Zero Waste 2020 A Key Step towards Sustainability

1
Zero Waste 2020 A Key Step towards
Sustainability

• Dr Paul Connett
• Emeritus Professor of Environmental Chemistry
• Director
• Zero Waste for Sustainability Project (AEHSP)
• www.AmericanHealthStudies.org
• Paul_at_fluorideALERT.org
• Portland, March 2, 2009

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Outline

• 1. Waste managment and the BIG PICTURE
• 2. The Zero waste 2020 strategy
• 3. Concluding remarks
• 4. Postscript

3
Introduction. Waste management and the Big
Picture
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DIFFERENT TIMES DEMAND DIFFERENT QUESTIONS
21st CENTURY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT How do we
handle our discarded resources in ways which do
not deprive future generations of some, if not
all, of their value ?
20th CENTURY WASTE MANAGEMENT How do we get
rid of our waste efficiently with minimum damage
to our health and the environment ?
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DIFFERENT TIMES DEMAND DIFFERENT QUESTIONS
21st CENTURY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT How do we
handle our discarded resources in ways which do
not deprive future generations of some, if not
all, of their value ?
20th CENTURY WASTE MANAGEMENT How do we get
rid of our waste efficiently with minimum damage
to our health and the environment ?
The key issue is SUSTAINABILIY
The key issue was SAFETY
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We are living on this planet as if we had
another one to go to
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We are living on this planet as if we had
another one to go to
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(No Transcript)
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• We cannot run a throwaway society on a finite
  planet
• Waste is the evidence that we are doing something
  wrong
• Landfills BURY the evidence
• Incinerators BURN the evidence
• We need to face the real problem

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Our task is to fight over-consumption
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Not only is over-consumption giving us a local
waste crisis but also
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a Global crisis
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The Global CrisisSince the Industrial
Revolution we have imposed a linear society on a
planet that functions in circles
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A LINEAR SOCIETY
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A LINEAR SOCIETY
Extraction
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A LINEAR SOCIETY
Extraction
Production
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A LINEAR SOCIETY
Extraction
Production
Consumption
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A LINEAR SOCIETY
Extraction
Production
Consumption
Waste
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A LINEAR SOCIETY See www.StoryofStuff.org
Extraction
Production
Consumption
Waste
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Advertising/TV
Extraction
Production
Consumption
Waste
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Over-advertisingproducesOver-consumption
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By the time a high school student leaves school,
he or she will have watched over 350,000 TV
commercials. Paul Hawken The Ecology of
Commerce.
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Myth versus Reality

• THE MYTH
• The more you consume the happier you become
• THE REALITY
• The more you consume the fatter you become!

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From Ape to...
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Modern man!
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The world has enough for everyones needbut not
for everyones greedMahatma Gandhi
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A LINEAR SOCIETY
ENERGY
Extraction of Virgin Materials
Production of Manufactured items
Consumption
Waste
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
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ENERGY
ENERGY
Extraction of Virgin Materials
Production of Manufactured items
Consumption
Discarded Materials
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
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ENERGY
ENERGY
Extraction of Virgin Materials
Production of Manufactured items
Consumption
Discarded Materials
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
GLOBAL WARMING
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How do waste management practices affect this
picture?
ENERGY
ENERGY
Extraction of Virgin Materials
Production of Manufactured items
Consumption
Discarded Materials
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
GLOBAL WARMING
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LANDFILLS
ENERGY
ENERGY
Extraction of Virgin Materials
Production of Manufactured items
Consumption
Discarded Materials
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
GLOBAL WARMING
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INCINERATION
ENERGY
ENERGY
Extraction of Virgin Materials
Production of Manufactured items
Consumption
Discarded Materials
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
GLOBAL WARMING
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RECYCLING OF MATERIALS
ENERGY
ENERGY
Extraction of Virgin Materials
Production of Manufactured items
Consumption
Discarded Materials
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
GLOBAL WARMING
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REUSE OF OBJECTS
ENERGY
ENERGY
Extraction of Virgin Materials
Production of Manufactured items
Consumption
Discarded Materials
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
GLOBAL WARMING
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COMPOSTING
ENERGY
ENERGY
Extraction of Virgin Materials
Production of Manufactured items
Consumption
Discarded Materials
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
Solid waste Air pollution Water pollution Carbon
dioxide
GLOBAL WARMING
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COMPOST
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Kg Greenhouse gas/tonne Municipal Waste
A combination of recycling and composting is 46 times better -461
at reducing greenhouse gases than X 46
Incineration generating electricty -10
Waste Management Options and Climate Change. AEA
2001
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Incineration is a waste of energy!

