Your Trash Can Really Be Treasure
Dedicated recyclers know there’s value in those piles of discarded newspaper, aluminum cans and cardboard boxes, but the new RecycleBank program is the first to really take that message to the people. Currently serving select residents in six Eastern states, RecycleBank is a curbside recycling program that rewards residents for recycling with coupons to 250 local, national and online retailers, from bookstores to grocers. Recycling carts are scanned and weighed on pickup, and the amount recycled is translated into RecycleBank Dollars. Residents can earn up to $35 per month, and they log on to the RecycleBank website and choose how to spend their rewards. Of course, getting people to recycle by offering them more “stuff ” as a reward isn’t a Zero Waste message (unless the goods are essentials items like groceries), but participation and recycling rates in the program areas are way up. RecycleBank is capturing people’s interest, and that’s a step in the right direction.
Proper Electronics Recycling Catching Up to the Digital Age
It’s been said computer power doubles every two years, and we’re happy to report that environmental initiatives aimed at electronics are finally matching this pace. Here’s a look at the new recycling legislation and energy saving proposals in the world of electronics:
• Fort Collins, Colorado is the first city in the Rocky Mountain West to ban electronics from the landfill—a huge step toward Zero Waste at the municipal level.
• Oregon, Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota and Connecticut each adopted legislation in 2007 aimed at involving electronics producers with the recycling of their outdated equipment. Nine states in all have adopted electronics legislation but still no federal action.
• Television giant Sony has teamed up with Waste Management to recycle any Sony product free of charge at select locations. This is a huge commitment in the U.S. market, although information is still scarce about whether toxic materials will be responsibly recycled in the U.S. or exported to developing countries.
• Intel will reduce the use of toxic materials in its products with its new 100% lead-free processor, available in computers in late 2007.
• The Green Electronics Council’s new buying guide, the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), has manufacturers competing to design and produce more efficient, less resource-intensive computers. Make EPEAT a part of your next computer purchase at www.epeat.net.
Green Cleaning Gets an A+ at Schools
More than 20% of the U.S. population spends their days inside elementary and secondary schools, yet the U.S. Government Accountability Office reports more than half of U.S. schools have problems linked to poor indoor air quality. In addition to asbestos, lead paint and deteriorating buildings, these schools also contain asthma stimulants, hormone disruptors, volatile organic compounds and skin irritants from common industrial and household cleaners. In 2006, in the first statewide effort to protect children and custodial workers from potentially toxic cleaning compounds, the state of New York mandated the use of green cleaning products in all schools and state agencies. Illinois followed suit a year later. According to the EPA, improving air quality in schools can reduce absenteeism, improve student and staff concentration, improve student productivity and performance, decrease health risks from exposure to indoor pollutants, reduce environmental triggers of asthma, and reduce respiratory illness. Sounds like a good plan for household air as well. Check out www.buildgreenschools.org for more information.
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You Are What You Eat, and What You Do With Your Leftovers, Too
Because cattle emit vast quantities of the potent greenhouse gas methane into our atmosphere, choosing a vegetarian diet or cutting back on your meat intake will decrease your personal contribution to climate change. What you choose to do with your food scraps, meat and otherwise, also has a huge impact. According to the EPA’s 2007 greenhouse gas inventory report, the largest source of human-caused methane emissions in the U.S. is not cattle, it’s landfills. And it’s the biodegradable portion of the landfill—everything from grass clippings, leftover food and wood scraps—that’s the problem. While many states and municipalities have banned yard waste from the landfill for more than a decade (Colorado is unfortunately not one of them), the city of Seattle has taken the next step forward and will require residents to separate food scraps for composting from the rest of their discards as of 2009. More than 60% of single-family King County, Washington residents already have curbside compost collection. In the province of Nova Scotia, more than 75% of residents have curbside compost collection, while San Francisco has achieved its remarkable 67% diversion rate in part thanks to its curbside compost collection program. Boulder could pioneer a similar program in the next few years, further reducing our climate footprint.
