&EPA /
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
March 2009
Resource Conservation Challenge
DAT
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Representative Success Stories by EPA Region
Region 1:
Middlebury College builds a
sustainable campus with use of
Certified Green Wood. See page 16.
Region 8:
Cheyenne River Sioux
Tribe removes chemicals
from its schools. See
page 24.
Region 10:
Region 10 develops
solutions to contamination
in commingled recycling
systems. See page 6.
Region 2:
NJ's Montclair State
implements comprehensive
green construction and
operations. See page 16.
Region 5:
DTE Energy
increases industrial
materials recycling.
See page 19.
Region 7:
Kansas City, MO develops
a Climate Protection Plan, A
Region 3:
Mid-Atlantic Green Highways
Partnership increases the use
of recycled materials in
roadways. See page 18.
Region 9:
EBMUD develops food waste
technology. See page 7.
Region 4:
Delta Airlines diverts 175 tons
from landfills through its recycling
program. See page 5.
Region 6:
Remington Arms increases
lead recycling at Arkansas
plant. See page 23.
Puerto Rico i U.S. Virgin Islands
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Municipal Solid Waste 3
Green Initiatives—Electronics and Green Buildings 9
Industrial Materials Recycling 17
Priority and Toxic Chemicals Reduction 21
Moving Forward 26
RCC Tools, Education and Outreach 27
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WHAT CAN YOU
TODAY
S M T W T F S
RESOURCE CaNSERVATIDN
CHALLENGE
RESOURCE
CONSERVATION
CHALLENGE:
Developing Solutions Today
Today more than ever before, Americans are recognizing that the way
we use energy and produce goods affects the global environment. The
production and use of materials and goods consumes energy, generates
greenhouse gases (GHGs), and uses the Earth's diminishing resources. In
order to achieve the goals of minimizing climate change and reducing the
amount of toxics in our environment, we must develop comprehensive,
effective materials management strategies.
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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In response to these challenges, EPA launched
the Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC) in
2002. The RCC promotes resource conservation
and pollution prevention by creating awareness
of effective resource management strategies
and providing publicity, resources, and informa-
tion to public and private organizations seeking to
better manage materials. The RCC responds with
renewed urgency to the Congressional charge
in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA) and in the Pollution Prevention Act that
encourage EPA to develop new ways to encourage
resource conservation.
This RCC Update describes the benefits of the
RCC partnership programs, provides a snapshot
of notable partnership accomplishments during
2007 and 2008, and references tools and educa-
tional materials developed by EPA. This Update is
designed to challenge partners to continue to build
on the practices, tools, and innovative approaches
that support a sustainable materials management
strategy for future generations.
Through the RCC, EPA's Office of Resource
Conservation and Recovery and the Office of Pollu-
tion Prevention and Toxics provide a framework
of proven, cost-efficient strategies to conserve
energy, to reduce GHGs emissions, and to reduce
the amount of toxic chemicals in our environment.
These strategies target four specific areas:
• Municipal Solid Waste Reduction, Reuse,
and Recycling;
• Green Initiatives (Electronics and Green
Building);
• Industrial Materials Recycling; and,
• Priority/Toxic Chemicals Reduction.
EPA's partners—which include states, tribes, local
governments, businesses, industry, non-profit
organizations, and academia—have joined the RCC
to demonstrate that product stewardship, resource
conservation, GHG reduction, and energy conserva-
tion can be achieved through better management
of materials and waste.
Confronting the challenges presented by climate
change will require a comprehensive strategy
involving multiple sectors of society. Each of the
groups that participate in the RCC has a leadership
role to play. The RCC presents a near term oppor-
tunity to address the challenges of climate change
and resource conservation. Government at all levels
can inform, educate, provide tools, and use its
purchasing power to point to sustainable materials
management practices. Businesses and industry
can make energy and resource conservation a
central part of their business decisions. Consum-
ers can consider the impact of their choices both
when they buy products and during the end-of-life
management of products.
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—Progress to Date
and the Mission for the Future
Through its focus on municipal solid waste (MSW), the RCC promotes
product stewardship, resource conservation, and energy savings, all
of which lead to GHG reductions. EPA is working with states, local
governments, and corporate leaders to increase the US recycling rate
above current levels and reduce the amount of MSW Americans generate.
Through the RCC, EPA and its partners can increase opportunities for
recycling, improve the efficiency of manufacturing processes, and reduce
the amount of materials used in products.
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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In 2007, the US recycled 33.4 percent of its MSW.
By recycling this waste instead of throwing it away,
more than 193 million metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent (MTC02E) emissions were avoided; this
amount is equal to more than 20 percent of US
industrial GHG emissions from fossil fuel combus-
tion. The energy conservation benefits of MSW
recycling in 2007 equaled 1.3 quadrillion British
Thermal Units (BTUs), equal to about 13 percent
of US residential site energy consumption over
the same time period. In addition, MSW recycling
reduces the environmental impacts resulting from
virgin material extraction, transport, and process-
ing (including impacts to land and water, as well as
toxic releases to the environment).
A number of economists believe that MSW recy-
cling is a more cost-effective strategy for energy
conservation and GHG emission reduction than
other approaches such as commercial energy
efficiency, wind power, and solar power.1'2 By taking
advantage of the wide-spread recycling collection
and processing infrastructure in the US, increas-
ing recovery rates would make recycling an even
MSW Recycling Rates, 1960 to 2007
in
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
more cost-effective energy and climate strategy
by increasing benefits realized per dollar invested
through increased economies of scale. For example,
increasing the national MSW recycling rate by five
percent would not require additional significant
infrastructure investments and would result in addi-
tional avoided emissions of approximately 9 million
MTC02E at little additional cost.
The following success stories showcase how EPA
and its partners are putting forward-thinking materi-
als management practices to work to reduce waste
and GHG emissions.
Total MSW Generation in US by
Material in 2007
50%
40% -5
30% •£
E
20%
10%
0%
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2007
—A— Total MSW recycling —•-- Percent recycling
1 Pathways to a Low-Carbon Economy Version 2 of the Global Greenhouse Gas Abatement Cost Curve, McKinsey & Co., January 2009,
http://globalghgcostcurve.bymckinsey.com/
2 Recycling and Climate Change, by Lisa Skumatz, Skumatz Economic Research Associates, Inc, published in Resource Recycling, October, 2008.
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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A 40 percent collection rate
in Post Office lobbies across
the US would result in the
recycling of an additional
552,000 tons of material.
WasteWise Members Take
Recycling in New Directions
& «» WasteWise is celebrating its four-
teenth year as EPA's flagship part-
nership program to reduce MSW
generated by businesses, organiza-
tions, and communities. The program has grown
to include over 2,100 partners and endorsers from
every state, representing nearly 50 industry and
government sectors. To date, WasteWise partners
have recycled or prevented the creation of nearly
50 million tons of waste. By eliminating more
than 12 million tons of waste in 2007, WasteWise
partners avoided GHG emissions equal to those
created by more than four million passenger
vehicles in a year. By expanding WasteWise to
include companies from different sectors of the
economy, EPA is developing an RCC infrastruc-
ture that better enables materials to be reduced,
reused, and recycled.
US Postal Service Makes a
Business Case for Recycling
The United States Postal Service (USPS), a Waste-
Wise Hall of Fame member and winner of multiple
WasteWise awards, launched two major recycling
initiatives in 2007 and 2008. USPS recruited all
80 postal service districts as WasteWise partners,
resulting in 12,000 new facilities participating in the
program. The partners reported nearly 211,000 tons
of solid waste reduced or recycled. The recycling
efforts alone generated $7.5 million for the USPS in
2007 from sales of recovered materials.
