1 / 29

LESS IS LESS

Explore the decreasing waste generation rates in the United States, factors contributing to waste reduction, evolution in raw materials, flexible packaging trends, and the concept of zero waste. Discover how industries, governments, and individuals are moving towards sustainable waste management practices.

ferris
Download Presentation

LESS IS LESS

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. LESS IS LESS VASWANA AUGUST 4 2014

  2. MSW GENERATION RATES

  3. WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN: • 2010: 250.5 million tons (actual) • 2010: +8.1 million tons (population) • 2010: +77.0 million tons (previous decades)

  4. WHY LESS WASTE? • Recycling/composting? • Recession? • Source reduction? • Zero waste? • Evolving ton?

  5. RAW MATERIALS

  6. 2012 Generation by Product Type EPA MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE IN THE UNITED STATES: 2012 FACTS AND FIGURES

  7. THE EVOLVING TON • Less paper • More plastic • Electronics • Future products?

  8. ELECTRONICS

  9. Flexible packaging

  10. FLEXIBLE PACKAGING • Technologically advanced • Multi-layer • Multi-resin • Sometimes with non-plastic materials such as foil • Barrier layers • Tie Layers

  11. WHY THE CHANGE Flexible Film Pouches & Packaging Flexible Packaging Association www.flexpack.org

  12. MANAGEMENT TRENDS

  13. RECOVERY RATES

  14. EVOLVING TON & MRFS • More glass • More plastic • Less paper • Lower revenues • Higher costs

  15. ORGANICS • Compost 30% • Edible food • Animal feed • Anaerobic digestion • Residential/commercial collection

  16. ZERO WASTE • “Zero waste” means? • Local governments • Smart capitalism

  17. ZERO WASTE = ? • How defined? • Individual behavior • Raw material use

  18. ZW: LOCAL GOVERNMENT • Resolutions • Plans • More diversion or less consumption?

  19. ZW: INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR • Use less stuff • Love food, waste less

  20. ZW: COMPANIES • Kroger • Honeywell System Sensor • MillerCoors • General Mills • Subaru • General Motors • AB InBev • Dell • Unilever • Proctor & Gamble • Ford • Volvo • Toyota • Bridgestone • Southern Tier Brewing • Walmart • NY State Legislature • Kona Brewing

  21. ZW: SUBSTANCE • Increase diversion to 65% by 2013 • Defect rate down by 80% • No waste to landfill • Donated food waste…decreased overall generation by 40% • Auto production plant landfill free • Zero waste to landfill at 116 facilities, 45 in North America • Reduce packaging use by 100,000 tons annually by 2017 • Waste-free packaging by 2020 • Reduced waste by one million household bins • Zero waste to landfills at 45 factories • Five year plan to reduce waste by 40% per vehicle • Zero waste to landfill • 95% reduction in waste to landfills all North American plants, averaged over 3 years • Two tire manufacturing plants zero waste to landfill • Spent brewery grains to animal feed instead of landfill • 80 percent waste reduction, increase use of recycled plastic • Publish bills electronically, not on paper • 11% lighter glass beer bottles

  22. SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS MANAGEMENT • Is recycling the ultimate goal?

  23. ZERO WASTE • Nowaste or • Less waste to dispose?

  24. FUTURE: EVOLVING TON • Limits of lightweighting? • New materials or products? • On-line shopping?

  25. FUTURE: RECYCLING • More mandatory recycling: commercial & multi-family • More C&D recycling • More education • Dual stream? • Mixed waste processing?

  26. FUTURE: ORGANICS • More food waste diversion • More composting • Anaerobic digestion? • Landfill gas?

  27. FUTURE: ZERO WASTE • Circular economy • Sharing economy • Cradle to cradle • Biomimicry

  28. FUTURE: OVERALL • Less waste? • Less disposal? • Evolving material mix • Continued zero waste by industry

  29. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Chaz Miller 202-364-3742www.environmentalistseveryday.org cmiller@wasterecycling.org

More Related