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Waste Minimization / Recycling / Energy Recovery / Retail

Urban Waste to Fuel Initiative

focus area: waste to energy
priority area: waste min/energyrecovery/recycling
sector served: government

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 9 Amt: $75,000

Partners: Santa Cruz Public Works, Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transportation District, Pioneer Liquid Transport, Bio-Energy Systems, CA Restaurant Assoc.,Pacific Biofuel, Inc.,

Project Overview: The pilot will demonstrate the economic viability of a community-based biodiesel collection, production, and distribution chain in urban locations. It focuses on places without ready access to an affordable agricultural crop as the primary feedstock. The pilot will collect local waste oil and process it into biodiesel for distribution and sale to local public sector fleets. Waste minimization will be achieved by recycling waste cooking oil. Air quality will be enhanced by the widespread use of biodiesel by reducing particulate, and carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide emissions. Water quality will be improved because the increased market value of waste cooking oil decreases the likelihood of its improper disposal into sewers, storm drains and waterways, reducing watershed and storm runoff pollution.

FACT SHEET (PDF, 2 pp., 40 kb)

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Reusing Fly Ash to Produce a New Wastewater Treatment Chemical

focus area: material reuse
priority area: waste min/energyrecovery/recycling
sector served: environmental technology

Sponsor: EPA Region 7 Amt: $73,000

Partners: Iowa State University, City of Ames Electric Services, Ames Water Pollution Control Facility

Project Overview: The pilot will test a new flue gas wet scrubbing process using power plant fly ash to produce a new wastewater treatment chemical. The project will not only produce a useful chemical from solid and gas wastes but also saves land resources.

FACT SHEET (PDF, 2 pp., 33 kb)

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Voluntary Reductions in Dental Amalgam Mercury

focus area: other
priority area: waste min/energyrecovery/recycling
sector served: hospital/medical

Sponsor: EPA Region 7 Amt: $34,197

Partners: Univ. of Missouri, MO Dental Assoc., Amer. Dental Assoc., City of Springfield Public Works, Greater Springfield Dental Assoc.

Project Overview: The pilot will measure the effects of training, technical assistance and recognition on amalgam management practices in dentist offices, and the resulting impact on mercury levels in influent, effluent, and sludge. The pilot will demonstrate whether significant reductions in mercury can be achieved through the rigorous implementation of voluntary dental office best management practices. The project will promote a better understanding of the impact of BMPs and amalgam separators. The results should provide data on effective reduction opportunities that can be replicated across the country.

FACT SHEET (PDF, 2 pp., 39 kb)

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Tear-off Asphalt Shingles Recycling

focus area: material reuse
priority area: waste min/energyrecovery/recycling
sector served: construction

Sponsor: EPA Region 5 Amt: $74,625

Partners: Construction Materials Recycling Assoc., Solid Waste Mgmt Board, Bituminous Roadways, Johnson Farms, MS Office of Env. Affairs, MN Pollution Control Agency, MN DOT

Project Overview: An estimated 11 million tons of waste shingles are generated every year in the United States. The overwhelming majority of them are post-consumer, mostly from tear-offs generated during re-roof construction projects. The pilot will address all key barriers to full-scale implementation of tear-off shingle recycling technology, including environmental, engineering, operations, and economic barriers. The private sector will work collaboratively with state regulators to develop best practices guidelines to protect worker health and the environment while addressing the viability of full commercialization of tear-off shingle recycling technology.

FACT SHEET (PDF, 3 pp., 40 kb)

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Deconstruction and Building with Reused Materials Training

focus area: material reuse
priority area: waste min/energyrecovery/recycling
sector served: construction

Sponsor: EPA Region 1 Amt: $53,451

Partners: ReCycle North, Habitat for Humanity, Penn State Univ., Building Materials Reuse Assoc.,Yestermorrow Design/Build School

Project Overview: The pilot will develop a national train-the-trainer program for building deconstruction and the use of reclaimed building materials. Deconstruction and materials reuse provides environmental benefits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from landfills and reducing energy and resource consumption by extracting resources from old building materials.