• About 4 X more energy saved by reusing, recycling
  and composting the various components in the
  discard stream
• Contact Dr. Jeffrey Morris, jeff.morris_at_zerowaste
  .com

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Energy Comparison Recycling versus incineration
(ICF consulting, 2005)
material Energy savings from recycling GJ/tonne Energy output from incineration GJ/tonne Energy savings recycling versus incineration
Newsprint 6.33 2.62 2.4
Fine paper 15.87 2.23 7.1
Cardboard 8.56 2.31 3.7
Other paper 9.49 2.25 4.2
HDPE 64.27 6.30 10.2
PET 85.16 3.22 26.4
Other plastic 52.09 4.76 10.9
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Energy Comparison Recycling versus incineration
(ICF consulting, 2005)
material Energy savings from recycling GJ/tonne Energy output from incineration GJ/tonne Energy savings recycling versus incineration
Newsprint 6.33 2.62 2.4
Fine paper 15.87 2.23 7.1
Cardboard 8.56 2.31 3.7
Other paper 9.49 2.25 4.2
HDPE 64.27 6.30 10.2
PET 85.16 3.22 26.4
Other plastic 52.09 4.76 10.9
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Arguments against incineration

• It is a bad economic investment and very bad for
  the local economy
• It wastes valuable material resources
• It wastes energy
• It wastes the opportunity to really fight global
  warming
• It produces a toxic ash
• It produces toxic air emissions
• It is extremely unpopular with the public
• It is not sustainable
• It is very very BORING

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Incineration is a poor investment

• Most of the money spent on incinerators goes into
  complicated machinery and leaves the community,
  whereas
• The money spent on the alternatives goes into
  JOBS and stays in the community.

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Incinerator in Brescia, Italy
The incinerator cost 400,000,000 and only
produced 80 jobs!
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Nova Scotia

• 50 diversion in 5 years (Halifax 60)
• 1000 jobs created collecting and treating
  discarded materials
• Another 2000 jobs created in the industries
  handling the collected material
• Nearly all the separated materials are re-used in
  Nova Scotias own industries.

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Incineration is extremely unpopular

• In the US over 300 incinerator proposals defeated
  between 1985 and 1995
• US has not permitted a new trash incinerator
  since 1995.

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Think of an incinerator as three boxes
1. The Furnace which Converts 100s of Tons of
trash into Trillions of tiny particles and gases.
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1. The Furnace which Converts 100s of Tons of
trash into Trillions of tiny particles and gases.
2. The Air Pollution control devices Which
attempt to capture the tiny particles and some
of the gases
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1. The Furnace which Converts 100s of Tons of
trash into Trillions of tiny particles and gases.
2. The Air Pollution control devices Which
attempt to capture the tiny particles and some
of the gases
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1. The Furnace which Converts 100s of Tons of
trash into Trillions of tiny particles and gases.
3. A depository for the tiny particles captured
(the fly ash) and the bottom ash
2. The Air Pollution control devices which
attempt to capture the tiny particles and some
of the gases
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Incinerators dont get rid of Landfills
1. The Furnace which Converts 100s of Tons of
trash into Trillions of tiny particles and gases.
3. A depository for the tiny particles captured
(the fly ash) and the bottom ash
2. The Air Pollution control devices which
attempt to capture the tiny particles and some
of the gases
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1. The Furnace which Converts 100s of Tons of
trash into Trillions of tiny particles and gases.
3. A depository for the tiny particles captured
(the fly ash) and the bottom ash
2. The Air Pollution control devices which
attempt to capture the tiny particles and some
of the gases
For every three - four tons of trash you get one
ton of toxic ash!
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Even if we made incineration safe we would never
make it sensible -
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Even if we made incineration safe we would never
make it sensible - It simply does not make sense
spending so much money destroying resources we
should be sharing with the future. (PC)
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The modern incinerator is attempting to perfect a
bad idea

• Our task in the 21st Century is not to find
  better ways to destroy discarded materials
• But to stop making packaging and products that
  have to be destroyed!