International Zero Waste Headlines:
• The Scottish Nationalist Party, now the largest party in Scotland’s Parliament, announced its goal of a Zero Waste Scotland, although details of the party’s plan have yet to emerge.
• The east African country of Uganda now prohibits companies from producing, importing or using plastic bags. Linked to widespread littering, the spread of germs, flooding and contaminated water supplies, plastic bags are being rejected in favor of traditional banana leaves for carrying goods. Kenya and Tanzania have passed similar measures, following the lead of Rwanda in 2005.
• Major retailers, suppliers and brand owners in the U.K. have pledged to reduce packaging under the Courtauld Commitment. Goals include stopping the upward trend in volumes of packaging going to waste by 2008, delivering absolute reductions in packaging waste by 2010, and identifying ways to tackle the problem of food waste. Signers include brands with prominent U.S. market shares, such as H.J. Heinz, Nestlé, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Mars and Cadbury-Schweppes.
Change a Light Bulb, Change the World
How many Australians does it take to change a light bulb? If it’s an incandescent, the answer will soon be none—there simply won’t be any in Australia by 2010. Thanks to first-of-its-kind legislation, the 125-year old incandescent is being phased out in favor of its 21st century counterpart, the much more efficient compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). Converting this nation of 20 million to CFLs will prevent an estimated 800,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year, as compact fluorescent light bulbs use one-fifth the electricity of an incandescent (and quickly pay for themselves through savings on electricity bills). As a smart and easy first step in carbon emission reduction, CFLs have generated attention in the U.S., too, where Philips Electronics and others are proposing legislation for an industry phase-out of incandescents by 2016. Law or not, CFLs make sense (and cents).
Take-out Food is Short-lived but Polystyrene May Be Permanent
Polystyrene (a.k.a. “Styrofoam”) take-out boxes may float, but their popularity is sinking fast as numerous cities and counties throughout California ban the toxic material in favor of recyclable or biodegradable alternatives. Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Orange County and others have outlawed the foam foe because of its contribution to mounting marine debris and clogged storm drains. Made from non-renewable petroleum, polystyrene crumbles into small pieces that are potentially fatal to wildlife. The plastic pellets never actually biodegrade and cause almost perpetual pollution. The policy group Californians Against Waste said it best: “Polystyrene…is one of our country’s most ubiquitous examples of over-processed, overabundant and unnecessary throw-away packaging.” We couldn’t agree more, and we’d like to send the same message in our community. Visit www.ecocycle.org to send letters to local restaurants and your city council telling them to put an end to the polystyrene plague and embrace recyclable and compostable packaging. For more information, check out www.cawrecycles.org/issues/plastic_campaign.
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Bottling Up Our Landfills
We’ve all been there: You find yourself with an empty bottle of water but no recycling bin for miles. Do you toss it in your backpack and haul it around for hours, or do you stick it stealthily into one of those ever-present trash cans? If you choose the latter, you’re not alone. According to the Container Recycling Institute, “About 18 million barrels of crude oil equivalent went down the drain last year when 2 million tons of PET bottles were landfilled instead of recycled.” So what can you do? Take the water bottle pledge sponsored by the city of San Francisco and commit to reduce your consumption of bottled water, avoid bottled water waste, and choose safe and reusable containers when you need water on the go. See www.sfenvironment.com to take the pledge today.
Toxic Tragedy Continues in Africa
From petroleum byproducts to “donated” computer equipment, Africa continues to be a hotbed of illegal dumping of toxic waste from the developed world, including the U.S. In August 2006, fifteen people died and more than 80,000 sought medical attention in the Ivory Coast when chemical slops were unloaded on open dumps by a billion-dollar global commodities trading firm. On a more regular basis, boatloads of “donated” and “recycled” electronic waste—more than 75% of which is unusable—are openly burned, dumped in swamps and waterways, or buried in crude pits. The U.S. government never ratified the Basel Convention, which bans the export of hazardous wastes from wealthy countries to the Global South, so U.S. citizens and businesses need to be especially diligent about recycling electronics responsibly. To ensure your old PC is not part of this problem, choose recycling partners like Eco-Cycle who have signed the Pledge of True Stewardship and committed to the responsible domestic recycling of electronic scrap. Learn more about our commitment and its importance at www.ecocycle.org/charm.
