HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 04/12/2016 - WASTE OPTIMIZATION AND MATERIALS MANAGEMENTDATE:
STAFF:
April 12, 2016
Honore Depew, Environmental Planner
Lucinda Smith, Environmental Sustainability Director
Jason Graham, Water Reclamation/Biosolids Manager
Jackie Kozak-Thiel, Chief Sustainabillity Officer
WORK SESSION ITEM
City Council
SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION
Waste Optimization and Materials Management.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this item is to provide Council with an update and seek feedback regarding the Advanced Waste
Stream Optimization initiative, including Sustainable Materials Management research, waste-to-energy
exploration, organics diversion, and regional collaboration.
GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
1. What feedback does Council have on specific projects?
2. How can the Sustainable Materials Management framework best support Council’s goals?
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
Advanced Waste Stream Optimization was funded from a budget enhancement offer for 2015 and 2016 that
directed staff to:
Enhance regional collaboration, with a focus on organics diversion
Support innovation and implementation of local waste-to-energy conversion technology
Systematically evaluate “waste” materials using Sustainable Materials Management principles
Encouraging the optimal use of waste and promoting the management of materials (goods and food) in a
sustainable way is a big-picture, transformational initiative that covers a number of interconnected elements. The
Waste Reduction and Recycling program area in Environmental Services has dedicated a significant portion of its
staff time over the past year to researching and developing the following:
Regional Collaboration
By partnering with Loveland, Estes Park, and Larimer County to conduct long-range “wasteshed” planning, staff is
seeking effective approaches to manage waste more efficiently and sustainably, while increasing City and public
influence on decisions about the future of materials management and next steps after the closure of the County
landfill in approximately 10 years.
A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for regional wasteshed planning in the North Front Range - comprised of
staff from Larimer County, the City of Fort Collins, the City of Loveland, and the Town of Estes Park - has been
meeting regularly for the past year to gather information and provide options for future solid waste management
and resource recovery opportunities in the region. The existing County landfill has an estimated ten years of “life”
remaining (air space to be used for landfilling at existing rates of fill), and no further expansion of landfill
operations is possible at the existing site. An increase in landfilled material, such as if another natural disaster
were to take place, would further reduce the life expectancy of the landfill.
There is an urgent need for collaboration between the regional jurisdictions to make recommendations for solid
waste/materials management system planning and operations, which may include shared regional infrastructure,
April 12, 2016 Page 2
priority and policy recommendations, potential project schedules, and funding sources. In addition to the
Technical Advisory Committee, a Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) has recently formed for the project,
composed of Mayor Troxell (co-chair) and Councilmember Cunniff, as well as Steve Johnson (Larimer County),
Leah Johnson (chair, Loveland), and Wendy Koenig (Estes Park). Highlights of the process include:
Policy Advisory Committee meeting quarterly throughout 2016
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment grant funding received for regional wasteshed
study (report will be available in July 2016)
Extensive public engagement planned for summer/fall 2016
Organics
Organics (including yard trimmings, food scraps, and food-soiled paper) diversion is especially important because
approximately half of the materials landfilled from Fort Collins could be composted, and because the greenhouse
gas emissions that come from landfilling organics are significantly higher than other materials. Increasing local
organics recycling has a high potential for helping to achieve 2020 Climate Action Plan goals.
Numerous strategies are being explored to divert organics, including:
Expanding anaerobic digestion capacity at Drake Water Reclamation Facility (DWRF)
o Life cycle assessment tools used to inform enhancements
Exploring partnerships with CSU and a private company for development of mid-size anaerobic digesters
for retail food scraps
Supporting a distributed network of neighborhood composting sites, in partnership with local non-profits
Developing ordinances to increase food scrap and yard debris diversion
o Community Recycling Ordinance project includes these topics
o Engaging with haulers to explore viable collection options
o Work session currently scheduled for June 28
Waste-to-Energy
Using appropriate technology to convert material discards to energy, either thermally or biologically, is of interest
as a means of waste disposal and to enhance the resilience of the local energy system. Staff is pursuing
opportunities locally and regionally including:
Requesting funding for a municipal biomass burner feasibility study
Exploring the possibility of a triple-helix pilot project (including CSU, the City, and Starbucks)
Expanding the capacity for energy co-generation at the DWRF (anaerobic biodigestion)
Sustainable Materials Management
This work session introduces the framework of sustainable materials management as a transformational
approach to how the City fundamentally views and acts upon the waste stream by shifting from disposal
management to materials management. Sustainable materials management (SMM) offers the tools and means of
evaluation necessary to help the City meet its long-term goals for addressing climate change, zero waste, quality
of life, increased employment and economic security, as well as the health and well-being of its citizens and the
environment.
