Green Your Workplace TodayEco-Stream Sustainability Consulting

San Diego Regional Sustainability Partnership 2010

Frameworks and Tools

Triple Bottom Line

The Natural Step

Zero Waste

California Product Stewardship Council

Life Cycle Assessments

EPA WasteWise

CalRecycle

Product Policy Institute

LEED

DOE Energy Star

EPA WaterWise

The Big Picture

Steps to Success

• Forming a team

• Creating Benchmarks

• Strategic Initiatives

• Tracking and Engagement

• Reporting

Green Your Workplace Today

Group A- Green Products and Materials - Create a plan to increase percentage of green products purchased at a business or in a community.

Group B- Waste Reduction and Recycling - Create a plan to identify additional reduction opportunities and recyclable materials at a business or in a community.

Group C- How to Get a Green Program Started - Create a plan to start a Green Procurement Program, Recycling, or other Waste Reduction program at your business or in your community.

Sorting through the Greenwash

What are the attributes of environmentally preferable products?

Environmentally Preferable Product Characteristics may include:

• Recycled content

• Low or non-emitting

• Bio-based material / rapidly renewable

• Energy efficient

• Safe for human & environmental health

• Sustainably packaged & shipped

• Regionally sourced & manufactured

• Recyclable

• Low embodied energy

• Less material used

• Longer lasting / durable

• Easily maintained & without toxic chemicals

• Non-toxic

• Salvaged material

• Responsibly manufactured

• Social justice

Life Cycle Assessment

• Where does it come from?

• How is it made, packaged, and transported?

• How are the workers treated?

• How is the environment protected?

• How is this product used?

• Is it durable, reusable, recyclable?

• Is it non-toxic?

• What do we do with what’s left over?

Recycled Content & Recyclability

Toxicity

• Being “Less Bad” is still not Good

– “Less Toxic”

– “Reduced chemical use”

• Product lifecycles should not leave a harmful legacy

– Human and environmental health

Toxicity Definitions• Carcinogen

– Cause cancer

• Teratogen – Cause birth defects

• Endocrine Disrupter – mimic hormones, often also a teratogen

• Mutagen– Causes mutation of genetic code, passing on

problems to future generations

• Persistent Biocumulative Toxins (PBT’s)– Chemical not easily broken down by biological

process

– Accumulates in body tissue

Organic WasteFood and Landscape Waste

What happens to all of our stuff whenwe throw it away? Where is Away?

What actually happens to all the waste produced by your business, and all the other businesses and services in your community, your home, everyone else’s homes, all the stores, the parks, the restaurants, the events, where does it all go?

There really is no Away.

California Product Stewardship Council

Closed-Loop Cycles

Eco-Cycle / Zero Waste

Waste & Purchasing Connection

• Look at what is in your waste stream

• Talk to everyone along the “product trail”

• Find ways to reduce waste with informed purchasing decisions

Remember the Steps to Success

• Form a team

• Create Benchmarks

• Strategic Initiatives

• Tracking and Engagement

• Reporting

Thank you!

Barbara Hamilton

Eco-Stream Sustainability Consulting

760-717-6627

barbara@eco-stream.com

www.eco-stream.com