Materials Management: Solutions for Waste Reduction, Waste Diversion and Managing Food Waste
Overview
The 2018 Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge encourages organizations to reduce waste and increase waste diversion from the landfill. Participants learned how their organizations could earn recognition for waste reduction strategies already in place, and how to take waste diversion and reduction even further, helping to potentially reduce costs. This workshop introduced participants to waste minimization strategies and the organizations that could help implement them.
Topics included developing a Zero Waste strategy, how to schedule and conduct a waste audit, and how to enter waste information into Portfolio Manager’s waste tracking tool. Participants also gained insights on donating used materials to organizations like Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, Construction Junction and 412 Food Rescue. Participants also learned about a new tool, called ReUse Central, for donating office wares and other materials to nonprofit organizations.
Featured Presenters
- Stacy Albin, Zero Waste Specialist, Pennsylvania Resources Council
- Ash Andrews, Executive Director, Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse
- Teresa Bradley, Zero Waste Services Coordinator, Pennsylvania Resources Council
- Ned Eldridge, President / CEO, eLoop, LLC
- Nick Goodfellow, Sustainability Coordinator, University of Pittsburgh Dining Services by Sodexo
- Jeff Newman, Owner, Steel City Soils
- Tara Sherry-Torres, Program Manager, Volunteer Engagement & Mobilization, 412 Food Rescue
Date
Thursday, May 17
Time
8:30 am - 9:00 am Registration and Breakfast
9:00 am - 11:30 am Workshop
Location
Energy Innovation Center, Room 115
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Agenda
8:30 am – 9:00 am Registration, Networking, and Breakfast
Breakfast provided by Bistro to Go Cafe & Catering
9:00 am – 9:05 am Welcome and Opening Remarks
Autumn Secrest, Sustainable Business Programs Manager, Sustainable Pittsburgh
9:05 am – 9:25 am Zero Waste: How it Works, Where to Start
Teresa Bradley, Zero Waste Services Coordinator, Pennsylvania Resources Council
9:25 am – 9:30 am Zero Waste Q&A
9:30 am – 9:45 am ReUse Central: Reducing Waste with in-kind Donations
Stacy Albin, Environmental Program Coordinator, Pennsylvania Resources Council
9:45 am – 9:50 am ReUse Central Q&A
9:50 am – 10:05 am 412 Food Rescue: Diverting Food Waste by Sharing with Communities
Tara Sherry-Torres, Program Manager, Volunteer Engagement & Mobilization, 412 Food Rescue
10:05 am – 10:10 am 412 Food Rescue Q&A
10:10 am – 10:25 am Re-Purposing Materials for Creative Reuse
Ash Andrews, Executive Director, Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse
10:25 am – 10:30 am Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse Q&A
10:30 am – 10:45 am Case Study: How University of Pittsburgh is Reducing Food Waste in its Dining Services Operations
Nick Goodfellow, Sustainability Coordinator, University of Pittsburgh Dining Services by Sodexo
10:45 am – 10:50 am University of Pittsburgh Q&A
10:50 am – 11:05 am Steel City Soils: A Compost Cooperative Supporting Urban Farming
Jeff Newman, Owner, Steel City Soils
11:05 am – 11:10 am Steel City Soils Q&A
11:10 am – 11:25 am E-Waste Collection, Recycling and Data Security
Ned Eldridge, President / CEO, eLoop, LLC
11:25 – 11:30 am Q&A and Program Close
SP Challenge Actions
Participants in this workshop could have gained sufficient information to complete the following actions in the 2018 Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge:
MM1: Create your Materials Meters in Portfolio Manager (5 points)
MM2: Enter your materials management baseline quarter (20 points)
MM4: Write a waste reduction or zero-waste plan and strategy (10 to 20 points)
MM5: Reduce your organization’s waste production (5 to 1,350 points)
MM6: Increase your organization’s waste diversion (5 to 1,350 points)
MM8: Conduct a waste audit (20 points)
MM11: Achieve a high, or Zero-Waste comparable, diversion rate (10 to 50 points)
MM12: Host a zero-waste event by utilizing PRC’s Zero-Waste Services or other methods to achieve a sustainable event.
MM25: Donate unneeded or surplus materials and items (1 to 10 points)
MM30: Collect organic materials for compost (10 points)
MM31: Participate in a compost hauling program (5 points)
Q20: Volunteer with local organizations (5 to 50 points)