MARCH 2010
Resource Conservation
Challenge Update
MATERIALS
matter
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
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Across the Nation
Representative Success Stories in EPA Regions
Hawaii
10
Alaska \
r
Puerto Rico
'-"! U.S. Virgi
!
2
Virgin Islands
Region 1
Burlington Sheraton Hotel Implements
Successful Composting and Recycling
Programs. Seepage 10.
Region 2
NY Sports Teams Get Greener. Seepage 28.
Region 3
Temple University Recycling Center Keeps
Electronics Out of Landfills. Seepage 20.
Region 4
Zero Waste Zone Atlanta. See page 25.
Region 5
Chicago Puts the 3Rs in Motion. Seepage 17.
Region 6
Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc., Reduces
Priority Chemicals in Rural Communities.
See page 23.
Region 7
Missouri Rewards Contractors for Using
Environmentally Friendly Practices.
See page 2 7.
Region 8
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Environmental
Protection Department Helps Make Tribal
Schools Safer. Seepage 16.
Region 9
Tribal Casinos Find Environmental Solutions.
Seepage 16.
Region 10
Brightwater Wastewater Treatment Plant
Builds with Sustainability in Mind.
See page 30.
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Table of Contents
Across the Nation inside front cover
Introduction 2
RCC Focus Areas 5
Overview of RCC Partners and Stakeholders 6
I. Business and Industry Partnerships 7
II. Federal, State, Local and Tribal Governments 13
III. Schools and Universities 18
IV. Communities 22
Infrastructure Design, Construction, and Operation 26
RCC Tools, Education, and Outreach 31
Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond 33
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INTRODUCTION
Laying the Foundation:
the Resource Conservation Challenge
Through the Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC), the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its stakeholders have
made great progress in reducing, reusing, and recycling materials
in many sectors of society. On a national level, recycling rates
have nearly doubled in the past two decades, demonstrating the
impact that education, outreach, and partnerships can have on
materials management across the country. In 2008, 83 million tons
of materials were recycled and composted, achieving a recycling
rate of 33.2% nationwide. On average, Americans recycled and
composted 1.5 pounds of our individual wasted generation of 4.5
pounds per person per day.
Partnership programs like WasteWise have made a difference,
bringing together more than 2,860 members with the common
goal to reduce, reuse, and recycle municipal solid waste and
selected industrial waste. In addition, the National Partnership for
Environmental Priorities (NPEP) has reduced more than 17 million
pounds of chemicals from industrial and business processes—all
since 2004.
By working with colleges and universities, as well as with supporting
programs like RecycleMania, EPA is educating the next generation
of citizens about the benefits of resource conservation. During the
2009 RecycleMania Challenge, students across the country recycled
and composted 69.4 million tons of materials as part of the 10-week
competition.
U.S. Municipal Recycling Rates
z
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2007 2008
National Partnership for Environmental
Priorities Fiscal Year Totals for Reported
Priority Chemicals Reductions
2004 2005
2006 2007
Fiscal Year
2008 2009
2010 RCC Update | Materials Matter
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Materials management is focused on:
1) knowing and reducing the iifecycie impacts across the supply chain;
2) using fewer material inputs (reduce, reuse, recycle);
3) using fewer toxic materials and more renewable materials; and
4) considering whether services can be substituted for products.
This update highlights some of the RCC program accomplishments, and provides
examples of work completed in 2009, in the four focus areas of the RCC:
1) Municipal solid waste (MSW) reduction, reuse, and recycling;
2) Green initiatives, focused on reducing the Iifecycie environmental impacts of
electronics and green building;
3) Industrial materials reduction, reuse, and recycling; and
4) Reduction of toxic chemicals in products and waste.
Putting materials to use that would otherwise be considered trash is an important
element of materials management; however, it is only one component of
sustainable materials management. EPA is now focusing on the entire Iifecycie
of the materials used in the United States, so that policy-makers, program
implementers, industry, communities and consumers understand their options as
they design programs or choose the goods and services they buy.
To help all stakeholders understand the shift toward Iifecycie thinking, in 2009
EPA released the "Sustainable Materials Management: The Road Ahead" report,
describing how federal and state environmental agencies can move from a waste
management approach to a lifecycle-based materials management approach as
they implement their programs.
This report suggests a roadmap for a future based on sustainable materials
management, a future that can fulfill human needs and allows our society to
prosper, while using less material, reducing toxics, and recovering more of the
materials used. This report provides three major recommendations and describes
specific measures EPA and state environmental agencies can take to 1) promote
efforts to manage materials and products on a Iifecycie basis; 2) build capacity and
integrate materials management approaches in existing government programs; and
3) accelerate the broad, public dialogue necessary to start a generation-long shift in
how we manage materials and create a green, resilient, and competitive economy.
To read "The Road Ahead" in
full, visit www.epa.gov/waste/
inforesources/pubs/vision.htm
Materials Matter | 2010 RCC Update
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To begin to implement the recommendations from "The Road Ahead," EPA
launched materials management projects to:
Determine the lifecycle implications of consumer packaging and construction
and demolition materials.
Develop guidance for use and disclosure of lifecycle analysis done in support
of environmental claims made on products and materials.
Explore options for sustainable financing of municipal recycling programs.
A fully-realized, sustainable materials management strategy addresses the
recovery and beneficial use of wastes in industrial and product lifecycles, and
emphasizes powerful upstream opportunities to reduce and change materials use.
In the spirit of the RCC, EPA continues to challenge its partners to transform the
materials management landscape so that, together, we can find new ways to make
the entire lifecycle of materials and processes less harmful to human health and
the environment.
•..
•I
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
CHALLENGE
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RCC Focus Areas
To target its resources and achieve maximum results, EPA has focused its work in four areas:
I. Municipal Solid Waste
Through the RCC, EPA is challenging
consumers, businesses, organizations,
and industries to reduce, reuse, and
recycle more of the United States'
municipal solid waste (MSW), from
office paper to product packaging.
In 2009, the U.S. recycled 33.2%
of its MSW; small choices by every
consumer, business, and government
can help our country achieve even
more, reaping environmental and
economic benefits. Through the RCC,
EPA encourages America's citizens,
industry, and governments to make
smart choices in managing materials
by considering alternatives to disposal
such as reduction, reuse, and recycling.
