Tracking, Measuring and Reporting P2 Results and Outcomes
by Chris Wiley
PPRC Executive Director

        "How much pollution have P2 efforts really prevented?” This question was posed to me a few years ago by a philanthropic foundation. My answer? Not a word, but a slight tilt of my head (much like a dog who’s not quite sure what his owner wants).
        “What have been the results of your activities and efforts?” This one came from a legislative aid who was being newly introduced to our organization. Again, no good answer; certainly not an unequivocal, absolutely defensible and quantitative number I could proclaim with enthusiasm.
        Noticing our inability to adequately tell the Pollution Prevention Story, we joined other P2 programs throughout the Northwest to develop a P2 Results Measurement tool. With funding from EPA Region 10 and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality we set out to develop an online tool to measure and report the results of P2 program activities and projects.
        Shortly after we completed the tool and had some numbers to report, I had an opportunity to use the information. I attended a meeting where a local government official proclaimed that “voluntary P2 and compliance assistance programs do not work!”
        When it was my turn to speak, I refuted that assertion by placing a viewgraph (right) on the overhead projector. I finally had solid numbers to help tell the P2 Story, and judging by the audience reaction, they were looking to tell this story too.

How Did We Get These Numbers?

Currently, PPRC collects and inputs data from P2 Plans (for those states with P2 plan requirements), awards programs and anecdotal case studies. In the future, we hope to have a distributed network of P2 Program representatives entering their own results data directly into the tool.
We enter the data through a series of online input pages for four major categories:

1. General Project/Activity Information;
2. Process Inputs;
3. Process Outputs; and
4. Renewable/Recycled Materials & Resources.

Specifically, we try to capture the following data for each category:

General Project/Activity Information

• Name of P2 Program
• Geographic state activity occurred
• Date range of the activity

Process Inputs

• Toxic/Hazardous Materials Reduced (pounds and gallons)
• Raw Materials Reduced (pounds and gallons)
• Reduced Use of Raw/Fresh Water
• Reduced Use of Energy/Fuel (Electricity, Natural Gas, Vehicle Miles, Diesel Fuel, Other Petroleum, Coal, Other Fuels)

Process Outputs

• Hazardous Waste Reduced (pounds and gallons)
• Hazardous Waste Diverted to Recycling/Reuse (pounds and gallons)
• Number of Businesses/Institutions that Changed their Status as Large, Small, Exempt, or Below-Reporting-Threshold Hazardous Waste Generators
• Solid Waste Reduced (pounds and gallons)
• Solid Waste Diverted to Recycling/Reuse (pounds and gallons)
• Direct Releases to Air Reduced (CO2, NOx, SOx, Particulates, non-HAP VOCs, HAP VOCs, non-VOC HAPs, Other Air Pollutants)
• Industrial Wastewater Discharge Avoided

Renewable/Recycled Materials & Resources

• Recovered Materials Used (pounds and gallons)
• Renewable Energy Purchased Off-Site (KWh)
• Renewable Energy Generated On-Site (KWh)
• Reclaimed Water Use

For each of the data fields above we can capture Initial Costs and Savings data when available. For Initial Costs, we track and measure both Non-Capital and Capital costs. Savings are tracked as either One-Time savings or Annually Recurring.
        Below is an example of the Process Inputs data input page. Each question mark icon links to a page that defines the corresponding data element.

Reduced Operating Costs

One of the most compelling numbers on the screen shot image above is the amount of reduced operating costs from P2 and related activities: over $384 million. This figure is the sum of several selected aggregated measures after certain cost factors are applied to the raw data. The cost factors are:

• Reduced Hazardous Waste Generation (pounds) = (lbs.)($2/lb.)
• Reduced Hazardous Waste Generation (gallons) = (gallons)(8.34 lbs./gal.)($2/lb.)
• Reduced Toxic Material Use = (reported one-time savings + reported annual savings) [this value varies dramatically between materials, so no no average cost factor is applied]
• Electricity Saved = (KWh)($.04/KWh)
• Therms Natural Gas Saved = (therms)($.30/therm)
• Diesel Gasoline Saved = (gallons)($1.345/gallon)
• Other Gasoline Saved = (gallons)($.0542/gal.)
• Water Saved = (gallons)($.124/gal.)
• Solid Waste Reduced = (lbs.)($.03/lb.)
• Vehicle Miles Avoided = (miles)($.52/mile)

Here, at last, were the numbers I needed to answer the earlier queries. Here were numbers useful for environmental agency managers, legislators and business leaders. Here were numbers that were quantitative, unequivocal, and absolutely defensible. Here were numbers sufficient to acquaint leaders and managers with the affects of P2 and the reasons why sufficient resources should be allocated to conduct more P2 outreach.
        2004 is the year for the P2 community to determine how to track, analyze and report P2 results across the country.

