Missoula Lags Nation & State in Recycling

Montanans generate two-thirds more waste than the national average (7.26 lbs. per day versus 4.38 lbs. per day),1 and recycle or compost less than two-thirds of the national average (21.9% compared to 34.5% of wastes).1 Missoulians even lag behind Montanans, only recycling about 55% of the national average (or 19% of wastes). 2

The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) has published an online Guide to Moving Missoula Toward Zero Waste packed with information and ideas for taking manageable steps toward addressing this issue. Starting today, the SBC is also distributing a printed Mini-Guide in select issues of the Missoula Independent and at events and sponsoring organizations.

"Producing minimal waste is not only possible but it is also smart financial management," said Jenny Mish, Executive Director of the SBC. "The Guide provides evidence of hundreds of local and national businesses, events, individuals, and cities that are dramatically reducing wastes and costs and earning revenues from recycling streams."

For example:

St. Patrick?s Hospital diverts 1 ton of waste daily from the landfill, saving $300,000 per year compared to the average hospital.

Sierra Nevada Brewing has been 98.8% zero waste since 2012, saving $6.2 million in disposal costs, earning $980,000 in revenue, and diverting over 52,000 tons.

The Del Mar County Fairgrounds in California has diverted 97% of event wastes since 2002, saving thousands of dollars per year.

Missoula College professor Bradley Layton has been "landfill negative" since 2010.

Lauren Singer, founder of The Simply Co., hasn’t made trash in two years – she says she has saved money, eaten better, and become happier as a result.

Last September 15,000 people participated in Pittsburgh?s Great Race, achieving 87% diversion.

The City of San Francisco achieved 80% diversion from landfill in 2012, the highest rate of recycling and composting to date in North America.

The European Parliament expects all waste to be managed as a resource by 2020.

Redesigning for zero waste is smart for economic development. Studies show that recycling produces many more jobs than landfills or incineration. For example, one study found that a 75% diversion rate would produce 1.1 million more jobs than a "business as usual" scenario in the US.3 Another found that sorting and processing recyclables creates 10 times as many jobs as landfills or incinerators, and reusing computers creates 296 times as many jobs. 4

In fact, the economic advantages of reducing waste are so significant that a group of multi-national corporations are providing $100 million in loans at zero interest to cities to increase recycling. 4 These corporations see slow movement on the part of cities as a critical barrier to developing recycling markets worth billions of dollars.

Many more examples and case studies are provided in the Guide, along with practical tips and tools. It emphasizes that the greatest savings come from Reducing, Reusing, and Redesigning so that wastes are not produced in the first place.

"Whether you manage a household, a multi-national corporation, or anything in between, waste is a measure of inefficiency," said Mish. "Nature is the most efficient model there is for using waste as a resource and designing systems to reap the benefits at any scale." The Guide includes four simple principles for emulating nature?s approach to waste in any organization.

Economic Opportunities from Reducing Waste

Contact: Jenny Mish

Tel: (406) 493-1482

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.sustainablebusinesscouncil.org

To view the online Guide to Moving Missoula Toward Zero Waste, visit
http://www.sustainablebusinesscouncil.org/TZWguide.

For more information about the SBC, visit http://www.sustainablebusinesscouncil.org.

Sources: 1. US EPA (national data) and Montana DEQ (Montana data). 2. Aggregated from local sources. 3. Tellus Institute, More Jobs Less Pollution report (2011). 4. Closed Loop Fund, http://www.closedloopfund.com. 5. ILSR, Recycling Means Business report (1997).

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Founded in 2002, the Sustainable Business Council (SBC) is a 501(c)(3)
member-driven non-profit organization that advances a vibrant local economy built on sustainable practices. The SBC envisions a prosperous, collaborative community that fulfills the promise of the triple bottom line: a healthy society, economy, and environment.