United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pollution Prevention Washington, DC 20460 April 1990 &EPA Pollution Prevention News Inside: In the News; Calendar Global ReLeaf Focus on: Household Hazardous Waste Interview with Barry Commoner EPA Earth Day 1990 Tree g Registry Form 2 3 4 To be added to our mailing list, please write: Pollution Prevention News U.S. EPA 401 M Street SW (PM-219) Washington, DC 20460 Editorial Staff: Priscilla Flattery, Editor Herman Phillips Gilah Langner Editor's Corner by William K. Reilly The 20th anniversary of Earth Day, this April 22, like the first Earth Day in 1970, marks a turning pointa time when we must find a new approach to meeting our needs. We must find ways to continue economic growth without depicting the natural capital of the planet. I am encouraged today that our institutions and our people seem ready to embrace a new ethic, a new sense of stewardship on behalf of the environment. At the heart of this is a new approach to waste: reducing and preventing it. Pollution prevention must become the watch- word for all our activities. EPA has set a goal of recycling or reducing 25% of the nation's mu- nicipal waste by 1992. This is a realistic national goal if everyone contributes government, business, and especially consumers. Increas- ingly, businesses are recognizing that pollution prevention can often save them money. As the magazine The Economist recently suggested, more and more, good growth will be "green" growth. New products need to be designed with less use of toxic material, and more attention to their recyclability and ultimate disposal. Manufac- turers and distributors need to eliminate unnec- essary packaging. And we all need to rethink the wisdom of disposable products, however convenient they may seem at first glance. Recycling is another important step in assur- ing that the nation's basic stock of ecological capital remains intact for future generations. This need not come at the expense of economic progress. Not surprisingly, countries that have already made considerable progress in recy- cling aluminum, steel, paper, and glass areat the top of the list of international economic per- formers. At EPA, we're doing our part to encourage markets for recycled and recyclable materials. We are taking action to reduce or eliminate pollutants at the source, such as our bans on EPA's Administrator William K. Reilly CFCs, asbestos, and lead in gasoline and drink- ing water. We're also changing enforcement policies to favor implementation of fundamen- tal alterations in products and processes, in addition'to meeting end-of-pipe pollution stan- dards. Some of the most intractable pollution prob- lems confronting us are from decentralized sources and thus will require the help of many people throughout our society if the problems are to be addressed. We are dramatically in- creasing our support for education. I recently created an Agency-wide Environmental Educa- tion Task Force to work with the states to de- velop an environmental education program. EPA is also sponsoring the first National Mi- nority Environmental Career Conference in April, in Washington, DC, in order to attract more of our brightest students to environmental fields. My hope for Earth Day 1990 is that this cele- bration can help bring about a national commit- ment to pollution prevention through the ac- tions of millions of individuals finding ways to prevent, recycle, and reduce waste. Let us work together to preserve our environmental legacy and create a growing, sustainable, environmen- tally sound economy for generations to come. Printed on Recycled Paper ------- Pollution Prevention News - 2 April 1990 In the News Int'l Conference on Pollution Prevention The International Conference on Pollution Prevention to be held June 10-13 in Washing- ton, D.C. will feature Henry Habicht, Dep- uty Administrator of EPA as the keynote speaker, with a program of 52 sessions fo- cusing on innovative technologies and so- cio-economic issues in pollution prevention. Countries to be highlighted in the interna- tional sessions include Germany, the Neth- erlands, Scandinavia, Canada, and Yugosla- via; additional time will be reserved for dis- cussions on US-USSR issues with members of the US-USSR Joint Committee on Coop- eration in the Field of Environmental Protec- tion. Sponsored by EPA and the International Association for Clean Technology, the con- ference will also present William H. Parker III, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Environment), Dr. Horst Wiesebach, Dep- uty Director of the U.N. Industrial Develop- ment Organization, Barry Commoner, Di- rector of the Center for the Biology of Natu- ral Systems, and Kathryn S. Fuller, President of the World Wildlife Fund and the Conser- vation Foundation. The conference will be conducted in ac- cordance with "clean principles," meaning non-disposable or reusable conference ma- terials and recycle bins for trash. To register, call Mary Bourassa at SAIC, (703) 734-3198. Workshop for Dye Manufacturers A workshop was held on March 5 and 6 at EPA Headquarters to explore opportunities for pollution prevention in dye manufactur- ing. Co-sponsored by EPA's Office of Solid Waste (OSW) and Pollution Prevention Division, and drawing 25 industry partici- pants, the workshop reviewed the resources needed and available to embark on preven- Calendar of Events Title Sponsor Dates Contact State Congress on Pollution Prevention Assn. of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators May 2-4 New Orleans, LA Robbie Savage 202-624-7782 Hazardous Materials Spills Conference National Response Team member agencies, AICHE, CMA May 13-17 Houston, TX AICHE 212-705-7325 20th Annual BioCycle Conference: Composting and Recycling BioCycle Journal of Waste Recycling May 14-16 Minneapolis, MN Celeste Madtes 215-967-4135 Enviro Expo Anchor Resources, Inc. May 15-16 Baton Rouge, LA Andy Johnson 504-291-9996 Environmental Management Institute (10 courses) Tufts University, Center for Environmental Management June 4-28 Medford, MA Rita Moreno 617-381-3531 Int'l Conference on Pollution Prevention: Clean Technologies & Clean Products EPA, International Association for Clean Technology June 10-13 Washington, DC Mary Bourassa 703-734-3198 1st U.S. Conference on Municipal Solid Waste Management U.S. EPA June 13-16 Washington, DC GRCDA 800-456-4723 9th Annual New England Resource Recovery Conf/Expo New Hampshire Resource Recovery Assn., Assn. of Vermont Recyclers June 13-15 Burlington, VT NHRRA 603-224-6996 Hazwaste '90 Expo National Association of Hazardous Waste Generators June 18-21 San Diego, CA Ken Sellinger 415-726-3823 83rd Annual Air and Waste Management Association Meeting and Exhibition AWMA June 24-29 Pittsburgh, PA Sharon Andrea 412-232-3444 World Recycling Conference and Expo Recycling Today Magazine June 27-29 Baltimore, MD CMC 203-852-0500 Hazardous and Solid Waste Minimization Course Government Institutes, Inc. June 28-29 Hilton Head, SC Terri Summers 301-251-9250 ------- April 1990 3 - Pollution Prevention News In the News (cont'd) tion activities, the elements of a successful program, the evaluation of economic bene- fits, and prevention in the dye manufactur- ing and other industries. The program fo- cused on azo dyes, a particular type of dye used in textiles, because OSW has been con- sidering listing wastes from azo dye manu- facture as hazardous. However, implemen- tation of the project will include other dyes as well. EPA staff also met with the azo dye manu- facturers' waste minimization task force and the director of the industry's association to discuss implementation of prevention ac- tivities. The group developed a statement of goals and a timetable for implementation; next steps include developing a pollution prevention guidance manual for the dye industry and conducting a baseline survey of industryprevention practices. EPAhopes this cooperative effort can be a model for similar efforts with other industry groups. Landmark TSCA Consent Order Includes Prevention On January 30, 1990, EPA's Chief Judicial Officer signed a Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) consent order which includes, for the first time ever, a designated pollution prevention project. Sherex Polymers, Inc., of Dublin, Ohio, agreed to pay a civil penalty of $252,000 and to institute a pollution preven- tion project worth at least $525,000 for failure to submit a premanufacture notice to EPA at least 90 days prior to manufacturing a new chemical substance, as required by TSCA. The pollution prevention project involves replacing theexisting filter system on a dimer fatty acid production unit at the company's Lakeland, Florida facility. The project should result in waste reduction of at least 500,000 pounds of filter cake annually, which would have been land filled, and increase the recov- ery of reusable fatty acid material by over 250,000 pounds annually, which will be re- cycled. American Forestry Assn. Seeks