What Could a National P2 Results System Look Like?

In 2003, the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) produced the report: An Ounce of Pollution Prevention is Worth Over 167 Billion Pounds of Cure: A Decade of Pollution Prevention Results 1990 - 2000. It provided information on local pollution prevention program achievements over the last decade and resonated well with many environmental agency managers. It began to make a quantifiable case for businesses to implement P2 as an environmental program.
        However, while the report captured many P2 results from across the nation, gathering data from each program and state is a huge undertaking, and the data reported from some regions fell short of actual P2 results.
        If this type of report is to be a recognized and reliable tool for communicating the importance of P2, then we need it to tell the great story that P2 is.
        To ensure the full story gets told, P2 programs may find Desktop Tracking systems and other software useful. Desktop Tracking systems allow individual P2 practitioners to input data on the results of their projects, and many regions have invested in the development of customized systems (see diagram).
        The data captured from these Desktop Tracking systems could be rolled up into regional aggregation tools, like PPRC’s. At this scale, “number crunching” can yield tangible facts and equivalents about P2 impacts on the regional economy and environment.
        Ultimately, a national report could be developed by accessing the regional reports, summarizing results and highlighting the many successes of P2 programs. Using these tools together may be the best way to provide the most comprehensive accounting of the environmental and economic benefits that our nation enjoys as a result of pollution prevention.

A Vision of How a National Results System Might Work
Desktop Tracking Systems example: NEWMOA P2 & Compliance Measurement (www.newmoa.org/Newmoa/htdocs/prevention/metrics/) example: EPA Region 8 (more information: Linda Walters, 303-312-6385)
Regional Data Aggregation example: Region 10 P2 Results Measurement Tool (www.pprc.org/measure/reports) example: Region 7 P2 Results Measurement Tool Demonstration Site (www.p2ric.org/measurement/index.cfm)
National P2 Results Report example: NPPR Report, “An Ounce of Pollution Prevention is Worth Over 167 Billion Pounds of Cure: A Decade of Pollution Prevention Results 1990-2000”

 

Next Steps In 2004, there will be opportunities to discuss complex measurement issues and develop data collection, analysis, and reporting systems. Here’s how to get involved: Find out who is representing your Region on the National P2 Results Task Force. Contact Terri Goldberg at NEWMOA (tgoldberg@newmoa.org) or Chris Wiley at PPRC (cwiley@pprc.org) Join NEWMOA’s P2 and Compliance Assistance Metrics Listserve. Contact Chris at PPRC (cwiley@pprc.org) Attend the Measurement Training Session and the Breakout Discussion at the “One Environment, One Conference - National Environmental Assistance Summit” in Baltimore, Maryland from April 19-24 (www.p2.org/summit2004/Agenda.cfm)

 

Save the Date!
PPRC Hosts Annual Northwest P2 Roundtable on March 17-18, 2004

Use this unique opportunity to network with public, non-profit, and private sector professionals working on waste reduction and resource efficiency projects around the Pacific Northwest.

Agenda:

• Morning presentations and afternoon training sessions to share tools, contacts, and resources on:
  • Lean Manufacturing
  • Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
  • Product Stewardship
  • “Beyond Waste” and Organizational Sustainability Initiatives
• “Big-picture” musings on Northwest sustainability work, from Nik Blosser of the Sustainable Industries Journal and Celilo Media Group
• Structured “what’s up?” sessions: share news on recent, ongoing & future projects, contacts and resources
• Funders roundtable where funders and “fundees” can brainstorm next steps/next projects

When: Wed., March 17 - Thurs., March 18; 8:30am - 4:30pm each day
Where: Mountaineers Building, 300 Third Ave West, Seattle (southwest of Seattle Center, on Metro bus lines)
Fee: $50 admission fee (includes Wednesday lunch)
RSVP: Advance reservations recommended. Contact PPRC: office@pprc.org or 206-352-2050
More Information: Agenda, directions to the meeting location and nearby hotels, and more at www.pprc.org

Special Free Training Opportunity:
On Tues. March 16, 8am - 3:30pm, the Washington State Department of Ecology is offering a training opportunity at the Mountaineers Building, free of charge and with lunch provided. The training “On-Site Compliance Assistance and Technical Assistance Referrals” is designed for local, state, and federal compliance inspectors and technical assistance providers. Space is limited! To register, or for more information, contact Rob Reuter at WDOE: 425-649-7086 or rreu461@ecy.wa.gov.