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Waste is not a technical problem but

• a problem of
• organization,
• education,
• industrial design and responsibility
• Eliminating waste, is the key stepping stone in
  moving from a throwaway society to a sustainable
  society.

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2. The Zero waste 2020 strategy
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The Zero Waste 2020 strategy

• Says NO to incineration and
• NO to mega-landfills

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To move towards zero waste sustainability

• We need three things
• INDUSTRIAL RESPONSIBILITY (at the front end)
• COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY (at the back end)
• 3) GOOD LEADERSHIP (to link the two together)

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Industrial Responsibility

• 1. Design for sustainability
• 2. Clean production
• 3. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

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Extended Producer Responsibilty - packaging

• The Ontario Beer industry has been using
  refillable glass bottles for over 50 years
• 98 recovered
• Each bottle reused 18 times
• It saves the company money
• 2000 jobs in collection and cleaning
• No cost to municipality

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Extended Producer Responsibilty - products

• XEROX CORPORATION EUROPE
• Recovers copying machines from 16 different
  countries
• Takes them to huge warehouses in the Netherlands,
  where the machines are stripped down for parts
  and materials
• 95 of materials recovered for reuse or
  recycling!
• This is saving Xerox 76 millions a year!!

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COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY

• Community responsibility begins with Source
  Separation

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Source Separation
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Source Separation
Door to Door Collection
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The Fantastic 3
The San Francisco system
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1
2
3
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1
2
3
Composting Facility
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Composting Facility
Near San Francisco
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1
2
3
Composting Facility
Materials Recovery Facility
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Materials Recovery Facility
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1
2
3
Composting Facility
Materials Recovery Facility
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1
2
3
Composting Facility
Materials Recovery Facility
We have to minimize the quantity of the
residuals going into the third container
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Three ways to minimize the residual fraction with

• 1) Waste reduction initiatives
• 2) Reuse, repair and deconstruction
• 3) Economic incentives

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Waste Reduction Initiatives
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Ireland

• Government put a 15 cent tax on plastic shopping
  bags -
• This reduced use by 92 in one year

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Italy

• A supermarket chain near Florence is providing
  dispensers which allow customers to refill
  shampoo and detergent bottles
• Others wine, water and milk

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• Un pizzico di creatività a monte può far
  risparmiare milioni a valle

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Reuse, Repair and Deconstruction
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Reuse, Repair Deconstruction
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reuse
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VIDEOS

• On the Road to Zero Waste
• Part 1 Nova Scotia
• Part 2 Burlington, Vermont
• Part 3 Canberra, Australia
• Part 4 San Francisco
• Zero Waste Idealistic Dream or Realistic Goal?
• Pieces of Zero Creativity versus Waste
• www.AmericanHealthStudies.org

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Economic Incentives
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The pay by bag system
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The pay by bag system
1
Free
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The pay by bag system
1
2
Free
Free
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The pay by bag system
1
2

The more you make The more you Pay!
Free
Free
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1
2

Waste Reduction initiatives
Composting Facility
Recycling Facility
?
Reuse and Repair Centers
Deconstruction
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1
2
3
Waste Reduction initiatives
Composting Facility
Materials Recovery Facility
Residuals Our Current Failures
Reuse Repair
Deconstruction
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Landfills Incinerators attempt to make the
residuals disappear
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To move towards zero waste sustainabilitywe
need to make the remaining residuals very
visible
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Residual Separation Facility
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Residuals must not go directly to a landfill

• but to a residual separation facility built
• in front of the landfill

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RESIDUAL SEPARATION FACILITY
Built in front of landfill
DIRTY ORGANIC FRACTION
MORE TOXICS
MORE RECYCLABLES
Operating in Nova Scotia
BIOLOGICAL STABILIZATION
INTERIM LANDFILL
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Two improvements on the Nova Scotia system
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DIRTY ORGANIC FRACTION
METHANE
PLASTICS
DIRTY ORGANIC FRACTION
HYDRO PULPER
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
HEAVY ITEMS
SOLID RESIDUE
INTERIM LANDFILL
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RESIDUAL SEPARATION RESEARCH FACILITY
DIRTY ORGANIC FRACTION
MORE TOXICS
MORE RECYCLABLES
NON-TOXIC, NON-BIODEGRADABLE FRACTION
HYDROPULPER
RESEARCH CENTER
INTERIM LANDFILL
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RESIDUAL SCREENING RESEARCH FACILITY
NON-RECYCABLE MATERIALS
RESEARCH CENTER
Local University
Or Technical College
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RESEARCH CENTER