Global ReLeaf for Overheated Planet The American Forestry Association is urging public officials and citizens to take action against global warming by populating the earth with millions of healthy new trees. The program, called Global ReLeaf, is based on elementary scien- tific principles. Trees are the natural predators of carbon dioxide, the gas that acts as the "glass in the greenhouse" and that contributes to global warming. Through photosynthesis, trees can absorb 26 pounds of carbon dioxide a year (about five tons per acre of trees), thereby helping to cleanse the atmosphere of excess carbon dioxide. The program's organizers hope that Global ReLeaf will reverse the current worldwide depletion of forest areas. Of particular concern are tropical forests, where an area the size of Tennessee (approximately 27 million acres) is destroyed or damaged each year. The program also focuses on urban and rural reforestation. According to the American Forestry Association, an average city in the U.S. currently loses four trees to death or removal for every new tree planted. Rural forests often fall prey to pollution and inadequate management. Global ReLeaf hopes to see 100 million new trees planted on private lands in American cities and towns before the end of 1992. In addition to offsetting millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions, Global ReLeaf estimates that the shade from the new trees could save Ameri- can consumers $4 billion each year in energy costs. A network of state and local citizens groups is carrying out the Global ReLeaf program. Coordination is provided by the American Forestry Association, the nation's oldest citizen conservation organi- zation. Further detailed information can be obtained from AFA, P.O. Box 2000, Washington, D.C. 20013, (202) 667-3300. To register your tree-planting with EPA's Earth Day 1990 Tree Registiy, fill out and mail the form on page 8. How to Plant Your Tree Rexible Stake Attached To Tree Rubber Tubing Or Hose Prepared Soil Area Mulch Layer Root Ball, 18 Inches Wide Burlap Existing Soil Instructions: 1. Locate a site with generous rooting area and adequate space for the tree at maturity. 2. Prepare a planting area five times the area of the rootball using a rototiller or shovel, 3. In the center of the planting area, dig a hole for the tree roots at least as wide but only as deep as the rootball. 4. Remove the tree from burlap or container, place on solidly packed soil so that the root collar is slightly above the surrounding grade. Gently separate tangled roots; cut encircling roots. 5. Backfill the hole and water to settle the soil into place. 6. Spread a 2-3 inch layer of mulch, but not within 6-8 inches of the tree trunk. 7. Stake the tree so that it can flex with the wind. ------- Pollution Prevention News - 4 April 1990 Focus On: Household Hazardous Waste Recent Trends in Household Hazardous Waste Management by Dana Duxbury Dana Duxbury & Associates The decade of the 1980s saw a significant increase in awareness of household hazard- ous waste management (HH WM) issues and HHWM activities. This growth occurred across the country, with the greatest activity on both coasts and in the upper mid-west. Involvement in HHWM now extends to government at all levels, industry, the me- dia, citizens, and environmental groups. Close to 2000 HH W collection programs were held in the 1980s, with almost a third of them (628) happening in 1989 alone. These pro- grams were mainly one day events, but more and more we are seeing that communities are institutionalizing their programs and often holding more than one per year. The scope of the programs vary they include drop-off sites where all categories of HHW are accepted, curbside used oil collections, paint only, dry cell battery only, farm pesti- cides only, and HHW with conditionally exempt generator waste. There is also an upsurge of interest in per- manent programs and a corresponding in- crease in their numbers. We define a perma- nent program as one which is open at least once a month at a fixed or mobile facility. A total of 36 such programs were in operation in 1989 in the following states: Alaska, Cali- fornia, Colorado, Idaho, Rorida, Massachu- setts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vir- ginia, and Washington. Varioustrendshavebeen emerging. They include: Broadened scope of concernsponsors are not just concerned about the dangers of putting HHW in landfills. There is a concern about the production and use of hazardous