What is source reduction, also known as waste prevention? It is doing more with less: reduce, reuse, resource efficiency. More formally, it is "Any action undertaken by an individual or organization to eliminate or reduce the amount or toxicity of materials before they enter the municipal solid waste stream. This action is intended to conserve resources, promote efficiency, and reduce pollution." Waste reduction refers to the combined efforts of waste prevention, reuse, composting, and recycling practices. (Some groups use this term synonymously with source reduction, so check out how it is being used to avoid confusion.)
Source reduction does count towards 50%. Once a system is changed, the effects are ongoing. For example, a city implementing a program to grasscycle on public property will need to invest in mulching mowers and education for landscapers, creating ongoing benefits. Every time the grass is cut with the mulching mower, grasscycling happens. There isn't the on-going need to collect and manage these discards.
Ultimately, an increase in efficiency means less waste and cost savings. Source reduction can bring about cost savings from changes in labor, storage, printing, copying, postage, transportation, purchasing, and avoided disposal costs, to name a few. Very few local governments and businesses are accounting for the full benefits of source reduction. Typically, individuals in the solid waste field only consider avoided disposal costs and sometimes purchasing costs. Yet these cost savings are often a small portion of the total cost savings. A recent report, "Profiting from Source Reduction: Measuring the Hidden Benefits" prepared for Alameda County shows how the cost savings can justify the extra time and resources needed to implement source reduction, and help offset the cost of recycling and buy recycled programs.
When developing programs, focus on motivating messages tailored to each audience. For businesses -- highlight increases in profits, market share, favorable public relations, and environmental improvement. Information to citizens -- highlight benefits to future generations and to individuals in the form of convenience, saving time and money, and helping the environment. Included in the Appendix is a list of the more common source reduction programs and local contacts. Examples of some specific source reduction programs include.
1) Paper reduction: Sending reports electronically saved several companies millions in terms of dollars, labor, and pounds of paper discards.
2) On-site management of yard trimmings: Includes grasscycling and on-site composting, especially for large generators, e.g., public property, facilities with large landscaped areas, and landscapers who take care of large areas.
3) Shopping awareness: The San Francisco Bay area has a well-organized, large scale on-going effort to educate citizens about reducing waste through purchases.
4) Procurement. Buying recycled is extremely important for "closing the loop." This means uating a product's durability, repair-ability, upgrade-ability, efficiencies generated from product use, minimal packaging, systems of distribution, and other factors to determine its long term value.
5) Waste assessments: Understanding waste generation is a first step to reduce it. There is a need to understand how, who, and why waste is generated which is where most waste assessments fall short. The most far reaching changes involve upstream changes in the way work is done. The WPIE has a list of additional questions prepared by Dr. Eugene Tseng to supplement a waste assessment and promote a deeper level of understanding about how and why waste is generated. The CIWMB also has training materials for anyone interested in setting up a waste assessment program, available from Terri Cronin at 916-255-2499.
6) Material exchanges: The California Materials Exchange (CalMAX) is on-line at http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/calmax/ It can be used by anyone. To learn more, contact Kevin Taylor at 916-255-2487 or Ken Decio at 916-255-2625.
7) Pay-as-you-throw (a.k.a. variable can rates): It seems unfair to make small generators (typically singles, small families, and seniors) subsidize those who generate lots of waste. Pay-as-you-throw programs work best when the trash container is small enough to encourage recycling and source reduction. If your community already has a unit-pricing program using larger 90- gallon containers, investigate the possibility of smaller containers that still allow cans to be emptied mechanically.
8) Reduce unwanted mail: Programs that target unwanted (a.k.a. junk mail), tend to be very popular with citizens, but, in terms of reduced tonnages, don't expect a lot. By targeting a few of the worst offenders, you may be able to achieve significant reduction in unwanted mail, with minimum resources.
Source reduction does count towards the 50% diversion goal. Please contact the Waste Prevention Info Exchange for more information or to share your successes, so we can pass them along.
Commercial audits are essential to getting to the 50% diversion goal.
