As Whatcom County residents, we pride ourselves on our region’s recycling and waste reduction efforts. Travel outside of our small bubble and you cannot help but realize how fortunate we are to live in a place where curbside recycling exists, composting isn’t some lost hippie practice and using reusable grocery bags is the norm.
Adhering to the strong sustainability values our community possesses, an abundance of impactful programs and resources help make these efforts a top priority.
Ten years ago Sustainable Connections launched the Toward Zero Waste (TZW) campaign in Whatcom County. Through free waste audits, employee education and waste reduction planning, the campaign has been significant in helping local businesses to reduce waste and decrease revenue and energy losses. Over 450 businesses have engaged in the campaign thus far and the majority of them have seen positive results in the form of financial savings and enhanced competitive advantage. Sustainable Connections’ Sustainable Business Manager, Mark Peterson, shared some of the campaign’s past successes and upcoming “dreamy” goals.
“We like to celebrate all successes, no matter how large or small,” Peterson responds when asked what constitutes a business participating in the program as successful. A humble response considering the campaign has helped companies like Samson Rope divert 300 gallons of waste per week and save $30,000 in costs. In 2016, the campaign helped itek Energy evaluate their waste processes and eliminated roughly 7,000 caulking cartridges by purchasing caulk in bulk instead.
A lot of waste reduction happens when businesses are, “forced to look critically at processes,” Peterson explains. It is important to understand the job isn’t done when something is thrown out. So much consideration goes into production processes, but little goes into a product’s afterlife or a service’s residual. “Waste is part of the management process,” he emphasizes.
The exciting thing is that consumers, especially in the Whatcom community, want to support sustainable business. Many local businesses have an incentive to make changes and reduce waste to gain that competitive advantage. Working to reduce seems like an obvious choice when the price is small for big rewards.
Of course, successes do not come without challenges. For instance, Peterson stresses how important the education aspects of the campaign are due to issues like single stream recycling and compost contamination and confusion.
“We use PTAG recycling,” he explains. This is a process in which paper, tin, aluminum and glass are sorted at the source. However, older facilities like Fairhaven’s historical district have shared waste enclosures and are not required to separate recyclables. This is considered “single stream recycling” in which case, Peterson explains, “recyclables get mixed up.”
Then there is the issue of compost contamination and confusion. “Greenwashed products are those that are contaminated but are marked otherwise,” Peterson explains. He walks into a back room and brings out a box of “plant-based, biodegradable” cutlery to explain. Based on the box’s description anyone might assume they would be okay to compost but on the back in small lettering it is indicated that this product is not actually compostable at all. Not only is this product labeling confusing and misleading, but it is responsible for real world contamination.
The campaign acknowledges that education about such issues is vital to achieving proper waste reduction processes. While TZW businesses are provided employee education services, the campaign also participates in regular sustainability workshops and presentations to convey correct messaging to the community.
Looking ahead, the TZW campaign is expecting 2017 to be a particularly impactful year. They are determined to raise the profile of waste production within the community as well as divert even more waste from construction and food-based business.
A Waste Characterization Study done by the Department of Ecology suggests that across two different sectors, construction materials and organics are the two largest waste sources. Peterson explains that disposing of organic materials in landfills is an issue because decomposed organics let off methane, a gas that is twenty-five times more potent than carbon dioxide. In addition landfill processes often involve “flaring” or incineration, which sends the gas directly into the atmosphere.
Peterson emphasizes the fact that the process of composting organics, “is the only closed loop waste system,” and that through this, “organics can be turned into a value-added product instead.” The positives of composting out-weigh the negatives and by setting their sights on construction and food-based businesses, the campaign is hoping to be especially efficient in their influence.
As far as raising the profile of waste production, TZW is excited to be collaborating with the Bellingham Farmer’s Market this upcoming year in a big way. It’s obvious this campaign is making its mark on our local community and Peterson is enthusiastic to be creating programs and opportunities that are replicable in other communities as well.
