Pollution Prevention (P2) & Zero Waste Planning: Training & Implementation

Additional Resources

 

Solid Waste Concerns for Tribes Fact Sheet

Pollution Prevention and Zero Waste Fact Sheet

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Case Studies

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• Gitxaala Nation Zero Waste initiatives 

• Chumash Zero Waste initiatives (PPRC case study)

• Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Pollution Prevention

• TRUE Zero Waste Projects (~100 facilities certified as TRUE Zero Waste)

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Zero Waste Resources

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• Zero Waste USA: zerowasteusa.org – Zero Waste USA is a nonprofit organization and a Zero Waste International Alliance National Affiliate with the goal of inspiring communities to embrace and achieve Zero Waste.  Zero Waste USA provided a Certificate of Completion to attendees of the P2ZW training program.  Zero Waste USA has an extensive education program.  For the latest offerings, go to: https://zerowasteusa.org/education/.  Zero Waste USA has also developed tool kits to help in planning for Zero Waste for communities, businesses and institutions:   Zero Waste Community Planning Toolkit, and Zero Waste Business Institution Planning Toolkit.

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• Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA): zwia.org – Zero Waste International Alliance is the internationally recognized online source for Zero Waste standards, policies, and best practices for communities and businesses. ZWIA’s Zero Waste Declaration highlights the environmental justice attributes of the Zero Waste vision: https://zwia.org/zero-waste-declaration/

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• U.S. Green Building Council TRUE Zero Waste Rating System: TRUE.gbci.org.  About 100 businesses, institutions and government facilities that have been certified as TRUE Zero Waste facilities can be viewed at: https://true.gbci.org/projects.

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• National Zero Waste Conference: zwconference.org – The National Zero Waste Conference is an annual two-day virtual educational and networking event organized by Zero Waste USA and its partners. The first day of the conference focuses on Zero Waste Businesses & Institutions. The second day focuses on Zero Waste Communities. The 2023 conference takes place on Wednesday, October 25 and Thursday October 26, 2023.

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• National Recycling Coalition (NRC) 2023 National Recycling Congress:  The  NRC serves its members by developing and sharing best practices and policies that support sustainable materials management and the transformation to a circular economy.  One of its key services is organizing a two-day virtual conference annually.  For information on the 2023 National Recycling Congress, go to https://nrcrecycles.org/2023congress/.  For archives of the 2021 and 2022 virtual National Recycling Congresses, go to: https://nrcrecycles.org/2023congress/#

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• U.S. EPA Managing and Transforming Waste Streams: https://www.epa.gov/transforming-waste-tool – With 100 policy, program, and infrastructure initiatives and over 350 case studies, the U.S. EPA Managing and Transforming Waste Streams is an excellent resource for community Zero Waste planning.  

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• Zero Waste Cities Tracker: https://www.wastedive.com/news/zero-waste-cities-us-goal-tracker/635401/ – Waste Dive tracks which communities throughout the U.S. have zero waste goals, how they define those efforts and how much progress they’ve made.  This website has a map that highlights Zero Waste activities by region around the U.S.

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• GreenEducation.us  - This is an online training program for becoming a Certified Sustainable Resource Management Professional (CSRMP), accredited by the National Standards Certification Board of the National Recycling Coalition. You can take a single class, watch a pre-recorded webinar, or to boost your expertise in sustainable resource management. They provide Self-paced learning and virtual classrooms so that you can discover learning at your pace, at your place.

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• Baltimore Fair Development Plan for Zero Waste - This Plan provides a step by step guide to transitioning the city away from incineration and toward recycling, composting and reuse, which will expand the economy by 1,800 jobs within two years. The Baltimore Fair Development Plan is a Zero Waste Plan based on community goals and aspirations.

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• Boston Zero Waste Plan - The 30 near-term and long-term recommendations in the Boston Zero Waste Plan will help Boston reduce  the consumption of natural resources and emission of greenhouse gases, and will help Boston increase its citywide recycling rate to be on par with leading cities across the country.  And this work will be sustained through companies providing good, green jobs to  residents in the region.

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• Boston University Zero Waste Plan - BU's Zero Waste Plan was developed by a 54-member task force during the fall of 2019, and released on March 3, 2021. Hundreds of BU faculty, staff, and students helped shape the plan through participation in forums, surveys, and more. The Plan outlines 21 different initiatives that focus on various important aspects of Zero Waste: redesign, reduce, reuse, recycle/compost, culture change, and market development.