 

P2Rx Corner

Have you ever spent hours developing a specialized factsheet only to find that someone across the country wrote one a year before that would have worked for you? This, and related experiences, are frustrating anytime, but especially when you have fewer hours to devote to P2 work.
        In an effort to help prevent this type of redundancy, and improve information flows, PPRC teams with a national network of other regional P2 information centers, called P2Rx (the Pollution Prevention Resource eXchange). Together, we help P2 information providers by:

providing quick access to popular P2 information,

conducting national searches to find resources and contacts on specific topics, and

helping publicize Northwest P2 news, products and activities.

P2 Programs Directory
(Find assistance programs near and far)
www.p2rx.org/Networking/NationalProgram.cfm

Online P2 Information

Topic Hubs
(information on 39 industry sectors and P2 topics)
www.pprc.org/hubs

Homes Across America
(resource efficient home building)
www.homes-across-america.org

Mercury Reduction Programs
www.newmoa.org/Newmoa/htdocs/prevention/mercury/programs/

Request for Proposals Clearinghouse
www.pprc.org/rfp

“Rapid Response” Help Desk
(Quick responses to P2 questions)
www.pprc.org/rapidresponse

Some Interesting Northwest 2004 P2 Projects

This list details a few of the interesting P2 projects happening in the region. If you’re interested in more information on any of these, contact the person listed, or if there isn’t a point of contact listed, contact PPRC, and we can help.

ALASKA GreenStar Electronics Recycling GreenStar is hosting the 2nd annual Electronics Recycling Event in May 2004. The 2003 event resulted in 140 tons of collected electronics. At least this much is expected for 2004. The event is funded by the Rasmuson Foundation, and serves businesses and households. About 100 volunteers participate and more than 50 organizations donate goods or services. Contact Sean Skaling at sean@greenstarinc.org.

IDAHO Mercury Components in Drinking Water Systems The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) is sponsoring research into mercury-containing components in public water systems. They are researching mercury replacements and best management practices for existing mercury-containing items, such as: pumps with mercury seals, UV germicidal lamps, float and tilt switches, control panels, relays, and more. The research will aid in educating operators of public water systems about the presence of, management of, and alternatives for mercury in their equipment. Contact Darcy Sharp, 208-373-0133. Solvent Outreach The IDEQ’s Pollution Prevention Program is coordinating several one-day workshops on the use of solvents for all industry sectors throughout the state. Goals are to: increase awareness of environmental and public health impacts to air, waste and water; ensure participants know and understand regulations regarding solvents (including solvent-laden rags), and assist facilities in finding less toxic solvents and solvent alternatives.

OREGON Outreach to Grocery Stores and Health Care Facilities This summer, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NWEAA) will focus outreach efforts on these two business sectors, which consume significant energy since they operate 24-7. Every dollar a non-profit healthcare organization cuts from their energy bill has a bottom line impact equal to $20 to $60 of new revenues. Every energy dollar a grocery store cuts has a bottom line impact that’s worth as much as $100 of grocery sales. Contact Curt Nichols at 800-411-0834. Energy Trust’s Energy Programs The nonprofit Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. helps Oregon customers of Pacific Power, Portland General Electric and NW Natural (gas) save energy and money. Generous cash incentives are available for green LED traffic lamps; efficient building lighting, HVAC and motors; manufacturing and agricultural equipment; efficiently designed new buildings; and solar water heating and solar electric installations. Technical assistance is also offered for complex projects. See www.energytrust.org or call 1-866-ENTRUST (368-7878). ‘ReThink’ 2004 (Portland) The City of Portland’s Green Building program (G/Rated) is offering its second year of an innovative, 16-week training for commercial and residential design and construction professionals. The ReThink series offers training from leading local, regional and international building and environmental experts. Participants see first-hand building development from case studies and tours. Class topics include measuring building performance and environmental impacts; balancing environmental and social impacts with economic costs; designing a ‘zero energy house’ and identifying local green materials and product availability. See www.green-rated.org.