II. Green Initiatives -
Electronics and Green
Buildings
The number of computers, televisions
and cell phones we purchase, use, and
discard is steadily increasing. Through
partnerships, the full lifecycle impacts
of electronic products, including
design, operation, reuse, recycling,
and disposal, is gaining national
attention. Similarly, EPA is
working with the design and
construction industries to
encourage the use of safe
and reusable materials in
building construction.
III. Industrial Materials
Recycling
Industrial byproduct materials, such
as foundry sand, construction and
demolition materials, slags, coal
combustion products, and gypsum
are generated in large volumes every
day. However, these materials are not
typically seen by the general public,
nor is the role these materials play in
everyday products—such as highways
and sidewalks—widely known. The
RCC is helping to take what was once
considered industrial waste to create
highways, bridges, and other basic
infrastructure.
IV. Priority and Toxic
Chemical Reduction
While low in volume compared to
MSW, priority and toxic chemicals
present potential hazards to human
health and the environment. EPA is
working with business and industry
to reduce the volume of highly toxic
chemicals in their processes, resulting
in a smaller and less toxic waste
streams.
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OVERVIEW OF
RCC Partners and Stakeholders
In 2009, EPA worked with a diverse array of partners and stakeholders to achieve results.
I. Business and Industry
Office buildings and manufacturing
facilities have a significant impact
on the environment. From energy
used in the physical buildings to
the materials companies produce,
many opportunities exist to manage
materials more efficiently. Many
businesses and industries have
contributed to the success of programs
such as:
WasteWise, which targets the
reduction of municipal solid waste
such as corrugated cardboard
containers and other packaging
materials, office paper, yard
trimmings, and wood pallets, as well
as selected industrial wastes such as
non-hazardous batteries, oil filters,
and foundry sands.
Plug-In to eCycling, a program
designed to increase recycling of
electronic products such as cell
phones, computers, and televisions.
• National Partnership for
Environmental Priorities (NPEP),
which focuses on reducing the use
of potentially hazardous chemicals
from products and processes.
II. Federal, State, Local
and Tribal Governments
Government organizations wield
significant buying power that can
positively impact reduction, reuse,
or recycling programs across the
country. Procurement choices made
by government at all levels have a
direct impact on suppliers, and on
the materials suppliers use in their
products. EPA supports government
partners through technical assistance,
workshops, and development of new
tools and resources.
III. Schools and Universities
EPA helps to make K-12 schools
safer by reducing chemical
exposures and improving chemical
management through the Schools
Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3).
RecycleMania capitalizes on the spirit
of competition among university
students, engaging students so that
recycling will become a habit that they
will practice throughout their lives.
IV. Communities
Communities across the country are
demonstrating that it is possible to
increase economic development and
improve residents' quality of life
in a way that preserves the natural
environment for present and future
generations. EPA supports communities
in their efforts to manage materials
more efficiently by sponsoring
conferences, hosting forums, and
developing tools and case studies
to promote communities' innovative
efforts.
6 2010 RCC Update | Materials Matter
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I. Business and
Industry Partnerships
Businesses and industry continue to be important RCC partners.
Their willingness to meet RCC challenges and seek solutions
to environmental problems benefits their bottom line and
the environment.
• WasteWise celebrated 15 years of environmental results in 2009, with 2,860
members contributing to the prevention and recycling of more than 160 million
tons of waste.
• The National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) celebrated its fifth
year in 2009, building on its past success by achieving impressive results in
priority chemical reductions. In 2009, NPEP's 260 partners removed more than
7 million pounds of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals from their
business processes and products.
The examples below describe similar work across the nation.
These programs are achieving continued success in reducing
the environmental footprint of business and industry.
Learn more about EPA's partnership programs at:
www.epa.gov/waste/partnerships
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WasteWise Celebrates 15 Years
of Environmental Progress
Americans have been actively recycling since the early 1970s, but the national
recycling rate did not reach 15 percent until 1990. A vast majority of recycling
efforts in the past focused on residential recycling programs. Even with the
expansion of these programs, it became apparent that in order for more materials
to be recycled, non-residential recycling had to play a key role. Non-residential
settings such as office buildings, commercial establishments, schools, and
financial institutions were an untapped resource for recycling. Since 1990, the
national recycling rate has risen to more than 33 percent, due in large part to the
gains made in commercial and other institutional recycling.
To promote commercial and other institutional waste prevention and recycling,
EPA launched the WasteWise program in 1994. The program, now more than
2,860 members strong, provides assistance to organizations developing and
implementing waste prevention or recycling programs. For the past 15 years,
WasteWise has helped thousands of organizations, large and small, find
effective and efficient ways to prevent and recycle wastes. Organizations
reduce MSW and select industrial wastes to the benefit of the environment
and their bottom lines. Since the program was launched, WasteWise
members have reported preventing or recycling more than 160 million tons
of materials1, equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
from more than 60 million passenger vehicles.
In 2009, WasteWise launched a new waste management tracking and
reporting system, Re-TRAC, that allows members to track their waste
reduction and recycling tonnages by material and in realtime. The system
also allows members to input their waste reduction and recycling data
and run multiple reports to quantify accomplishments. The system uses
EPA's Waste Reduction Model (WARM) to calculate GHG savings from
waste prevention and recycling activities and provides a climate profile
quantifying the results. The system is particularly beneficial for large
organizations with multiple facilities that can now report individually, but
have their data aggregated at a corporate level.
www.epa.gov/wastewise
Paper was 31 percent
of the U.S.'s total waste
stream in 2008 with 77.42
million tons generated
1 This figure represents the total amount of waste prevention and recycling efforts
reported by those WasteWise partners who submitted annual reports to EPA. EPA
is not claiming that all of the waste prevention and recycling efforts achieved by
WasteWise partners are attributable to the WasteWise program. EPA is working on
a method to better quantify the impact of WasteWise on business behavior and
waste reduction.
8 2010 RCC Update | Materials Matter
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EPA Region 3 Launches the
Mid-Atlantic Sustainability Partnership
Recycling one ton of paper:
• Saves enough energy to
power the average American
home for 6 months
• Saves 7,000 gallons of water
• Saves 3.3 cubic yards
of landfill space
• Reduces CHC emissions
by one metric ton of
carbon equivalent
In January 2009, EPA launched
the Mid-Atlantic Sustainability
Partnership. The Sustainability
Partnership is a 2-year pilot
program in EPA's Region 3 that
bundles partnership programs into
a single gateway to environmental
footprint reduction for businesses,
communities, and organizations.
The Sustainability Partnership offers
major consumers of energy, water,
and resources a one-stop shop
approach to reducing their overall
environmental footprint.