Opportunity or Risk: Businesses Weigh in on the Environment
Environmental impact is no longer a footnote on the corporate spreadsheet. U.S. shareholders are taking a serious look at a company’s action or inaction when it comes to product toxicity and greenhouse gas emissions. A report by investment firm Innovest revealed commonplace consumer goods from electronics to personal care products are attracting unwanted scrutiny because of their questionable chemical composition, as a result of new precaution-based chemical regulations in Europe and California (see REACH on page 5). Investors are, in turn, taking precautions on the future profit potential of products’ manufacturers. Greenhouse gases are also starting to look like a liability, so big name companies such as Alcoa, DuPont, General Electric, BP America and others have teamed up with national NGOs to craft policy recommendations for the federal government. But not everyone is on board. According to Ceres, a coalition for sustainable investment, the top ten list of companies lagging behind on action against climate change includes insurance company ACE, Bed Bath & Beyond, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhilips and several electric power and coal companies. With profits on the line, it’s becoming clear there can be no distinction between what’s good for the environment and what’s good for the economy. To make green, you need to be green. Learn more at www.ceres.org and www.greenbiz.com.
Dell Will Recycle Dells, Free--no ifs, ands or buts
Dell finally got it right. After nearly a decade as the target of negative publicity campaigns from environmental groups and with recycling regulations now in place across Europe, Dell recently announced it will be fully responsible for the free-of-charge recycling of all Dell electronics. Around the world, consumers can schedule the free home pick-up and recycling of their broken or outdated Dell monitor, CPU, or other electronic device. According to Chairman Michael Dell, “We have a responsibility to our customers to recycle the products we make and sell.” Bingo. This is textbook producer responsibility and a huge leap forward in the role of businesses in a Zero Waste system. To thank Dell for being the industry
leader and take advantage of the program, go to www.dell.com/recycling.
A big “thanks” also goes out to the GrassRoots Recycling Network (GRRN) for leading the fight to get Dell’s attention on this matter.
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Sweden Schedules the End of Oil
Like most of the world, Sweden believes fossil fuels are not the future, but so far they’re the only ones to decide when this future will come. By 2020, a commission appointed by the Swedish government plans to end Sweden’s dependence on fossil fuels. Admittedly, it won’t be easy, but this country of nine million is already ahead of the curve with only 32% of its energy coming from oil. Oil-free transportation will be Sweden’s biggest challenge, so the country is turning to national carmakers Saab and Volvo to ramp up development of alternative fuel vehicles. Already in the works is a massive restructuring of the national tax system to encourage the good and reduce the bad. Taxes are on the rise for environmental harms such as sulfur and carbon dioxide, solid waste and fossil fuels, while taxes have been eased on social security, education and income. Altogether, Sweden’s undertaking a visionary renovation of society to
protect its citizens from economic and environmental uncertainties. When the price of a barrel of oil hits triple digits, at least we know who can tell us how to kick the habit. Read more at www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=2662
Wal-mart Converted?
It simply doesn’t get bigger than Wal-Mart, so when the mega-retailer unveiled a plan to save the planet, the world stopped to listen. The world’s largest retailer launched a number of initiatives that aim to move the company toward a net zero environmental impact. Short-term goals include a 25% reduction in waste over three years, a preference for suppliers who use less packaging, a 25% increase in fuel efficiency for its trucking fleet, a sustainable fisheries label, and a $500 million annual investment in technologies to reduce the company’s greenhouse gases by 20% over the next seven years. With Wal-Mart’s enormous influence on the global supply chain and vast customer base, the potential for positive social and environmental change is staggering. While Wal-Mart’s plans are not without their critics who rightfully await results, the company has at least steered the ship in the right direction. It’s our job as consumers to make sure the retailer keeps sailing toward more environmentally-friendly packaging and policies—and the faster the better. Do your part to encourage Wal-Mart to take a stronger stance against PVC plastic by lending your voice to the online campaign on our home page.
