Zero Waste

As defined by the Zero Waste International Alliance "Zero Waste is a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use. Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health." I've been trying to find a niche in all of this, something to focus in on. However as the definition of  Zero Waste displays, there is a lot of ground being covered here, the entire planet. As I said in a previous post I am beginning to see and understand the bigger picture here, but I have just started down my Greener Path and where it may lead is still unknown. I've been interested in alternative energy, solar and wind, which is very much Zero Waste. I am also much in tune with nature and concerned with impacts to natural environments. I am anxious to learn more, to study, research, and experience what Zero Waste means today and work towards the ambitious and essential goals it sets forth.

South Orange County Wastewater Authority

I mentioned in my previous post that I recently toured the South Orange County Wastewater Authority (SOCWA) facility located in Laguna Niguel. Probably the most interesting tour on my classes travel though local waste facilities here in SoCal. Once again we had an extremely knowledgeable tour guide, Mr. Bob Waters. Bob gave us quite literally an in depth look at the facility that rather than describe I'll present in photos I took during the tour.

Laguna Niguel Facility

Lab

Tour Guide Bob Waters

Preliminary Treatment

Primary Treatment

Clarification Tank Under Maintenance

Secondary Treatment

On To Tertiary Treatment

Go Ducks!

Much more info about wastewater treatment can be obtained from the SOCWA website.

Seeing the Bigger Picture

I am entering my seventh week of study in Recycling and Resource Management. My BLOG post assignment for this week is to describe what have I learned thus far and how do I now see things differently. Without any doubt I am now 'seeing the bigger picture' when it comes to consumerism, sustainability, and how recycling plays a major role in both. The literature we've studied has given us an in depth look at consumerism as a powerful driver at many levels in today's world. We cannot continue down this same road. We need to change course towards a future where sustainabilty is our destination. I have learned how many of today's largest corporations have recognized 'eco-advantage' and have adopted significant green strategies into their way of doing business. They are now riding the 'green wave' turning 'green into gold.' I've toured various facilities, landfills, a household hazardous waste facility, a composting facility, a major recycling facility with both a clean MRF and a C&D MRF (materials recovery facility), and most recently a regional waste water treatment facility. I've had some very up close and personal experiences which have given me a much greater understanding of what we are doing, at least locally, to deal with some major issues we have as a huge population center here in Southern California. The bigger picture is much more complicated however. The bigger picture can become much more obvious to all by viewing a documentary we recently saw in class, Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth.'

EDCO Recycling Facility in San Diego

 Our class toured the EDCO Recycling Facility in San Diego this past weekend. EDCO has received fourteen consecutive award from the California Integrated Waste Management Board's Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP) for implementing successful programs to reduce, reuse and recycle waste, and for buying products made from recycled materials. EDCO has 2 MRF's (materials recovery facility) at the location. A clean MRF for the recovery and recycling of paper, plastic, metal, glass materials and another facility for recovery and recycling of construction and demolition materials. We toured the C & D facility with Mr. Bob Hill, Director of Recycling at the facility. Bob was very personable and informative, answering all of our questions. After suiting up in safety vests, hard hats, goggles, and breathing masks, Bob gave us a great tour of the operation.

A Greener Path

 So how does this book and the principles it is presenting tie in to 'A Greener Path' as my BLOG is titled. As I referred to in a previous post, this book is also part of the curriculum in my Intro to Recycling and Resource Management class. We are studying sustainability. Sustainability as a value in today's world as opposed to our consumeristic values which are increasing damaging the earth and using up it's resources. As humans sharing the environment with the rest of life on our planet we need to make significant changes in the way we live before we destroy the environment and all that lives within it. We have studied in this college course how a large portion of the world's population has lifestyles which have evolved to become enthralled in consumerism. We need to make some significant changes in our culture. We need to make some difficult economic, political, social, and educational choices and changes while we still might have the opportunity to do so. We need to change the way we as humans think about this very important issue and do something about it. We need to influence and change people's values such that sustaining the earth's environment and resources becomes of utmost importance. Dale Carnegie's book therefore can provide us with the personal skills we will need to promote this change, a change towards A Greener Path.

Back to 'How to Win Friends & Influence People'

 In my previous post on this book I mentioned the six ways to make people like you. I believe they are worth noting. 1) Become genuinely interested in other people. 2) Smile. 3) Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language. 4) Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves. 5) Talk in terms of the other person's interests. 6) Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely. The author's (Dale Carnegie) message(s) is really starting to come through now. His story about his childhood pet dog sets the stage for the following chapters in this part of the book. "Why not study the technique of the greatest winner of friends the world has ever known." "...a dog makes his living by giving you nothing but love." It is all about being thoughtful and respectful towards people. Do unto others... Another excerpt from this part of the book, about being a good listener, describes someones personal encounter with Sigmund Freud. "You've no idea what it meant to be listened to like that." How often do we talk to someone and see that they are not really listening. "...the ability to listen seems rarer than almost any other good trait." Well, as I said above about the author's message(s), I'm listening and I hear you.

Frank R. Bowerman Landfill - Irvine, CA.

 Our ENV180 class recently toured the Frank R. Bowerman Landfill located Irvine, California. We got a behind the scene look and smell of the facility. Aside from being an interesting experience as a student it was reassuring to see how well the landfill is designed and how well it is run under Federal and State regulations. I mentioned smell. It was surprising that there was little or no smell in the area immediately around the landfill, and right up to where trash was being dumped and compacted. This location was small in area, just where the day's activity was occurring. The facility is 725 acres in size with 379 acres specifically used for refuse disposal. The refuse disposal area is either covered with dirt (about 8 feet deep), once the specific area has reached capacity, or Alternative Daily Cover (ADC) which consists of chipped or shredded vegetation for areas that have refuse but are not at capacity, or heavy duty tarps which are spread out and clamped down over top of the current dumping area at the end of the day. These procedures cover the whole refuse disposal area minimizing the odors which are released. 

 The facility is also designed to prevent liquids from leaching into the ground water and from methane gas being release into the atmosphere. I'll put an illustration of these systems in here instead of technical details.

   Again it was reassuring to learn how well designed the landfill was designed to both meet the needs of refuse disposal in Orange County and protect the surrounding environment. 

 The Frank R. Bowerman Landfill is the 9th largest landfill. It opened in 1990 and is planned to close in 2053. The landfill takes in about 8500 tons of refuse daily. It is the site for the world’s first commercial landfill gas (methane) to liquid natural gas (LNG) project. Here is the URL for the landfills website.

http://www.ocgov.com/portal/site/ocgov/menuitem.02b739dec30413a69add603d100000f7/?vgnextoid=a43cb0d5a553a110VgnVCM1000005b00610aRCRD&vgnextchannel=0cb245f36dce8110VgnVCM1000005b00610aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default

Then click on: 'Frank R. Bowerman Landfill'

 Our class was also fortunate to have Christine Knapp, Manager of Recycling Programs in Orange County, speak to us about the landfill, refuse disposal county wide, and recycling in Orange County. Christine gave us an extremely informative presentation, elevating our interest to see first hand the landfill facility, and minimizing the impact of the olfactory part of our experience. As they apparently say in the refuse disposal business, " Smell that? That's the smell of money."