Presentation at Massachusetts Sustainable Communities and Campuses Conference

1. Zero Waste: A Stepping Stone
to Sustainability
Paul Connett, PhD
Executive Director (AEHSP)
AmericanHealthStudies.org
pconnett@gmail.com
Lowell, April 17, 2014

3. Sostenibilita’

4. OUTLINE
1) A few words about Sustainability
2) Ten Steps to Zero Waste
3) The Fourth R
4) Linking Zero waste with other steps to
sustainability

5. 1. A few words about
Sustainability

6. We are living on this
planet as if we had
another one to go to!

7. Sustainability
n We would need FOUR planets if every
one consumed as much as the average
American
n We would need TWO planets if every
one consumed as much as the average
European
n Meanwhile, India, China etc. are
copying our consumption patterns
n Something has got to change and the
best place to start is with waste

8. As far as sustainability is concerned
Every ton of waste that we landfill or
incinerate takes us in the wrong
direction
Whereas, every ton we
Compost,
Reuse,
Recycle, or
Avoid
Takes us in the right direction

9. The modern incinerator (or gasifier)
is attempting to perfect a bad idea
n Our task in the 21st Century is not to
find better ways to destroy discarded
materials
n But to stop making packaging and
products that have to be destroyed!

10. The Waste problem will not be
solved with better technology
n But with
n Better organization
n Better education
n and better industrial design

12. 6. Waste
Reduction
Initiatives
4.
Recycling
5. Reuse,
Repair &
Deconstruction
1.
Source
Separation
2.
Door to Door
Collection
3.
Composting
8. Residual
Separation &
Research
Center
9. Better
Industrial
Design
7.
Economic
Incentives
10. Interim Landfill 2020

13. STEP 2.

14. The San Francisco system
Once a week pick-up
FRAZIONE
RESIDUA
FRAZIONE
ORGANICO
MULTI-
MATERIALE

15. In Wales, some communities are
serviced by collection systems
which sort at kerb

19. Capannori
LUNEDI ORGANICO
MARTEDI MULTIMATERIALE
MERCOLEDI CARTA
GIOVEDI FRAZIONE
RESIDUA
VENERDI ORGANICO
SABATO MULTIMATERIALE

20. Hernani en Europa

25. Calidad del compost
Pureza del 99,76 %

26. STEP 3.

27. 1.
Source
Separation
2.
Door to Door
Collection
3.
Composting

28. The Composting plant
Serving San Francisco

29. Local farmers use compost

30. The fruit and vegetables go back to
restaurants in San Francisco

31. Local farmers use compost
Over 200 vineyards use the compost

32. We must involve restaurant owners

33. STEP 5.

34. Reuse and
Repair
Centers
(Community
Centers)

39. n Grossing $3 million per year
n 27 full-time well-paid jobs
n Urban Ore
operating for 30
years

40. ReSource, Burlington, Vermont

41. ReSource, Burlington, Vermont

44. Kretsloppsparken – the Reuse Park
in Gottenburg, Sweden.
KretsloppsparkenKretsloppsparken

52. The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.

53. 4.
Recycling
5. Reuse,
Repair &
Deconstruction
1.
Source
Separation
2.
Door to Door
Collection
3.
Composting

54. San Francisco
n Population = 850,000
n Very little space
n 50% waste diverted by 2000
n 80% waste diverted by 2011
n ZERO WASTE by 2020 (or very close!)

55. Italy
n Over 200 communities
achieving over 70% diversion-
n and some very quickly

56. Italy
n Salerno (near Naples, pop
145,000) 18% to 72% in two
years!

57. Flanders
This whole province in Belgium (population 6
million people) is getting 73% diversion

58. STEP 6.

59. Waste
Reduction
Initiatives

60. Ireland
n Government put a 15 cent
tax on plastic shopping bags
n reduced use by 92% in one
year!

61. In Ontario, Canada
n They have been
REUSING glass beer
bottles for over 60
years!

62. In Ontario, Canada
n They have been
REUSING glass beer
bottles for over 60
years!

63. L’esperienza effecorta
a cura di Pietro Angelini,
scio fondatore ed ideatore effecorta
Capannori, 23-01-2010
www.effecorta.it
Effecorta,
A food store in
Capannori,
Tuscany, Italy

64. 60 taps

68. No plastic bags used

70. REUSABLE PAMPERS

71. STEP 7.

72. $$$
Economic
Incentives

73. 1 2 3
free free
The “ Pay by bag” system

74. 1 2 $
free free
The more
you make
the more
you pay!
The “ Pay by bag” system

75. Italia
n Villafranca d’Asti
(population = 3,000) went
from 70% to 85% using
“pay by bag” system

76. Step 8
Is the most
important step
For Zero Waste

77. 8A. The Residual
Screening Facility

78. Nova Scotia, Canada
n These are built IN FRONT of the
landfills
n No waste can go directly to the landfill.
It must first go through the screening
facility