Learn more about Wal-Mart’s green policies at
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/08/07/8382593/index.htm
Al Gore Spoke, California Listened
Carbon emissions are on the chopping block in California where the state recently passed landmark legislation requiring industry to reduce carbon emissions by 25% by 2020. As the first state to mandate reductions, California hopes to become an incubator for resource-efficient technologies and innovations. The legislature will now work on the details of the plan, including an emissions credit trading system and possible fees on emissions to encourage alternative fuels and conservation. By joining a growing number of states in taking climate change into its own hands, given the void of national leadership, California has decidedly shifted this country’s tune from debate to decision. With a population of nearly 40 million, and the sixth largest economy in the world, California’s efforts will have a tremendous impact. It’s now up to industry to sing along or pay the piper. Read more about the legislation at www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/08/31/MNGMGKSMHH1.DTL
Germany Shows the Way
Dumping untreated waste into landfills is a losing proposition and the Germans have called it quits. That's right, quits. While just seven years ago the Bavarian nation landfilled 60% of its residual waste without pre-treatment, today that number is next to nothing-nothing goes in untreated, and that's the law. This means all "leftover waste" (after recycling and composting) passes through mechanical, biological or thermal treatment to maximize recovery and to achieve what landfills simply couldn't: safety. According to the German Federal Environment Minister, "We do not have the right to burden our children and grandchildren with the incalculable risks to soils and to the ground water and with the exorbitant costs for the rehabilitation of damage to the environment." Simply put, the ecological and economic risks of landfilling outweigh the investment in new systems-the Zero Waste revolution is here to stay in Deutschland!
For more information see http://www.bmu.de/english/waste_management/reports/doc/35870.php.
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Adios to Waste in Buenos Aires
In late 2005, Latin America's largest city stepped up its efforts to eradicate waste with an ambitious La Ley Basura Cero, or Zero Waste Law. Buenos Aires is not shy about going for nothing- the Argentinean capital plans to reach Zero Waste by 2020 with an interim goal of 50 percent recovery by 2010. Expanding its informal network of "cartoneros," or door-to-door recycling collectors, is a key element of the city's Zero Waste strategy. By providing formal training and protective equipment, and encouraging workers to form cooperatives, the city hopes to legitimize this workforce and rapidly raise its 10 percent recycling rate. The Zero Waste approach will be a win-win for the three million residents of Buenos Aires: cartoneros receive recognition for their vital and valuable service, the city minimizes the inevitable consequences of landfilling, and Buenos Aires emerges as both an urban and Latin American model. For more information, visit
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/ZerowastevictoryArgentina.
Four U.S. States Regulate E-Waste
Washington joined the company of California, Maine, and Maryland to become the fourth state to regulate electronic waste, launching the most progressive producer responsibility plan to date. By 2009, manufacturers must establish and fully fund a collection, processing, and recycling system for end-of-life electronic waste without charging users at the point of return. Manufacturers have the choice to create their own program-individually or collectively-or to cover the state's costs for creating and operating a program. The bill even drew the support of heavyweights Hewlett Packard and Radio Shack although several manufacturers and retailers continue to oppose regulation. However, as things are rapidly becoming more complicated with four different state-level systems and 31 states having discussed electronics recycling legislation in 2005, manufacturers have started to warm up to the benefits of a nationwide plan-will four be the magic number? For more information, check out
http://www.wastenotwashington.org/ewastebill.htm.