One important evaluation tool used in the SMM framework is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which helps map the
pathways and measure the impacts of a given material (greenhouse gas emissions, water use, etc.). As a pilot
project to explore LCA modeling, staff has begun to map and assess the associated impacts of food and food
waste in the Fort Collins community. The results of this study will inform decisions about building additional
capacity for accepting food scraps during planned enhancements at the Drake Water Reclamation Facility, and
will lead to further LCA research for additional materials.
April 12, 2016 Page 3
Attachment 3 provides a detailed overview of Sustainable Materials Management as an emerging framework of
systems-based analysis used to:
Shift focus from managing discards to reducing waste and maximizing recovery
Reduce inefficiencies
Promote a local, circular economy
Further connect Road to Zero Waste goals with Climate Action Plan goals
Next Steps
The projects highlighted in this work session are funded primarily through an enhancement offer and will require
renewed resources to be pursued fully. As the City strives to lead by example in the community, staff will
implement and accelerate the following:
Continue pursuing Road to Zero Waste goals, focusing on high impact strategies
Inform DWRF expansion through life cycle assessment research
Lead regional wasteshed planning efforts
Work with Purchasing Department to enhance sustainable procurement policies/ practices
Expand educational efforts, especially in support of SMM
Develop tools to enhance business opportunities for material reuse and recycling
ATTACHMENTS
1. Natural Resources Advisory Board minutes, March 16, 2016 (draft) (PDF)
2. Fort Collins Food Map Project Summary (PDF)
3. Sustainable Materials Managment Overview (PDF)
4. Powerpoint presentation (PDF)
1 | Page
MINUTES
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD
Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Location: 215 N. Mason Conference Room 1A
Time: 6:00–8:30pm
For Reference
Bob Overbeck, Council Liaison 970-988-9337
Katy Bigner, Staff Liaison 970-221-6317
Board Members Present Board Members Absent
John Bartholow, chair Katherine de Leon
Bob Mann Jay Adams
Luke Caldwell
Nancy DuTeau
Elizabeth Hudetz
Harry Edwards
Drew Derderian
Staff Present
Katy Bigner, Staff Liaison
Dianne Tjalkens, Admin/Board Support
Honore Depew, Environmental Planner
Matt Parker, Crew Chief
Travis Paige, Community Engagement Manger
Susie Gordon, Senior Environmental Planner
David Young, PR Coordinator
Guests:
None
Call meeting to order: John called the meeting to order at 6:02pm
Agenda Review: No changes
Staff Comment: None
Public Comments: None.
Approval of Minutes:
Harry moved and Nancy seconded a motion to approve the February minutes as amended.
Motion passed, 6-0-1. Bob abstained.
P3: 1st P, this tool… insert “construction or” before expansion
P3: 1st P, next sentence missing word “for”
AGENDA ITEM 1—Sustainable Materials Management Framework
ATTACHMENT DRAFT 1
2 | Page
Honoré Depew, Environmental Planner, provided an overview of a newly emerging framework in the
field of waste reduction & recycling, Sustainable Materials Management (SMM).
Update on projects related to BFO offer for advanced waste stream optimization. Have aggressive
sustainability goals—connecting waste reduction and recycling to Climate Action Plan (CAP) goals.
Will be calculating pounds of overall waste per person in the community. Exploring new hierarchies
for waste disposal management. BFO offer contains three elements: evaluate waste materials, support
waste-to-energy, and address organics diversion. Regional collaborations for Road to Zero Waste
(RZW) goals. Trash knows no boundaries—“wasteshed” is new term to describe where waste flows.
Long range planning project that involves public input, technical advisory committee, and policy
advisory committee. For organics diversion (food scraps and yard waste) staff is exploring options
with haulers around residential, as well as alternatives to curbside collection. New biodigester in
Weld County is large piece of infrastructure. Also working with nonprofit and community
organizations to have neighborhood level composting. Increasing focus on food recovery. EPA is
going to begin outreach campaign for reducing food waste. Analyzing city readiness for waste-to-
energy projects—looking at technology, options, what is appropriate for our community. One option
will be biomass burner to manage Emerald Ash Borer-affected ash trees. (feasibility study moving
forward)—large wood stove with strict emissions controls to create heat and hot water. Many
technologies are expensive and feasible only at regional level—looking to service multiple areas.
