from Reuse

Zero Waste Businesses are Leading the Way (>90% Waste Diversion)

Anheuser-Busch, Fairfield, CA Apple Computer, Elk Grove, CA Del Mar Fairgrounds Fetzer Vineyards Frankies Bohemian Caf, SF Greens Restaurant, SF Hewlett-Packard, Roseville, CA Mad River Brewery New Belgium Brewery, Fort Collins, CO

NUMMI, Fremont, CA Pillsbury Playa Vista, LA, CA Ricoh Electronics, Inc San Diego Wild Animal Park Scomas Restaurant, SF Vons-Safeway Xerox Corp Yost Printer, Monrovia, CA

Presented at the Zero in on Zero Business Conference Source: www.grrn.org

Ricoh Electronics, Inc.

Zero-Waste-to-Landfill Achieved Feb 01
Tons
8000 6000 4000 2000 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Land Disposal 5R Resource Recovery

100% Resource Recovery

Leadership
Was

& Is Essential Began at highest level President practices daily to honor his employees

Recipe for Success 7: Use of 5R Concept

Waste Profiling

Identify Waste

Ricohs Recipe for Success

Objectives Leadership Benchmarking Organization Project plan

Training & Promotion Use of 5R Concept Verification Continuous

Improvement

= Total Participation

Promotion Everywhere
Every

employee must participate Everyone informed and educated Everyone does their part No one left behind

Recipe for Success 7: Use of 5R Concept

Partnership With Suppliers

Green Procurement
REDESIGN RESPECT

REFUSE

REDUCE

RETURN RECYCLE

REUSE

Reduce total cost within Supply Chain

Supported by our Suppliers & Customers

Packaging Optimization- Joint Effort
Chemical came in many small cans now in drums =

Reduction of:
Labor time for switching cans and cleaning leftover chemicals Water usage Packaging material cost

6 individual cases were put into a master carton

no more master carton

Reduction of:
Packaging cost Packaging time Freight cost

REDUCE

Reduce Unnecessary Packaging Material

Supported by Our Supplier

RECYCLE

Optimized Packaging Style & Recycle waste

After
1. 2.

Before

Results
No glue to buy and store No drying time Much easier to separate Styrofoam from liner No more use of a knife to cut the glued joint

Styrofoam glued to the corrugated liner

No glue used, but snaps on type

1.

2.

Plus-Plus Program

Education practiced internally and externally Ricoh requires vendors to have zero waste Ricoh works with communities world wide to achieve its goal of sustainability

The best thing is not what we planted in the ground, but what we planted in the childrens minds. Ricohs President

www.sustainLA.com
Leslie VanKeuren Campbell, LEED GA

gingergrass Case Study

Vietnamese restaurant in Silver Lake Initial motivation bring personal Zero Waste efforts to the workplace Owner reluctance Green = Expensive

No more Styrofoam!

Ph served in Styrofoam Calculated use per month Calculated increase in cost for compostable containers Implemented 3% surcharge on to-go orders
Transparency with

customers Sign at to-go counter Promote efforts Line item in P&L

Food Waste Recycling

Largest volume of waste in restaurants = food waste Internal campaign

Staff meetings Signage (3 languages!) Sensitive to complaints Remove barriers

Recycling Beyond Bottles & Cans

Current System
Collecting bottles and cans Friend of employee emptied bin when full

New System
Continued bottles and cans as is All other recyclables (plastic containers, aluminum, metal cans, etc) collected in different bin
Took home to blue bin Worked with neighbors to place in blue bin on night before pick up

Ordering and Purchasing

Implemented New Systems

Organized Storage Rooms
FIFO! Par Levels Monthly Inventories Purchasing plan to include recycled products Went directly to source with shortages Discontinued increasing order to compensate

Waste Reduction

Instituted NO DISPOSABLES policy for employees

Full load dishmachine = $.26

Required staff to BYO Bag and Containers Installed Bring your own cup shelf Created draft paper and scrap paper
Servers cut scrap paper during slow times and

created server books

Encouraged staff to think of additional ways to reduce waste

Waste Reduction

Used dirty linens for first run spill clean up Logo bags are not garbage bags Reusable containers in kitchen whenever possible Remove from mailing folder Worked with customers who wanted to BYOContainer
Reusables to neighbors Order for here and transfer

Gave $.05 to customers who BYOBag

Additional Suggestions

Use reusable containers whenever possible for food storage Serve straws On Request Look for used vs. new Promote from within TELL VENDORS and MANUFACTURERS WHAT YOU WANT!
Be specific
Less packaging, less plastic

Reusable containers? Note what you like and what you would prefer change Community communication

Benefits!
Bottom

Line: Waste = Expense Environmental Responsibility Increased customer count Increased customer loyalty Improved employee morale Marketing
Complimentary press

Sense

of being a part of something larger

Earth Resource Foundation www.earthresource.org California Integrated Waste Management Board www.ciwmb.ca.gov Algalita Marine Research Foundation www.algalita.org Freecycle www.freecycle.org Craigslist www.craigslist.org Take Back the Tap www.takebackthetap.org Sustain LA www.sustainLA.com Leslie VanKeuren, LEED GA o: 323-638-0318 e: leslie@sustainLA.com
www.sustainLA.com

Resources

Recycling for Re-Use and Donation

Hilton San Francisco

What can be recycled or donated?

Food
Prepared and Packaged Bread and Pastries

Mini-Bar Snacks
Banquet Overages a pallet or a carton

What can be recycled or donated?

Conference Give-Aways
Mugs

Tee-shirts
Tote Bags

Conference Display
Foamcore
Decor Sets and Scrim

What can be recycled or donated?

Hotel Supplies and Equipment

Renovation and

Remodeling
all furnishings, accessories and carpeting

De-construction, building

& plumbing supplies Outdated amenities, china & glassware Linen and Mattresses Uniforms Office supplies

The Straus Difference

Healthy Farm & Production Practices

These are other practices of ours, though they are not necessarily required by organic regulations we have always operated this way Pasture-based Feeding Balanced Diet Milking 3x A Day (vs. 2x) Pasteurized, Not Raw Not Homogenized Kosher

Returnable Glass & Recyclable Plastic

Next Steps

Adopt Zero Waste as a Goal and Plan for it Educate Community on Zero Waste Identify local Zero Waste Businesses as models Attend the Annual Zero in on Zero Waste Business Conference, 2011 Orange County, CA Become a Zero Waste Leader at your work, play and live!!

Stephanie Barger, Executive Director Earth Resource Foundation www.earthresource.org Stephanie.barger@earthresource.org 949-645-5163