Twenty years ago, many solid waste
planners thought no more than 15% to 20% of the municipal waste
stream could be recycled. ILSR's 1988 publication, Beyond 25%:
Materials Recovery Age Comes of Age, shattered this myth. It featured
15 communities recycling 25% or more of their residential and
commercial/institutional discards. Our 1991 report Beyond 40%:
Record-Setting Recycling and Composting Programs highlighted even
more communities with even higher recycling levels. Between 1996
and 2000, our U.S. EPA-sponsored Waste
Reduction Record-Setters project greatly expanded
our work to identify and share the experience of model recycling
programs. This project produced a report and a series of fact
sheet packets on record-setting recycling programs. ILSR continues
to document best practices. In 2000 we developed a series
of case studies for the California Integrated Waste Management
Board. In 2002, we released a booklet on Alameda
County, California's comprehensive waste reduction
and recycling programs.
Recycling has indeed come of age.
The number of curbside recycling programs has climbed to more
than 9,700, and the national recycling rate for municipal discards
has reached 30% for the first time since the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency started tracking the rate.
At the local level, many communities
are setting new records, surpassing 50%, and even 60% waste diversion
levels. A number of individual establishments - public and private
sector - such as office buildings, schools, hospitals, restaurants,
and supermarkets have approached 90% and higher levels. Recycling
has made gains despite an unlevel playing field: competition from
raw materials processing and wasting industries and expectations
that it has to "pay for itself."
A few communities have endorsed
zero waste goals. Del Norte, California, is the first U.S. community
to adopt a zero waste management plan. Other communities are moving
in this direction as well. Seattle's current solid waste plan
has adopted zero waste as a guiding principle. In 2002, the San
Francisco Board of Supervisors adopted a 75% landfill diversion
goal by the year 2010 and a long-term goal of zero waste.
ILSR provides technical assistance
to communities interested in reducing the flow of materials to
landfills and incinerators. This Recycling Record Setters Web
page features innovative and model programs that can be replicated
in other communities.
Table
of Select Community Waste Reduction Record-Setters
Table
of Select Institutional and Commercial Sector Waste Reduction
Record-Setters
List
of Key Characteristics of Record-Setting Recycling Programs
Resources:
Recycling Record Setters
Zero Waste
Planning
Community
Record Setters
Food Scrap Recovery
Apartment
Building Programs
Office Building
Models
Special Events
Building Material
Recovery
Serving Diverse
Populations with Recycling
ILSR's U.S. EPA-Sponsored
Waste Reduction Record-Setters Project
Case Studies of
Innovative Recycling Strategies Prepared for the California Integrated
Waste Management Board
Zero
Waste Planning
Del Norte Zero Waste Plan
by Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority staff,
Self-Reliance Inc. staff, and other consultants
2000, 170 pages
$15 (incl. S&H)
from the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority
391 Front Street, Crescent City, CA 95531
(707) 465-1100, fax (707) 465-1300
e-mail: recycle@cc.northeast.com
This zero waste plan is the first
of its kind in the U.S. It describes policies and strategies for
reaching zero waste in Del Norte (CA). Other communities aiming
for zero waste will find this plan essential reading.
Seattle
Solid Waste Plan
In 1998, the City of Seattle adopted a new solid waste plan, On
the Path to Sustainability. The Plan adopted zero waste as a guiding
principle and a goal to recycle 60% of all the waste generated
in Seattle by 2008.
San
Francisco's Zero Waste Resolution
Adopted by the San Francisco Commission on the Environment, April
16, 2002
This resolution urges the Mayor
and Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco
to adopt a goal of 75% landfill diversion by the year 2010 and
to adopt a goal of zero waste by 2020. On September 30, 2002,
the Board of Supervisors passed its own resolution adopting a
75% landfill diversion goal by the year 2010 and a long-term goal
of zero waste, with the zero waste goal date to be set by the
San Francisco Commission on the Environment once the state's 50%
diversion goal is met.
A
Waste Management Strategy for Canberra: No Waste by 2010
Canberra, Australia, was the first large city to adopt a zero
waste plan. Its plan aims to eliminate the city's two landfills
by 2010 and replace them with comprehensive "recycling estates."