Have had conversations with Starbucks and CSU to explore anaerobic digestion of waste from coffee
grounds. Drake water treatment plant is currently converting organics into biogas for the facility.
Expansion planned with input from food waste analysis conducted as part of this project.
Sustainable materials management challenges the way we calculate GHG metrics. May be able to
calculate emissions related to consumption in Fort Collins. Discards management approach impacts
smallest piece of pie for GHG inventory—waste and recycling account for less than 6%, so when get
zero waste, still only reducing GHG a small portion. Sustainable Materials Management groups
emissions by systems: raw materials, manufacture, transportation, use and disposal. Can promote
local markets for things that would otherwise have been discarded (circular economy). One tool
successfully employed is lifecycle assessment—which helps us understand how materials move
through the community and what their impacts are. Collaborating with CSU to analyze food system,
which informs Co-Gen project at Drake facility. Have found that households have largest out-flow of
food waste, second is cafés and restaurants. Next will look at portions that go to landfill, compost,
anaerobic digestions, etc., and impacts.
Organization wants to lead by example—hierarchy of waste, sustainable purchasing, etc.
Seeking feedback on presentation.
Discussion/Q & A:
Sectors begin to address what happens in the pipeline? Looking at consequences at front end,
not just back end.
o Exactly. Measuring true impacts.
Policy advisory committee at regional level—who is on it?
o Technical advisory is staff from Fort Collins, Larimer County, Loveland and Estes
Park. Have requested same municipalities to appoint an elected official. First meeting
end of March.
o Each community has a person like Honoré looking at these same issues?
Yes. Sometimes 2 or 3. Meeting twice a month. Secured funding from
CDPHE to have consultant do wasteshed study.
Would like more information on state leadership and opportunities, grants
that are available, etc. Some could impact the plan if change permitting for
composting facilities, business incentives for recyclable materials, etc. Could
be goals and support from state.
Regional wasteshed planning is in alignment with state priorities.
Some landfills are covered and gas is vented. Then still have land for hiking or other uses.
3 | Page
o Methane capture is important. Not currently being used to power anything, but being
flared off. In Ault there is no methane capture or flaring.
Methane is large contributor to GHG. Wouldn’t they want to capture it?
They fall under threshold for being required to capture. Would be
good to revisit regulations for landfills.
Can be more explicit in showing how goals align with CAP around
methane emissions.
Concrete examples are helpful.
Is there an economic component to studies?
o Have been looking at economic activity involved in recycling and repurposing.
Makers movement may develop uses for materials.
o Council may wonder at cost.
Chamber has been commenting a lot. They are protective of current businesses. What is
impact on today’s business people?
o Can tie back to improved efficiencies and getting ahead of potential future increased
costs.
Sustainable purchasing? Is that about packaging?
o Purchasing department is leader in state for adopting sustainability metrics when
contract with outside organization. Preferential purchasing policies for sustainable
products such as recycled copy paper. Could lead to department purchasing
guidelines and triple-bottom line criteria for vendor proposals and bids.
Comments on pie charts in packet: could use more description to understand differences.
Also, would discuss example like a specific item and show how you would look at it from a
materials-based versus systems-based perspective.
o Good feedback for finalizing graphic.
Pie chart on left says 35% of GHG emissions are from electric generation in US; however,
locally it is 50% due to coal power generation.
o Will be more specific and local with information.
Mentioned that organics diversion can reduce GHG emissions significantly. Suggest giving
Council very specific information on projects we really want to do.
o CAP Work Session last week highlighted community recycling ordinance as one of
top seven initiatives to reach 2020 goal.
o Half of what is going to landfill now is compostable/digestible.
Scheduling field trip to Drake waste water treatment facility.
o Will be adding 2-4 new engines that could achieve over 700KW of total capacity,
which would be powered by anaerobic digestion. Jason is exploring potential
collaboration with Woodward to test various engines.
o Also ask to see pulped food material that is coming from CSU dining halls.
o Potential to add more food waste from large producers.