To build on the success of their existing recycling
program, in October 2008 USPS launched a new
campaign called Read, Respond, Recycle to help
recycle mail from the more than 15 million post
office boxes in the US. Each box receives roughly
184 pounds of mail a year; the Post Office esti-
mates that as much as 40 percent of that mail can
be discarded on the spot in post office lobbies
when convenient disposal is available. A 40 percent
collection rate in post office lobbies across the
US would result in the recycling of an additional
552,000 tons of material. The Post Office is making
it easier for millions of Americans to recycle through
their conveniently located containers in more than
4,000 participating post offices around the country.
Airline Gets Employees
Involved in Recycling
Airports and the airline industry generate significant
amounts of waste—as much as 1.28 pounds per
passenger per flight. Nationwide, this amounts to
over 400,000 tons of trash generated at more than
500 airports annually.3 The RCC is encouraging the
airline industry to minimize waste and recycle at
terminals, office spaces, shops, restaurants, and
on aircrafts by making airports one of the targeted
Recycle on the Go locations.
Delta Airlines has found creative ways to engage its
employees in recycling on board domestic flights.
The employees at the Delta Air Lines operation
in Atlanta, Georgia are making an important
contribution to the company's recycling efforts.
On June 1, 2007, Delta Air Lines implemented an
1 Trash Landings; Natural Resources Defense Council, December 2006
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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Visit the Recycle on the Go Web site, www.epa.gov/recycleonthego,
for more airport recycling success stories, as well as tools and
resources for launching an airport recycling program.
in-flight recycling program for all domestic flights
into Atlanta. Delta promoted the education of
flight attendants and flight crews through signs in
attendant lounges, electronic updates, shift brief-
ings, monthly statistics, and senior management
endorsement. In addition, Delta distributed informa-
tion through emails, voicemails, and story boards,
and it developed new operating procedures. To
encourage passengers to take part, Delta used an
in-flight video showing passengers how to sort
their recyclables for on board collection. The airline
reported that the recycling program diverted almost
175 tons of materials from landfills, avoiding nearly
$80,000 in landfill costs and generating almost
$115,000 in recycling revenues, $80,000 of which
was donated to Habitat for Humanity. As a result
of its extensive employee education and outreach
efforts, Delta won the WasteWise Gold Achieve-
ment Award for Employee Education in 2008.
Solutions to Contamination
in Single-Stream Recycling
Systems
Single-stream, or commingled, recycling collec-
tion systems are growing in popularity across
the country. These systems can be convenient
for customers, but higher contamination levels in
single-stream collections can result in decreased
recyclability of materials. To address this issue, EPA's
Region 10 launched the Contamination in Commin-
gled Recycling Systems Standards & Guidelines
Initiative in 2007. This initiative brought together city
and county officials from Washington and Oregon,
manufacturers, mills, non-governmental organiza-
tions, and collectors to develop new guidelines for
materials recovery facilities and tools to educate
local governments about contamination solutions.
The guidelines they generated defined acceptable
contamination levels, set goals to decrease cross
contamination, established common terminology,
and developed an evaluation protocol.
The Initiative is expected to increase recycled
material yields in current commingled systems
by approximately seven percent over three years.
It is estimated that this seven percent increase
in recycled material yields will result in an addi-
tional 325,000 tons of recycled material over
3 years, avoiding emissions of approximately
963,000 MTC02E, comparable to the annual GHG
emissions from more than 176,000 passenger
vehicles. This is only the beginning of what can
be accomplished as these practices are expanded
across the country. Washington and Oregon are in
the process of implementing these recommenda-
tions to serve as a model for communities across
the United States. The complete standards and
guidelines are available online at: http://yosemite.
epa.gov/R10/homepage.nsf/topics/ccrs.
West Coast Forum Connects
Climate Change and Waste
In 2008, EPA Regions 9 and 10 jointly launched
the West Coast Forum on Climate Change,
Waste Prevention and Recovery and Disposal.
The Forum served to highlight the importance of
materials management as it affects GHG emis-
sions and energy conservation and to encourage
effective materials management strategies, such
as Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, as an integral part of
the West Coast climate change strategy. Discus-
sions centered around three Web-based training
sessions, or Webinars, which allowed stakehold-
ers to participate in the Forum from their office
or home computers, reducing the environmental
impact of the Forum.
The three Webinars drew over 400 people each,
with discussion sessions held after each Webinar.
The topics included an overview of how waste
prevention, recycling and materials management
can play critical roles in a climate change strategy;
a session on landfills; and a session on accounting
methods and protocols. As a result of the Forum,
EPA is collaborating with the State of California
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While food waste accounts for 12.5 percent of the total MSW
stream in the US, or 31 million tons, only three percent of this
waste is currently recycled.
to develop protocols to account for the benefits
of waste reduction and recycling in the Commu-
nity Greenhouse Gas Inventory protocol, which is
currently under development. These protocols are
designed to help states develop climate change
strategies.
To address the need for continued communication,
workgroups were formed to focus on topics includ-
ing: incorporating materials management benefits
in climate change strategies; accounting and
inventory methodologies; and prioritizing materials
and materials management actions for immedi-
ate implementation. The Webinars continue to be
accessible online in both audio and transcribed
format. This collaborative effort will continue to
generate additional tools and resources to address
the focus areas in 2009. (www.epa.gov/region10/
westcoastclimate)
Tribal Nations Embracing
the RCC
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota has
a history of accomplishments with the RCC. In
2007 their Grand Casino located in Hinckley, Minn.
recycled:
• 926,000 pounds of food waste
• 184,000 pounds of cardboard
• 39,000 pounds of grease
• 16,295 feet of fluorescent lamps
Building on this success, the Mille Lacs joined
EPA's National Partnership for Environmental
Priorities in 2008, setting ambitious goals to collect
and recycle mercury throughout their reservation.
Tribal employees can also bring their own mercury
containing devices to a central collection location at
the casino. The tribe has a vested cultural interest
in preventing mercury from contaminating the envi-
ronment, as Mille Lacs Lake is a primary source of
fish, a major food source for the Band members on
the reservation.
New Options for
Organic Wastes—Building
an Infrastructure across
the Nation
While food waste accounts for 31 million tons
annually—12.5 percent of the total MSW stream
in the US—only three percent of this waste is
currently recycled. When food scraps are disposed
of in landfills or incinerated, communities lose the
opportunity to recover the food for donation or to
recycle it into compost. Using compost in horticul-
tural or agricultural applications increases water
retention and decreases demand for fertilizers
and pesticides. Colleges and universities, farms,
composting facilities, municipalities and the hospi-
tality industry are making progress toward building
a robust food composting infrastructure across the
United States. RCC partners are helping reduce the
amount of food waste going to landfills and captur-
ing the benefits of recovering food waste.
Wastewater Treatment Facility
Develops Food Waste Technology
The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)
in Oakland, California has developed a technology
that reduces GHG emissions, generates renewable
electric power, and produces compost. EBMUD
received a grant from EPA Region 9 to deter-
mine how food waste reacts when co-digested
with sewage sludge in the anaerobic digesters at
wastewater treatment facilities. By adding food
waste from Bay Area restaurants, the facility saw a
threefold increase in the amount of methane being
produced in the digesters. The methane is then
turned into electricity and used onsite. The facility
anticipates digesting up to 200 tons of food waste
per day. After the food waste is aerobically digested
for energy recovery, the residual waste can be
further composted and used as a valuable soil
amendment. The anaerobic digesters also produce
biogas, which can be used as an alternative energy
source. The offset of this energy is equivalent to
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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The United States Botanic Garden's One Planet—Ours!