WASHINGTON Climate Protection Stakeholder Process (Puget Sound area) The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency will convene a stakeholder process to develop a program to provide direction to the agency, the region and the State on climate protection strategies. A team of 25 stakeholders will represent industry, government, and environmental and public interest organizations. They will develop a set of stakeholder-endorsed recommendations, provide comprehensive, credible cost/benefit analyses, and identify a greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target for the region. The agency expects significant environmental benefits and cost savings from the GHG reduction strategies based on successes of other state programs. Contact Leslie Keill, 206-689-4022. Mercury Switch Removal from Vehicle Fleets (King County) The King County Local Hazardous Waste Management Program (LHWMP) is partnering with fleets in the County to remove (and/or replace) mercury-containing light switches from hoods and/or trunks of fleet vehicles. Seven public fleets and one private fleet will remove mercury switches for proper disposal in 2004. The county hopes for additional participants in 2004 and 2005. Additionally, LHWMP plans to implement a switch removal program for end-of-life vehicles to capture a larger portion of the mercury that is landfilled and/or released during scrap reprocessing. Contact Alexandra Scott at Solid Waste Division, 206-296-8454, alexandra.scott@metrokc.gov.

NORTHWEST Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) H2E is a voluntary program that helps health care facilities reduce environmental impacts. “Champions” work with facilities in their region to eliminate mercury use, minimize volume and toxicity of waste, and reduce use and production of persistent bioaccumulative toxins. NW champions include: Oregon Center for Environmental Health, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality , Alaska Community Action on Toxics, the Pollution Prevention Resource Center and EPA Region 10. See www.h2e-online.org or contact PPRC. Fluorescent Lamp Recycling The PPRC will increase recycling of fluorescent lamps and educate Northwest businesses about proper fluorescent management. Three key business sectors that dispose of large quantities of fluorescents will be targeted, possibly including: lighting contractors, grocers, hospitals, property managers, and “big box” retail chains. The most effective methods for disseminating information within sector(s) will be identified and implemented. Contact Chris Wiley, 206-352-2050.

 

PPRC's 2003 Highlights

Here’s a short list of some of the work PPRC has worked on over the past year. Measurement: PPRC continues to work on measuring the results of P2 in the Northwest. We added a cool new highlights page to our online measurement tool that shows the Northwest has saved over $384 million in the last decade (based on data from only a fraction of all the region’s P2). Health Care Sector: PPRC is involved in the Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) campaign, and we’ve been a facilitator and seminar planner for Puget Sound Medical Industry Waste Prevention Roundtable (MIRT). In 2003, PPRC helped conduct energy efficiency trainings for this sector as well. Green Purchasing: PPRC has been working closely with federal agencies to institute systems that help the agencies buy environmentally preferable products. We’ve helped the National Park Service develop purchasing guidance, and identify categories of products that can have the biggest impact. We’ve also worked with a coalition of federal agencies to focus on how to increase the purchasing of green copy paper and electronics. We’ve also produced a report characterizing EPP programs at government agencies and private businesses throughout the nation. Our green purchasing programs director developed a learning module for a sustainability certificate course at Portland State University. Mercury: PPRC researched and developed a report for Washington Department of Ecology on the sources of mercury in Washington State manufacturing, as well as mercury alternatives for these applications. We also researched mercury auto switch removal programs and made recommendations to King County about what kinds of mercury switch removal programs might work well in the Puget Sound area. Regional News Services: PPRC kept P2 information providers up-to-date on the latest news, events, and other items of interest with our monthly “What’s New in P2?” news bulletin. “Rapid Response” Information Services: PPRC continues to offer its research service that provides P2 Information Providers in the Northwest with up to three hours of free research on any P2 topic. Brownfields: A PPRC staff person developed an evaluation tool to determine the most energy efficient technologies for use at remediation sites. National Information Sharing: PPRC continues to work with other P2Rx centers to develop and improve existing tools (see related story). Our 2004 work will continue on many of these, and expand into new areas as well.

 

The staff at PPRC is realistic enough to know that New Year’s resolutions can be hard to keep, but we’re also optimistic enough to want to strive to meet new goals. So, we’ve set two new goals for 2004:

• Purchase carbon offsets for staff air travel
• Conduct a carbon assessment for our office, the impacts of our staff travel to the office, and additional work-related travel

The first should be easy, and virtually pain-free (that is, it won’t blow our nonprofit budget). The Better World Club, based in Portland, Oregon, offers the “Travel Cool!” program that will offset the carbon emissions generated by an average domestic flight. The cost is $11 per flight, and the money goes to projects that provide a good return on investment. So far, the “Travel Cool” program has focused on replacing outdated, inefficient oil-burning boilers for the Portland Public Schools to reduce carbon dioxide gas emissions by thousands of tons each year, simultaneously saving the school system money and improving air quality. Find out more at www.betterworldclub.com/environment/carbon_offsets.htm.