Zero
Waste New Zealand
This is the Web site of the Zero Waste New Zealand Trust. The
Trust's mission is to encourage and motivate all sectors of New
Zealand society to work towards a target of zero waste.
GrassRoots
Recycling Network Zero Waste Web Site
This Web site includes many resources
and links on zero waste.
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Community
Record Setters
ILSR has been tracking and documenting
community-wide recycling/composting programs for many years. Some
of our reports on this subject are available online as PDF files.
Others are available in hard copy format only.
Alameda County,
California
Innovation, Leadership, Stewardship
This 20-page booklet features Alameda County's (California) record-setting
recycling programs. The county diverts almost 60% of its municipal
solid waste. The Alameda County Waste Management Authority and
the Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling Board deserve
much credit. This glossy booklet -- chock full of case studies
and photographs -- features the Board's source reduction, reuse,
construction material recycling, composting, market development,
green building, and outreach initiatives.
View
press release (October 2002)
Download
PDF file of report
Printed copies available for free from ILSR (only shipping & handling)
See
publications list
Cutting the
Waste Stream in Half: Community Record-Setters Show How
by Brenda Platt and Kelly Lease
1999
171-page report, EPA-530-R-99-013-
Download
PDF file
fact sheet packet , EPA-530-F-99-017 -
Download
PDF file
This report and fact sheet packet of the same title feature 18
cities and counties recovering 40 to 65% of their residential
waste. They profile each community's program, drivers for waste
reduction levels, materials accepted, set-out and collection methods,
and equipment and operating costs. The fact sheet packet summarizes
and complements the full report. Essential reading on cost-effective
recycling.
Waste Reduction
Record-Setters Program Profiles
November 1998
View
online
Features 30 examples of cutting-edge residential recycling programs
and more than 20 commercial and institutional programs.
Minimizing Waste,
Maximizing Recycling
by Brenda Platt
1994, 34 pages
$6.00
See
publications list
This report identifies steps to reach high levels of waste reduction
and recycling, and highlights model communities.
Waste Prevention,
Recycling, and Composting Options: Lessons from 30 U.S. Communities
by Brenda Platt, Naomi Friedman,
Carolyn Grodinsky, Pia MacDonald, and Margaret Suozzo
1994, 168 pages
EPA-530-R-92-015
FREE (S&H not included)
See
publications list
This report is a summary and analysis
of the research conducted in In-Depth Studies of Recycling and
Composting Programs: Designs, Costs, and Results. It looks at
the operating experiences of 30 communities ranging from rural
towns of 2,000 to cities of two million. It also offers nuts-and-bolts
advice to communities wanting to strengthen their own programs.
Published by the U.S. EPA.
In-Depth Studies of Recycling
and Composting Programs: Designs, Costs, Results,
Volumes I, II, and III, 1992
by Brenda Platt, Naomi Friedman,
Carolyn Grodinsky, and Margaret Suozzo
See
publications list
Volume I, Rural Communities
113 pages
$18.00
ISBN 0-917582-31-4, LC 92-9856
Volume II, Suburbs and Small
Cities
190 pages
$18.00
ISBN 0-917582-30-6, LC 92-9856
Volume III, Urban Areas
190 pages
$18.00
ISBN 0-917582-29-2, LC 92-9856
Volumes I, II, and III
$45.00
ISBN 0-917582-32-2, LC 92-9856
This three-volume study is one
of the most comprehensive compilations on community recycling
programs. It details aspects of 30 U.S. community recycling programs,
each selected for its geographic and demographic representation,
high recovery rates, and/or notable innovations. Each volume includes
model initiatives for source reduction, construction and demolition
debris recovery, food waste recovery, and salvage/reuse operations.
The case studies allow for comparisons of costs and results, public
and private collection, segregated and commingled set-out, curbside
and drop-off, and mandatory.
Beyond 40 Percent:
Record-Setting Recycling and Composting Programs
by Brenda Platt, Christine Doherty,
Anne Claire Broughton, and David Morris
1991, 264 pages
$25.00
ISBN 1-55963-073-6, LC 90-4769
See
publications list
This report demonstrated the reality
of recovering more than 40 percent of municipal solid waste. It
established materials recovery as a cost-effective, primary waste
management strategy. The operating experiences of 17 communities-urban,
suburban, and rural-are extensively documented. The book includes
58 charts with specifics of recycling and composting programs,
breakdowns of capital and operating costs, and information on
materials targeted. It also provides information on incentives,
collection methods, education and publicity, and contact people.