Sustainability for the 22nd Century exhibit in Washington, D.C.
about 94,000 MTC02E—equivalent to the annual
GHG emissions of over 17,000 passenger vehicles.
By using anaerobic digesters, EBMUD reduces
GHG emissions, diverts food waste from landfills,
increases production of energy from alternative
sources, and reduces costs through energy savings
and decreased tipping fees.
GreenScapes Promotes
Sustainable Garden Practices
at US Botanic Garden Exhibit
in Washington, D.C.
'^GreenScapes
EPA's GreenScapes
program joined with the
National Wildlife Federation (NWF) at the United
States Botanic Garden's (USBG) six month summer
exhibition, One Planet—Ours! Sustainability for the
22nd Century. EPA's GreenScapes exhibit focused
on sustainable landscaping and how to use envi-
ronmentally-friendly practices to create a greener,
healthier yard. The NWF and USBG are active
GreenScapes participants, making cost-effective
and environmentally friendly landscaping decisions.
More information on GreenScapes is available
online at www.epa.gov/greenscapes.
Kansas City's Climate
Protection Plan
Since September 2006, Kansas City's Climate
Protection Plan Steering Committee has worked
with City staff and approximately 100 volunteers
to develop a Climate Protection Plan for Kansas
City, Missouri. EPA Region 7 contributed to the
development of the Climate Protection Plan by
participating in the Solid Waste Workgroup and
by providing information and Webinar support for
Workgroup discussions. In July 2008, the Work-
group presented the City Council with a detailed
Climate Plan, which was quickly adopted. The Plan
emphasizes the substantial benefits that can be
realized in Kansas City in terms of energy and finan-
cial savings, increased transportation choices, new
business and employment opportunities, improved
housing quality for residents, and healthier citizens.
Ambitious goals for solid waste reduction were
adopted in the Climate Plan. Among these goals
is the broad recommendation that the City "flip"
the waste paradigm from its 80 percent landfill and
20 percent diversion to 80 percent diverted by 2020.
Region 7 will continue to support the efforts
of the community to implement the solid
waste recommendations of the Climate
Plan. The complete plan is available online at
www.kcmo.org/manager.nsf/web/cpp.
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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GREEN INITIATIVES: ELECTRONICS
AND GREEN BUILDINGS
Electronics: Accomplishments and What
Remains to be Done
Electronic waste currently accounts for about two percent of MSW,
but it's a growing percentage of the waste stream. Electronic waste
presents an enhanced opportunity to recover valuable materials that,
when reused, reduce the environmental impact of the next generation
of electronic products. Since the RCC's inception, EPA has approached
electronic waste from a life-cycle perspective; this point of view
considers the environmental impact of a product during each phase of its
life-cycle, including production, use, and end-of-life management. These
considerations exemplify product stewardship.
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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EPA's web site for electronics recycling, www.epa.gov/ecycling,
has recent reports, frequently asked questions, and tools to find an
electronics recycling program in your area.
The RCC's goals for electronics are to:
• Foster environmentally conscious design
and manufacturing, including reducing or
eliminating higher-risk materials (e.g., priority
and toxic chemicals of national concern) in
electronics products at the source;
• Increase the purchasing and use of more envi-
ronmentally sustainable electronics; and,
• Increase safe, environmentally sound reuse
and recycling of used electronics.
These practices result in significant environmental
and economic benefits. Adopting these practices
avoids mining additional raw materials, minimizes
the impact of extractive industries, reduces energy
and resources used in manufacturing, and ensures
the safe management of toxic components.
Through programs such as Plug-In To eCycling
and the Federal Electronics Challenge, EPA works
with industry, governments, retailers, and citizens
to increase the rate of recycling and reuse of
electronic equipment. These programs leverage
existing infrastructure to make recycling and
reuse more widely available. Our stakeholders are
producing considerable environmental benefits.
In 2007, 414,000 tons of electronics—including
TVs, computer products, and cell phones—were
collected in the US for recycling. This resulted in
reduced GHG emissions of 974,000 MTC02E,
equivalent to the annual GHG emissions of more
than 178,000 passenger vehicles. The energy
benefit of recycling these electronics was 18 trillion
BTUs, equivalent to the energy content of more
than 140 million gallons of gasoline.
Computer Models Earning
EPEAT Gold Ratings Soar
Models of desktop computers,
laptops, and monitors awarded the
Electronics Product Environmental
Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Gold Rating
increased by 82 percent between 2007 and 2008,
with 216 models gold-registered in November
2008, compared to 38 in 2007. The Gold Rating
represents the highest tier of environmental
performance. EPEAT rates desktops, laptops and
computer monitors on energy use, recyclability,
resource efficiency, packaging, and other envi-
ronmental attributes. Environmentally-friendly
computers are awarded a bronze, silver, or gold
rating. To date, EPA has awarded the EPEAT label
to 979 models of desktop computers, laptops,
and monitors. EPEAT is referenced in Executive
Order 13423, which mandates federal agencies
to purchase at least 95 percent EPEAT-registered
products in relevant product categories. The federal
government's example and purchasing power has
had an impact: since the Executive Order went
into effect in January 2007, a growing number of
states, municipalities, universities, corporations,
and foreign governments have also adopted EPEAT
to guide their purchasing decisions.
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
10
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8! lOUSiy...
You're not going
use it again.
ecycle your cell phone,
't's an easy call.
Q Ifsrn hpw, go ta: www.ef33.gov/celFphDnes
PLUG-IMTO
'
This PSA was used in Chicago and the surrounding area as a part of EPA's cell phone recycling campaign.
EPA Responds to Electronics
Baseline Study by Bolstering
Electronics Recycling
A 2008 EPA report on the sale, use, and end-of-life
management of selected electronics found that
electronics recycling increased to 18 percent in 2007
from a 15 percent annual recycling rate between
1999 and 2005. The report, 2008 Electronic Waste
Management in the United States, attributes
some of the increase in electronics recycling to the
development of mandatory collection and recycling
programs in several states. The report also esti-
mates that consumers are storing approximately
235 million TVs, computer monitors, and other
electronic equipment that they purchased between
1980 and 2007.
The Baseline report and key findings are available at
www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/ecycling/
manage.htm.
EPA has developed new initiatives designed to take
advantage of the opportunities presented by the
increased prevalence of electronic waste. Efforts
featured in this update, including the National TV
Recycling Campaign and the Responsible Recycling
(R2) standards, all seek to improve the end-of-life
management of environmental products.
Taking up the Challenge of the
DTV Transition
The Digital TV Transition will result in over-the-
air stations broadcasting signals only in a digital
format. Currently, stations broadcast in both analog
and digital formats. This change may prompt
consumers to replace their existing televisions. EPA
has issued the National TV Recycling Challenge to
increase the collection and responsible recycling of
televisions. Retailers and manufacturers that take
up the Challenge will be developing convenient
and environmentally responsible opportunities for
consumers to recycle their televisions. The Chal-
lenge begins in January and lasts through 2009.