Sports Fans are Part of the Solution
Aside from impeccably manicured turf and the Boston Celtics, there's not a whole lot of green in the sports world, but the times they are a changin'. Oakland's McAfee Coliseum, home to the Athletics and Raiders, is the first U.S. stadium to offer biodegradable serviceware so fans can compost the corn-based utensils and cups at the end of the game alongside their half-eaten hot dogs. These green efforts are saving the stadium more than $100,000 per year on its trash bill and helping the coliseum toward its Zero Waste goal.
Switching to the other football, the 2006 World Cup in Germany was a climate-neutral soccer showcase. Additionally, its Green Goal initiative aimed to reduce stadium water and energy consumption, trash volumes, and traffic emissions by twenty percent. And for the granddaddy of international competitions, London's vision for the 2012 summer games, the "One Planet Olympics," is sure to grab the gold. The city's objectives for holding the first sustainable games include recycling and recovering all waste, minimizing carbon emissions, improving existing wildlife habitat during venue construction, and increasing environmental awareness. For more information see http://www.csrwire.com/article.cgi/4957.html, http://greengoal.fifaworldcup.yahoo.net/, and http://www.london2012.org/en/ourvision/greengames/.
I Think We Can, I Think We Can
The aluminum can, long held up as the poster child of recycling, is beginning to show its age as its recycling rate declines. Fortunately, the Container Recycling Institute (CRI) will not let this old friend go quietly into the night. With its new Zero Beverage Container Waste Campaign, CRI is reviving the American love affair with recycling aluminum cans and other beverage containers with the hope of putting a stop to the 127 billion (that's right, billion) beverage containers wasted annually. Support CRI and encourage your government, company, or organization to sign a zero beverage container waste resolution by visiting www.container-recycling.org.
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World Leaders Commit to Zero Waste
Zero Waste debuted on the global agenda in June 2005 as prominent urban mayors from around the world gathered in San Francisco for World Environment Day. Traveling from as far away as Jakarta, Rio de Janeiro, Delhi, and Melbourne, more than 50 city leaders discussed the environmental challenges and opportunities of urban areas, where more than half the world's population now lives. The mayors pledged to adopt legislation and/or implement programs over the next seven years addressing everything from water and energy use to transportation and urban design standards. Three actions focused on waste reduction, including the policy goal of "zero waste to landfills and incinerators by 2040." Through these commitments, urban leaders aim to save money by reducing resource consumption and to improve the health and general wellbeing of city residents.
Zero Waste Heads to the High Country
Home to some of the nation's most amazing landscape, Summit County now has something else to make Colorado proud-the first Zero Waste resolution in the entire Mountain West. During August 2005, Summit County commissioners resolved "to pursue the goal of zero waste by promoting reduced consumption, reuse of materials, and increased recycling until the very concept of a landfill is obsolete." The county currently recycles only 15% of its materials, so admittedly, it has a long way to go, but its new processing facility for recyclables will make recycling easier for residents and more profitable for the county. Within a state reported to recycle a mere 3% of its materials, Summit County's plan will take recycling to new heights. Who will be the first in the state to follow suit?
Old Electronics Treated Right in Norway
It's good to be a retired piece of electronic equipment in Norway. You don't have to worry about spending your golden years buried in a landfill under a heap of disposable baby diapers. Instead, you're guaranteed a new lease on life. In 2004, manufacturers in the Scandinavian country recovered over 90% of their retired electronic and electric equipment-everything from computers to stereos to electric razors. Their system allows consumers to return unwanted electronic and electric items free of charge to local retailers and municipal collection centers, where the materials are then collected and recycled by the original manufacturers. Norway's phenomenal recovery rate undoubtedly proves the success of the producer responsibility model in recovering valuable resources and preventing environmental harm.
Heat is On to Keep Organics Out of Landfills
Cities and countries alike continue to lay down the law and prohibit biodegradable materials from landfills in order to avoid greenhouse gas emissions. In British Columbia, the Nanaimo district recently banned the landfilling of all industrial, commercial, and institutional organic waste. The district believes businesses will save money by using a new composting facility rather than exporting waste off Vancouver Island. Halfway around the world, several European countries are surpassing the European Union's mandate to gradually reduce the landfilling of organic materials by 65% within 15 years. France and Germany have set more ambitious targets while Sweden and Norway are working out the details on outright bans.