household products, HHW storage in homes, and the need to protect air and water quality by minimizing HHW in incinerators and wastewater, as well as in landfills. Wider range of products program sponsors are increasingly concerned with a wider range of HHW categories, including such things as televisions and other high tech equipment, white goods such as refrig- erators and washing machines, and lead and cadmium found in plastics and pigments. Expanded group of generators HHW programs are increasingly perceived as a potential means of capturing waste from conditionally exempt generators (0-100 kilo- grams per month), such as schools, farms, and some small businesses. New types of programs specialty pro- grams are being established, such as used oil-only or paint-only. Permanent facilities (including the first mobile permanent facil- ity) and point-of-purchase collection in re- tail stores are also becoming more common. Program integration HHW programs are being integrated with solid waste man- agement programs, especially recycling programs, and also with sewage treatment facility programs. Regulations are starting to appear New York and Massachusetts already regulate permanent HHW facilities; California's regulations are in the offing. Increasing sophistication program sponsors have continued to refine requests for proposals and contracts with hazardous waste contractors; HHWM experts have been put on the staff of many contractors; toll-free numbers for HHW information have been provided in many communities; and spe- cialty equipment has been developed to improve and speed collection programs. Incorporating the hierarchy there is a greater appreciation for following the waste management hierarchy (source reduction, recycling, treatment, and finally landfill disposal). In Florida's first Amnesty Days program, 75% of the HHW collected went to a hazardous waste landfill. In Amnesty Days II, only 5% of the waste is being landfilled. An analysis of permanent programs has documented that from 5 to 30% of the HHW collected goes to a hazardous waste landfill. Program sponsors have been finding ways to reuse or recycle frequently collected items, such as paint. Heightened participation participa- tion rates are starting to increase, from an av- erage of l%ofan area's households, to 5% for some first-time programs in Connecticut and even a reported 10% in a San Bernardino County, CA program. Broadened educational efforts pro- gram sponsors are realizing that they must have a viable educational program in addi- tion to their collection program. These edu- cation programs aim to ensure that consum- ers learn how to red uce their consumption of products with hazardous constituents and how to manage properly those wastes al- ready stored in homes and those they cannot avoid generating, such as motor oil from cars. Broadened awareness of the need for stable fundingthe search for stable fund- ing mechanisms includes tipping fees, util- ity bill surcharges, and internalizing pro- gram costs in the costs of products. A whole new set of terms has entered our vocabulary in recent years pollution pre- vention, environmentally friendly products, product stewardship, integrated and com- prehensive programs, internalization, hier- archy, toxic use reduction. The progress made in the last 10 years is an exciting indi- cation of what lies ahead. "Amnesty Day" HHW Collection in Orlando, FL. Photo by Michael Frishman. I AMNESTY DAYS DOES HOT ACC&T ------- April 1990 Household Hazardous Waste 5 - Pollution Prevention News Numerous household products are hazardous they contain Ingredients that are flammable, corrosive, toxic, or radioactive. When discarded, these products create haz- ardous waste. ¦J As a first step In preventing pollution, whenever pos- X sible, avoid using hazardous products. Look for and use non-toxic alternatives instead. C\ When purchasing hazardous products, buy only as much as you need; do not buy bulk quantities. Store hazardous products and materials carefully. Follow label instructions. O Find someone who can use up unwanted hazardous *3 products, like paint; recycle the recyclables (like used motor oil). All household products containing hazardous constituents should be disposed of care- fully. Find out your local community's policy on disposing of hazardous waste. If an HHW collection program Is not in place, encourage your community to start one. Here is a partial list of household products, some of the hazardous constituents they may