EPA will evaluate the results of the Challenge and
recognize the most innovative, sustainable, and
effective approach.
11
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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The Green Scene for cell phone recycling is available in English
and Spanish at www.epa.gov/multimedia/mm-video.htm, under
solid waste.
If Americans recycled the 100 million cell phones discarded each
year, we would conserve enough energy to power nearly 20,000 US
households for an entire year.
Give Your Cell Phone a New Life—
In English and Spanish
Recycling a cell
ReCYCLE
YDUR CELL PHONE
It's an
easy call Phone reduces
GHG emissions,
saves energy, and conserves natural resources.
An estimated 100 to 130 million cell phones are
no longer being used; many of them are sitting in
storage. Many cell phone retailers, manufactur-
ers, and service providers have ongoing collection
programs where phones may be dropped off or
mailed in, regardless of the age or brand. Despite
these opportunities, only 10 percent of discarded
cell phones were recycled in 2007. If Americans
recycled 100 million phones, we would conserve
enough energy to power nearly 20,000 US house-
holds for an entire year.
To increase public awareness of the ease and
importance of cell phone recycling, EPA launched
the Recycle Your Cell Phone. It's An Easy Call.
Campaign. In 2008, EPA expanded its outreach to
the Latino community, releasing a Spanish language
campaign at the annual convention of the League
of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). The
campaign includes print public service announce-
ments (PSAs) and a podcast in Spanish. It was
also featured in EPA's Green Scene in a video cast
available in both English and Spanish on EPA's
multimedia page. All of these materials highlight the
convenience of cell phone recycling as well as its
environmental and social benefits.
The Chicago Transit Authority expanded the
campaign by displaying EPA's PSAs in many
public transit locations, including major bus lines,
rail cars, and depots. From late November 2008
through January 2009, commuters and tourists
were exposed to the cell phone recycling message.
As a result of seeing the PSAs, the WLS radio
station created an audio announcement with EPA
to spread the cell phone recycling message to its
listeners throughout the Midwest.
New Guidelines Encourage Responsible
Recycling of Electronics
The Responsible Recycling (R2) Practices for Use
in Accredited Certification Programs for Electronics
Recyclers was issued in October 2008 and is the
product of an EPA-facilitated, multi-stakeholder
group that has developed consensus-based respon-
sible practices for recycling electronics. The prac-
tices are a set of guidelines intended to promote
better environmental, worker safety, public health,
and security practices for electronic recyclers. The
R2 standards include general principles and specific
practices for recyclers disassembling or reclaiming
used electronics equipment, including electronics
that are exported for refurbishment or recycling. As
part of this program, EPA has agreed to help export-
ers of e-waste obtain documentation from foreign
governments regarding the legality of import of
various types of used electronics from the US.
With the guidelines in place, the multi-stakeholder
workgroup is now focused on developing imple-
mentation plans for the R2 practices. The work-
group expects that the R2 practices will be imple-
mented through certification programs involving
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
12
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With more than 200 federal facilities taking part in the Federal
Electronics Challenge, the Challenge managed to conserve
over 700 trillion BTU of energy, almost 138,000 metric tons of
primary materials, and save $18.2 million in 2007.
accredited bodies and third party audits. This will
enable customers to readily recognize responsible
recyclers in the marketplace.
The complete R2 Guide is available online at:
www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/
ecycling/r2practices.htm
Hundreds of Thousands of
Federal Facility Employees
Involved in Electronic
Stewardship
The Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC) helps
participating federal agencies and facilities meet
the electronics stewardship goals of Executive
Order (EO) 13423, Strengthening Federal Environ-
mental, Energy, and Transportation Management.
The EO requires federal agencies and facilities to
give preference to electronic products registered
with EPEAT; install ENERGY STAR® power manage-
ment features on electronic equipment; extend the
life of electronic equipment; and reuse and recycle
electronic equipment at end-of-life, in an environ-
mentally responsible manner.
The FEC has 207 federal facility partners,
representing more than 660,000 employees.
In 2007, the facility partners took actions that
conserved over 700 trillion BTUs of energy, almost
138,000 metric tons of primary materials, such as
plastics, and saved $18.2 million. These federal
facilities are leading the way in environmental stew-
ardship and saving taxpayer's money.
Department of Energy Wins
Top Honors for Electronics
Recycling
For the third year in a row, the Office of the Federal
Environmental Executive (OFEE) challenged federal
agencies and facilities to donate and recycle excess
or surplus electronics. The Campaign ran from
October 2007 to September 2008, and resulted
in the reuse or recycling of more than nine million
pounds of electronics. This year's results greatly
surpass the 2.4 million pounds reused or recycled
during the 2006-2007 campaign. The top honors
went to Department of Energy for reusing or recy-
cling 2.2 million pounds of electronics. Full results,
including a complete list of the award winners,
are available on the Electronics Reuse and Recy-
cling Campaign Web site at www2.ergWeb.com/
projects/errc/ResultsERRC.asp
13
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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Green Building—Building for the Future
Green building activities under the RCC include recycling and reuse of construction
and demolition (C&D) materials, as well as the recycling of industrial byproduct
materials such as coal ash, foundry sand, and slags. Green building methods can be
integrated into buildings at any stage, including design and construction, operations
and maintenance, renovation, and deconstruction at the building's end-of-life. Green
building also recognizes that improved environmental performance can be best
achieved by understanding the whole building and its impact on the occupants, its
surroundings, and the greater environment.
Haworth, Inc's new headquarters, above, incorporates lifecycle building techniques.
The company won a Lifecycle Building Challenge award for the building design.
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
14
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For more information, visit the Lifecycle Building Challenge
Web site at www.lifecyclebuilding.org.
Designing green buildings to incorporate industrial
materials, such as coal combustion products (CCP),
slag cement, and foundry sand, and recycling the
C&D materials generated from projects yields envi-
ronmental, economic, and performance benefits.
Industrial materials are often less expensive than
virgin materials, reducing material costs, and reusing
or recycling C&D materials onsite can reduce hauling
and disposal costs while saving energy and reducing
GHG emissions. The following success stories put
green building principles into action.
Innovators Create Green
Buildings of Tomorrow
In 2008, EPA Regions 4 and 9 co-led the second
year of a national design competition to promote
building material reuse concepts. The Lifecycle
Building Challenge 2 (LBC2), a building design
competition done in partnership with the American
Institute of Architects, the Building Materials Reuse
Association, West Coast Green, Southface, and
the Collaborative for High Performance Schools,
provides recognition for innovative building designs
that promote easy disassembly and adaptation to
conserve resources. With over 100 million tons of
construction and demolition debris sent to landfills
each year, Region 4 and Region 9 launched this
competition to encourage students and architec-
tural professionals to practice lifecycle building.
Lifecycle building strategies significantly improve
the ease of material recovery and reuse, conserving
valuable material resources and energy.
LBC2 selected students and professionals for
awards in Building and Innovation categories.
The competition's partners presented Outstand-
ing Achievement Awards to the Best Residential,
Best Greenhouse Gas Reduction, and Best School
designs. The award-winning projects are designed
for rapid assembly, disassembly, and redeployment,
because the building components are connected
without the use of welding, permanent fasteners,
or wet connections.
Creative Building Renovation
for Multiple Lifecycles
Designing buildings for adaptability and
disassembly is materials management at its best.
Haworth, Inc.'s renovation of its corporate head-
quarters building in Holland, Michigan earned an
award from LBC2 and set an example for others to
follow. Inside the building and out, Haworth's new
headquarters is reducing the company's environ-
mental footprint by incorporating lifecycle design.