Sustainability Partnership members:
• receive an EPA single point of
J contact for Sustainability programs
across the Agency;
• are given tools and educational
materials to develop and implement
programs;
receive support in developing
Sustainability plans and quantifying
environmental results;
receive technical assistance from
EPA, state environmental agencies,
and/or other partners;
network and share lessons learned
with other members; and
• showcase their success through
public recognition.
There are currently 30 partners with
numerous other prospective partners
in different stages of discussion or
review with EPA and within their
organizations.
www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/spp
RCC Update
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Burlington Sheraton Hotel Implements Successful
Composting and Recycling Programs
The hospitality sector deals with a unique mix of materials management and
energy conservation issues. The high volumes of food, the need to launder
bedding, napkins, and tablecloths regularly, as well as constant energy use, result
in conservation strategies that are often difficult to implement. The benefits,
though, are quickly realized.
State environmental agencies in the Northeast are working with EPA and each
other to develop compliance and pollution prevention assistance strategies for
lodging and restaurants in the region. In 2008, EPA Region 1 worked with the
Northeast Waste Management Officials Association to enhance the ability of
the state and local agencies to implement effective environmental assistance
programs for the hospitality industry.
The Burlington Sheraton, one of Vermont's largest hotels and conference centers,
joined the Vermont Green Hotels program in April 2009. The Vermont program
is one of many certification programs in the New England states designed
specifically for the hospitality sector. EPA has an ongoing 2008 RCC grant with
the Northeast Recycling Council to recruit hotels to the Vermont Green Hotels
Program, and provide technical assistance and onsite waste audits.
In its first 6 months of becoming one of Vermont's Green Hotels, the Sheraton
reduced the amount of waste going to a landfill by 26.8 tons of materials,
including:
20.5 tons of food waste composted;
• 6 tons mixed recyclables collected; and
500 pounds of unused prepared food and 30 pounds of linens donated to the
Vermont Food Bank.
In addition to reducing the amount of waste going to a landfill, the hotel
eliminated processed food going down the drain. Prior to April 2009, as much
as 75 percent of the hotel's food waste was put in the garbage disposal. Since
the hotel started collecting food waste for composting, there is no need for the
garbage disposal and it has been removed from the kitchen.
As the environmental and economic benefits of efficient, sustainable hotels are
highlighted by successful projects like the Burlington Sheraton, the certification
programs in New England serve as a model for the hospitality industry and hotel
guests alike.
www.newmoa.org/prevention/projects/hospitality
10 2010 RCC Update | Materials Matter
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In its first 6 months of becoming one of Vermont's
Green Hotels, the environmental benefits of the Burlington
Sheraton's recycling and composting efforts include:
• net GHG savings from recycling of 18 metric tons of carbon
dioxide equivalent, equal to the carbon dioxide emissions
from consuming more than 2,000 gallons of gasoline.
• more than 100 million BTUs of energy saved, equal to the
amount of energy used annually by an average U.S. household.
Materials Matter | 2
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Manufacturers Step Up To EPA's
TV Recycling Challenge
In 2009, the Plug-In To eCycling program launched a challenge to electronics
retailers and television manufacturers: find ways to increase responsible TV
recycling as consumers replace analog TVs with digital flat screens. With the
digital TV transition on the horizon, time was of the essence to prepare for
consumers discarding their old TVs for TVs with a digital signal. Manufacturers had
the additional incentive to increase recycling and help out local governments due
to voluntary and mandatory state recycling programs.
Launched in January 2009, the TV Recycling Challenge gave manufacturers 6
months to build partnerships and develop innovative, long-lasting electronics
recycling channels. The challenge award criteria included innovation, longevity,
cooperative partnerships, consumer outreach, accessibility, pounds of TVs
collected during the challenge, and ability to ensure that responsible recycling
practices were followed.
Leading TV manufacturers, including Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, and
Toshiba accepted the challenge by expanding recycling opportunities throughout
the United States and covering the costs of collection.
EPA named the Electronics Manufacturers Recycling Management Company
(MRM), founded by Panasonic, Sharp, and Toshiba, the winner of the TV Recycling
Challenge, with 3 million pounds of TVs collected through voluntary state
programs. MRM developed a TV collection network with a variety
of collection points, including locations at charities and self
storage units. MRM plans to expand its recycling network
beyond the life of the recycling challenge, adding new
partners and new collection points.
www.epa.gov/plugin
By the end of the Plug-In To
eCycling competition in August
2009, approximately 8.2 million
pounds of TVs had been collected
for recycling. As a result of these
recycling efforts, millions of
pounds of materials—copper,
leaded glass, and plastics—
were recovered, helping to
conserve natural resources
and reduce the need to extract
and process virgin materials.
12 2010 RCC Update | Materials Matter
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Tribal Governments
rials management and recycling programs are critical
components of environmental efforts at all levels of
government. Through partnerships like the ones described
below, the RCC is able to achieve environmental goals and bring
together governments across the country to learn from each
other and share successes.
Materials Matter | 2010 RCC Update 13
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Based on a successful EPA Region 9 pilot program
deployed in the USPS Pacific Area, the USP5 transitioned
its national delivery vehicle fleet from using lead
containing wheel weights to lead-free alternatives.
Getting the Lead Out of U.S. Postal Service Vehicles
In November 2009, USPS set a goal to reduce 34,000 pounds of lead from its
nationwide fleet of 215,000 vehicles. USPS has decided to set an example for all
federal agencies with large vehicle fleets based on the success USPS had in 2008
and 2009 in its Pacific Area (California and Hawaii) pilot to remove lead wheel
weights from its vehicles.
Lead wheel weights, used to balance vehicle tires, can come off while a vehicle is
in use, causing concern for human health and the environment when the wheel
weights leach lead into the land and water. In February 2008, the Pacific Area USPS
joined the National Lead-free Wheel Weight Initiative and pledged to reduce 7,600
pounds of lead from its fleet. In fact, the goal was exceeded—nearly 11,000 pounds
of lead was reduced. Building on that success, the Pacific Area USPS (with a fleet of
more than 30,000 vehicles in thirty-four maintenance facilities across California and
Hawaii) has agreed to replace the lead wheel weights on all of its delivery vehicles
with non-lead containing alternatives.
Kickapoo Nation Conducts Scrap Tire
Roundups and E-Cycle Events
Solid waste management touches all aspects of tribal and village life—
public health, environmental quality, tribal culture, and Land stewardship.