We work with businesses to identify and quantify source reduction, on-site waste reduction and recycling. We do audits combined with technical assistance. In any company, specific opportunities for waste reduction are often best identified by business/company staff. Implementation has to be by those who generate the waste, but consultants can make suggestions. Source reduction and diversion tonnage can only be estimated if individual program data and calculation methodology exist.
For example, in Carson we did the following audit steps with some key businesses:
1. Quantify existing disposal and recycling tonnages, including an assessment of existing recycling and source reduction practices.
2. Assess potential diversion practices and quantities (ie, replace wood pallets with reusable plastic pallets)
3. Provide technical and on-site assistance and help business estimate savings.
4. Follow-up to ensure everything is working.
Benefits to the municipality include:
1. Credit for implementing technical assistance.
2. Credit for implementing education and outreach.
3. Identify existing diversion missed in the base year.
4. Identify future program targets and opportunities.
5. Establish documentation for good faith efforts.
In Carson, the previous consultant identified less than 1% diversion by hauler. We used an 80/20 sample to stratify the businesses (we found 20% of businesses generated 80% of waste). We used standard materials from CIWMB. We audited 95 companies, and got 77.6% diversion rate from those companies. The results were:
Annual disposal 10,204 tons
Source reduction diverted 9,390 tons
Annual recycling diversion 25,903 tons
Annual generation 45,497 tons
Annual diversion 35,293 tons
Potential recycling diversion 1,011 tons
Potential source reduction 3,795 tons
Potential additional total 4,806 tons
This kind of success applies to communities with a large industrial base, not to residential communities.
Source reduction represents the greatest future potential for diversion in the commercial/industrial sector. If we call it waste prevention, it works better for public education. This is an invisible reduction program with big potential -- especially for big business. It needs publicity, programs and activities. By giving it highest priority you can eliminate waste before it occurs.
The CIWMB campaign says, "Let's make less of a contribution to the world. For example, single serving containers contribute garbage to our landfills, so buy in bulk, and leave less behind for the future. It's best to buy products without packaging." Remember, a stack of 1000 paper bags is 42" tall, but 1000 plastic bags is only 2 1/2" tall, so plastic takes a lot less volume and weight in the landfill. And remember, reusable canvas bags are best!
The Orange County recycling coordinators publicized a series of Earth Week events, including a "Dash against Trash," and various trash clean ups. We distributed book covers through the County Library system displaying a series of waste prevention ideas. We distributed examples to schools, emphasizing least wasteful packaging.
Suggestions to improve waste prevention:
1. Create an Environmental Education Committee, include members of the community, waste professionals, haulers, etc.
2. Create a joint committee with another community with the same hauler.
Waste prevention tips:
You need more than recycling programs, you need waste prevention.
Question from BFI: As a hauler serving non-exclusive communities, we find if you don't meet a goal you are kicked out. The problem is we don't have any control over the waste stream, because businesses don't tell us the amount of their source reduction. It is important to do the audits, because that can help increase your diversion percentage. If the city can't pay for the audits, go to the haulers, we are ready to work with you, we can help pay for them.
We help residents reduce junk mail at the source by sending a postcard to the mailers of junk mail. Because mail lists are sold, unless you ask to be taken off, you will be sold to many mailers. The most common source of mail lists is the Direct Marketing Association, mail preference center, but other companies also need to be notified. We use cable TV, word of mouth, community meetings, etc. to promote the program. It is successful and the residents want it. About half of the calls coming into the hotline are to request the junk mail reduction kit.
In addition we have a program to reduce unwanted handbills, flyers and papers being distributed to residences and private businesses. Those not wanting this door to door distribution can file a written declaration with the city clerk. Distributors in return are required to obtain these lists to make the appropriate adjustments to handouts. We also provide the No Handbill decal to residents for $2.50 for one and $.50 each additional. Currently 600 residents have signed up for the No Handbill listing. In our city of 113,000 residents, we also have the following programs:
The League of California Cities website has related information.