contain, and alternatives available to purchasing these products. PRODUCTS ALTERNATIVES Kitchen PRODUCTS ALTERNATIVES Bathroom Drain opener (potassium Plunger or plumber's or sodium hydroxide snake; vinegar & baking (lye), hydrochloric acid) soda followed by boiling water. Toilet bowl cleaner Use toilet brush and (sodium bisulfate, oxalic baking soda. acid, paradichloroben- zene, hydrochloric acid) Disinfectant (pine oil, 1/2 cup borax dissolved in phenols, chlorine, cati- 1 gallon hot water; deter- onic surfactants) gent cleaners. (Must use bleach for disinfectant purposes.) Hair color (cadmium Plant-derived rinses, chloride, cobalt chloride, lead acetate, etc.) Nail polish (toluene, None, xylene) Nail polish remover None. (acetone, ethyl acetate) Laundry/Utility Scouring powder (chlo- Use brands without rine) chlorine; baking soda. Oven cleaner (sodium or Sprinkle salt & baking potassium hydroxide, soda on spill while warm; ammonia) scour with steel wool and baking soda. (Do not put baking soda on heating elements.) Floor cleaner (pine oil. Soap and wet mop; or mop petroleum distillates, with 1 c. white vinegar naphthas) mixed with 2 gallons water; polish with club soda. Metal polish (naphthas, Polish brass with Worces- oxalic acid) tershire sauce; copper: vinegar and salt; soak silver in 1 quart warm wa- ter containing 1 tsp. bak- ing soda, 1 tsp. salt, and a piece of aluminum foil. Roach killer (organo- Caulk cracks using white phosphates, carbamates) glue; use roach traps; sprinkle cracks and dark places with boric acid (powder) if no children or pets In the vicinity. Spot remover (perchlo- Club soda; lemon juice roethylene) and hot water; borax and cold water; use bleach- type remover instead of solvent-type. Starch (formaldehyde, 1 tbsp. cornstarch in 1 pt. phenols, pentachlorophe- cold water. nol) Bleach (chlorine, sodium Calgon, borax, non- tripolyphosphate or chlorine bleach, lemon sodium hypochlorite. Juice, sunlight. (NEVER hydrogen peroxide) mix with ammonia or strong acids.) (Must use bleach for disinfecting.) Furniture polish (petro- 1 part lemon Juice to 2 leum distillates, oil of parts olive or vegetable oil. cedar) Carpet & upholstery Sprinkle dry cornstarch on shampoo (perchloroeth- rug, then vacuum. Or ylene, naphthalene, chlo- shampoo with 6 tbsp. soap rinated solvents) flakes, 2 tbsp. borax, 1 pt. boiling water. ------- Pollution Prevention News - 6 April 1990 Household Hazardous Waste PRODUCTS Automotive Supplies Motor oil (lead, hydro- carbons) Antifreeze (ethylene glycol) Car battery (sulfuric acid, lead) Brake & transmission fluid (glycols) Engine degreaser (chlo- rinated solvents, cresol, stoddard solvents) Gasoline (gasoline, tetra- ethyl lead) Weed killer (various toxic herbicides) Insecticides (organo- phosphates, carbamates) No-pest strip (dichlorvos) Insect repellant (butopy- ronoxyl, dimethyl phtha- late, etc.) Garage/Workshop Oil-based paint (organic solvents, pigments) Paint thinner (toluene, turpentine, ethyl or butyl acetate, mineral spirits) Lacquer (methanol, ethanol, mineral spirits, benzene, turpentine) ALTERNATIVES None. None. None. None. None. None. Selecting seed mix with low weed-seed content; hand pick weeds. Select pest-resistant plants; plant garlic cloves at 1 foot intervals in vegetable and flower gardens; use traps or a soap spray. Burn citronella candles; eliminate mosquito breeding habitat. Citronella oil. Water-based paints. Use water-based paints so that thinner is not needed; use baby oil, butter or mar- garine to clean hands of paint. None. PRODUCTS Paint stripper (benzene, methylene chloride, toluene, phenols, cresols) Wood preservative (pen- tachlorophenol, creosote, copper naphthenate) Adhesive (naphthalene, phenol, ethanol, vinyl chloride, formaldehyde, aciylonitrile) Other Mothballs (paradichlo- robenzene) Air freshener (formalde- hyde, petroleum distil- lates, p-dichlorobenzene, aerosol propellants) Glass cleaner (ammonia, isopropanol) Used batteries (nickel, cadmium, mercury) Photographic chemicals (hydroquinone, phe- nidone, acetic acid, hypo- or sodium thiosulfate) ALTERNATIVES Sandpaper, scraper, heat gun, water-based strip- pers. Water-based preservatives; rot-resistant wood. White or yellow wood glues. Cedar chips. Leave open box of baking soda or bowl of vinegar out; pour baking soda down garbage disposal. Spray on vinegar, wipe dry with newsprint. Rechargeables, electric current. None. For Further Information: ~ Dana Duxbury, Dana Duxbury & Assoriatos 16 Haverhill Street, Andover, MA 01810 ( 508) 470-3044. Quarterly Newsletter - Household Hazardous Waste Management Nexvs Susan Mooney, U.S. EPA, Office of Solid Waste, 401 M Street SW (0S-3O1), Washington, DC 20460, (202) 382-5649 Books: The Non-Toxic Home: Protecting Yourself and Your Family from Everyday Toxics and Health Hazards by Debra Lynn Dadd. Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc. 1986. The Healthy Home by Linda Mason Hunter. Rodale Press, 1989. EHMI Hazardous Waste Wheel. Environmental Hazards Man- agement Institute. P.O. Box 932, Dept. CM, Durham, NH 03824. (800) 446-5256. Garden Supplies/Pesticides ------- April 1990 7 - Pollution Prevention News Interview with Barry Commoner Barry Com moncr is one of the country's lead- ing environmental scientists. He directs the Center for the Biology of Natural Systems at Queens College of the City University of New York. His new book, Making Peace with the Planet (Pantheon Books, SI9.95), will be published this month. Through his writings and lectures, Dr. Commoner has drawn na- tionwide attention to the need for environ- mental action. Time featured him in a cover article in 1970, calling him the "Paul Revere of ecology...endowed with a rare combina- tion of political savvy, scientific soundness and theability to excite people with his ideas." Dr. Commoner shared his views on pollution prevention and other subjects in a telephone interview. PPN: What does Earth Day mean to you? BC: It means bringing NEPA [the National Environmental Policy Act] back to life. Earth Day set out to achieve what is in NEPA's statement of purpose: "to eliminate and pre- vent pollution." We must recognize and this needs to be said on Earth Day that wc have failed. Our major accomplishment over the past 20 years is that the social i nten tio n to eliminate pollution has been very firmly es- tablished. We also know a lot more about the environment than we did, and EPA deserves much of the credit. But as a society, we have failed to recognize the root cause of pollu- tion. For that reason, wc have set up regula- tory programs that are basically Band-Aids. Wo haven't developed the right approach to cleaning up the environment. PPN: What is the right approach? BC: First, I regard it as an established fact that prevention the few instances of pre- vention have been the only steps that have rolled back pollution levels. Prevention means to eliminate the production of pollut- ants from the agricultural, power, or indus- trial system that generates them. Therefore, to have a workable environmental program, there has to be social determination of the technologies used in our production systems. Wc need to revise the basic technologies in agriculture, transportation, power produc- tion, and certainly chemicals over the next 20 years. This is a very tall order, but it is the only thing that can be done. PPN: How would you revise those technologies? BC: As far as I'm concerned, it ought to be a national policy to switch from chemical to organic agriculture. It ought to be a national policy to switch from fossil fuels to solar sources...a national policy that no automo- bile engine should emit nitrogen oxide, which is what triggers the smog reaction ... a na- tional policy that any toxic synthetic chemi- cal that is not necessary ought to be elimi- nated. For example, synthetics ought to be eliminated where natural materials arc avail- able. PPN: How would you achieve such changes? BC: In the old-fashioned way, through poli- tics. People need to recognize that we have the democratic right to tell corporations how to run their business insofar as the businesses have an impact on the environment and they do, in many areas of production. This means we must overcome the taboo about challenging the right to do what you want with your own capital. It would be a chal- lenge to what passes for our economic ideol- ogy, but in my view, environmental goals take priority. What we need can be called environmental democracy. As I say in my new book, we should be encouraged by how thcinhercnt impulse towards democracy has changed the face of Europe. It would be unbecoming to us in the U.S. to say that we cannot express the same democratic impulse in terms of production decisions. PPN: Do you think there have been any success stories in pollution prevention? BC: One was the recent alar case, in which mothers said, we don't want this stuff in apples, and manufacturers got the message. Earlier, there was the removal of DDT, largely because