• Maximize capture rate
• Research and promote waste reduction initiatives
• Look for local uses of some material
• Recommend better industrial design to industry
• Link zero waste research to other aspects of
  sustainability

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The Message to Industry

• If we cant reuse it, recycle it or compost it,
• Industry shouldnt be making it!
• We need better industrial design for the 21st
  Century

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The Research Center is thelaboratory for
sustainability
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Research centers
Institute for Zero Waste Sustainability
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Institute for Zero Waste Sustainability
1) Research for better industrial design 2) Link
Zero Waste with other aspectsof sustainability
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Zero Waste Sustainability

• Too important to be left to waste experts
• We need all sectors involved if we are to move
  towards a sustainable society
• As far as sustainability is concerned the waste
  problem is a fabulous place to start

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Education For Sustainability
Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable Architecture
Rifiuti Zero 2020
Sustainable industries Jobs
Sustainable Energy
Sustainable Community development
Sustainable Economic development
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Education For Sustainability
Sustainable Agriculture
Better Industrial Design
Sustainable Architecture
Rifiuti Zero 2020
Sustainable industries Jobs
Sustainable Energy
Sustainable Community development
Sustainable Economic development
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Composting
Education For Sustainability
Sustainable Agriculture
Better Industrial Design
Sustainable Architecture
Rifiuti Zero 2020
Sustainable industries Jobs
Sustainable Energy
Sustainable Community development
Sustainable Economic development
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Research Center
Composting
Education For Sustainability
Sustainable Agriculture
Better Industrial Design
Sustainable Architecture
Rifiuti Zero 2020
Sustainable industries Jobs
Sustainable Energy
Sustainable Community development
Sustainable Economic development
109
Research Center
Composting
Education For Sustainability
Sustainable Agriculture
Better Industrial Design
Deconstruction
Sustainable Architecture
Rifiuti Zero 2020
Sustainable industries Jobs
Sustainable Energy
Sustainable Community development
Sustainable Economic development
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Research Center
Composting
Education For Sustainability
Sustainable Agriculture
Better Industrial Design
Deconstruction
Sustainable Architecture
Rifiuti Zero 2020
Sustainable industries Jobs
Anaerobic Digestion
Sustainable Energy
Sustainable Community development
Sustainable Economic development
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Research Center
Composting
Education For Sustainability
Sustainable Agriculture
Better Industrial Design
Deconstruction
Sustainable Architecture
Rifiuti Zero 2020
Sustainable industries Jobs
Anaerobic Digestion
Sustainable Energy
Sustainable Community development
Sustainable Economic development
100s of green boxes
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Research Center
Composting
Education For Sustainability
Sustainable Agriculture
Better Industrial Design
Deconstruction
Sustainable Architecture
Rifiuti Zero 2020
Sustainable industries Jobs
Anaerobic Digestion
Sustainable Energy
Sustainable Community development
Sustainable Economic development
Reuse Repair Centers
100s of green boxes
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The antidote to over-consumption (a life built
around the accumulation of objects)
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Is community development (a life built around the
expansion of human relationships).
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Make Friends,Not Waste
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Reuse Repair Center
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Reuse, Repair Community Center
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Current Situation
Material consumption
Standard of Living
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Change 1
Solar Power
Material consumption
Standard of Living
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Change 2
Solar Power
Zero Waste
Standard of Living
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Change 3
Solar Power
Zero Waste
Quality of life
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We have decouple quality of life from material
consumption
Material consumption
Quality of life
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Summary of the Zero Waste 2020 strategy
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Source Separation
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Source Separation
Door to Door Collection
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Composting
Source Separation
Door to Door Collection
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Composting
Source Separation
Door to Door Collection
Recycling
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Composting
Source Separation
Door to Door Collection
Waste Reduction Initiatives
Recycling
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Composting
Source Separation
Door to Door Collection
Waste Reduction Initiatives
Recycling
Reuse, Repair Community Center
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Composting
Source Separation
Door to Door Collection
Waste Reduction Initiatives
Recycling
Reuse, Repair Community Center
Economic Incentives
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Composting
Source Separation
Door to Door Collection
Waste Reduction Initiatives
Recycling
Reuse, Repair Community Center
Residual Separation, Research Center
Economic Incentives
132
Composting
Source Separation
Door to Door Collection
Waste Reduction Initiatives
Recycling
Reuse, Repair Community Center
Better Industrial Design
Residual Separation, Research Center
Economic Incentives
133
Composting
Source Separation
Door to Door Collection
Waste Reduction Initiatives
Recycling
Reuse, Repair Community Center
Better Industrial Design
Residual Separation, Research Center
Economic Incentives
Temporary Landfill
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Composting
Source Separation
Door to Door Collection
Waste Reduction Initiatives
Recycling
Reuse, Repair Community Center
Better Industrial Design
Residual Separation, Research Center
Economic Incentives
2020
Temporary Landfill
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Zero Waste 2020 is an idealistic goal which can
be approached through a series of simple and
practical steps
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San Francisco