The renovation started by stripping the building to its
metal skeleton and concrete structure. More than
98 percent of the deconstructed materials were
reused, recycled, or donated. Modular building mate-
rials replaced conventional construction materials
such as drywall and ceiling ductwork. Movable
walls, raised access flooring, and modular systems
office furniture combine to reconfigure and adapt as
necessary, minimizing future waste and potentially
extending the building through multiple lifecycles.
Should renovation or repositioning of work areas
within the building be necessary, walls, floors, and
workstations can be reconfigured relatively quickly
and with minimal waste and disruption, reducing
future renovation costs.
Using EPA's Waste Reduction Model (WARM),
Haworth, Inc. calculated that they eliminated more
than 21,000 MTC02E during their renovation,
which is equivalent to removing approximately
3,850 passenger cars off the road for one year.
15
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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Middlebury College
Uses Green Certified
Wood in Sustainable
Design and Building
Institutions of higher learning can be leaders in
creating a sustainable society by educating future
generations and incorporating new ideas into
campus design and operations. To this end, Middle-
bury College championed the establishment and
rapid growth of a certified wood industry in Vermont.
Over the past five years, Middlebury has created
demand by using nearly 200,000 board feet of
green certified Vermont wood in campus construc-
tion projects. Middlebury has used green certified
wood in Bicentennial Hall, in its science center, a
residence hall, a dining hall, and a Recycling Center.
The library is the most recent construction project. In
this project, the college awarded a contract for the
manufacture of study carrels and stack ends from
certified wood to an employee-owned woodwork-
ers' cooperative in an economically stressed area of
the state. Through its support of sustainable building
design and construction, Middlebury has educated
professionals including local carpenters and archi-
tects about the importance of local economies and
environmental quality while helping to establish a
new industry in Vermont.
Montclair State University's
Environmental Stewardship
Earns High Grades
New Jersey's Montclair State University (MSU)
is receiving high environmental grades for using
some of the latest environmentally responsible
and sustainable technologies and practices at
its 246-acre campus. On June 17, 2008, MSU
became the first educational institution to enter
into a comprehensive construction and operation
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with EPA
Region 2. The agreement was signed at MSU's
new, LEED-certified University Hall, the largest
academic building on campus.
MSU has taken on a wide variety of environmental
challenges since the signature of the MOU, including:
• Increasing food waste recycling efforts; over
45,000 pounds of food scraps have been
recycled into high-quality compost and used
for campus landscaping projects;
• Expanding the use of renewable energy;
currently MSU uses solar power and a
co-generator plant that produced 80 million
pounds of steam in 2008; and,
• Competing in the 2009 nation-wide
RecycleMania challenge to reduce waste
on campus.
MSU plans to make additional environmental
improvements in the future, including:
• Joining EPA's WasteWise Program to reduce
and recycle MSW;
• Joining the ENERGY STAR® Program to
reduce energy usage by 10 percent; and,
• Incorporating LEED standards into the design
of the new School of Business building.
Through the achievements reported here, MSU has
demonstrated that cross-program environmental
approaches, from bolstering infrastructure to student
involvement, leads to comprehensive solutions.
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS RECYCLING
Finding the Opportunities and
Reaping the Benefits
Every year, US businesses generate hundreds of millions of tons of secondary
industrial materials as byproducts from industrial processes, including coal
ash, foundry sand, construction and demolition (C&D) materials, slags, and
gypsum. Recycled industrial materials, such as coal combustion products
(CCPs), foundry sand, and C&D debris have many of the same properties
as, and in some cases perform better than, the virgin materials they replace.
Use of these materials as substitutes for raw materials in the development
of the nation's infrastructure, including roads, bridges, buildings, and water
treatment facilities, can conserve resources, save energy, and significantly
reduce GHG emissions.
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2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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In 2007, 13.7 million tons of coal fly ash was used as a substitute
for Portland cement, resulting in energy savings of nearly 73 trillion
BTUs, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of more than
676,000 households.
The RCC's Industrial Materials Recycling (IMR)
strategies and partnerships work across industrial
sectors to identify and encourage the beneficial use
for secondary materials. This results in:
• Reduced materials costs for the end user;
• Reduced disposal costs for the generator;
• Reduced energy demand; and,
• Reduced GHG emissions.
Use of coal fly ash, a coal combustion product
(CCP), is one example of the environmental
benefits of IMR. In 2007, 13.7 million tons of
coal fly ash was used as a substitute for Portland
cement in the manufacture of concrete. This
material substitution resulted in energy savings
of nearly 73 trillion BTUs, equivalent to the annual
energy consumption of more than 676,000 house-
holds. Use of coal fly ash in concrete manufacture
avoided emissions of 12.5 million MTC02E, equiva-
lent to the annual GHG emissions of 2.3 million
passenger vehicles. In addition to the environ-
mental benefits, using coal fly ash in cement can
enhance the strength and durability of the end
product. The following success stories demon-
strate how IMR can be both good business and
good for the environment.
The Mid-Atlantic Green
Highway Partnership:
Encouraging the Recycling
and Reuse of Industrial
Materials
The Mid-Atlantic Green Highways Partnership
(GHP), launched by EPA Region 3, is a collaborative
network of industry, trade and environmental orga-
nizations, private sector groups, and government,
working to incorporate environmental steward-
ship into all aspects of the highway development
lifecycle. The Mid-Atlantic GHP continues to grow,
with recycling and reusing industrial materials as in
important component of its success.
Through collaborative partnerships among state
environmental and transportation agencies,
industry, and academia, the Mid-Atlantic GHP
is encouraging the increased usage of recycled
materials in roadway applications throughout
the Mid-Atlantic Region. In 2008, West Virginia's
Department of Environmental Quality and Depart-
ment of Transportation formed a committee to
identify opportunities to foster reuse and recycling
of industrial materials in the state. In 2009, the
Virginia Department of Transportation and Depart-
ment of Environmental Quality will continue to
work together to develop demonstration projects
that will incorporate reused or recycled materials
(steel slag, coal ash, foundry sand, asphalt shingles,
tires, compost, and recycled asphalt pavement) in
various applications.
Photo on opposite page: The Dundas residence in Prescott, AZ was designed by architect Michael Frerking and constructed by
P.M. Taylor Development. The project utilized fly ash in the cement and other IMR building techniques.
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
18
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The C2P2 web site explains the benefits of using coal combustion
products and has case studies illustrating these benefits.
www.epa.gov/C2P2
As the nation prepares to undertake thousands of
new infrastructure projects, the Mid-Atlantic GHP
will serve as a model for how the vast quantities of
industrial byproducts generated annually can help
meet the material needs of construction projects
across the country.
C2P2 Partners Recycle Coal
Combustion Products
With 1 83 current partners, the
Coal Combustion Products
Partnership (C2P2) program is
focused on increasing the beneficial use of CCPs
throughout the United States. As a result of this
partnership, in 2007, 13.7 million tons of coal
fly ash were used as a supplementary cementi-
tious material in place of Portland cement. The
work of two C2P2 partners, the City of Denver and
the Freight Pipeline Company, demonstrate the
progress in increasing the beneficial use of CCPs.