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• Recycling is Infrastructure Too Campaign -  This Campaign advocated for the inclusion of waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting infrastructure funding to stem climate disruption, address racial injustice, and create thousands of jobs throughout the country. The Campaign hosted a series of webinars to ensure these types of projects were part of federal infrastructure discussions and funding. Many of these programs were included for funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.  At this link, the Campaign has recordings of some of the webinars that provide a good overview of how and when to apply for Federal funding for such infrastructure.

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• Illegal Dumping White Paper – this is an executive summary and a best practices manual that addresses illegal dumping of durable goods like auto parts, household appliances, mattresses, furniture, construction and home renovation waste, and electronics. Published by the Mattress Recycling Council, these resources provide excellent guidance that can be used to prevent illegal dumping of materials commonly reported on tribal lands. 

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• Chart Reuse online analytics tool – This tool can help businesses identify actionable insights to pinpoint food packaging waste opportunities and empower teams to chart a path to operational improvements and cost savings. The tool was developed by Upstream whose mission is to spark innovative solutions to plastic pollution by helping people, businesses and communities shift from single-use to reuse.

 

Pollution Prevention Resources

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• Management of Hazardous, Dangerous, and Solid Waste (PPRC fact sheet)

• How to use an SDS and NIOSH guide (PPRC fact sheet)

• NIOSH pocket guide: cdc.gov/niosh/npg/default.html

• U.S. EPA Pollution Prevention website: epa.gov/p2

• U.S. EPA’s webpage on proper handling of used household batteries.

 

Green Purchasing Resources

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• Environmental specifications Tribes can use:

  • State of Washington’s Green Purchasing Guide, which includes environmental specifications developed by the Responsible Purchasing Network for over 75 product categories of products 

  • US EPA’s specifications, standards, and ecolabels for Federal purchasing.

  • Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) Collective Action Office Supplies Specifications: https://www.sustainablepurchasing.org/office-supplies

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• Contracts Tribes can use to access environmentally preferable products at discounted prices:

  • Washington State Contracts, which Tribes in the state of Washington can use 

  • Federal GSA programs for states and local governments, which Tribes can use to access contracts related to public health emergencies, disaster recovery, and homeland security

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• Green product certification resources:

  • Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), which certifies compostable food service ware free of PFAS “forever chemicals”

  • Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), an environmental rating system for computers, copiers, and other types of IT equipment and electronics

  • ENERGY STAR Product Finder, U.S. EPA’s list of products that have earned the federal government’s energy-efficiency certification

  • Green Seal, a nonprofit organization that certifies a wide array environmentally preferable products such as cleaners, hand soaps, paper products, and more.

  • OMRI Products List, a list maintained by the Organic Materials Research Institute, which certifies safer landscaping products such as pesticides, fertilizers, and more.

  • Safer Choice, U.S. EPA’s list of consumer and institutional cleaning and facility maintenance products that have earned its low-toxicity certification

  • WaterSense-certified products, U.S EPA’s list of toilets, water faucets, irrigation equipment and other products that meet its strong water conservation standards

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• Green purchasing resources related specific product categories:

  • Buyers Bee-Ware: Municipal Purchasers Guide to Protecting Pollinators,Responsible Purchasing Network and Friends of the Earth

  • Charging Ahead: How to Find Powerful Rechargeable Batteries that Go On and On…and On

  • Mercury in Fluorescent Lighting: Unnecessary Health Risks and Actionable Solutions

  • Safely Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Washington State Dept. of Public Health

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• Other Green Purchasing Resources:​

  • PFAS-free Purchasing, Safer States and Ecology Center

  • Sustainable Facilities Tool, a website created by the U.S. General Services Administration to help purchaser find environmentally preferable products that meet federal standards

  • The Buck Starts Here: A Sustainable Purchasing Playbook for Cities, a comprehensive guide that presents sustainable purchasing best practices, recommended language, action planning tools, and tracking resources that Tribes can use to build an effective sustainable purchasing program.

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•  A Slick New Guide to Avoiding PFAS (Forever Chemicals) in Products, Responsible Purchasing Network for the State of Massachusetts

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