However, tribes often have limited resources to dedicate to waste reduction
and recycling programs. Competing interests such as education, physical
and mental health, employment, and economic development often take
precedence over solid waste management and exhaust tribal funds. With so
many priorities, solid waste managers have to make the case that materials
management is an issue that warrants attention and adequate funding.
The Kickapoo Nation, with more than 1,600 members, located in
northeastern Kansas, has firsthand experience elevating the
importance of materials management within the tribal structure.
The tribe identified two waste materials as priorities: tires and
electronics. These materials were chosen because they are not
collected by the nation's local waste and municipal recycling
service provider.
14 2010 RCC Update | Materials Matter
Tires and electronics collected
in the Kickapoo
Nation
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In 2009, two tire round-up events in the Kickapoo Nation resulted in the collection
of more than 1,100 tires. Many of the tires were simply waiting to be collected on
residents' property. The tires were shredded, the rubber was used for roadbeds
and track surfaces, and the steel was sold locally as scrap metal.
The Kickapoo Nation worked with the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri, located
in northeastern Kansas, and EPA Region 7's General Assistance Program for
solid waste implementation, to conduct the first electronics waste drive for the
tribes. The event, held in August 2009, collected approximately 40 monitors, 15
televisions, as well as computer keyboards, other computer components, and
various office machines. The electronics were shipped offsite for recycling.
By focusing on common wastes that are not regularly collected, such as tires and
electronics, the Kickapoo Nation is helping to protect the health of its members
and conserve valuable materials.
North Carolina Project Shows Potential for
Modernizing Municipal Curbside Programs
States across the country run the MSW programs that companies and residents
rely on to collect the 250 million tons of trash and the 83 million tons of
materials the country collects for recycling per year. While the programs vary
depending upon factors such as existing infrastructure and available resources, all
share a common goal to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials.
With assistance from an EPA Region 4 recycling grant, North Carolina recently
completed a project to demonstrate ways to improve the performance of
curbside programs in medium-sized municipalities (approximately 10,000 to
50,000 in population). In the project, North Carolina's Division of Pollution
Prevention and Environmental Assistance (DPPEA) provided training,
individualized technical assistance and grants to help approximately 30
municipalities upgrade their collection and public outreach efforts.
During Phase I of the project, DPPEA staff produced customized, individual
profiles for each municipality to show the communities a baseline of their
performance against the potential for improvement with the adoption
of Best Management Practices (BMP). The BMP focused specifically on
operational changes, such as conversion to single-stream cart systems, and
on renewed attention to education programs to boost participation rates.
Phase II of the project delivered direct community assistance to curbside
communities, focusing on two main issues: 1) operational changes that can
increase efficiency and program tonnage; and 2) educational/promotional
initiatives that can increase participation and tonnage.
DPPEA reports that from 2006 to 2009 this project increased recycling
by more than 10.8 thousand tons, surpassing the initial goal to increase
recycling by 6.7 thousand tons.
Materials Matter
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Tribal Casinos Find Environmental Solutions
Many tribes in the Pacific Southwest operate gaming facilities, some of which
include ancillary facilities such as hotels, resorts, or golf courses. Waste
generated at these facilities can be significant, and tribes are leading the way to
decrease the environmental impact of operations with innovative retrofit projects
and investments that have paid off in many ways.
Tribal casinos like the Santa Ynez Band of the Chumash are retrofitting slot
machines with light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which reduce the amount of energy
used to operate the machines while saving money on electricity bills. Tribes such
as the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians have established water recycling
projects at their casino that treat and reuse water in landscaping, saving energy
and money. Restaurant operations are going green by composting food scraps and
using the resulting compost for external landscaping.
To further support tribes in their efforts, in 2009, EPA Region 9 and the Shingle
Springs Band of Miwok Indians co-hosted a national Greening Tribal Casinos
workshop where tribes heard from experts on ways to "go green" in all aspects of
facility operation and management, from the casino floor to the hotel and spa.
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
Environmental Protection Department
Helps Make Tribal Schools Safer
In February 2009, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Environmental Protection
Department in North Dakota, along with EPA Region 8 and Pollution Control
Industries, collaborated to make the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation schools
a healthier environment for students and staff. Together, they worked to
remove unwanted, unneeded, and outdated chemicals from these schools. The
tribal environmental protection department gained the support, cooperation,
and participation of school administrators and staff, which enabled the tribe to
identify unsafe and harmful chemicals. Tradebe Pollution Control Industries,
a Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3) charter partner, donated its
services to safely pack and collect chemicals for shipment and proper
disposal. More than 1,500 pounds of chemicals were removed from
schools, including neurotoxins, carcinogens, toxic, and ignitable
chemicals.
16 2010 RCC Update | Materials Matter
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Chicago Puts the 3Rs in Motion
As of 2010, more than 1,000 mayors
have signed the U.S. Mayors Climate
Protection Agreement, committing
to reduce the climate change impacts
of their communities. The mayors
committed to meet or surpass
international targets set by the Kyoto
Protocol, and to work within their
communities and towns to encourage
climate protection. Materials
management strategies such as
reduce, reuse and recycle and lifecycle
analysis are efficient, powerful ways
for cities to meet their goals and
contribute to climate protection.
As a participant of the U.S. Mayors
Climate Protection Agreement,
Chicago is incorporating the waste-
to-climate change connection in its
policies and programs. With a goal to
reduce waste by 90 percent by 2020,
Chicago is making changes across the
environmental board—saving energy,
recycling industrial materials, and
encouraging materials reuse through
business networks. EPA Region 5 is
supporting Chicago's efforts to reduce
its waste, green its buildings, and help
those in need. With so many projects,
Chicago's successes and lessons
learned are not going to waste; the
city created a "Best Practices Guide"
for stadiums after conducting waste
assessments at six major stadiums.
Chicago also developed a toolkit for
multi-family buildings to increase
recycling, which resulted in as much
as a 30 percent increase in recycling
in pilot buildings.
Reuse is a major part of Chicago's
progress. Successful reuse programs
include:
• Promoting deconstruction, instead
of demolition, of Chicago homes,
through outreach and the opening
of the city's first building materials
reuse store.
• Supporting Chicago's successful
byproduct synergy program, the
Waste to Profit Network, which has
diverted more than 165,000 tons of
waste from disposal. This diversion
has avoided 102,000 tons of carbon
dioxide equivalent emissions
through a network of more than 200
companies.