Looking at options and attendant cost of each, from curbside collection to use
of garbage disposals.
In nature every waste is food for a new process. We are trying to better follow that system or
process.
April 5, 2016
1
Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment of Food in Fort Collins, CO
Background
A small research team from Colorado State University’s College of Engineering was commissioned to
investigate the flow of food and food waste in the Fort Collins community. As of April 5, 2016 the team
has employed generally accepted methodology to calculate the volume of food entering and leaving
Fort Collins and has produced a “map” that represents the data visually:
Research Goals
Provide quality information for decision makers about the flow of food (and food waste) in and
out the City of Fort Collins, as well as the associated impacts of disposal methods, by:
Systematically calculate how much food moves through the community, organized by sector and
disposal method;
Offer insight into the highest and best use for organic, non-ligneous waste material (i.e., food
scraps);
Highlight potential public and private partnerships;
Spark future research into the material management of organics.
ATTACHMENT 2
April 5, 2016
2
Definitions
Material Flow Analysis (MFA) – a “map” quantifying the flow of materials in a defined situation and
over a set period of time. In this analysis the timeframe is one year, but an exact point in time is difficult
to specify because available data points span differing timeframes. The software used to conduct an
MFA for food in Fort Collins is called STAN (SubSTance flow ANalysis) and was developed by the
University of Vienna.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) – a cradle-to-grave measurement of the impacts of a defined material,
product, or process. Once all the data from the food MFA has been analyzed, a life cycle assessment will
be conducted using SimaPro, a premiere LCA software tool used frequently in academia and the private
sector, or similar open-source software. A number of impact variables may be included, such as climate
impacts, water use, radiation, respiratory effect from smog, exposure to carcinogens, etc.
The advantage of conducting an MFA and LCA is that these studies can be used together to gain a more
holistic view of food and its impact in Fort Collins. When used in conjunction with an MFA, LCA highlights
where to direct resources for greatest payback.
Methods
Estimating Inputs
Data from the United States Department of Agriculture( USDA) was utilized to calculate total food
inputs. According to that study there were 1,388 pounds of food supply per capita in 2010. This number
was converted to tons and multiplied by the population of Fort Collins (156,480 people) to estimate
total food available.
Estimating Food Waste
Estimating food wasted by businesses and institutions is a burgeoning area of research in the U.S. and
only a few studies have been conducted thus far. The California Department of Resources Recycling and
Recovery commissioned an extensive study conducted by Cascadia Consulting Group. This study broke
down waste generation rates for businesses on a per employee per year basis using NAICS (North
American Industry Classification System) codes. This was useful for this project because the California
(CA) study included all necessary businesses as well as provided a means of calculating food waste based
on data that was readily available, i.e. number of employees per business. The CA study methodology
was used to calculate food waste for the majority of businesses. This was done because the California
study broke down waste per employee for total employees instead of just full time employees. The data
base provided by the city of Fort Collins, CO listed total employees for employee number.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently been designing a tool for calculating food
waste. This study does not include as many NAICS codes, since it is intended for national use and cannot
afford to be as detailed. However, it was useful to cross check different methodologies to produce as
much accuracy in predictions as possible. For example, when it came to education, the two
April 5, 2016
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methodologies were compared based on very few known values of food waste provided by Colorado
State University (CSU) and 12 schools in the Poudre School District (PSD). A percent error was calculated
to decide which methodology to use for the remaining educational institutions in Fort Collins. It was
found that the EPA method for PSD had a 40.8 percent error while the CA methodology had a 45.9
percent error. Therefore, the EPA method was used for the majority of the education sector (see
methodology write up for a more detailed description).
The methods used to estimate food waste at the household level employ the same USDA national data
mentioned above adjusted for Fort Collins population.
Life Cycle Assessment Tools
LCA research will be conducted using SimaPro or similar open-source software. The impacts investigated
will include greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel use, and (possibly) human health effects.
Food Bank
Actual numbers for donations and waste were obtained from Nate Kay, Warehouse Manager for the
Larimer County Food Bank.
Supporting Organizations and Agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Larimer County Food Bank
Colorado State University
Poudre School District
Recycling Works Massachusetts (Funded by Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection and the Center for EcoTechnology)
CalRecycle
Northern Colorado Food Cluster
Stan 2.5 software developer at the Vienna University of Technology
EarthShift Sustainabilty consulting (Life Cycle Analysis webinar)
Next Steps
Expand original research within each sector to track actual food waste, rather than using
estimates.
