Stephanie Barger, Executive DirectorU.S. Zero Waste Business Council

www.uszwbc.org

ReduceReuse

Recycle = Zero Waste

GOING BEYOND RECYCLING

Provide Incentives Before Ban or Mandate

Eliminate Waste by Designing Out of Products and Processes

Foster Sustainable and Green Businesses

Retailers Take Back Difficult to Recycle Materials

Resource Recovery Park

Producer Responsibility

Expand City Outreach & Technical Assistance and Lead by Example

Jobs from Design & Discards

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

Empowered Consumer

The Zero Waste EconomyDesigning a Full-Cycle system – Upstream and Downstream

US EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy

Source Reduction – Reduce the amount of food waste being generated;Feed People – Donate excess food to food banks, soup kitchens and shelters;Feed Animals – Provide food scraps to farmers;Industrial Uses – Provide fats for rendering; oil for fuel; food discards for animal feed production; or anaerobic digestion combined with soil amendment production or composting of the residualsComposting – Recycle food scraps into a nutrient rich soil amendment

SOURCE REDUCTION

•Buying Locally vs. Buying Organic

•Inventory Control –Over buying

•Food packaging

•Reuse of fresh produce in soups, casseroles, pizza

Feed Hungry People

The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act

October 1, 1996: to encourage the donation of food and grocery products to non-profit charitable organizations for distribution to needy people.

In the United States alone, we waste about five million tons of food just between Thanksgiving and New Year's- that's enough to fill 125,000 18-wheelers, which would stretch from Chicago to Seattle. www.foodtank.org

Feed Hungry People

HEALTH CARE AGENCYHEALTH CARE AGENCYENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

Donated Food – Related Legal References

114432 Food Facility Donations -Any FOOD FACILITY may donate FOOD to a FOOD BANK or to another NONPROFIT CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION for distribution to PERSONs free of charge.114433 Criminal liability -No FOOD FACILITY that donates FOOD as permitted by Section 114432 shall be subject to civil or criminal liability or penalty 114434 Immunity113841 Nonprofit Charitable Organization (definition)

Is it possible?

One Size doesn’t fit all but there is one size for everyone

Vermicomposting Partnering with local farmers Anaerobic Digestion Dehydration Haulers partnering with composting

facilities On-site tumblers and composting

Number of Composting Facilities Growing

Athens Services, La Puente (serves greater L.A.) Community Recycling, Sun Valley CA and NV) Inland Empire Regional Compost Facility Miramar Landfill, San Diego Taormina Disposal/Anaheim Disposal Tierra Verde EcoCentre, El Toro Marine Base, OC OC LANDFILL ?????

Act now for Food Scrap policies

10,000 tons of SW =Landfill - 1 jobComposting – 4 jobsRecycling – 10 jobsReuse – 75 –250 jobs

Source: www.ilsr.org

Compassionate consumption Supporting local farmers and

businesses Returning needed nutrients to our soil Saving water Creating Jobs Eliminating Green House gases

2nd Annual National Zero Waste Business ConferenceMay 8th and 9th – Cincinnati, OH

Stephanie Barger, Executive DirectorU.S. Zero Waste Business Council

www.uszwbc.org