Serious Concerns Remain Over Zero Waste Claim
August 24, 2001

The Salt Lake Organizing Committee's (SLOC) "Draft Waste Management Plan" for the Olympics articulates a "zero waste goal," but the plan's overall design will not achieve zero waste. SLOC's zero waste claim recently caught the attention of the GrassRoots Recycling Network (GRRN), which is the U.S. leader in the growing international zero waste movement.

SLOC should be applauded for setting high recycling goals, and for rejecting the original plan to mix garbage and recyclables at public venues. But the plan still lacks sufficient detail and engagement of the public to achieve zero waste. In fact, some of the original Plan's specifics would have actually undermined efforts at maximum waste reduction.

GRRN's concern over SLOC's zero waste claim, and the potential misuse of that term, motivated GRRN representatives to spearhead a resolution adopted at the recent annual meeting of the California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA), cautioning against misuse of the zero waste term, and recommending specific remedial actions. The resolution stated, in part,

"The Zero Waste goal will only have value if a more comprehensive plan for reducing waste and reusing, recycling and composting materials collected is implemented. The planned system that was reported to process all materials collected as mixed waste will not achieve the SLOC's stated Zero Waste goal… If the SLOC chooses not to modify its purchasing and service plans for the Olympics, it should not describe this system as a "Zero Waste" system."

The full text of CRRA's resolution is available at the end of this summary.

Following CRRA's July 8, 2001 adoption of the GRRN resolution and a news release announcing the resolution, Gary Liss, GRRN's Zero Waste Business Standards project coordinator, contacted representatives of the SLOC to voice concerns and offered assistance to improve the SLOC Waste Management Plan. SLOC organized a Recycling Forum on August 16 to address GRRN's concerns, elements of the CRRA resolution and similar concerns expressed by others. The Forum included representatives of the GrassRoots Recycling Network, Coca Cola, National Association for PET Container Resources, EPA Region 8, Solid Waste Association of North America, U.S. Composting Council, Recycling Coalition of Utah, National Recycling Coalition, Manitoba Product Stewardship Corporation, Green Valley Recycle and Compost (SLOC's recycling contractor), as well as assorted Utah state and municipal officials and SLOC representatives.

The Recycling Forum resulted in numerous suggested improvements to the SLOC Waste Management Plan, including several specifically addressing elements of the CRRA resolution. Importantly, the Forum agreed on the importance of a two-bin collection system for public venues and education efforts to maximize collection of recyclables. The Forum acknowledged that SLOC has designed out some waste from their event planning, recommending environmentally preferable alternatives for commonly used items at the Olympics' public venues. The Forum commended SLOC for its use of recycled building materials and for its recent negotiations to obtain biodegradable plates and bowls. The Forum emphasized that the most significant legacy of SLOC's Waste Management Plan will be the large scale food waste composting program, a first for the Salt Lake City area.

Despite these highlights, the Forum did not result in clear commitments from SLOC on these major areas of concern, nor an agreement from SLOC to stop using the zero waste term to describe their waste management efforts. The SLOC would need to significantly alter its plan and establish clear, detailed criteria for executing the plan in order to approximate the zero waste claim, including committing to:

1. Expand the number of recyclables to be source separated from public venues beyond the "bottles and cans" container recommended by the Forum (e.g., collect paper with bottles and cans in a "recyclables" bin and label the second bin as "compostables" as all the residue is planned to be composted) and source separate compostable food from "back-of-house" dining areas.
2. 
   Use compostable plates, bowls, cups, flatware and straws for all food functions where reusable products are not used and to use biodegradable bags for collecting all materials.
   
3. An aggressive recycling education program including the use of Olympic and corporate sponsors volunteers to monitor all recycling stations and educate the public on how to properly use those.
   
4. Establishing a Zero Waste advisory committee with the necessary expertise to expand its current plans to truly achieve Zero Waste for the Olympics.

The Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics clearly is not likely to be a zero waste event, and the SLOC's Waste Management Plan is not designed to achieve the zero waste goal.

The lingering doubts and serious concerns demand that the zero waste community join GRRN to monitor closely the on-going planning and the events themselves. The SLOC should be on notice that their continued use of the zero waste claim is met with disfavor by those working to develop and promote zero waste practices and events. The SLOC experience underscores the urgent need to watchdog use of the zero waste term, in order to avoid its cooptation and eventual dilution from overuse.

Full text of the CRRA Resolution, Adopted July 8, 2001

California Resource Recovery Association
RESOLUTION CONCERNING ZERO WASTE AND RECYCLING AT THE SALT LAKE OLYMPICS
Adopted July 8, 2001

Whereas, the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City is promoting itself as a "Zero Waste" event, and

Whereas, the Global Recycling Council (GRC), the California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA) and the GrassRoots Recycling Network (GRRN) have been leaders in the nation in advocating for Zero Waste, and

Whereas, the Salt Lake Olympics Committee (SLOC) has contracted with a firm to process commingled recyclables and wastes collected from the public in a mixed waste MRF, and

Whereas, the SLOC is promoting this as preferable to the "recyclables," "compostables" and "trash" system used in the Sydney Australia Olympics as it is "simple: single containers for all trash" as reported in Waste News of July 5, 2001.

Now, therefore be it resolved by the Board of Directors of CRRA that:

1. CRRA applauds the SLOC adoption of a goal of "Zero Waste".
   
   
2. The Zero Waste goal will only have value if a more comprehensive plan for reducing waste and reusing, recycling and composting materials collected is implemented. The planned system that was reported to process all materials collected as mixed waste will not achieve the SLOC's stated Zero Waste goal. If the SLOC chooses not to modify its purchasing and service plans for the Olympics, it should not describe this system as a "Zero Waste" system.
   
   
3. CRRA urges the SLOC to reconsider and use a source separation system with containers co-located next to each other in each public location, and aggressive education, signage and on-site monitoring to direct attendees to use the correct bins. CRRA also urges the SLOC to source separate from all major commercial and industrial generation of materials at the Olympics, including corrugated cardboard, office paper, discarded food, yard trimmings, and construction and demolition debris, for appropriate reuse, recycling and/or composting at their highest and best use. Source separation is needed to engage the public in helping to meet the Zero Waste goal, to maximize the diversion of materials, and to ensure the highest quality of materials collected. This would also set a new standard for such athletic events all over the world, which is an appropriate outcome of such leadership.
   
   
4. CRRA urges the SLOC to arrange for the sole use of recyclable materials for all beverage containers distributed or sold at the Olympics and compostable flatware and plates for all food functions where reusable products are not used. CRRA urges that the SLOC require the maximum use of recycled content and green building materials in the construction of facilities for the Olympics.
   
   
5. CRRA urges the SLOC to immediately establish a Zero Waste advisory committee and obtain the necessary expertise to expand its current plans for the Olympics to truly achieve Zero Waste, or darn close. The SLOC should also make public on a timely basis all the tonnages of waste generated, diverted and landfilled from the construction of facilities, events and deconstruction and demolition at the close of the Olympics.
   
   
6. CRRA will share this resolution with the Utah Recycling Association and the National Recycling Coalition and ask for their help and support in implementing this resolution.
   

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