of public agitation based on Rachel Carson's work, as well as the banning of PCBs in TSCA [Toxic Substances Control Act] but these were exceptions. Where there has been an opportunity to adopt the prevention approach, EPA and the White House have gone theother way. For instance, Mr. Bush's Clean Air Bill, which has corpora- tions trading the right to pollute, is the very oppositeofprevention. The bill assumes that corporations will all have something to trad e. What's needed is to influence manufacturers before pollution is created. PPN: Your work has addressed the needs of Third World countries, where economic development so often seems to come into conflict with solving global environmental problems. Is conflict inevi- table? BC: The reason for the apparent conflict is the assumption that Third World develop- ment has to depend on the same pollution- generating technologies that have caused trouble in developed countries, chemical ag- riculture in particular. If we say this is the only way, indeed, the environment will suf- fer. Yet the economic productivity of chemi- cals has been declining steadily since they were brought into use. Since the 1950s, it has dropped 60 percent you have to use more and more to get less and less result. In the long run, the environmentally sound tech- nologies of organic farming are economically productive. Developed countries can help the Third World by making such technolo- gicsavailableand by eliminatingThird World debt. PPN: Let's tarn to recycling. You recently worked with the Town of East Hampton, NY, on a project to recycle nearly 85 percent of the town's residen- tial trash into marketable products. Is this a realistic goal for other communities? BC: Ninety percent of trash can be recycled using existing procedures, and of that, 97 percent can be recycled into marketable prod- ucts. Nothing stands in the way. Every- where a sensible recycling program is of- fered, people flock to it. Seattle currently recycles 34 percent of its trash... 70 percent of the residents participate. Since recycling is cheaper than any other method of handling trash, and it is environmentally benign, wc ought to recycle everything that is recyclable. PPN: What are you currently working on at the Center? continued on page 8 ------- Pollution Prevention News - 8 April 2990 ^ EPA Earth Day 1990 - Tree Registry ^ 1. Project Title: 5. Number of Tree Planters Participating: 2. Contact: 6. Dedication Date: Name: 7. Planting Date: Phone: Street- 8. Tree Species: Quantity: City, State, Zip: Typel. Type 2. 3. Project Location: Type 3. Others (s) 4. Participating Groups: Send to: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency OECM/Air (LE134-A) 401 M Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20460 For more information, call: (202) 475-7091 I I Barry Commoner (from page 7) BC: We want more communities to move into intensive recycling, so we are preparing a book for communities on how to deal with their trash problems. We are about to begin a project advising the Bronx on trash. We just completed an analysis of what is claimed about biodegradable plasticswe concluded that there is no evidence that the plastic itself is biodegradable. In a different area, we are completing a study for New York State on the importance of energy conservation for en- ergy policy... I'm sure that we will be doing more on energy because of the importance of global warming and the transition to solar energy. We are also doing a study for Green- peace on ways of evaluating the environ- mental impact of toxic chemicals. PPN: From a personal standpoint, what aspects of your work have you found the most rewarding? BC: One is the work that I do explaining these things to people. I run into people who tell me ho w much they've learned from thi ngs I've written or speeches I've given. This is gratifying. And in the last few years increas- ingly, communities have asked us at the Cen- ter to help them solve their problems. For someone like me raised as a fundamental scientist, who mostly wrote papers about esoteric laboratory experiments, to do work with real world consequences is very re- warding. Communities wishing to undertake recycling projects with Dr. Commoner's assistance can call him at the Center for the Biology of Natural Systems, 718-670-4180. United States Environmental Protection Agency (PM-219) Washington, DC 20460 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 FIRST CLASS MAIL POSTAGE & FEES PAID EPA PERMIT NO. G-35 ------- |