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Zero Waste

Zero Waste. for Economic and Environmental Justice. Omar Freilla Green Worker Cooperatives Zero Waste Network Action Conference August 27, 2004. A WASTEFUL SOCIETY NEEDS A DUMPING GROUND. Garbage Mantra No. 1. DISPOSAL FOLLOWS THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE. Garbage Mantra No. 2.

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Zero Waste

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  1. Zero Waste for Economic and Environmental Justice Omar Freilla Green Worker Cooperatives Zero Waste Network Action Conference August 27, 2004

  2. A WASTEFUL SOCIETY NEEDS A DUMPING GROUND Garbage Mantra No. 1

  3. DISPOSAL FOLLOWS THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE Garbage Mantra No. 2

  4. facility location land value geography strength of local opposition racial segregation income Factors Affecting Siting Decisions

  5. Demographics of Waste in NYC • NYC has 53 waste transfer stations handling a total of 47,000 tpd • 52% of City’s waste is handled in two neighborhoods: Greenpoint/Williamsburg (Brooklyn) Hunts Point/Port Morris (The Bronx) Also home to wastewater treatment, sludge pelletizing, radioactive waste, and thousands upon thousands of diesel trucks

  6. The Consequences Asthma South Bronx asthma rate 2nd highest in United States Local pollutants correlated with respiratory diseases and other health problems Heavy Truck Traffic in Hunts Point 11,000 people 11,000 truck trips Odors Wastewater Treatment & Sewage Sludge pelletizing in Hunts Point spreads foul odors over 4 sq mi area

  7. MORE & MORE COMMUNITIES REFUSE TO SACRIFICE THEMSELVES The modern environmental justice movement has grown since it’s southern origins in 1979

  8. Environmental Justice & Waste Pre-Origins 1968 – Martin Luther King Jr. and the Black Sanitation Workers Strike – Memphis, TN Origins in Trash 1979 – Houston, TX - sanitary landfill protests 1983 – Warren County, NC - PCB landfill protests 1983 – US GAO study on haz waste landfill siting 1987 – Toxic Waste & Race study 1990 – Dumping in Dixie published

  9. EJ Family Valuesmore than just NIMBY • Fair Share • equal distribution of pollution • Pollution Prevention and Waste Reduction • eliminate the threat before harm occurs • shift burden of proof to polluters • based on public health model of prevention • Extended Producer Responsibility • producer is responsible for a product’s consequences throughout it’s entire life-cycle • Full Public Involvement • Worker Safety

  10. But what about the jobs? • Facing a pressing need for work in NYC • South Bronx unemployment rate of 24% highest in NYC (2000) • NYC unemployment • from 5.7% (2000) to 8.5% (2003) • 48% of Black Males out of work (2003)* • 12% increase since 2000 *based on employment-population ratio, Community Service Society study

  11. *graph prepared by AFL-CIO

  12. *graph prepared by AFL-CIO

  13. Yes! We want jobs but… • Community & environmental health tradeoff • Experience is that few local residents are ever hired for facility operation or construction • Hiring for all positions occurs mostly through personal contacts – “It’s about who you know” • Operations Jobs • Positions often require experience and skill training unavailable to community • Local jobs relegated to most dangerous, least paid, and temporary – with no benefits • Construction Jobs • Local residents unrepresented by predominantly white unions

  14. the Zero Waste Alternative Reduces waste Creates new jobs Preserves natural resources Reduces pollution impacts associated with harvesting virgin materials

  15. Mission: to promote economic and environmental justice by creating worker-owned manufacturing cooperatives in the South Bronx that reduce pollution and improve the environment

  16. Deconstruction a tool for zero waste

  17. What is Deconstruction? • Definition • The systematic disassembly of a structure to recover its component materials for reuse • Levels of Deconstruction • Skimming or soft-stripping • Structural deconstruction • Land reclamation

  18. Benefits of Deconstruction • Reduces waste disposal costs • Avoided tipping fees • Recovered value of materials • Reduces environmental impacts • Conserves landfill space • Reduces truck trips to distant landfills • Conserves natural resources and the energy used to consume them • Less heavy machinery means less dust and emissions, no on-site soil compaction or loss of vegetation • Generates low-cost and hard to find building materials • Creates jobs

