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Austin Approves New Zero Waste Plan
At its meeting on Dec. 15th, 2011, the Austin City Council unanimously approved the Austin Resource Recovery Master Plan, a long-term plan that empowers the Austin community to achieve a drastic reduction in the amount of trash landfilled and aim for zero waste. In 2009, City Council passed Texas’ first Zero Waste Plan and set a … Read More
Deconstruction: Career Ladder, Curriculum and Job Descriptions
Deconstruction is an environmentally-friendly method of demolition, focusing on the disassembly of buildings in order to recover and re-use construction materials. Deconstruction work provides job opportunities to relatively low-skilled participants, helping them build a work history and work habits while learning basic construction-site skills. The information in this packet from the Employment and Training Administration, is … Read More
The Deconstruction Craft Manual
This training manual is intended for use by deconstruction crews. Funded by a grant to Episcopal Community Services of Maryland from the US Department of Labor, this manual is based on a previous ILSR publication.… Read More
Pitfalls of Plasma Arc Technology in New Orleans
Greenaction for Health and the Environment, based in San Francisco, has completed a detailed analysis of the environmental impacts and operating history of plasma arc technology based on the claims made by a company seeking to build such a plant in New Orleans, LA.… Read More
BioSpecs for Food Service Ware
The Bio Specs for Food Service Ware outline sustainability criteria and recognition levels for food service ware made from compostable biobased materials. They provide a framework that enables buyers to assess the sustainability of these products during three stages of their life cycle: (1) biomass production, (2) manufacturing, and (3) end of product life. “Sustainability” encompasses … Read More
Update on Anaerobic Digester Projects Using Food Wastes in North America
Prepared for the City of Atlanta, this report on anaerobic digesters (AD) around North examines several existing AD projects that have a history of operational success and profiles some of the projects that are close to coming online.… Read More
Report on Model State Composting Policies
Composting is an important strategy for recycling organic materials that might otherwise be disposed in landfills or incinerators. This April 2010 report, Summary of Select State Composting Regulations, identifies 11 states with notable regulations governing compost facilities. … Read More
BioSpecs Purchasing Specifications for Compostable Biobased Food Service Ware
The Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative (SBC) provides purchasing specifications for buyers of compostable food service ware. These specifications were designed to find products that are sustainable from cradle-to-cradle, including biomass production, manufacturing, and recovery. The specifications require that products meet certain standards and hold certain certifications of products to prevent purchasers from buying “greenwashed” items, which fail … Read More
Waste Diversion Options Report, Dubuque, IA
ILSR’s series of workshops, supported by the Community Foundation of Dubuque and the Four Mounds Foundation, in 2008 led to the scope of work for this technical report. The report was completed by Huls Environmental Management, LLC. under the direction of the Dubuque Office of Sustainability. Read the executive summary (PDF)
Guidelines for Sustainable Bioplastics
The SBC’s Guidelines for Sustainable Bioplastics proposes goals and a roadmap for improving the sustainability of bioplastics – defined for this document as plastics in which 100% of the carbon is derived from renewable agricultural and forestry resources. While these Guidelines focus on biobased plastic replacements for fossil-fuel-based plastics, many of the principles apply to other … Read More
Zero Waste Implementation Plan for the County of Hawai’i
The County of Hawai’i (a.k.a. Big Island), having signed a Zero Waste resolution in December 2007, has taken extraordinary steps toward sustainable resource management. This is the Zero Waste Implementation Plan, requested by the County Council and completed by Richard Anthony Associates, Hidden Resources and ILSR in March 2009.… Read More
City of Austin’s Zero Waste Plan
Earlier this year, by adopting the State’s first Zero Waste Plan for a Texas community, the City of Austin took an important step to move toward a more sustainable future. Austin’s Zero Waste Plan takes into consideration Austin’s current and planned public and private solid waste infrastructure, as well as the city’s Climate Protection Program. Recommendations … Read More
Stop Trashing the Climate
Released to coincide with the UN’s World Environment Day on June 5th, 2008, this report documents the link between climate change and unsustainable patterns of consumption and wasting. The study dispels myths about the climate benefits of landfill gas recovery and waste incineration, outlines policies needed to effect change, and offers a roadmap to significantly reduce … Read More
Waste to Wealth – 2007 Annual Report
Our program continued its tradition of solving problems in ways that reinforce economic and environmental security. Our work continues to help community development organizations, small businesses and government agencies increase productive employment, recover increasing amounts of valuable recycled materials and products, save environmental resources, and lower operating costs. Full Report (228 KB) Also a 2006 Report (401 … Read More
Recycling and Composting Policy Agenda Drafted; Comments Sought
Twenty-three veteran recycling and composting activists met in a two-day retreat in June 2007 to prepare policy guidelines to accelerate diversion of discarded materials from landfills and incinerators. The document, upon refinement and approval by a broader number of activists, will be circulated among state, local and federal decision-makers for consideration. View the background statement, draft … Read More