Building a Green Concrete
Policy in Denver
In 2007, the City of Denver partnered with the
University of Colorado Denver (UCD) Sustainable
Urban Infrastructure Program to develop an inven-
tory of sources of GHG emissions in the city. The
inventory looked at all the buildings and industries
located in Denver and the city's critical urban mate-
rials, such as water, fuel, cement in urban concrete,
and food/packaging to establish a baseline for the
city's GHG emission levels. The inventory showed
that the use of cement in concrete in construction
contributed more than 2 percent to Denver's GHG
footprint, almost the same as the energy used in all
city buildings, including Denver's airport.
Working with the City of Denver, UCD investigated
green concrete alternatives, evaluating the structur-
al strength, durability, economic savings, and GHG
mitigation of displacing 20 percent of cement in
concrete with fly ash, and using recycled concrete
in lieu of virgin aggregates. The fly ash concrete
proved more durable than traditional concrete
and resulted in up to 30 percent GHG emissions
reductions when lifecycle impacts were calculated.
The green concrete was less expensive, too. As a
result, the City of Denver passed an ordinance in
November 2007 requiring the use of 20 percent
fly ash concrete in Denver building projects. This
ordinance serves as a model for other communi-
ties across the country and is expected to reduce
carbon emissions equivalent to removing nearly
10,000 cars from Denver roads each year. Their
innovative efforts earned UCD and the City of
Denver the 2008 C2P2 Partnership Award.
The Greenest Brick Paves the Way
The Freight Pipeline Company won the 2008 C2P2
Innovation Award for developing "The Greenest
Brick," an alternative to clay bricks. The Greenest
Brick is made of 100 percent fly ash and helps
address the large amount of fly ash disposed
annually while greatly decreasing the amount of
energy used and GHGs emitted during the manu-
facture of bricks. This new fly ash brick is as durable
as traditional clay bricks and meets building specifi-
cations, but can be made using only 10 percent of
the energy used in making clay bricks.
Energy Company Increases
Industrial Materials Recycling
DTE Energy is reducing its own energy by using
new demolition techniques on their surplus build-
ings. Instead of traditional demolition techniques,
the company employed a deconstruction process
that carefully dismantles structures and separates
materials for recycling. Reuse and recycling efforts
included transplanting landscape vegetation,
reusing bricks, and recycling crushed aggregate
and stone into road base. Using the deconstruction
process, DTE was able to reuse or recycle 99.9 and
98 percent of two buildings in Michigan. DTE recov-
ered 11,500 tons of material from the two buildings
for reuse, diverting it from disposal in a landfill.
19
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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The deconstruction process is cost-competitive
with demolition; one of the Michigan buildings
generated more than $35,000 due to the sale
of recovered materials. DTE Energy's reuse and
recycling programs garnered the company the
WasteWise 2008 Industrial Material Recycling Gold
Achievement Award.
California Contractor Working
and Building Green
Webcor Builders, a small general contractor for
commercial construction, incorporates environmen-
tally friendly practices into its day-to-day operations.
Webcor set a recycling goal of 90 percent for 2008,
which led to recycling office paper and architectural
drawings, buying recycled-content office supplies,
reusing glasses and water pitchers instead of using
disposable items, and recycling bottles and cans. At
its project sites, Webcor reuses furniture from their
trailers and all extra wood goes through a wood
workshop to be fabricated into temporary equip-
ment. In 2007, the company reused and recycled
up to 95 percent of construction waste at five
building projects. To ensure materials are reused
before they are recycled, the company works
closely with resource and charity groups, such as
Sustainable Silicon Valley and Rebuilding Together.
The efforts at each building project helped to
reduce energy use and avoid GHG emissions.
Webcor's efforts in its daily operations go hand
in hand with what they build: Webcor has built
2 platinum, 11 gold, 5 silver, and 4 certified build-
ings under the Leadership in Energy and Environ-
mental Design (LEED) program.
The Greenest Brick, at left, is made of 100 percent fly ash and can be
used in the same building applications as clay bricks.
New York Mets Hit an
Environmental Home Run
Displaying environmental leadership with encour-
agement from EPA Region 2, the Queens Ballpark
Company, L.L.C., is building the New York Mets'
new stadium using some of the latest green
technologies and practices. Region 2 and Queens
Ballpark Company, L.L.C.'s cooperative approach
was formalized with a Memorandum of Under-
standing (MOU), spelling out design, construction,
and operational principles to ensure that the new
ballpark, called Citi Field, meets high environmental
standards and has a low carbon footprint.
In implementing the MOU, the company used an
estimated three million pounds of coal combus-
tion products during construction and more than
11,000 tons of recycled steel. Other green prac-
tices and technologies include:
• Use of low-sulfur diesel construction vehicles,
reducing the emission of C02;
• Installation of metered hands-free faucets,
toilet flush-o-meters, and waterless urinals,
which will conserve millions of gallons of
water a year;
• An 11,500 square foot green roof;
• A well water and on-site storm retention basin
for watering needs; and,
• Planting more than 1,000 drought resistant
trees and shrubs.
Queens Ballpark Company, L.L.C. plans to continue
to address the environmental challenges associ-
ated with operating a large public space once the
park is open to fans by joining the WasteWise and
ENERGY STAR® programs.
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
20
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PRIORITY AND TOXIC CHEMICALS
REDUCTION
Creating a Safer Environment
One Pound at a Time
Reducing the volume of hazardous chemicals in products and waste protects
human health and the environment, and reduces or eliminates the need
to manage the materials as hazardous. Reduction of hazardous chemicals
also makes it easier and more affordable to recycle products. The RCC's
Priority and Toxic Chemicals reduction program is designed to reduce the
use of priority chemicals—the most persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic
chemicals used in everyday products that currently pose or could pose public
health and environmental problems in the future. Through these efforts,
EPA involves states, tribes, large and small businesses, federal agencies,
schools, communities, and others in changing the way they use these
chemicals. Chemical use can be reduced through product redesign, changes
in manufacturing processes, commitments to change retail practices, or
improving chemical management practices. Through the RCC, EPA and its
partners are making the products that we buy and use safer, while saving
money for manufacturers and consumers, and improving our environment.
21
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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NPEP Annual Partner Reductions
0 -
2004
2005
2006
Year
5 664
2007
2008
The following initiatives demonstrate how EPA
and our partners are improving the environment
by reducing, recycling, and eliminating priority
and toxic chemicals from industrial processes and
consumer products.
National Partnership for
Environmental Priorities
Better Environment. Better
Neighbor. Better Business.
In October 2008, the National Part-
nership for Environmental Priorities
(NPEP) celebrated its 6-year anni-
versary and the cumulative reduc-
tion of more than 9.2 million pounds of potentially
hazardous chemicals since the program's launch
in 2002. The program continues to grow and has
become a network of more than 215 partners
committed to environmental leadership. In the
2008 fiscal year alone, NPEP partners reduced the
use of, or recycled, more than 5.6 million pounds
of priority chemicals. The program's broad reach is
highlighted by the NPEP's work with the US Navy,
Con Edison, and Remington Arms Company.
US Navy Installs Amalgam Separators
in Navy Dental Treatment Facilities and
Reduces Mercury
The Naval Institute for Dental and Biomedical
Research, in partnership with the Naval Facilities
Engineering Command Atlantic and the Navy and
Marine Corps Public Health Center, set an NPEP
goal to install amalgam separation equipment in
all US Navy dental treatment facilities upon joining
NPEP in November 2003. The objective is to remove
mercury-containing amalgam, or metal dental filling
debris, from the rinse water used in dentists' offices.