Wasteless in Seattle
Seattle's "Wasteless in Seattle" program will not earn millions on the silver screen-it will, however, save the city millions in disposal, transportation, and energy costs. City employees are gearing up businesses, residents, and themselves to reap the rewards of waste reduction. Among the "wasteless" initiatives is PaperCuts, which challenges city departments to reduce paper use by 30% by the end of 2006. While the city's efforts continue to turn heads, the surrounding county is keeping up with the pace. King County's new ordinance calls for the aggressive pursuit of "zero waste of resources by 2030 through maximum feasible and cost-effective prevention, reuse and reduction of solid waste." The county has a new disposal ban on certain electronics and a model network of local retailers who take back and recycle used electronics-sounds like a showstopper.
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Zero Waste Strategy Pads Nova Scotia's Wallet
Nova Scotia is widely known as a national and international leader in waste diversion-and it's paying fantastic dividends. A full cost accounting analysis of Nova Scotia's Solid Waste-Resource Management Strategy revealed net savings of between $31.2 and $167.7 million for one year alone (the broad range related to price estimates for greenhouse gases). The Canadian province achieved 50 percent diversion through disposal bans, beverage container deposits, take-back programs for difficult materials, and by providing curbside recycling and organics services to 99 percent and 76 percent of its population, respectively. And the news keeps getting better-the report identified several additional areas where Nova Scotia could save money and resources.
Cashing in on Organics Diversion
Under a new waste credit trading system in the United Kingdom, landfills diverting increasing quantities of organic materials may make millions selling their credits to other landfills. The UK implemented the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) to meet the EU landfill directive, which requires a 65 percent reduction in landfilled biodegradable waste by 2020. LATS caps the amount of organics that each local authority can send to the landfill, and those who landfill less than their allocation can sell the rest of their credits at market price. This flexible, market-based system rewards local authorities that cost-effectively divert organics and allows other regions to temporarily pay out of the mandate until their programs are up and running, all while LATS decreases the total quantity of landfilled organics. As the U.S. favors market-driven solutions, this should be a great program to watch.
Makers of Fat Tire Slim Down Their Footprint
Full on taste but light on environmental impact is the beer at Fort Collins' New Belgium Brewery. From motion sensor lights, daylighting, and sun tubes to radiant floor heating and swamp cooling systems to citrus-based cleaners, biodiesel, and offices decked out with recycled and recyclable materials, New Belgium's environmental commitment is as refreshing as any of their ales. Their onsite wastewater treatment facility fuels a co-generator that provides 60 percent of the Brewery's power while wind energy provides the rest. The treated wastewater serves evaporative cooling, cleaning, and landscaping needs, and the nutrient-rich sludge is sold for composting. Through recirculating heating and cooling systems and world-renowned brewing efficiency, the Brewery has nearly halved the average industry ratio of barrels of water to barrels of beer. The brewery pulls in cool winter air to chill its beer, sells spent grain as cattle feed, and of course, recycles dozens of materials. A toast to New Belgium!
Nothing Slips by in Norway
To more accurately reflect the environmental impacts of incineration, Norway has taxed fourteen pollutants emanating from incinerator stacks. Ranging from $3.17 (US) per gram for hydrogen fluoride to a whopping $366,000 per gram for dioxin, the tax averages $76 per metric ton incinerated. Other costly pollutants include dust, hydrogen chloride, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, mercury, cadmium, lead, chromium, copper, manganese, arsenic, and nickel. Carbon dioxide emissions cost about $6 per metric ton. Waste management taxes are nothing new in Norway where they're used to promote waste prevention and recovery. Landfills aren't off the hook either-landfilling organic or mixed waste carries a tax of $60-80 per metric ton.