A valuable guide for anyone interested in materials recovery and
recycling.
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Food Scrap
Recovery
Food
Waste Recovery
by Brenda Platt
2000
This case study, prepared for
the California Integrated Waste Management Board, features food
recovery initiatives in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Santa Cruz
County. It details collection systems for the commercial and institutional
sector, collection of residential food discards with yard trimmings,
and on-site composting of private sector food scraps.
Don't Throw
Away That Food: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction
by Brenda Platt and Joanne Goodwin
1998, fact sheet packet (24 pages)
EPA-530-F-98-023
View
Online
A growing number of food-related
businesses are diverting their food discards to useful purposes
in place of the dump. This fact sheet packet documents nine programs
with record-setting food recovery levels, from a hospital and
prison to an urban produce market and supermarkets. The packet
includes tips for solid waste planners and resources for more
information.
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Apartment
Building Programs
Recycling
in Multi-Family Dwellings
by Kelly Lease
2000
This case study, prepared for
the California Integrated Waste Management Board, features programs
and policies to encourage recycling in multi-family dwellings.
It documents programs in Central Costa Contra, Davis, and Malibu
(CA) as well as examples from across the U.S.
Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies
for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in Multi-Family Dwellings
by Kelly Lease, Brenda Platt, and Joanne Goodwin
1999, fact sheet packet (26 pages)
EPA-530-F-99-022
Download
PDF file
Multi-family buildings are often
overlooked when communities offer their residents recycling services.
This fact sheet packet features four model apartment buildings
and complexes, from garden apartments to high-rises, that are
recycling between 20 and 65% of their discarded materials. Also
profiled are five communities that provide recycling service to
their multi-family dwelling sector.
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Office Building
Models
Mini
Trash Bins Help Office Settings Reduce Waste 50 Percent and More
by Brenda Platt
2000
Taking away people's trash cans
to reduce office waste is a novel concept-a concept that is spreading
and resulting in high waste diversion. The heart of the system
is making employees responsible for their trash by replacing their
deskside trash can with a small mini trash bin. This case study,
prepared for the California Integrated Waste Management Board,
features programs in Ontario, Canada, and in the City of San Jose.
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Special
Events
Recycling
at Special Events
by Kelly Lease
2000
This case study, prepared for
the California Integrated Waste Management Board, will help event
organizers to reduce waste and local planners to establish programs
and policies to encourage event recycling within their jurisdictions.
It highlights efforts in California and elsewhere.
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Building
Material Recovery
Also visit ILSR's Building
Deconstruction Web site.
Building Savings: Strategies
for Waste Reduction of Debris from Buildings
by Kelly Lease, Mark Jackson, and Brenda Platt
2000, fact sheet packet (20 pages)
EPA-530-F-00-001
Download
PDF file
This fact sheet packet profiles
seven building projects-from new construction to renovation and
deconstruction-that are recovering 42 to 82% of materials otherwise
destined for disposal. Policymakers wanting to encourage building
material recovery, building owners and developers interested in
green building design, and contractors seeking a competitive edge
will find this document useful.
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Serving
Diverse Populations with Recycling
Serving
Diverse Populations with Recycling
by Mark Jackson
2000
This case study, prepared for
the California Integrated Waste Management Board, identifies barriers
communities may face in delivering recycling services to diverse
populations (multi-ethnic, low-income, tourist, student, elderly),
and features how cities are overcoming these challenges.
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ILSR's U.S.
EPA-Sponsored Waste Reduction Project
ILSR's Waste Reduction Record-Setters
project (1996-2000), funded under an U.S. EPA grant, identified
and documented record-setting waste reduction programs in the
public and private sectors. The project identified 100 communities
and nearly 200 businesses, institutions, and other organizations
reporting waste reduction -- the combination of waste prevention
and recycling -- rates at 50 percent or higher. In fact, some
are reducing their municipal solid waste by as much as 85 or 90
percent. What makes these programs so successful? At what cost?
What role to waste prevention, reuse, and composting play? What
can other communities, governments, and organizations -- and the
nation as a whole -- learn from these record-setters?