Conduct research that yields a better understanding of where food waste from different sectors
is going (e.g., landfill, compost, AD, etc.).
Complete a comprehensive life cycle assessment for each of the potential disposal methods
available (i.e., landfill, compost, anaerobic digestion) calculating the impacts associated with
each option, given specific North Front Range conditions.
April 5, 2016
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Sustainable Materials Management in the City of Fort Collins:
A Future Vision for Making Waste a Thing of the Past
Goals and Priorities
This internal guidance document is being offered as a framework for
transformation in how the City of Fort Collins fundamentally views and acts
upon those changes necessary to meet its long-term goals for addressing
climate change, zero waste, quality of life, increased jobs and economic
security, and the health and well-being of its citizens and environment.
Sustainable Materials Management will help Fort Collins accomplish these
goals.
In 2011, the City of Fort Collins approved the EPA waste hierarchy in its City
Plan1 and adopted a goal of reducing solid waste by 50%. In 2013 City Council
updated our waste reduction goal to achieve a community diversion rate of
75% by 2020, partly in response to the realization that we are misplacing
$6.5M worth of resources2 from our economy by sending materials to the
landfill each year. Wasting resources of this magnitude highlights the
inefficiencies in our current system.
The waste hierarchy adopted in City Plan consists of:
x Reduce – through conscientious consumerism, sustainable purchasing,
product redesign (lower product toxicity, product durability, etc.), less
packaging
x Reuse – through repairing, donating, repurposing, sharing
x Recycle – through collection and remanufacture of ‘curbside’
recyclables, adding hard-to-recycle materials, expanding industrial recycling
x Composting – through opportunities for processing of yard waste,
food scraps, other organics by collection or drop-off
x Waste-based energy – through anaerobic digestion and other ultra-
low polluting conversion technology
x Landfilling – the hierarchy of landfilling as a disposal method:
o Facility utilizing methane capture and use (more desirable)
o Facility with methane capture and flaring
o Facility with no methane management system (less desirable)
1
Principle ENV 14: The City will apply the US Environmental Protection Agency’s integrated “hierarchy” of waste management to help
protect all environmental resources including air, soil, and water using source reduction as the primary approach, followed in order by
reuse, recycling/composting energy recovery using emerging pollution-free technology, and landfill disposal (where methane gas capture
is employed) as a final resort.
2
Road to Zero Waste Plan (2013): http://www.fcgov.com/zerowaste/
Sustainable Materials
Management (SMM) is a
systemic approach to
using and reusing
materials more
productively over their
entire lifecycles. It
represents a change in
how our society thinks
about the use of natural
resources and
environmental
protection. By examining
how materials are used
throughout their lifecycle,
an SMM approach seeks
to:
Use materials in the most
productive way with an
April 5, 2016
2
The traditional hierarchy of solid waste management has emphasized landfilling as a preferred method of
disposal with reduction and recycling being secondary priorities. In the new paradigm of managing materials
sustainably, that model is flipped upside down, with a strong emphasis placed on reducing waste at the source.
In the current waste hierarchy in Fort Collins, there are insufficient resources directed to the tracking and
reporting the reduction of waste and pollutants, the durability of products, or their repair and reuse. These will
be important factors for the city to consider in order to meet the
aggressive goals set by Council (see sidebar).
Fort Collins is coming closer to meeting its diversion goals. However,
the waste diversion goal is less meaningful than it appears. Most
experts are now using pounds per person per day (PPD) as the more
accurate measurement of overall waste reduction. Using this metric,
Fort Collins is not demonstrating progress. In 2013, the PPD was 4.85
but in 2014, it had risen to 4.88 PPD. Reaching the goal of 3.5 PPD by
2020 is a significant challenge that requires additional strategies for
waste reduction and recycling.
Sustainable Materials Management
Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) is the newest and most
innovative method for a holistic approach to addressing many of our
negative environmental, economic, and societal issues. Scientists no
longer look at waste disposal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 3%
as being the best way to measure the impacts of consumption and
disposal. Rather than viewing waste and GHG emissions as separate
and distinct issues, SMM shows how interconnected they are.