Amalgam separation equipment has been installed in
over 121 dental treatment facilities, helping the Navy
reduce mercury releases from these locations by
over 96 percent. This effort contributed an estimated
550 pounds of mercury reductions.
Con Edison Recovers and Recycles Lead
Con Edison delivers utility services—gas, electric,
and steam—to over 3 million customers throughout
New York City and Westchester County, N.Y Con
Edison has embarked on a multi-year project to
remove underground utility cables and replace
them with a lead-free alternative. Since September
of 2007, this effort has eliminated more than
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
22
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In 2008, NPEP's 215 partners reduced the use of or recycled more
than 5.6 million pounds of priority chemicals.
3.7 million pounds of lead from use and potential
release into the environment. Con Edison plans
to expand this goal by removing additional utility
cables in the 2009 fiscal year. Con Edison currently
participates in numerous EPA partnership programs
including WasteWise, SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride)
Emission Reduction Partnership, and the Natural
Gas STAR Program.
Remington Arms Company, Inc.
Reduces Lead Sent to Landfill
The Remington Arms Company Lonoke Ammuni-
tion Plant in Lonoke, Ark. manufactures small arms
ammunition for the sporting and law enforcement
sectors. The Lonoke plant uses raw materials such
as brass, copper, and lead to produce more than
one billion rounds of ammunition annually.
Remington set a goal to reduce the amount of lead
shipped off-site for disposal by 175,000 pounds. In
2008, a total reduction of 235,571 pounds of lead
was achieved. Remington worked with Region 6's
Priority Chemical Reduction team and the state
of Arkansas to identify and implement this waste
minimization project. This collaborative approach
allowed resources to be managed more efficiently
and the potential impacts to the environment to be
reduced, all while saving Remington money. The
reduction of landfilled lead was accomplished by
increasing the quantity of lead recycled both on and
off site. Manufacturing wastes were reused in the
manufacturing process, and lead scraps that could
not be reused or recovered on site were sent to
a lead smelter for recovery and then sold back to
Remington for reuse.
In 2008, 3.3 million pounds of lead were recycled
on-site, reducing the amount of lead that needed to
be purchased for ammunition production and result-
ing in a savings of more than $3.8 million. Further-
more, the reduced number of shipments to landfills
resulted in additional savings for Remington while
reducing the GHG emissions resulting from waste
transportation of waste.
National Vehicle Mercury
Switch Recovery Program
Vehicles are the most recycled consumer goods
in America. Each year, the steel industry recycles
more than 14 million tons of steel from old
vehicles, many of which were manufactured before
2003 when mercury switches were still installed
in new cars. Most vehicles that have reached the
end of their useful life are dismantled, stripped,
flattened, shredded, and melted to make new
steel. If mercury switches are not removed from
retired vehicles, a significant amount of mercury
can be released into the environment as air emis-
sions. These air emissions are considered a primary
source of mercury that poses a risk to human
health and the environment.
As part of NPEP, The National Vehicle Mercury
Switch Recovery Program (NVMSRP) celebrated the
removal of the 1 millionth vehicle mercury switch
in February 2008 in Conley, Ga. This milestone was
achieved through a collaborative effort among EPA,
automobile manufacturers, steel makers, scrap
recyclers, automotive recyclers, states, and environ-
mental groups. The NVMSRP provides dismantlers
with information, materials, support, and incentives
to remove mercury-containing switches from end-
of-life vehicles before they are crushed and sent to
furnaces that recycle the steel.
The goal of the NVMSRP is to capture
80 to 90 percent of available vehicle mercury
switches by 2017. As of 2008, the NVMSRP
consists of more than 7,000 participants who have
recovered about 1.8 million mercury switches,
which represent more than 2 tons of mercury
prevented from entering the environment. To
maintain the momentum of the NVMSRP, the
program has raised the monetary incentive that
automobile recyclers receive from $1 to $4 for each
convenience lighting mercury switch they recover,
and from $3 to $6 for antilock break assemblies
that contain mercury switches.
23
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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Although mercury switches like
the one pictured here, are small,
their prevalent use in automobiles
poses a threat to human health
and the environment.
I
Balancing Wheels and the
Environment
EPA estimates that 50 million pounds of lead per
year are used for wheel weights in cars and light
trucks. It is common for wheel weights to come off
when a vehicle hits a pothole in the road or stops
suddenly, which results in lead entering the envi-
ronment. Lead-containing wheel weights also add
lead into the environment as they move into the
waste stream at the end of product life.
Tire companies, big box stores, and the govern-
ment have joined together in an innovative partner-
ship to put the brakes on the use of lead wheel
weights. Through EPA's National Lead-Free Wheel
Weights Initiative, partners have agreed to phase-in
the use of lead-free alternative wheel weights and
significantly reduce the amount of lead released
into the environment by 2011. EPA announced the
initiative during the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix in
Michigan in 2008. Eliminating lead wheel weights
is a significant step toward reducing the overall
amount of lead released into the environment
across the nation.
Helping Schools Manage
Outdated and Unused
Chemicals
The Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3)
is creating tools to help schools and community
partners start or improve their responsible chemical
management programs. New tools include:
Building Successful Programs To Address Chemical
Risks In Schools: A Workbook With Templates,
Tips, And Techniques To Build A Successful SC3
Program; the SC3 Web site, which contains new
content targeting future teachers and potential
SC3 partners; and a green cleaning fact sheet,
which helps schools practice responsible chemical
management beyond the classroom.
SC3 is building a national network of govern-
ment and industry partners who can offer schools
an array of services, from conducting chemical
inventories to training school personnel. At the first
SC3 charter partner meeting in June 2008, the SC3
community came together to share best practices
and lessons learned, to discuss challenges, and
to generate solutions. Future goals for SC3 and
its partners include establishing an outreach
program to college students who are training to be
teachers to encourage them to view a responsible
chemical management plan as a part of their duties.
(www.epa.gov/sc3)
Joint effort removes chemicals from
South Dakota schools
In 2008, the SC3 partner network was put into
action with a call for assistance from EPA Region
8. When the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in Eagle
Butte, S.D. recognized that they needed help to
remove outdated, unneeded, and inappropriate
chemicals from five schools, they contacted
EPA Region 8. With the health of more than
660 students in mind, a Partner Alert request for
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
24
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assistance was put into the SC3 partner network,
and Pollution Control Industries (PCI) offered to
donate their services.
EPA collaborated with PCI and the Cheyenne River
Sioux Tribe's Environmental Protection Department
to remove and properly dispose of the chemicals. A
total of 1,515 pounds of chemicals were removed
and properly disposed of, including neurotoxins,
carcinogens, suspected carcinogens, strong
oxidizers, and corrosive, caustic, toxic, ignitable,
flammable, shock sensitive and potentially explo-
sive chemicals.
NYDEC broadens the Mercury in Schools
program to include other chemicals
As part of their mission to make New York schools
more environmentally-friendly, the New York
Department of Environment and Conservation
(NYDEC) expanded the reach of their existing
successful Mercury in Schools program to include
the responsible management of all chemicals in
schools. As part of NYDEC's educational outreach
on chemical management, a chemical cleanout
pilot project was held in April 2008 at four schools
in two school districts.
NYDEC, along with Questar BOCES chemical
hygiene staff, conducted walk-throughs at each
school's chemistry/biology labs and discovered
many examples of poor chemical management.