• Population 850,000
• Very little space
• 50 waste diverted by 2000
• 63 waste diverted by 2004
• 70 waste diverted by 2008
• GOAL 75 waste diverted by 2010
• GOAL 100 waste diverted by 2020
• Zero Waste or darn close!

137
Italy

• 2000 communities have achieved over 50 diversion
  using porta a porta collection systems
• Treviso (pop. 860,000) gt 66 diversion
• Novarra (pop. 100,000) 70 diversion in 18
  months.
• Villafranca dAsti (pop. 30,000) 85 diversion

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VIDEOS

• On the Road to Zero Waste
• Part 1 Nova Scotia
• Part 2 Burlington, Vermont
• Part 3 Canberra, Australia
• Part 4 San Francisco
• Zero Waste Idealistic Dream or Realistic Goal?
• Pieces of Zero Creativity versus Waste
• www.AmericanHealthStudies.org

139
3. Concluding Remarks
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Moving towards sustainability is going to be the
greatest challenge of the 21 St Century and it is
going to take good leadership
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GOOD LEADERSHIP

• We need leaders who have
• A big vision
• Imagination
• Creativity
• Perseverence
• and
• WHO ARE NOT BORING!

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HUMAN BORINGS

• Have no vision
• Have no imagination
• Have no sense of humor
• Are obsessively tidy
• Confuse being clever with being wise
• Think that technology can solve every problem
• Think that man is the center of the universe
• And a womans place is in the kitchen!

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BORING EXPERTS

• Think with the wrong end of their bodies

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A BACK END THINKER
1. A CUP 2. A BUCKET 3. A FOOT PUMP 4. AN
ELECTRIC PUMP
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A FRONT END THINKER
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Our only hope to move towards sustainability in
time, is to move to the front end of the problem
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THE BACK END OF WASTE MANAGEMENT
NO to INCINERATORS
NO to LANDFILLS
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THE BACK END OF WASTE MANAGEMENT
THE FRONT END OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT BETTER IN
DUSTRIAL DESIGN
NO to INCINERATORS
NO to LANDFILLS
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WITH INCINERATION

• WE CONVERT 3 TONS OF TRASH
• into
• 1 ton of ASH
• That nobody wants!

150
WITH THE ZERO WASTE 2020 STRATEGY

• WE CONVERT 3 TONS OF TRASH
• into
• 1 ton of compostables
• 1 ton of recyclables
• and
• 1 ton of EDUCATION!

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Conclusions

• We do not need mega-landfills or incinerators!
• There is a better strategy which is
• Better for our health,
• Better for the local and national economy,
• Better for our children, and
• Better for the planet!

152
Three final messages

• 1. To citizens - dont let the experts take your
  common sense away
• 2. To politicians - put your faith back in people
• 3. To activists -
• HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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God recycles, The devil burns
154
Postscript
155
Detoxifying our lives

• Get lead out of gasoline
• Get mercury out of products, vaccines and our
  mouths
• Get PVC out of commerce
• Get incineration out of waste management
• Get waste out of the dictionary
• Get aspartame out of soft drinks
• Get soft drinks out of our schools
• Get scientific integrity back into our regulatory
  agencies
• Get fluoride out of our water

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www.FluorideALERT.org
157
Staying in contact
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Staying in contact

• www.AmericanHealthStudies.org
• www.FluorideALERT.org
• pconnett_at_gmail.com
• And on the Second Sunday of each month 7-8 pm PT
  (4-5 pm EST)
• SECOND SUNDAY CLASSICS at
• www.NCPR.org