Goals:
Waste Reduction: The city was so
successful in achieving its 1999 goal of a
50% recycling rate that in 2013 the city
council set new Zero Waste goals for the
community: 75% landfill diversion/ 3.5
pounds of daily waste per capita by
2020; 90% diversion/2.8 pounds of daily
waste per capita by 2025; and
approaching zero waste by 2030.
Climate Action Plan: On March 3, 2015
The Fort Collins City Council adopted
some of the most aggressive goals in the
nation to reduce community greenhouse
gas emissions: 20 percent below 2005
by 2020 and 80 percent by 2030, which
will put the community on a path to be
carbon neutral by 2050.
April 5, 2016
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Experts have shown how the provision of materials – food and goods – creates more than 40% of overall GHG
emissions and contributes to the discards disposed of in our community. The upstream impacts of extraction,
initial processing, transportation and manufacturing account for the majority of our society’s GHG emissions,
toxins in the environment, water and soil pollution, energy usage, and more. In other words, SMM shifts from
calculating just the end-of-life impacts to accounting for the beginning-, middle- and end-of-life impacts. This
feat is achieved, in large part, with the help of a tool called life cycle assessment (LCA).
The Role of Life Cycle Assessment
The physical materials that flow through our community in the form of goods and food come in all shapes, sizes,
and volumes. What they all have is common is a measurable, if complex, “life cycle.” The framework of
Sustainable Materials Management looks to broaden the scope of influence over material resource flows in the
community to include all stages of the life cycle. Through a systems-based accounting process that includes
formerly externalized costs material resource flows may be tracked, mapped, and measured to achieve greater
efficiency and significantly reduce waste. LCAs can highlight the dissonance between expectations and reality
because they account for the overall impact an item has on all aspects of the environment, not just whether or
not it can be recycled.
Examples
1) Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality studied three types of ground coffee packaging: one is a
recyclable steel coffee can with a plastic lid, one is a plastic container and lid, and the other is a non-
recyclable pouch. Lifecycle assessment shows that for single use the overall impact of the pouch is far
lower in terms of energy used, GHG emissions emitted, and even waste created than the other two
types of packaging, despite the fact that it must be disposed of in a landfill at end of its useful life.
Coffee
Packaging
(11.5 oz
product)
Material
Package
Weight
Recyclable
by
Consumers
Energy
Used
(MJ/11.5
oz)
GHG
Emissions
(lbs CO2e/
11.5 oz
product)
MSW Waste
Generated
(lbs./ 100,000
oz. of
product)
Steel
can,
plastic lid
~4 oz. Yes 4.21 0.33 1,305
Plastic
container
and lid
~3 oz. Yes 5.18 0.17 847
Flexible
pouch
~0.4 oz. No 1.14 0.04 176
April 5, 2016
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2) Another excellent example of this tool being employed (strictly for carbon footprint assessment) is The
New Belgium Brewing Company’s LCA of a six-pack of Fat Tire Amber Ale. The report states:
System boundaries of the assessed life cycle encompass acquisition and transport of raw materials, brewing
operations, business travel, employee commuting, transport and storage during distribution and retail, use and
disposal of waste.
The carbon footprint of a 6-pack of Fat Tire® Amber Ale, or the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during its life
cycle, is 3,188.8 grams of CO2 equivalents. Of this total, emissions from New Belgium Brewing Company’s own
operations and the disposal of waste produced there account for only 5.4%. Upstream emissions during production
and transportation of packaging materials and beer ingredients total 48.0% of total emissions. Downstream
emissions from distribution, retail, storage and disposal of waste account for the remaining 46.6% of the total
emissions.3
University Collaboration
Future life cycle assessments of materials should be conducted in partnership with Colorado State University
research teams. The City is currently funding a community-wide LCA by the College of Engineering for food flows
and food waste. This study is critical to determining proper capacity for the anaerobic digester expansion at the
Drake Water Reclamation Facility. Future studies could inform sustainable procurement (e.g., construction
materials, paper, equipment, etc.) to ensure the City uses products with the least negative impact, or look
outward at material flows and their impacts throughout the community.
Additional Benefits of SMM
Other benefits resulting from the adoption of SMM are the growth of jobs, regionalism, local economic
development, reduced transportation, and improved health and well-being of employees no longer required to
use potentially toxic substances for cleaning, landscaping, etc.