• Developing a book donation and
recycling program for Chicago
Public Schools, resulting in 35,000
pounds of textbooks donated to
Africa and Asia. Donating rather
than landfilling the textbooks is
a source reduction strategy that
reduced greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions by 190 metric tons of
carbon dioxide equivalent, which is
comparable to the annual carbon
dioxide emissions produced by the
annual electricity use of 25 U.S.
homes.
• Recycling an additional 165
thousand pounds of books that
could no longer be used. Recycling
rather than landfilling the textbooks
reduced GHG emissions by 400
metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent, equivalent to the
carbon dioxide emissions from the
electricity use of more than 50 U.S.
homes.
Chicago's approaches demonstrate
steps other cities can take to improve
their recycling and reuse rates and
minimize the amount of usable
product going into landfills.
.aterials Matter | 2010 RCC Update 17
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. Schools and Universities
EPA and our partners are working to ensure that learning
environments are protective of students and school staff while
teaching important environmental lessons to our nation's youth.
EPA has made great strides in reducing harmful chemical exposures anc
improving chemical management in schools. In addition to chemical
management, many schools are constructing and renovating buildings with key
waste reduction and energy efficiency goals while implementing aggressive
recycling campaigns on campus.
Universities across the country continue to develop unique, cost-effective ways
to address environmental issues faced by communities and the nation as a
whole. For example, schools challenge and educate students with programs like
RecycleMania, which can be replicated on campuses of all sizes.
With aspiring environmental leaders eager to develop solutions to materials
management issues, our nation's universities continue to embrace the challenge
intheRCC.
Educational materials to help students reduce, reuse, and recycle are available at
www.epa.gov/waste/education and www.epa.gov/teensgogreen.
2010 RCC Update I Materials Matter
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RecycleMania Winners Continue to Grow
University students thrive on rivalry. RecycleMania, a program sponsored in part
by EPA's WasteWise program, capitalizes on the competitive spirit of colleges and
universities and uses it to increase on-campus recycling rates. The annual 10-week
challenge rallies students, faculty, and staff to increase recycling rates at a pace
faster than their collegiate competitors. This year, California State University-San
Marcos won the grand championship title with a recycling rate of 78 percent,
out-recycling their closest competitor by 14 percent. From January 18-March 28,
2009, 510 colleges and universities across the country recycled or composted
more than 69.4 million pounds of materials, which reduces greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions by 88,740 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. This reduction in
GHG is equivalent to eliminating the annual GHG emissions from almost 17,000
passenger cars.
Building on the success of RecycleMania and capitalizing on the competitive
spirit, the EPA 2009 Game Day Recycling Challenge made home football games
an environmental competition for colleges and universities across the United
States. During the 2009 challenge, the eight participating schools across rival
conferences diverted more than 40,000 pounds of waste. The reduction in GHGs
is equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption of nearly
12,000 gallons of gasoline.
Even K-12 schools are competing. In fall 2009, EPA ran a trial of the K-12
Challenge in the State of Ohio. In 5 weeks, 62 schools and 29,950 students,
faculty, and staff collectively recycled or composted 155,815 pounds of
waste.
Computers and other
electronics are recycled at
rates below the national
average, only 18% of
computers and 10% of cell
phones that are disposed
of are recycled each year.
www.recycleman ia. org
Materials Matter | 2010 RCC Update 19
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Temple University Recycling Center
Keeps Electronics Out of Landfills
More and more organizations
are offering collection
points for electronics.
Collected electronics can
be refurbished for reuse or
responsibly recycled. Check
out www.epa.gov/plugin
to find out which retailers
and manufacturers offer
electronics recycling.
Universities have Long been centers of
innovation. With national electronics
recycling rates at only 18 percent,
there is plenty of room for innovation
in the electronics lifecycle. Temple
University in Philadelphia, PA is in
the middle of such an innovation. A
Temple graduate, Jonathon Latko,
and current students created a new
computer recycling center in 2003.
Since its inception, 27,000 computers
have been through the center,
eventually placed back in university
departments, sold to students, staff,
and faculty, or donated to local
community organizations.
Latko's Computer Recycling Center
at Temple won EPA Region 3's Mid-
Atlantic Environmental Achievement
award in 2009. The center also
recently became an official Microsoft
Authorized Refurbisher.
The center operates based on an
"advance recovery fee" that has
been added to all computers being
purchased by the university. The
funds generated from the fee allow
consolidated collection and landfill
diversion rates near 100 percent. By
refurbishing obsolete computers,
the useful life of the equipment is
extended. The refurbished machines
are offered first to university
departments, then to students who
might not otherwise be able to buy a
computer, for the modest fee of $50.
Equipment not claimed by students
is then made available to local
community groups and non-profits
who want to set up small computer
Labs in an accessible location,
giving more communities access to
computers. A small percentage of
electronics cannot be refurbished and
are sent to an electronics recycler. EPA
is working with Temple to replicate
this model at other colleges and
universities. EPA Region 3 plans to
host a workshop for colleges and
universities in the Mid-Atlantic region
2010, with the goal of expanding
s model to more colleges and
iversities in the region.
20 2010 RCC Update | Materials
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In Missouri nearly 500 pounds of chemicals
were removed and properly disposed of,
protecting the health of 1,560 students and 215
school staff at a middle and high school.
Schools Chemical Qeanout Campaign
Embodies President Obama's Ethic of Service
to Create Healthier School Environments
In the Summer of 2009, President Obama called on the nation to make
volunteerism a part of daily life through "United We Serve," an initiative
challenging Americans to meet pressing social and environmental needs
Grandview, MO met the President's challenge when the C4 School
District staff, community and industry partners, and Missouri
Department of Natural Resources took action to protect
Grandview's students from outdated, unknown, and
unneeded chemicals as part of EPA's Schools Chemical
Cleanout Campaign (SC3).
As a part of United We Serve and the SC3 program,
chemicals at the school were inventoried, packed, and
safely disposed of. In addition, staff received training
at no cost to the school district. Nearly 500 pounds
of chemicals, including flammables, explosives, and
caustics, were removed from the school and properly
disposed of, protecting the health of 1,560 students
and 215 school staff.
Some of the 500 pounds
of chemicals cleaned
out through United
We Serve and SC3
in Grandview, MO.