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Ubiquitous Bag No More in San Francisco
The City of San Francisco is willing to bet that a new tax will make shoppers think twice about using disposable supermarket bags, and evidence from around the world implies that it's a safe wager. The City is in the final stages of approving a 17-cent tax on disposable supermarket checkout bags. The 50 million bags used annually in San Francisco financially burden the City through disposal and street cleaning costs, contamination at recycling and composting facilities, and future landfill liabilities-collectively to the tune of 17 cents per bag. Around the world, regions of Bangladesh, Taiwan, Ireland, South Africa, Somalia, India, Australia, and Alaska tax or ban disposable bags because they wreak havoc on the environment and epitomize waste and convenience. And so the age-old question of "paper or plastic" has been answered: "No thanks, I brought my own."
Nelson, British Columbia: Full Speed Ahead to Zero Waste
For a city with no curbside collection of recyclables, the transition to Zero Waste may appear a daunting task. But when landfill rates surged from $65 to $100 per metric ton, the City of Nelson, British Columbia stepped up to the challenge and adopted a Zero Waste Action Plan. Known for arts and recreation, this city of under 10,000 residents thrives upon tourism. Their embrace of Zero Waste offers Nelson an opportunity to become a focus for eco-tourism, a plus for the local economy and the environment. According to Donna Macdonald, Chair of the Nelson Waste Management Task Force, "This is a significant step forward for Nelson to view our wastes as resources. Our Council supports Zero Waste as a goal because it will be good for our local economy as well as good for the environment." Sounds like a viable strategy for some Colorado towns...
Maine and California: EPR from Sea to Shining Sea
From coast to coast, Extended Producer Responsibility for electronic waste is taking the country by storm and Eco-Cycle would like to see these policies continue to march inland. On the East Coast, Maine will require computer monitor manufacturers to fund the free-of-charge collection and recycling of their products as of 2006. A time-of-purchase fee ranging from $6 to $45 will fund the collection and recycling of televisions until 2012 when their manufacturers will assume full responsibility. On the West Coast, California became the first state to mandate a free-of-charge reuse and recycling program for cell phones. Retailers must have a system in place by 2006 for the acceptance and collection of cell phones for reuse, recycling, and proper disposal. According to the legislation, "It is the intent of the Legislature that the cost associated with the handling, recycling, and disposal of used cell phones be the responsibility of the producers and consumers of cell phones, and not local government or their service providers, state government, or taxpayers."
Taiwan: Save Those Food Scraps
Your mother always said that wasting food should be a crime. Beginning in 2006 it will be in Taiwan when mandatory food recycling is enacted. Households and restaurants will no longer scrape valuable food leftovers into the trash. These organic resources will be used, among other ways, in livestock feed and the production of compost. Recovering these otherwise discarded resources means a real economic boost. According to Lin Tzo-hsiang, Chief Inspectorate for the Taiwan Environmental Protection Agency, "We estimate that the economic benefits resulting from the program will amount to about NT$2.4 billion [US$71 million] annually." How much money is on your plate?
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European Union: Recharging the Responsibility for Used Batteries
While they might claim to keep going and going, all batteries eventually die, leaving us to deal with the disposal of billions of small concentrations of cadmium, lead, and mercury. Europe addressed this problem in 1991 by reducing the legal levels of these toxic metals; similar 1998 legislation slashed acceptable mercury levels by a factor of 100. While these policies succeeded in cutting toxicity levels, their voluntary approach to battery recycling failed, and the landfilling of batteries continued largely unabated. Under the new 2003 directive, battery producers will finance the treatment, recycling, and sound disposal of all spent batteries. Member states must establish free-of-charge collection schemes within one year and recycle 55 percent of the batteries' contents within three years. In contrast, here in the US the voluntary EPR network, the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, has largely floundered since its inception ten years ago. Initially setting a 70 percent recycling rate for Ni-Cd batteries by 2001, the program gradually phased out a recycling goal as observed collection rates around 25 percent fell far short of expectations.