Regionalism
By definition, SMM takes a more inclusive approach to finding solutions to and avoiding the creation of
problems. This holistic framework lends itself to regional collaboration. It fits well with the concepts being
brought forward by the Colorado Depart of Public Health’s study of regional wastesheds, and with the idea of
reducing the number of landfills, replacing them with transfer stations for waste and separated recyclables.
With the upcoming closure of the Larimer County landfill (around 2025) Fort Collins is currently in the process of
collaborating with other entities in the region to develop optimal solutions for its waste issues. By applying the
concepts of SMM, Fort Collins will showcase its leadership in municipal sustainability not only in Northern
Colorado, but nationally as well.
3
The Carbon Footprint of Fat Tire® Amber Ale, The Climate CO2nservancy: http://www.newbelgium.com/files/the-carbon-footprint-of-
fat-tire-amber-ale-2008-public-dist-rfs.pdf
April 5, 2016
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Jobs and Local Economic Development
Fort Collins has the opportunity to bring the Northern Colorado
region together in creating a supportive atmosphere for small,
entrepreneurial businesses to reuse, repair, recycle, or refurbish
items and develop innovative uses for local discards. The Economic
Health Office is currently developing business support tools to
specifically target small businesses with social and environmental
missions.
Eco-business parks – such as those being developed in Phoenix, AZ
and Austin, TX – are proving to be successful by supporting small
businesses that utilize locally generated discards that can be:
x Repaired
x Reused
x Sorted and remanufactured into new items
x Composted
x Used for anaerobic digestion
Eco-business parks stimulate the local job market, reduce miles traveled between discard and market, produce
goods from recycled products and extend the life of other products through repair and reuse.
Sustainable Purchasing
Fort Collins can take a leading, proactive approach to reducing waste
and pollutants through sustainable procurement practices. As part of
an overall framework of Sustainable Materials Management, carefully
researching/choosing purchasing options not only reduces discards,
GHG emissions and pollutants, but also becomes a major part of the
local jobs equation by ensuring products can be repaired or
remanufactured. Enhancing a strong, consistent procurement policy
will put Fort Collins in a leading municipal role in Colorado.
SpringBack Mattress Colorado, a
Denver-based company that
employs disenfranchised
individuals, would like to be able to
set up a location in Northern
Colorado to expand their current
operation. This would bring a much
needed service (mattress recycling
and refurbishing) to the area as
well as offering employment to an
underserved and underemployed
population. This is just one
example of the many opportunities
for entrepreneurs to build local
businesses, employ local residents,
and reduce miles traveled for
products.
The University of Colorado –
Boulder, has instigated a
cutting-edge on-line
purchasing program. It is
controlled by a small group
using LCAs, best practices, and
sustainable standards to
determine what products may
be purchased by any
department or individual
within the university. It has
greatly contributed to the
reduction of waste and their
carbon footprint.
April 5, 2016
6
Conclusion and recommendations
SMM and LCAs can lead to the development of strong, consistent policies for the City, demonstrating the
success of this approach for the business community and other organizations and municipalities. This approach
allows for knowledgeable decision-making to reduce cross-media pollution, emissions, toxicity and waste, and to
increase jobs and enhance economic development, while assisting the City to reach its goals of approaching Zero
Waste by 2030 and being carbon neutral by 2050.
Next steps for implementation of Sustainable Materials Management
x Engage in an education campaign that encourages source reduction, pollution prevention and
sustainable purchasing practices and uses PPD (pounds per person per day) generated as the metric for
measuring success (uses adopted hierarchy).
x Work with CSU to develop LCAs for commonly purchased materials / services and create policies to
support using the optimal product or service to reduce GHG, waste and toxicity in the environment
(helps to meet both Climate Action Plan and Road to Zero Waste goals).
x Perform a community-wide LCA for food and food waste flows to determine proper capacity for the
anaerobic digester enhancement at the Drake Waste Reclamation Facility (GHG and waste reduction
method while co-generating local renewable energy).
x Explore regional development of a Materials Recovery Economic Cluster and an Eco-Business Park to
foster innovation, job creation, economic development, and efficiencies within the production and
consumption system (supports economic development and Road to Zero Waste goals while reducing
GHGs).
x Look for other materials that can easily be diverted from the landfill and pursue policies to encourage
the growth of new businesses based on those materials (economic development and Road to Zero
Waste).
x Continue to engage with regional and state partners on generating new ideas, technological advances
and innovative solutions that embrace reduction, reuse, recycling and composting (regionalism and
partnership).
x Become a leader for Sustainable Materials Management in Colorado.