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IV. Communities
Communities across the country are learning that using
materials and resources more efficiently is a key component of
sustainable development. By using energy, water, and materials
more efficiently, communities are reducing their environmental
impacts, strengthening local economies through job creation
and improving the quality of life for their residents.
In 2009, EPA continued to partner with communities to work toward their
sustainability goals, conserve energy and materials, and reap the economic
benefits from sustainable materials management. The examples provided here
include projects in Texas, Atlanta, and community-level projects across the
country. In addition to community-specific efforts, EPA's Dallas office (Region 6)
hosted the first National Sustainable Communities Conference in March 2009,
bringing together local government and community stakeholders from across the
country to share information on sustainable community development.
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The Texas Electric Cooperatives' compact fluorescent
tight bulb (CFL) recycling program has increased the
number of CFL collection locations, making recycling
easier for rural Texas residents. Residents of Wellington,
Texas were 100 miles away from the nearest CFL
collection site before the program began. Now, they have
a convenient local CFL recycling collection location.
Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc., Takes
Back CFLs in Rural Communities
End-of-life management options for products are often Limited in rural
areas of the United States. The lack of environmentally protective end-
of-life options for compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which contain
small amounts of mercury, highlights the difficulties rural communities
face when they want to make environmentally friendly choices. The
Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (TEC), a statewide organization devoted
to supporting electric cooperatives in Texas, worked with the EPA Region 6
National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) program to create
and promote a new CFL take-back program for their member cooperatives in
rural areas of Texas.
TEC is working with the 65 cooperative electricity providers in the
state to offer CFL recycling at their regional offices; more than
30 cooperative electricity providers now offer CFL recycling at
their regional offices. The residents of rural Texas now have
more collection points for proper recycling of bulbs—an
environmentally preferable choice for their home, their
community, and the environment.
In addition to the CFL take-back program, TEC
is also working with member cooperatives to
collect batteries containing lead or cadmium for
recycling. In 2009, TEC recycled 3,642 pounds of
lead as part of the battery take-back program.
Materials Matter | 2010 RCC Update
23
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EPA Region 6 Sponsors a National
Sustainable Communities Conference
Communities across the country are working toward sustainable futures.
To help showcase the progress these communities are making, EPA Region
6 sponsored a National Sustainable Communities Conference in March
2009 in Dallas, TX. With more than 600 participants, the conference
brought together municipalities; federal, state, and local agencies; and
other stakeholders to learn, network, and identify support for sustainability
projects.
Sessions focused on everything from toxic chemical reductions to small
town recycling programs. Conference participants discussed community
sustainability issues including developing recycling markets, educating
citizens on the importance of recycling, collection stations and costs, and
fee structures for pay-as-you-throw programs. Participants also met with
representatives of the RCC programs to learn more about applying materials
management concepts in their communities.
TOOLS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS
EPA's Web site "Tools for Local Government Recycling Programs" is
designed to help community leaders create viable recycling programs
in their communities. This Web site provides resources on how to:
• adjust recycling contract specifications to improve the
financial viability of recycling programs;
• consider the impacts of program and policy
changes on the economics of recycling;
• take advantage of innovative approaches for increasing
participation in residential programs;
• find outreach materials (e.g., brochures and posters)
that can be adapted to any community;
• estimate and articulate both the environmental and
economic benefits of a recycling program; and
• work with schools and businesses to reduce waste and
increase recycling, including at community events.
Visit the Web site at:
www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/tools/localgov/index.htm
24 2010 RCC Update | Materials Matter
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Zero Waste Zone Atlanta
Communities across the nation are
establishing zero waste goals. Zero
waste takes waste management
beyond recycling and recognizes
the potential benefits of evaluating
the complete lifecycle of products
to reduce the overall environmental
impact of waste. Atlanta, GA is
one such community. Atlanta has
made a commitment to reducing
environmental impacts from homes,
workplaces, and communities. Upon
declaring part of its city as a Zero
Waste Zone in February 2009, Atlanta
became one of the nation's first Zero
Waste Zones, and the Southeast's first
such zone.
Working in conjunction with EPA
Region 4 and the Pollution Prevention
Assistance Division of the Georgia
Department of Natural Resources,
Atlanta's initial Zero Waste Zone
encompasses the Convention District
and the Georgia World Congress
Center. Currently in phase one,
participants, including the Georgia
World Congress Center, the Hyatt
Regency and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse,
are recycling and reusing spent grease
for the local production of biofuel
and composting or donating food
residuals to drastically decrease the
amount of waste going to landfills.
In phase two, Atlanta Recycles and
the Green Foodservice Alliance
will develop a model and outreach
material to expand the program
within the convention district. Phase
three will expand the Zero Waste
Zone outside of the downtown
convention district to locations
including Buckhead and Midtown.
Phase four will expand to other areas
of Georgia, and help establish Zero
Waste Zones in other southeast states
and nationally.
Materials Matter | 2010 RCC Update 25
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nfrastructure Design,
Construction, and Operation
Our nation's highways, bridges, skyscrapers and other built
infrastructure provide essential services to individuals and
communities. However, the design, construction, operation, and
maintenance of these structures can have significant effects
on human health and the environment due to the amount of
materials that are used and) the ways that these materials are
produced and managed across their lifecycle.
ach year, industries in the United States produce more than half a billion tons
of industrial materials that have the potential to be reused and recycled. Using
recycled industrial materials, such as construction and demolition materials; spent
foundry sand; scrap tires; iron and steel slags; pulp/paper residuals; and coal
combustion products, to avoid the use of virgin materials can help communities be
sustainable in infrastructure renovation, construction, and maintenance.
• Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are reduced by 2 metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent for every ton of steel that is recycled, equivalent to the emissions of
using more than 200 gallons of gasoline.
• Reusing steel avoids even more GHG emissions—about 3 metric tons of carbon
dioxide equivalent for every ton of steel that is reused, equivalent to the
emissions of burning more than 300 gallons of gasoline.
Reusing 10 tons of clay bricks conserves the same amount of energy that is used
by the average U.S. household annually.
In 2009, EPA strengthened existing partnerships with federal, state,
local governments, and other stakeholders, to emphasize the
importance of sustainability in the design, construction,
and operation of buildings, roadways, and other
infrastructure projects.
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Missouri Rewards Contractors for Using
Environmentally Friendly Practices
As the environmental and economic benefits of sustainable design
and construction become better known, more state governments
are looking for ways to encourage environmentally friendly
practices in construction projects. The Missouri Department of
Transportation (MoDOT) has found that a financial reward might be
just the encouragement its contractors need.
