Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Sustainable Materials Management:

Mission Possible?

Washington State Recycling

Association - May 13, 2013

David Allaway

Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality

allaway.david@deq.state.or.us

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Sustainable Materials Management:

Mission Possible? Mission Impossible?

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Why Materials Management?

Because Materials Matter

• Use is increasing, both here and abroad

– Our economy is tied to global materials markets

• We’re increasingly dependent on

non-renewable materials

– With dependence comes economic

and geo-political risks

• Rapid rise in material use has led to serious

environmental effects

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Traditional Sector-Based View of U.S.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions (2006)

Electric Power Industry

34%

Transportation

28%

Industry

19%

Agriculture

8%

Commercial

6%

Source: US EPA (2009)

Residential

5%

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Materials Matter: Systems-Based

Geographic Emissions Inventory (2006)

Building Lighting and HVAC

25%

Transportation of People

24%

Infrastructure

1%

Use of Appliances and Devices

8%

Provision of Goods

29%

Source: US EPA (2009)

Provision of Food

13%

Materials

42%

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Materials Management:

A “Life Cycle” View

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

For Materials, “Upstream” Emissions

Dominate

Building Lighting and HVAC

25%

Transportation of People

24%

Infrastructure

1%

Use of Appliances and Devices

8%

Provision of Materials

42% Landfills & Wastewater

2.2% Freight

7.1%

Extraction and Manufacturing

32.2%

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

From “Discards Management” to

“Materials Management:

• A full view of impacts across the life cycle

• A full view of actions across the life cycle

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

From “Discards Management” to

“Materials Management:

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

From “Discards Management” to

“Materials Management:

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

From “Discards Management” to

“Materials Management:

• A full view of impacts across the life cycle

• A full view of actions across the life cycle

– Why? Because most impacts are “upstream”

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

-

20.00

40.00

60.00

80.00

100.00

120.00

37% recycling rate

62% recycling rate

Example of Actions Across the Life Cycle:

PET Water Bottles

“Baseline” = PET, half-liter, 13.3 grams, 0% post-consumer recycled content (PCR), on-site molding, purified municipal water (reverse osmosis, ozone and uv), 50 miles to retail, 5 miles home-to-retail, co-purchase w/24 other products, no chilling.

No

rmal

ize

d im

pac

t (

bas

elin

e w

/37

% r

ecy

clin

g =

10

0)

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

-

20.00

40.00

60.00

80.00

100.00

120.00

37% recycling rate

62% recycling rate

62% recycling rate, lightweighted

Example of Actions Across the Life Cycle:

PET Water Bottles

“Baseline” = PET, half-liter, 13.3 grams, 0% post-consumer recycled content (PCR), on-site molding, purified municipal water (reverse osmosis, ozone and uv), 50 miles to retail, 5 miles home-to-retail, co-purchase w/24 other products, no chilling.

No

rmal

ize

d im

pac

t (

bas

elin

e w

/37

% r

ecy

clin

g =

10

0)

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

-

20.00

40.00

60.00

80.00

100.00

120.00

37% recycling rate

62% recycling rate

62% recycling rate, lightweighted

tap water (worst case)

Example of Actions Across the Life Cycle:

PET Water Bottles

“Baseline” = PET, half-liter, 13.3 grams, 0% post-consumer recycled content (PCR), on-site molding, purified municipal water (reverse osmosis, ozone and uv), 50 miles to retail, 5 miles home-to-retail, co-purchase w/24 other products, no chilling.

No

rmal

ize

d im

pac

t (

bas

elin

e w

/37

% r

ecy

clin

g =

10

0)

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

-

20.00

40.00

60.00

80.00

100.00

120.00

37% recycling rate

62% recycling rate

62% recycling rate, lightweighted

tap water (worst case)

tap water (best case)

Example of Actions Across the Life Cycle:

PET Water Bottles

“Baseline” = PET, half-liter, 13.3 grams, 0% post-consumer recycled content (PCR), on-site molding, purified municipal water (reverse osmosis, ozone and uv), 50 miles to retail, 5 miles home-to-retail, co-purchase w/24 other products, no chilling.

No

rmal

ize

d im

pac

t (

bas

elin

e w

/37

% r

ecy

clin

g =

10

0)

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

The Bogeyman of Waste

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Pitfalls of the Waste Bogeyman:

1. Leads us to potentially unhelpful solutions

– Burning garbage at home

– “Reuse and recycle everything”

– “Everything must be recyclable” (and/or made

from recycled content)

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Void Fills in E-Commerce Packaging

(Boxes)

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

0%

Re

cycl

ed

Co

nte

nt

LDP

E A

ir P

acke

ts

0%

Re

cycl

ed

Co

nte

nt

Po

lyst

yre

ne

Lo

ose

Fill

0%

Re

cycl

ed

Co

nte

nt

Co

rn

Star

ch L

oo

se F

ill

0%

Re

cycl

ed

Co

nte

nt

Kra

ft

Pap

er

Du

nn

age

10

% R

ecy

cle

d C

on

ten

t N

ew

spri

nt

Du

nn

age

30

% R

ecy

cle

d C

on

ten

t LD

PE

Air

Pac

kets

30

% R

ecy

cle

d C

on

ten

t P

oly

styr

en

e L

oo

se F

ill

50

% R

ecy

cle

d C

on

ten

t K

raft

P

ape

r D

un

nag

e

50

% R

ecy

cle

d C

on

ten

t N

ew

spri

nt

Du

nn

age

10

0%

Re

cycl

ed

Co

nte

nt

Mo

lde

d P

ulp

Lo

ose

Fill

Lbs

CO

2e*

/10

,00

0 p

acka

ges

*on a cradle-to-distribution center basis

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Pitfalls of the Waste Bogeyman:

1. Leads us to potentially unhelpful solutions

– Burning garbage at home

– “Reuse and recycle everything”

– “Everything must be recyclable” (and/or made

from recycled content)

– “Zero waste”*

*As commonly interpreted as “zero landfilling”

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Compostable (PLA) and Recyclable (PET)

Water Packaging – Ecotoxicity Potential

-50

0

50

100

150

200

250

PLA, disposed PLA, 62% composted

PET, 62% recycledEc

oto

xic

ity P

ote

nti

al (

lb 2

,4 D

eq

pe

r 1

00

0

ga

llo

ns

dri

nk

ing

wa

ter)

Darker colors are “upstream” impacts; lighter colors are “downstream” impacts (discards management)

111 111

220

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

-0.1

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

PLA, disposed PLA, 62% composted

PET, 62% recycled

Eu

tro

ph

icati

on

Po

ten

tial (

lb N

eq

. p

er

10

00

g

allo

ns

dri

nk

ing

wa

ter)

Compostable (PLA) and Recyclable (PET)

Water Packaging – Eutrophication Potential

Darker colors are “upstream” impacts; lighter colors are “downstream” impacts (discards management)

0.79 0.79

0.22

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Compostable (PLA) and Recyclable (PET) Water Packaging

– Global Warming Potential (PLA decomposes in landfill)

Darker colors are “upstream” impacts; lighter colors are “downstream” impacts (discards management)

-500

0

500

1000

1500

2000

PLA, disposed PLA, 62% composted

PET, 62% recycledGlo

ba

l Wa

rmin

g P

ote

nti

al (

lb C

O2

eq

. p

er

10

00

ga

llo

ns

dri

nk

ing

wa

ter)

1,810

1,464

1,120

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Compostable (PLA) and Recyclable (PET) Water Packaging

– Global Warming Potential (PLA inert in landfill)

Darker colors are “upstream” impacts; lighter colors are “downstream” impacts (discards management)

-600

-400

-200

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

PLA, disposed PLA, 62% composted

PET, 62% recycled

Glo

ba

l Wa

rmin

g P

ote

nti

al (

lb C

O2

eq

. p

er

10

00

ga

llo

ns

dri

nk

ing

wa

ter)

1,120 1,105 865

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Pitfalls of the Waste Bogeyman:

1. Leads us to unhelpful solutions

2. “Downstream” actions have limited potential

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

The importance . . . and limitations . . . of

discards management

42%

6%

2006 U.S. GHG inventory

with 32% recovery

(MSW)

2006 U.S. GHG inventory with

very high recovery rate

(~95% MSW + >70% C&D)

provision of

materials

provision of

materials

36%

“savings”

buildings

transporting

people appliances

& devices

buildings

transporting

people appliances

& devices

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Pitfalls of the Waste Bogeyman:

1. Leads us to unhelpful solutions

2. “Downstream” actions have limited potential

3. Distracts us from working upstream . . . or

worse, makes it harder to do so

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

An update to Oregon’s State Integrated

Resource and Solid Waste Management

Plan (1995-2005)

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Materials Management Workgroup

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management 2050 Vision for

Sustainable Materials

Management in Oregon

• Intended to set a

clear picture of

where we hope

to land

• Addresses

materials

produced and

used in Oregon

• Expressed in

summary form

and with detailed

“desired

outcomes”

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management 2050 Vision for

Materials Management in Oregon:

Oregonians in 2050 produce and use materials responsibly

conserving resources protecting the environment living well

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Desired Outcomes for 2050

Producers make products sustainably.

Every option is a sustainable option.

People live well and consume

sustainably.

Materials have the most useful life

possible before and after discard.

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Framework for Action

• Not an implementation plan

• Currently prioritizing actions

• DEQ will reevaluate every six years

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Oregon’s 2050 Vision and Framework for

Action

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Background Papers

Documents available:

www.deq.state.or.us/lq/sw/materialsmgmtplan

bkgrddocs.htm

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Background Papers

• BMPs for managing food scraps

• Conversion technologies

• Review of the waste hierarchy

• Trends in waste generation; potential for additional

recovery

• Rare earth metals

• Materials management and greenhouse gases

• Other environmental criteria

• Waste prevention

• Materials and green building

• Sustainable consumption – opportunities and challenges

• Policy and program options to advance sustainable

production and consumption

• Product stewardship

• What are “sustainable materials” and “sustainable

materials management”?

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Implementation: Short-Term Priorities

• Program realignment

• Research projects: highest-and-best use

– Waste plastics

– Waste food

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Implementation: Short-Term Priorities

(continued)

• Potential statutory changes

– Goals and measures

– Oregon’s recycling opportunity model

– Program funding

• Redesign of website; new information

• “Upstream” projects

– Green building

– Environmental “footprint” of products

• Existing work

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Looking back 37 years

38

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Sustainable Materials Management:

Mission Impossible? Mission Possible?

Mission Possible:

Sustainable Materials Management

Sustainable Materials Management:

Mission Possible!

Washington State Recycling

Association - May 13, 2013

David Allaway

Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality

allaway.david@deq.state.or.us