1
Waste Optimization and Materials Management
Jackie Kozak Thiel, Lucinda Smith, Honoré Depew
3-29-16
ATTACHMENT 4
Direction Sought
1. What feedback does Council have on specific projects?
2. How can the Sustainable Materials Management
framework best support Council’s goals?
Responsibly Managing Materials
3
What is Sustainable
Materials Management?
Sustainable Materials Management
(SMM) is a systemic approach to
using and reusing materials
more productively
over their entire
lifecycles.
Waste and Climate Action Goals
4
2005 2013 2015 2020 2025 2030 2050
GHG
emissions
baseline
Road to Zero
Waste
Goals Adopted
Climate Action
Goals Adopted
75% diversion;
3.5 lbs/person
GHG emissions
20% below
2005 levels
GHG emissions
80% below
2005 levels
90% diversion;
2.8 lbs/person
Carbon
Neutral
Approaching
Zero Waste
From Waste to Misplaced Resource
5
Advanced Waste Stream Optimization
• Enhance regional collaboration, with a focus on
organics diversion
• Support innovation in local waste-to-energy conversion
technology, especially City readiness
• Systematically evaluate “waste” materials using
Sustainable Materials Management principles
6
Regional Collaboration
7
Outcome: Increased City and public influence on decisions
about what comes after County landfill closure
• Regional “Wasteshed” Planning
• Improved disposal efficiency
• Enhanced resource recovery
• Statewide and Regional Studies
8
Outcome: Increased volume of organic material diverted
from landfills; significant greenhouse gas reductions
• Emerging opportunities:
• Anaerobic digestion
• Neighborhood composting
• EPA Food Recovery Challenge
• Community Recycling Ordinance
Organics Diversion
Waste-to-Energy
Conversion Technology
Outcome: Recommendations for appropriate Waste-to-Energy
projects for our community
• Biomass burner feasibility (CAP initiative #7)
• Expanding co-generation capacity at DWRF
• Exploring mid-size anaerobic digester
• Regional opportunities
9
Advancing
Municipal Waste-to-Energy
Drake Water Reclamation Facility (DWRF)
• Biogas beneficially used on-site
• Co-Gen project to increase waste-to-energy opportunities
• Food mapping project informing enhancements
10
Sustainable Materials Management
11
Outcome: Transformation from disposal management to
materials management
• Support local, circular economy
• Reduce inefficiency
• Use broad-impact accounting methods
• Rethink production and consumption
Life Cycle and
Systems-Based Assessment
Outcome: A more complete understanding of the materials
coming into our community and leaving as waste
• Map material flows
• Goods and food
• Calculate impacts
• Greenhouse gas emissions, water use, etc.
12
Total Food Waste in Fort Collins
Food
Wholesalers
& Distributors
13
Food
Manufacturers
& Processors
Hospitality/
Healthcare
Education
Other
Food
Retailers
Household
TOTAL FOOD AVAILABILITY
Food
Bank
TOTAL FOOD WASTE
605
20,577
8,743
1,207
696
2,784
1,116
170
+35,896
Next Steps
Lead by Example
• Continue on Road to Zero Waste
• Lead Regional Wasteshed planning efforts
• Conduct life cycle assessments
• Enhance City sustainable procurement
• Expand educational efforts
• Support local business opportunities
14
Direction Sought
1. What feedback does Council have on specific projects?
2. How can the Sustainable Materials Management
framework best support Council’s goals?
15
Definitions
Regional Wasteshed: An area that shares solid waste disposal methods and/or
infrastructure
Organics: Both food scraps and yard debris
Compost : Organic matter that has broken down in the presence of oxygen
Waste-to-energy: Conversion of matter to energy using a thermal or biological
process
Biomass: Organic matter used for thermal fuel (usually wood)
Anaerobic Digestion: Biological process converting organic matter
without oxygen to biogas and fertilizer
Life Cycle Assessment: Measuring full impacts of a product, from cradle to grave
16
emphasis on using less.
~
Reduce toxic chemicals
and environmental
impacts throughout the
material lifecycle.
~
Assure we have sufficient
resources to meet today’s
needs and those of the
future.
-EPA definition
ATTACHMENT 3