In 2009, MoDOT worked with EPA Region 7 to launch a pilot program
that offers monetary incentives for contractors who use a variety of
environmentally friendly practices on MoDOT's highway construction
jobs. The pilot program, called Green Credits, was patterned after the
Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, which
sets environmental construction standards for the building industry. MoDOT
hopes that Green Credits will encourage contractors to generate new ideas for
green highway construction, and in the process, promote clean air, increase
recycling, and reduce GHG emissions. Specific Green Credits categories include:
Recycling and reuse of industrial materials;
Reducing air emissions;
Using alternative fuels; and
« Using compost for erosion control.
Green Credits contractors who meet or exceed project goals for each category
earn credits with monetary awards. The more credits a contractor earns, the
higher the award. Conversely, if a contractor establishes a Green Credits goal but
fails to meet it, that contractor must pay damages of $2,500 per unmet credit.
By planning ahead and committing to implement key environmental practices,
MoDOT is demonstrating that innovative ideas can pay off—for contractors and
the environment.
MoDOT's Green Credits program encourages
contracting partners to generate new ideas for green
highway construction, which promotes cleaner air,
increased recycling, and reduced GHG emissions.
Materials Matter | 2010 RCC Update 27
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Lifecycle Building Challenge: Designing to
Reduce Construction and Demolition Materials
Sustainable building design reduces, reuses, and recycles the materials used in
projects. For the potential benefits, environmental and economic, of increasing
the reuse and recycling of C&D materials to be realized, new building designs and
conservation strategies are needed.
EPA's Lifecycle Building Challenge is a sustainable design challenge to
professional and student architects, builders, and designers. In 2009, its third
year, the challenge received more than 70 innovative building and product ideas.
For the first time, the competition was opened to international participation,
attracting contestants from Singapore, Taiwan, Argentina, Colombia, France,
Egypt, and the United Kingdom. Each design and product incorporated the ideals
of lifecycle building, i.e., reusing building materials or designing buildings to be
easily deconstructed or modified. Implementing these principles reduces the GHG
emissions and energy associated with extraction, production, and transportation
of new materials. The winning designs are available at:
www. lifecyclebuilding. org
NY Sports Teams Get Greener
With 31 National Football League stadiums in the country that range from a
capacity of 60,000 to 90,000 spectators, football stadiums can have a significant
environmental impact. However, through thoughtful design and operation of
these stadiums, impacts can be minimized with materials management strategies
that consider recycling, industrial materials reuse, and water and energy
conservation. Ensuring easily accessible public transportation to these large
stadiums can also reduce impacts on the surrounding community.
Building on the success of the New York Mets' new stadium, Citi Field, EPA Region
2 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the New Meadowlands
Stadium Company in 2009 for the New Meadowlands football stadium in
East Rutherford, NJ. This stadium will host the New York Giants and New York
Jets. The MOU details strategies to reduce air pollution, conserve water and
energy, improve waste management, and reduce the environmental impact of
construction. Goals include:
cutting the stadium's annual water use by 25 percent, making it 30 percent
more energy efficient than Giants Stadium;
recycling 75 percent of waste generated during construction; and
• increasing total recycling by 25 percent during operation.
www.epa.gov/region02/greenteam
The goal of the Meadowlands
agreement is to avoid emissions
equivalent to the emissions of
nearly 1.68 million metric tons of
carbon dioxide during the stadium's
construction and its first year of
operations. That's equal to the annual
emissions of more than 300,000 cars,
or the emissions from production
of the energy needed to power
150,000 American homes for 1 year.
28 2010 RCC Update | Materials Matter
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Deconstruction is dismantling buildings to maximize
the reuse and recycling of building materials in a cost-
effective manner, a key part of sustainable design.
Pilot Projects Lay the Groundwork for Deconstruction
Recognizing the importance of sustainable design—specifically planning for
buildings to be deconstructed—EPA has launched pilot projects throughout the
country to stimulate creative ideas in support of deconstruction. Deconstruction
is an important technique that considers building materials and construction
from a lifecycle perspective, turning much of what is traditionally considered
demolition waste into a valuable resource.
Deconstruction and Building Materials Reuse Training is a pilot project to
train-the-trainer for building deconstruction and the use of reclaimed building
materials. The project targets representatives from the building industry,
educators, architects, and other related areas. Sponsored by EPA Region 1, partners
included ReCycle North, Habitat for Humanity, Pennsylvania State University, the
Building Materials Reuse Association, and the Yestermorrow Design/Build School.
Based on the program's success, the Yestermorrow Design/Build School developed
a new course, Deconstruction and Materials.
Design for Deconstruction (DfD) promotes a "cradle-to-cradle"
approach to building materials management. This approach
involves designing for increased longevity as well as eventual
disassembly and building materials reuse. Sponsored by
EPA Region 4, the Community Housing Resource Center
organized a group of experts to formulate DfD
principles, design and build a case study based
on the principles, and promote cradle-to-cradle
residential building design. DfD design elements
include moveable walls and waste reduction.
The study led to development of a best practices
toolkit, Design for Disassembly in the Built
Environment: A Guide for Closed-Loop Design and
Building, for DfD in residential construction, and has
become a learning tool to test the viability of DfD.
www.epa.gov/oswer/iwg/pilots/docs/ipco_deconstruct.pdf
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To dote, the Brightwater team
has diverted 67 percent of alt C&D
materials, reused more than 370,000
tons of material in construction,
and saved more than $500,000 from
reuse and recycling of materials.
Environmental benefits include reducing 12,543
metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from recycling
and reuse of fly ash and concrete, which is equivalent to the
annual emissions from almost 2,500 passenger vehicles.
Brightwater Wastewater Treatment System:
Built with the Environment in Mind
To meet the growing service demands of the Puget Sound region over the
next several decades, King County, WA, is building a sustainable wastewater
treatment system. This 1.8 billion dollar project, partly funded through the Clean
Water Act State Revolving Fund, is King County's largest clean-water capital
project in 40 years, and incorporates sustainable design and building practices in
all facets of its construction and future operations.
The Brightwater Wastewater Treatment system is a 36-million-gallon-per-
day regional waste treatment facility in Woodinville, WA. Facility architects,
engineers, and contractors incorporated a variety of sustainable design and
building practices. The site includes a salmon habitat, a reforestation area, and an
environmental education and community center. The Brightwater team:
Used 13,800 tons of fly ash as a cement substitute, avoiding emissions of
12,543 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (equal to the emissions from
burning more than 29,000 barrels of oil), and reducing energy consumption
by more than 73 billion BTUs. Additional reuse and recycling of construction
and demolition materials avoided emission of even more GHGs, and conserved
even more energy.