80. TOSSICI
IMPIANTO DI SEPARAZONE della FRAZIONE RESIDUA
PIU’
RICICLABILI
FRAZIONE
ORGANICA
SPORCA
DISCARICA TEMPORANEA
Operating in
Nuova Scotia
Canada
Compostaggio

81. Nova Scotia, Canada

82. TOSSICI
IMPIANTO DI SEPARAZONE della FRAZIONE RESIDUA
PIU’
RICICLABILI
FRAZIONE
ORGANICA
SPORCA
DISCARICA TEMPORANEA
Operating in
Nuova Scotia
Canada
Compostaggio

83. TOSSICI
IMPIANTO DI SEPARAZONE della FRAZIONE RESIDUA
PIU’
RICICLABILI
FRAZIONE
ORGANICA
SPORCA
DISCARICA TEMPORANEA
Operating in
Nuova Scotia
Canada
Compostaggio

84. MORE TOXICS
RESIDUAL SCREENING FACILITY
MORE
RECYCLABLES
DIRTY
ORGANIC
FRACTION

85. TOSSICI
IMPIANTO DI SEPARAZONE della FRAZIONE RESIDUA
PIU’
RICICLABILI
FRAZIONE
ORGANICA
SPORCA
DISCARICA TEMPORANEA
Operating in
Nuova Scotia
Canada
Compostaggio

88. FRAZIONE
RESIDUA
FRAZIONE
ORGANICO
MULTI-
MATERIALE

89. TOSSICI
IMPIANTO DI SEPARAZONE della FRAZIONE RESIDUA
PIU’
RICICLABILI
FRAZIONE
ORGANICA
SPORCA
DISCARICA TEMPORANEA
Operating in
Nuova Scotia
Canada
Compostaggio

90. MORE TOXICS
RESIDUAL SCREENING FACILITY
MORE
RECYCLABLES
DIRTY
ORGANIC
FRACTION
INTERIM LANDFILL for non-recyclable and stabilized organic fraction
BIOLOGICAL
STABILIZATION

92. 8B.
THE ZERO WASTE
RESEARCH CENTER

93. MORE TOXICS
NON-RECYCLABLE FRACTION
RESIDUAL SCREENING & RESEARCH FACILITY
MORE
RECYCLABLES
DIRTY
ORGANIC
FRACTION
ZERO WASTE
RESEARCH
CENTER

94. NON-RECYCABLE MATERIALS
Local
University
Or
Technical College
ZERO WASTE
RESEARCH CENTER

97. THE RESIDUAL SEPARATION AND
ZERO WASTE RESEARCH CENTER
COMMUNITY
RESPONSIBILITY
INDUSTRIAL
RESPONSIBILITY

98. The Message to Industry:
• If we can’t reuse it, recycle it or compost
it,
• Industry shouldn’t be making it
• We need better industrial design for the
21st Century

99. The 4th R

100. The 4th R =
RE-DESIGN

101. Community Responsibility
= Reduce, Reuse, Recycle/
Compost
Industrial Responsibility
= Re-Design
ZERO WASTE

102. STEP 9.

103. 9. Better
Industrial
Design

104. 10. An interim landfill
for biologically
stabilized dirty organic
fraction

105. 6. Waste
Reduction
Initiatives
4.
Recycling
5. Reuse,
Repair &
Deconstruction
1.
Source
Separation
2.
Door to Door
Collection
3.
Composting
8. Residual
Separation &
Research
Center
9. Better
Industrial
Design
7.
Economic
Incentives
10. Interim Landfill 2020

106. 6. Waste
Reduction
Initiatives
4.
Recycling
5. Reuse,
Repair &
Deconstruction
1.
Source
Separation
2.
Door to Door
Collection
3.
Composting
8. Residual
Separation &
Research
Center
9. Better
Industrial
Design
7.
Economic
Incentives
10. Interim Landfill 2020

107. Zero Waste
2020
Education
For
Sustainability
Sustainable
Economic
development
Sustainable
Agriculture
Sustainable
Community
development
Sustainable
Energy
Sustainable
industries
& Jobs
Sustainable
Architecture

108. This plan
1) Is better for the Economy…
MORE JOBS
2) Is better for our HEALTH…
LESS TOXICS
3) Is better for our UNIVERSITIES
MORE MEANING
4) Is better for the PLANET…
MORE SUSTAINABLE
5) Is better for our CHILDREN…
MORE HOPE

109. Extra Slides