Zero Waste Zone ~ Downtown Atlanta

1
Zero Waste Zone Downtown Atlanta

• Mary Beth Van Pelt
• RCRA Programs Materials Management Branch
• April 15, 2009

2
RCRA

• Resource Conservation Recovery Act
• To protect human health and the environment from
  the potential hazards of waste disposal
• To conserve energy and natural resources
• To reduce the amount of waste generated
• To ensure that wastes are managed in an
  environmentally sound manner

3
RCRA

• Focused on hazardous waste
• Built the cradle-to-grave system
• Permitting facilities
• Corrective action focus on high priority sites

4
Resource Conservation Challenge

• Recycling of Municipal Solid Waste
• Beneficial Use of Secondary Materials
• Priority and Toxic Chemical Reduction
• Electronics

5
How will economics, climate change and energy
savings be achieved?RCC Goals

• Three goals
• Prevent pollution and promote recycling and reuse
  of materials
• Reduce the use of priority chemicals at all life
  cycle stages
• Increase energy and materials conservation

6
Municipal Solid Waste Generation251 Million Tons
Food Scraps 12.4
Yard Trimmings 12.9
Other 3.3
Wood 5.5
Rubber, leather, and textiles 7.3
Paper 33. 9
Plastics 11.7
Metals 7.6
Glass 5.3
EPA 2006 Facts and Figures
7
Waste Management Hierarchy

• Avoid
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle
• Recover
• Dispose

Most Desirable
Least Desirable
8
Bring new ideas to old issues

• Landfills are a precious resource

9
Why is it important?

• ? Conserve Landfill space
• ? Reduce GHG emissions
• ? Recovering valuable feedstock materials

10
Composting Food and Yard Waste

• 67 million tons of organic material generated
• 31.3 million tons of food waste
• 32.4 million tons of yard trimmings
• 62 of yard trimmings was composted, 2 of food
  waste composted

11
ZERO WASTE ZONE Downtown Atlanta Project
Summary VISION Develop a prototype of a zero
waste zone with an initial focus of diversion of
recoverable products produced by foodservice
operations from landfills. DEFINED AREA The
foodservice operations within Atlantas downtown
convention district BACKGROUND Georgians
dispose of more than 17 million tons of solid
waste in MSW (municipal solid waste) landfills
per year and the Georgia MSW per person is more
than twice than the national average.
Recoverable products (paper, organics and
plastics) make up 82 of the materials disposed
in landfills. In 2008 Atlanta lost a convention
to Orlando because the clients perception that
Orlando was a greener city.
12
ZERO WASTE ZONE Participation Criteria Zero Waste
Zone participants are required to meet the
following criteria COMMON RECYCLABLES By the
end of three months or the end of their current
hauling contract, whichever is sooner,
participants are required to recycle common
recyclables generated in their operation.
Common recyclables consist of cardboard, paper,
glass, plastic and metals. The Georgia
Recycling Coalition will provide a list of local
recycling companies.
13
SPENT GREASE By the end of three months or the
end of their current hauling contract, whichever
is sooner, participants are required to recycle
their spent grease from fryers with a local
bio-fuel production facility and/or bio-fuel
companies. Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
will assist with referrals to biodiesel companies
who meet ZWZ standards.
14
FOOD RESIDUALS All participants must have a
formal plan for donation of excess food to
charitable organizations within the parameters of
applicable federal, state and/or local Good
Samaritan Food Donation legislation. By the
end of three months, participants must compost
food residuals produced in their operation. No
food residuals may be hauled to landfills.
Referrals to food residual hauling and
composting companies will be provided.
15
GENERAL Participation in the EPA WasteWise
program Membership in the Green Foodservice
Alliance via Georgia Restaurant Association
membership Training sessions will be facilitated
by Atlanta Recycles to participants to assist in
meeting Zero Waste Zone criteria.
16
Partners in Leadership with EPA

• Green Foodservice Alliance
• Georgia Restaurant Association
• Atlanta Recycles
• Atlanta Convention Visitors Bureau
• Georgia Recycling Coalition
• Georgia Department of Agriculture
• Georgia Department of Community Affairs
• Georgia Department of Natural Resources

17
Charter Partners in ZWZ

• Georgia World Congress Center
• Georgia Aquarium
• Georgia Dome
• Philips Arena
• World of Coca-Cola
• Centennial Part
• 5 Major Hotels
• 10 Restaurants

18
Whats Next?

• ZWZ Buckhead
• ZWZ Midtown
• ZWZ Athens
• ZWZ Savannah
• ZWZ Florida along hospitality corridors

19
Zero Waste Zone Biofuel Production
Standards Biofuel companies must meet the below
standards in order for a foodservice operator to
comply with the Green Foodservice Green
Certification criteria and the Zero Waste Zone
parameters. The production facility must be
within 250 miles of the foodservice operator
kitchen. The company must be a registered member
of the National Biodiesel Board (link to
www.nbb.org) The company must send a
biofuel/biodiesel sample to an independent third
party lab for testing to ensure the product
meets EPA specifications (ASTM D6751). Testing
must be done at least annually. The company must
be registered with the IRS as a fuel producer
and report quarterly to the IRS. To qualify as
a qualified biofuel company, evidence of the
above standards must be provided.