Farmers

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Farmers Markets Zero Waste Zones

• Presented by Martin Bourque
• Ecology Center Executive Director
• CRRA August 4th, 2009 Palm Springs, CA

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• Ecology Center pioneered curbside recycling in
  1973 and has been Berkeleys curbside collector
  under contract since 1989.
• Ecology Center started the Berkeley Farmers
  Markets in 1987
• Combining food systems work with zero waste
  efforts

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What is Zero Waste?

• Conceptual Goal
• Promotes Diversion
• System Redesign

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Berkeleys Zero Waste Context

• Strong non-profit recyclers, deep rich history
• Strong commercial reuse sector
• Strong commercial food scrap program
• Residential food scraps added in 2007
• New CD separation in 2008

• City of Berkeley passes Zero Waste Goal in 2005
• Policy Styrofoam ban, EPR policy, EP3,
  precautionary principal, pay as you throw
• Pending Bag policy, take out fare, mandatory
  commercial, more.

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Previous Waste Station
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Zero Waste Station
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How Did We Get There?

• Grant from Stopwaste.org
• Plastic phase out
• Coordination with other markets
• Consumer education
• Promotion of reusable options
• Bag charge

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Grant

• Stopwaste.org grant (Alameda County Waste
  Management Authority) subsidized the cost of
  biodegradable bags for roll out.

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Plastic Phase Out

• High Standards
• Compostable (ASTM D6400 - 04)
• GMO-Free
• Labeled
• Vendor buy-in
• Exemptions

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Consumer Education/Promotion of Reusable Options

• Interns at waste stations
• Improved signage
• Availability of reusable options

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Mandatory Bag Fee 0.25

• Pros
• Makes connection between bag use and costs
• Effective at reducing bag use
• Cons
• Customer backlash
• May be at odds with Direct Marketing Regulations

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Roll Out

• February 21st-Exemption forms due
• February 27th-Advisory Committee reviews
  exemptions
• March 1st-March 5th-Vendors informed of decisions
• March 7th-Plastic phased out
• March 10th-14th-Inspection and compliance
• Earth Day-Public celebration and kick off

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Results

• Silence
• Dramatic increase in bag reuse
• Dramatic bag use reduction
• Customer feedback
• Vendor feedback
• Normalization

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Next Steps

• Farmer / vendor surveys
• Bag exchange
• Customer surveys
• Information sharing
• Exemptions
• Best practices
• Promotion and replication

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Contact Information

• Martin Bourque
• Executive Director
• Ecology Center
• 510.548.2220
• Martin_at_ecologycenter.org
• www.ecologycenter.org