| Local Policy Description: | Waste Reduction
Process redesign and operational management changes, ranging from simple to complex, can reduce the amount of material a firm uses per unit of final product. Embodied energy describes the energy needed to process the raw materials and equipment required to manufacture a product. In many companies the CO2 emitted in the processing of raw materials used in their products greatly exceeds the CO2 released by their total in-house energy consumption.
This is why recycling and reuse are important parts of a waste reduction plan. One conservative estimate is that every ton of waste recycled prevents 1,000 pounds of CO2 emissions. This is because it requires so much less energy to produce a recycled product than one made from raw materials—for instance, recycling aluminum takes only one-quarter of the energy required to make aluminum.
Companies can also cut down on the amount of waste produced at their facilities. Relatively straightforward actions such as two-sided copying, reducing product and transport packaging, and reusing office supplies can add up to millions of dollars in annual cost savings.
The federal “Waste Wi$e” program works with private firms to identify and implement innovative solid waste reduction and reuse strategies. More than 390 companies, from large Fortune 1000 firms to smaller businesses, universities and nonprofit organizations nationwide have signed on to be “Waste Wi$e.”
Encouraging Recycling and Solid Waste Reduction Strategies
Within the next 10 years, methane recovery is in place, or will be in place, in all landfills where Burlington sends waste. There may, however, be more opportunities to generate power with the methane that is currently being flared (burned off) at landfills. This possibility should be investigated further and implemented where cost-effective.
The Chittenden County Solid Waste District has been working diligently to divert waste from landfill disposal whenever possible. The amount of waste diverted has increased from 42.3 percent in 1993 to 48.2 percent in 1997. Increasing the percentage diverted to 55 percent by 2005 would prevent approximately 3,300 tons of waste from being landfilled each year. This diversion, combined with methane recovery, will prevent approximate annual methane emissions equivalent to 2,200 tons of CO2.
Innovative projects such as Intervale Compost, which began in 1987 with leaf composting and evolved to become the largest commercial composting project in Vermont, are crucial steps in addressing the issue of waste disposal in Burlington.
Efforts to promote waste reduction in city operations should also be explored. Purchasing guidelines that promote resource conservation and source reduction, particularly for office supplies, should be aggressively pursued. In addition, the City of Burlington should promote policies that make recycling as simple as possible for residents—for instance, convenient drop-off locations (which will also reduce emissions from driving).
Solid Waste
There are two main impacts on climate change from the generation of solid waste, one direct and one indirect. The direct impact is due to the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste, which produces the greenhouse gas methane. Businesses that produce significant amounts of organic waste, such as food and paper waste, can help reduce this by composting (in the case of food waste) and simple waste reduction measures such as printing double-sided copies.
The indirect link to climate change has to do with embodied energy, which is the energy (and subsequent CO2) needed to produce the raw materials required to manufacture a product. By recycling, and by purchasing products with high recycled content, a business can cut down on this embodied energy.
Recycled products can reduce by as much as 75 percent the amount of energy required to produce a product. One conservative estimate is that every ton of recycled waste prevents 1,000 pounds of CO2.
Adopting management policies that require green or climate friendly purchasing wherever possible, encourage the conscientious use of office supplies, and promote waste reduction in the lunchroom (providing recycling bins and reusable dishware), can also lead to significant reductions.
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