To answer these questions, ILSR
wrote a series of publications, published by the U.S. EPA. The
following resources highlight model programs, costs, benefits,
and tips for replication.
Waste Reduction Record-Setters
Program Profiles
November 1998
View
online
Features more than 50 examples of cutting-edge recycling programs.
Cutting the
Waste Stream in Half: Community Record-Setters Show How
by Brenda Platt and Kelly Lease
1999
171-page report, EPA-530-R-99-013- Download
PDF file
fact sheet packet , EPA-530-F-99-017- Download
PDF file
This report and fact sheet packet
of the same title feature 18 cities and counties recovering 40
to 65% of their residential waste. They profile each community's
program, drivers for waste reduction levels, materials accepted,
set-out and collection methods, and equipment and operating costs.
The fact sheet packet summarizes and complements the full report.
Essential reading on cost-effective recycling.
Building Savings:
Strategies for Waste Reduction of Debris from Buildings
by Kelly Lease, Mark Jackson, and Brenda Platt
2000, fact sheet packet (20 pages)
EPA-530-F-00-001
Download
PDF file
This fact sheet packet profiles
seven building projects-from new construction to renovation and
deconstruction-that are recovering 42 to 82% of materials otherwise
destined for disposal. Policymakers wanting to encourage building
material recovery, building owners and developers interested in
green building design, and contractors seeking a competitive edge
will find this document useful.
Complex Recycling
Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in Multi-Family
Dwellings
by Kelly Lease, Brenda Platt, and Joanne Goodwin
1999, fact sheet packet (26 pages)
EPA-530-F-99-022
Download
PDF file
Multi-family buildings are often
overlooked when communities offer their residents recycling services.
This fact sheet packet features four model apartment buildings
and complexes, from garden apartments to high-rises, that are
recycling between 20 and 65% of their discarded materials. Also
profiled are five communities that provide recycling service to
their multi-family dwelling sector.
Don't Throw
Away That Food: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction
by Brenda Platt and Joanne Goodwin
1998, fact sheet packet (24 pages)
EPA-530-F-98-023
View
online
A growing number of food-related
businesses are diverting their food discards to useful purposes
in place of the dump. This fact sheet packet documents nine programs
with record-setting food recovery levels, from a hospital and
prison to an urban produce market and supermarkets. The packet
includes tips for solid waste planners and resources for more
information.
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Case Studies
of Innovative Recycling Strategies Prepared for the California
Integrated Waste Management Board
These five case studies of innovative
recycling strategies were prepared for the California Integrated
Waste Management Board (CIWMB) to help jurisdictions meet the
state's 50% diversion goal. Each case study details model programs,
costs and benefits, tips for replication, contacts, and resources
for more information.
Food
Waste Recovery
by Brenda Platt
2000
This case study features food recovery initiatives in San Francisco,
Berkeley, and Santa Cruz County. It details collection systems
for the commercial and institutional sector, collection of residential
food discards with yard trimmings, and on-site composting of private
sector food scraps.
Mini
Trash Bins Help Office Settings Reduce Waste 50 Percent and More
by Brenda Platt
2000
Taking away people's trash cans to reduce office waste is a novel
concept-a concept that is spreading and resulting in high waste
diversion. The heart of the system is making employees responsible
for their trash by replacing their deskside trash can with a small
mini trash bin. This case study features programs in Ontario,
Canada, and in the City of San Jose.
Serving
Diverse Populations with Recycling
by Mark Jackson
2000
This case study identifies barriers communities may face in delivering
recycling services to diverse populations (multi-ethnic, low-income,
tourist, student, elderly), and features how cities are overcoming
these challenges.
Recycling
at Special Events
by Kelly Lease
2000
This case study will help event organizers to reduce waste and
local planners to establish programs and policies to encourage
event recycling within their jurisdictions. It highlights efforts
in California and elsewhere.
Recycling
in Multi-Family Dwellings
by Kelly Lease
2000
This case study features programs and policies to encourage recycling
in multi-family dwellings. It documents programs in Central Costa
Contra, Davis, and Malibu (CA) as well as examples from across
the U.S.
For more information on other case studies of innovative waste
reduction initiatives prepared under this project, go to the CIWMB
Web site: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/LGLibrary/Innovations/
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