  19. Items recovered for resale or reconditioning Wood flooring, siding, trim and moldings Clean lumber at least 4’ long Kitchen and bath cabinetry and fixtures Unbroken windows Doors – interior, exterior, security and screen Reusable tiles, bricks and paving kitchen and bath sinks Bathtubs and toilets Faucets and plumbing Electrical and HVAC supplies Commercial storefront equipment Items recovered as scrap for recycling Undersized or damaged wood pieces (converted into mulch) Roofing shingles (ground for use in asphalt) Glass and metal too damaged or small for reuse Concrete (ground and used for fill) Bricks (crushed for use as a mulch substitute) Unpainted drywall Recoverable Materials Up to 85% of a building can be deconstructed or recycled* *source: SanDecon

  20. Deconstruction in the Field The Presidio – Building 901 (1996) Location: San Francisco, CA Deconstruction Partners: Beyond Waste, San Francisco Community Recyclers, Wood Resource Efficiency Network Materials Generated: 75,295 bf Materials Recovered: 65,295 bf Percent Recovered: 87% Deconstruction cost: $53,000 Sales Revenue: $43,655 Net Cost: $ 9,345 Competing Demo bid: $16,800

  21. Deconstruction in the Field Port of Oakland - Building 733 (1996) Location: Oakland, CA Building type: 3-acre single story wood frame Deconstruction Partners: Beyond Waste and the Youth Employment Partnership Materials Generated: 643,000 bf Materials Recovered: 450,000 bf Percent Recovered: 70% * Deconstruction cost: $330,000 Sales Revenue: $280,000 Net Cost: $ 50,000 Competing Demo bid: $150,000 * Does not include wood waste chipped for use as fuel

  22. Deconstruction in the Field Riverdale Village Apartments (1997) Location: Baltimore County, MD Building type: 2,000 sq ft, 2-story pre-war brick Length of Project: 740 hours Deconstruction Partners: Stop Corporation, National Association of Home Builders Materials Generated: 127 tons Materials Recovered: 96.5 tons Percent Recovered: 76% reuse & recycling 23% reuse Brick Vs. Wood brick requires more labor and yields less Deconstruction cost: $ 13,800 Sales Revenue: $ 2,800 - $4,500 Net Cost: $9,000 - $10,800 Estimated Demo cost: $7,000 - $10,000

  23. The Green Institute Deconstruction Program Minneapolis, MN founded 1997 by the Green Institute • Facility: 26,000 sq ft store, 3,000 sq ft warehouse • Annual sales: $350,000 • Launched to improve quality and quantity of inventory at ReUse Center (founded 1995) • Due to space constraints, 60% of salvaged materials sell at deconstruction work sites or warehouse. • Green Institute formed to counter proposed waste transfer station

  24. DECONSTRUCTION SERVICES / THE REBUILDING CENTER Portland, Oregon founded 1999 by Our United Villages • Facility: 62,000 sq. ft. store • 24,000 sq ft building • 38,000 sq ft yard • Engaged in $2 million capital campaign to expand facility • Annual Sales: $700,000 • Deconstruction launched to increase inventory at the Rebuilding Center (founded 1998)

  25. Recycle North Burlington, Vermont founded 2002 Facility: 10,000 sq. ft. store • Free space in city-owned building • Supplements household goods retail store • Annual Sales: $200,000

  26. Urban Ore Berkeley, California founded 1980 Facility: 2 acre store • Free space in city-owned building • Supplements household goods retail store • Annual Sales: $1.5 million • Staff: 25 • Developing a Recycling Industrial Park with room for manufacturers that rely on recyclables • City and State providing support for Urban Ore Eco Park

  27. New Life for Old Stuff Vancouver Asphalt Plant Location: Vancouver, Canada Architects: Busby & Associates Salvaged Material Content: 90%

  28. A Cautionary Tale:the story of NYOFCO Is this Zero Waste? NYOFCO pelletizes toxic sewage sludge into fertilizer Handles 50% of City’s sludge Operating 1992 Odors cover 4 sq. mile Releases VOCs,NOx, heavy metals, and HAPs Currently in violation of air, water, and solid waste permits

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