Ireland: Commercial Packaging Targeted for Expanded Recycling
Drink a pint of Guinness in an Irish Bar and the bottle is sure to be recycled - by law! As of March 2003, all Irish businesses that supply packaging or packaged goods, including pubs, restaurants, clubs and hotels, must sort out and recycle all their packaging waste. This law essentially bans the landfilling of recyclable packaging materials and has set a goal of increasing commercial packaging recycling to 50% by 2005, in line with European legislation. This initiative will help boost Ireland's overall recycling rate by approximately 25%.
San Francisco Adopts Precautionary Principle: An Unprecedented Breakthrough in the Management of Environmental Issues in the United States
Remember the expression, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?" Well, it's the gist of the Precautionary Principle which is now city policy in San Francisco. All decisions undertaken in San Francisco must utilize the best available science so that "the alternative that presents the least potential threat to human health and the City's natural systems" are selected. This represents an unprecedented breakthrough in the management of environmental issues in the United States. "The Precautionary approach to decision-making will help San Francisco...by moving beyond finding cures for environmental ills to preventing the ills before they can do harm," states the City's ordinance. Following up on last year's goal of becoming a Zero Waste City, San Francisco is again leading the way toward an environmentally sustainable future.
South African Bill Proposes Deposit System to Increase Reuse and Recycling
Tired of seeing tires, aluminum cans, plastic bags, and glass bottles ending up in the landfill or strewn across the Veld, the South African government has introduced a bill that would set a new tax on consumer goods designed to discourage trash dumping and promote recycling. The tax would amount to a compulsory deposit on a variety of common items such as cans, bottles, tires and plastic bags. The deposit could then be redeemed by taking the item to a recycling center or by returning it for reuse. "This is a very important amendment which brings economic incentives into the issue of waste," said Chippy Olver, Director-General of the South African Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism.
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Seattle Mayor Wants Ban on Trashing Recyclables
With recycling rates falling to 38%, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is proposing a ban against putting paper, glass, cans or yard waste in the garbage can. The ban would apply to both residential and commercial property owners in the hopes of raising the city's recycling rate to 60%. "Recycling is the right thing to do, both from an environmental and cost basis," said Mayor Nickels. "Steps like these help the City reduce disposal costs and keep a lid on rates." Another key element of the plan includes food waste collection for businesses and the promotion of backyard food waste composting for residents. This initiative is currently being studied by the Seattle City Council. If San Francisco can aim for Zero Waste and Seattle for 60% recycling, what should we be aiming for here in Colorado?
British Liberal Democrats Adopt Zero Waste Platform
The Liberal Democrat party, a major force in British politics, has adopted Zero Waste as an official plank in their party platform. Zero Waste targets set in the platform include 60% of all waste recycled and composted by 2010, 75% by 2015 and 100% by 2020 throughout the UK, where the current recycling rate is 13%. The platform calls for more curbside recycling, a ban on landfilling organic waste, a ban on incineration, and a limit on waste disposal contracts to ten years in order to create greater competition. "Zero waste is a visionary policy," says Councillor Roger Symonds. "It views waste as a resource - we've got into a habit of forgetting that. Zero waste adds 'redesign' as a fourth 'R' at the top of the chain - it should be: redesign, reduce, re-use, recycle."
California Passes Electronics Law
California has become the first state to pass a law requiring retailers to collect a fee on computer monitors and televisions with screens larger than four inches. The fees, ranging from $6-$10, will be used by the state to fund the collection and recycling of these materials. Additionally, this legislation will hold manufacturers of these products responsible for phasing out the use of hazardous materials, and is consistent with European laws of the same nature. Environmental watchdog groups, the Basel Action Network and the EPR Working Group, would have preferred to see the law ban the export of collected materials to unregulated recycling markets overseas, require producers to take back and recycle their own products, spur green product design and place more financial responsibility on producers for handling this waste stream.
Communities all across the globe are realizing the benefits of Zero Waste and pursuing Zero Waste policies and practices. These are just some of the numerous and exciting advancements toward Zero Waste happening in communities of all sizes.