The 2nd goal will be a little tougher. Since we don’t have a budget for this project, we’ll be conducting this work on non-PPRC (aka “free”) personal time. Fortunately, there are quite a few handy tools available that range from simple to fairly involved. We’ll be taking a look at several of these to determine which best suits the particulars of our situation (we share our electricity bills with another co-located office, but we don’t have a corporate jet). From there, we’ll try to get as accurate as possible a view of our emissions, and determine the best ways to reduce our climate impacts as an office. We plan to start by comparing some handy online resources: Carboncounter.org (carboncounter.org), Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s carbon calculator (https://www.greentagsusa.org/GreenTags/calculator_intro.cfm), calculators listed on the GHG Protocol Initiative site (www.ghgprotocol.org/standard/tools.htm), and the World Resource Initiative’s Office Guide (business.wri.org/pubs_description.cfm?PubID=3756).

We’ll provide quick updates over the next year to let you know how we’re progressing toward our goals. If you’ve already gone through this process, we’d enjoy hearing about your experience and your tips for organizations following in your footsteps. Contact Crispin Stutzman at 206-352-2050 or cstutzman@pprc.org.

New PPRC Report: Purchasing Programs & Strategies
        Organizations use a variety of approaches to incorporate environmental and social factors into procurement activities. Based on interviews with representatives from 18 public and private sector organizations, this new report describes: 1) how the organizations choose product categories and attributes for environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP) initiatives, 2) how they integrate EPP into their everyday purchasing decisions, 3) what common challenges they face, and 4) the positive outcomes produced by the organizations’ EPP efforts. Synopses of the participating organizations’ EPP strategies or programs are included in an appendix to the report. Check it out at www.pprc.org/pubs/topics/epp/epp.html.

2003 King County Green Purchasing Report
        King County, Washington, recently published its Environmental Purchasing Program 2003 Annual Report, which details recycled and other environmentally preferable purchases by County agencies for the past year. During this year, King County agencies purchased 5 million dollars worth of recycled and environmentally preferable products. In addition to again increasing King County’s level of support of markets for these materials, these purchases also brought $580,000 in savings to County agencies. Access it at www.metrokc.gov/procure/green/annrep03.pdf.

National Environmental Assistance Summit
        “The National Environmental Assistance Summit: An Alliance to Prevent Pollution, Achieve Compliance, and Innovate for Environmental Results” is a joint conference organized by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) and the EPA National Compliance Assistance Providers Forum. Lester Brown, Founder of Worldwatch Institute and current Founder / Director of the Earth Policy Institute will be the keynote Speaker. The meeting will be held from April 19 - 22, 2004 in Baltimore, Maryland. Find the draft agenda, speakers, lodging, and registration information at www.p2.org/summit2004.

‘Green’ Companies Sought for BEST Awards: Seattle & Portland Nominations Due 2/20/2004
        The Seattle-based Resource Venture invites local organizations to apply for its 2004 BEST (Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow) Awards. The awards celebrate notable “green” achievements in Waste Prevention and Recycling, Water and Energy Conservation, Stormwater Pollution Prevention, and Sustainable Building. Any Seattle business is eligible to apply. Additionally, the Water Conservation Award is open to customers of the 24 local water providers in the 2003 Saving Water Partnership. To learn more, visit www.resourceventure.org/best.htm. Applications are also available by calling 206-389-7302. The deadline for applications is February 20.

Mercury Identification in Manufacturing
        If you’ve wondered what types of manufacturers use mercury, take a look at this recent report from the Washington Department of Ecology. It assesses mercury use by manufacturers in Washington, identifies products and manufacturers to target mercury reduction, and suggests replacement alternatives. Read “Mercury Identification in Washington State Manufacturing” at www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0304007.html.

Alaska Business Waste Reduction Guide
        Green Star published “Becoming a Green Star: A Waste Reduction Guide for Anchorage Businesses.” This 65-page guide provides tips, examples, and resources relating to numerous waste reduction topics, including recycling, energy efficiency, toxics reduction, and purchasing. The guide is available for free to all Green Star enrollees and also available on the web at www.greenstarinc.org/guideindex.htm.