Reused 200 trees and root wads for salmon habitat.
Produced 15,000 cubic yards of compost material.
• Used recycled materials in the environmental education and community center.
ABOVE LEFT: Construction of
three digesters and a mixing
tank for the Brightwater
Treatment System
30 2010 RCC Update | Materials Matter
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RCC Tools, Education, and Outreach
EPA offers a wide array of tools to help individuals and organizations determine the
environmental impact of their purchasing, manufacturing, and materials management activities.
New Tools
The Food Waste Management
Calculator develops alternative
food waste management scenarios
based on the facility's waste profile,
available diversion methods, and
preferences, and then compares the
cost estimates for the alternative
scenarios, (www.epa.gov/epawaste/
conserve/materials/organics/food/
tools/index.htm)
iWARM calculates the energy saved by
recycling small quantities of common
household products and translates
the saved energy into the equivalent
amount of electricity. For example,
recycling an aluminum beverage
can rather than landfilling it saves
enough energy to operate a 60-watt
incandescent light bulb for 4.3 hours,
or to operate the equivalent compact
fluorescent bulb for 20 hours.
(www. epa.gov/iwarm)
SMART BET (Saving Money and
Reducing Trash - Benefit Evaluation
Tool) is a software program designed
to help community waste managers
decide whether unit-based pricing for
solid waste management (or Pay-As-
You-Throw) is the right model for their
cities or towns. SMART BET allows
users to input information (e.g., tons of
waste landfilled and recycled annually,
local population, and tipping fees) and
compare their data with nationwide
average waste data (e.g., disposal
tonnages, typical Pay-As-You-Throw
results, and GHG emission factors).
SMART BET calculates GHG and cost
savings that the user is likely to see
after implementing a Pay-As-You-
Throw economic incentive program.
(www. epa.gov/waste/conserve/tools/
payt/tools/smart-bet/index.htm)
WasteWise Re-TRAC is a tracking
and reporting system that allows
partners to track their waste reduction
and recycling tonnages in realtime.
During 2010, EPA will promote the
tracking and reporting system and
encourage partners to track and report
their progress.
(www.wastewise.tms. icf. com)
Additional Tools and Resources
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 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
their products, (iviviv.epeat.net)
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,
operations, and maintenance.
(www.epa.gov/greenscapes)
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 documents, regulations,
standards, sample contract language,
and Web sites to help public, private,
and government managers to use
industrial materials in their projects.
(www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/
rrr/imr/pdfs/tools3-08.pdj)
Materials Matter | 2010 RCC Update 31
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Municipal Government Toolkit
(MGTK), developed by EPA's Region
4, provides local officials with
information to evaluate, support,
and expand their waste reduction
programs. The toolkit presents a
collection of economic data, sample
legislation, waste reduction efforts,
guidance resources, and case studies
regarding 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,
designed to demonstrate the positive
economic impacts of recycling in the
eight EPA Region 4 states, encouraging
municipal officials to support and fund
recycling efforts in their communities.
(www. epa.gov/Region4/waste/rcra/
mgtoolkit/index.html)
Office Carbon Footprint Tool estimates
the GHG impacts of a wide variety of
activities including transportation,
purchasing, and waste management.
The Excel-based tool allows office-
based businesses to estimate the
GHG emissions associated with their
activities and gives suggestions
to reduce the businesses' carbon
footprints, (www.epa.gov/epawaste/
partnerships/wastewise/carboncalc.
htm)
RCC Web Acaderr uses Web-based
technology to provide information on
the RCC to thousands of stakeholders
across the country. The academy
provides monthly MSW and recycling
training to local, state, and federal
agencies, non-profits, and industry
stakeholders. Since its inception
in 2007, the academy has reached
more than 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)
Recycled Content (ReCon) Tool
estimates the lifecycle, GHG, and
energy impacts of purchasing or
manufacturing certain materials. It
also calculates the GHG and energy
benefits of increasing the recycled
content of specific materials.
(www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/
waste/calculators/ReCon_home.html)
Recycling Toolkit is designed to help
building contractors recycle and
use recycled materials. This toolkit
contains a collection of resources that
can help:
• Contractors who want to reduce,
reuse, or recycle construction and
demolition materials generated at
their job sites.
• Contractors who want to use
recycled industrial materials in
the construction or renovation of a
structure.
EPA developed this online toolkit
in cooperation with the Associated
General Contractors of America and
the Industrial Resources Council.
(http://www.agc.org/cs/recycling_
toolkit)
Schools Chemical Cleanout
Campaign (SC3) Toolkit provides
schools and partners with resources
to start chemical management
programs and/or improve their
chemical management practices.
The campaign includes fact sheets,
guidance documents, and manuals
that address a wide range of topics
including lab safety, green cleaning,
safety in arts 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
that outlines how to develop and
implement a chemical management
program at a school. The workbook
also includes advice for potential
partners looking to become involved
in SC3 work, (www.epa.gov/epawaste/
partnerships/sc3/index.htm)
WAste Reduction Model (WARM)
estimates the GHG and energy impacts
of solid waste management recycling
for 34 materials. WARM allows users
to measure the combined upstream
and downstream benefits of source
reduction, recycling, composting,
combustion, and landfilling.
(www.epa.gov/warm)
32 2010 RCC Update | Materials Matter
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Today, Tomorrow,
and Beyond
The Resource Conservation Challenge accomplishments described in this
report highlight the many ways that materials management strategies can
positively impact the environmental, economic, and social fabric of our nation.
Communities across the country benefit when lifecycle approaches are considered
in the construction of buildings, highways, ballparks, wastewater treatment
plants, recycling programs and more. The examples in this document demonstrate
how productive partnerships can be developed between EPA and consumers,
communities, tribes, local governments, industry, and academia. We invite you
to consider how you can contribute to improving the lifecycle of materials and
processes, which contributes to improved human health and a better environment.
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M A T E R I
matter
reduce < reuse > recycle
WWW.EPA.GOV/RCC
Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery
EPA530-R-10-004 • March 2010
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 public 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 partner's 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 prohibition 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.
@ Recycled/Recyclable- Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on Recycled Paper (Minimum 50% Postconsumer) Process Chlorine Free
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