A chemical inventory was conducted and chemical
waste was earmarked for disposal. NYDEC
then contracted with a hazardous waste hauler
to lab pack and remove the waste chemicals
from the schools. The cleanout resulted in about
1,400 pounds of chemicals removed from the four
participating schools. Recommendations were
made to the schools' administrators to improve
their chemical management practices. A follow up
walk-through was also conducted to evaluate the
progress made on the NYDEC's recommendations.
Lessons learned from the pilot project have been
incorporated into the educational outreach NYDEC
is conducting statewide at workshops targeting
teachers, buildings and grounds crew, chemical
hygiene officers, and school officials
Design for the Environment
Finds Continuing Success in
The Market
The Design for the Environment (DfE)
Program works in partnership with a
broad range of stakeholders to protect
U.S.EPA human health and the environment
by encouraging the use of safer chemical alterna-
tives and through use of its logo on safer products.
In 2008, DfE partnerships prevented the use of
335 million pounds of chemicals of environmental
and human health concern.
DfE multi-stakeholder, technically based partner-
ships have enabled entire industries to switch to
safer chemicals. Based on a partnership with DfE,
industry has moved to safer flame retardants, and
reduced the use of lead in electronics. DfE Best
Practices for Auto Refinishing reduced the use of
asthmagens by over 500,000 pounds last year.
The DfE Safer Product Recognition Program allows
safer products to carry the DfE label. The DfE mark
enables consumers to quickly identify and choose
products that can help protect the environment and
are safer for families. When consumers see the
DfE logo on a product it means that the DfE scien-
tific review team has screened each ingredient for
potential human health and environmental effects
and that—based on currently available information,
EPA predictive models, and expert judgment—the
product contains only those ingredients that pose
the least concern among chemicals in their class
25
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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MOVING FORWARD
The examples in this Update demonstrate the many ways in which EPA,
states, tribes, and our private and public partners are implementing the RCC
to create a sustainable materials management approach. Through effective
partnerships and innovation, the RCC programs are charting a path towards
greater resource conservation, energy savings, and GHG reductions.
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
26
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WasteWise Partnership support includes a
customized WARM profile.
RCC TOOLS, EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
Getting the Word Out
EPA offers a variety of tools through the RCC to
help individuals and organizations determine the
environmental impacts of their purchasing, manu-
facturing, and waste management activities.
The Waste Reduction Model (WARM)
estimates the GHG and energy impacts of solid
waste management decisions for 34 materials.
A streamlined life cycle model, WARM allows
the user to measure the combined upstream and
downstream benefits of source reduction, recy-
cling, composting, combustion, and landfilling.
(www.epa.gov/warm)
The Electronic Product Environmental
Assessment Tool (EPEAT) helps purchasers in
the public and private sectors evaluate, compare,
and select desktop computers, notebooks, and
monitors based on their environmental attributes.
EPEAT also provides a clear and consistent set of
performance criteria for the design of products
and provides an opportunity for manufacturers
to secure market recognition for efforts to
reduce the environmental impact of its products.
(www.epeat.net)
The RCC Web Academy uses Web-based
technology to provide information on the RCC to
thousands of stakeholders across the country.
The Academy provides monthly MSW and recy-
cling training to local, state, and federal agencies,
non-profits, and industry stakeholders. Since its
inception in 2007, the Academy has reached over
2,100 individual users. The program reduces costs
for the audience by decreasing travel needs and
utilizing technology and equipment that is readily
available, as well as reducing the environmental
impacts associated with travel to training sites.
(www.epa.gov/rcc/Web-academy)
The Recycled Content (ReCon) Tool estimates
the lifecycle, GHG, and energy impacts of purchas-
ing or manufacturing certain materials. It also calcu-
lates the GHG and energy benefits of increasing
the recycled content of specific materials.
(www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/
calculators/ReCon_home.html)
27
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
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The Office Carbon Footprint Tool estimates
the GHG impacts of a wide variety of activities
including transportation, purchasing, and waste
management. This Excel-based tool allows office-
based businesses to estimate the GHG emissions
associated with their activities and gives sugges-
tions to reduce the business's carbon footprint.
(www.epa.gov/epawaste/partnerships/wastewise/
carboncalc.htm)
The GreenScapes Calculators compare costs
between products made of recycled materials
and virgin materials, including asphalt, concrete,
brick, lumber, and yard waste. The calculators can
aid in the selection and implementation of more
sustainable landscape design, construction, opera-
tions, and maintenance, (www.epa.gov/epawaste/
conserve/rrr/greenscapes/pubs.htm#cost)
The Industrial Materials Recycling Tools and
Resources is a collection of references pertinent
to the reuse and recycling of industrial materials. It
includes fact sheets, guidance and technical docu-
ments, regulations, standards, sample contract
language, and Web sites to help public, private, and
government managers utilize industrial materials in
their projects, (www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/
rrr/imr/index.htm)
The Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign
(SC3) Toolkit provides schools and partners with
resources to start chemical management programs
and/or improve their chemical management
practices. It includes fact sheets, guidance docu-
ments, and manuals that address a wide range of
topics including lab safety, green cleaning, safety
in art classes, and guidance for administrators. The
SC3 Workbook, Building Successful Programs To
Address Chemical Risks In Schools: A Workbook
With Templates, Tips, And Techniques To Build A
Successful SC3 Program, is a step-by-step guide
which walks a person through the steps to develop
and implement a chemical management program at
their school as well as advice for potential partners
who want to become involved in SC3 work. (www.
epa.gov/epawaste/partnerships/sc3/index.htm)
The Municipal Government Toolkit, devel-
oped by EPA's Region 4, provides local officials with
information to evaluate, support, and expand their
waste reduction programs. The MGTK presents
a collection of economic data, sample legislation,
waste reduction efforts, guidance resources, and
case studies surrounding the impacts of recycling
in the Southeast. Users can find information on
key recycling topics, including starting a program,
economic impacts, climate change aspects, and
community benefits.
The MGTK complements the efforts of an EPA
grant to the Southeast Recycling Development
Council (SERDC), designed to demonstrate the
positive economic impacts of recycling in the eight
Region 4 states, encouraging municipal officials
to support and fund recycling efforts in their
communities. (www.epa.gov/Region4/waste/rcra/
mgtoolkit/index.html)
Tools for Local Government Recycling
Programs is a collection of tools and informa-
tion for local governments and community leaders
seeking to create or maintain a residential recycling
program, including economic information, outreach
materials, and sector-based resources, (www.epa.
gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/localgov/index.htm)
2009 Resource Conservation Challenge Update
28
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Office of Resource Conservation and
EPA530-R-09-003
www.epa.gov/epawaste
March 2009
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Limits on EPA and Partner Participation in the Resource Conservation Challenge. Please note that EPA does not endorse the purchase of
products or services of any company or organization mentioned in this update. EPA is authorized to cooperate with private and pub lie efforts to reduce
the adverse effects of releasing solid wastes into the environment and to encourage recycling of industrial and commercial materials. The Resource Conservation
Challenge (RCC) program is open to all companies and organizations that wish to join the Agency in this endeavor. Press releases and promotional materials may
advise the public of the partners' participation in the RCC program and identify any recognition awards that EPA provides to the partner. However, EPA is prohibited
from endorsing the purchase or sale of specific commercial products or services. Our partners cannot create advertising that expressly or implicitly violates this prohi-
bition and remain a partner with EPA. All commitments that EPA makes in this program are subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Neither the Agency nor its
partners are under legally binding obligations to continue participation in the program.
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