FACT SHEET (PDF, 3 pp., 42 kb)

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Decision Analysis Tool for Managing Industrial Byproducts

focus area: material reuse
priority area: waste min/energyrecovery/recycling
sector served: recycling

Sponsor: EPA Region 5 Amt: $58,356

Partners: Univ. of Toledo, Partners: Amer. Coal Ash Assoc., Great Lakes Byproducts Mgmt. Assoc., Ohio EPA

Project Overview: The pilot will develop a tool for state and local regulators, end users, and the public to evaluate the benefits of various beneficial reuse options for managing industrial byproducts. Large volumes of industrial byproducts are being produced everyday. One of the difficulties with evaluating the various management options for byproducts is the ambiguity and lack of data and tools for determining if the particular beneficial use application is indeed 'beneficial'. The tool developed in this project will produce much needed information on economics, environmental impacts, safety, and risk of beneficial reuse applications

FACT SHEET (PDF, 3 pp., 46 kb)

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Northwest Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) Recycling Pilot Program for Rural Hospitals

focus area: hospital
priority area: waste min/energyrecovery/recycling
sector served: hospital/medical

Sponsor: EPA Region 10 Amt: $26,820

Partners: Oregon Center for Environmental Health, ID Dept. Of Env. Quality, Good Shepherd Health Care, Legacy Health System, Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E)

Project Overview: The pilot will create and replicate a pilot plastics recycling program to increase the recycling efforts of rural hospitals. While all hospitals face barriers to recycling plastics, rural hospitals are confronted with the added disadvantage of being isolated from many recycling services and resources.

FACT SHEET (PDF, 3 pp., 48 kb)

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Waste to Energy Geographic Planning Tool

focus area: waste to energy
priority area: waste min/energyrecovery/recycling
sector served: government

Sponsor: EPA Region 6 Amount $65,000

Partner: N/A

Project Overview: This pilot will collect data from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), solid waste landfills (SWLFs), and publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) to develop a Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping tool. The GIS tool, along with the development of an internet website, will enable a user to identify single/clusters of facilities that could be prime candidates to use waste directly or indirectly to generate electricity. This innovative Waste to Energy (WTE) project will bring together information on biomass quantities and energy distribution systems.

FACT SHEET [PDF 71kb]

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Reducing Production Costs and Nitrogen Oxide Emissions from Biodiesel

focus area: waste to energy
priority area: waste min/energyrecovery/recycling
sector served: colleges/universities

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 9 Amount $69,110

Partner: University of Nevada at Reno (UNR); Washoe County District Health Department, NV; Applied Research Initiative; Nevada State Department of Agriculture

Project Overview: Recognizing that biodiesel provides numerous environmental advantages over petroleum diesel, the pilot will produce a more cost-effective biodiesel formulation that should reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emitted during the biodiesel production process. The University of Nevada at Reno (UNR) will utilize a large-scale mobile continuous process unit using ethanol for the production of biodiesel to meet all of UNR’s diesel energy needs.

FACT SHEET [PDF 73kb]

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Deconstruction for Urban Revitalization

focus area: material reuse
priority area: waste min/energyrecovery/recycling
sector served: construction

Sponsor: EPA Region 3 Amount $73,600

Partner: Institute for Local Self-Reliance; Hamer Center at Penn State University; City of Philadelphia Neighborhood Transformation Initiative

Project Overview: This pilot will evaluate the cost-effectiveness of an innovative approach to dismantle row house buildings. A mechanized and panelized approach to deconstruction will allow for the most efficient reuse of roof and floor structural lumber, enable quicker access to properties by redevelopers, and reduce overall costs by using a “hybrid” of hand and mechanized labor working together.

FACT SHEET [PDF 72kb]

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Design for Disassembly in the Built Environment

focus area: material reuse
priority area: waste min/energyrecovery/recycling
sector served: construction

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 4 Amount $69,030

Partner: Community Housing Resource Center;

Project Overview: More efficient home-design could save enough material for construction of 2/3 of the houses built in the next 50 years. This pilot was developed to reduce waste generated from residential building design and demolition. The pilot will extend the Design for Disassembly (DfD) concept to construction of residential housing by convening an experts group to formulate innovative DfD principles, building a case study house, documenting research and results, and promoting the incorporation of these principles into future housing design.

FACT SHEET [PDF 72kb]

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Using Auto Shredder Residue as Cement Manufacturing Feedstock

focus area: material reuse
priority area: waste min/energyrecovery/recycling
sector served: manufacturing

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste Amount $43,000

Partner: California Department of Toxic Substances Control; University of California at Berkeley; Mitsubishi Cement Corporation; Hugo Neu-Proler Company

Project Overview: Finding alternatives to landfilling auto shredder residue (ASR), which consists of glass, rubber, plastics, and textiles that remain after metals have been removed from discarded automobiles, could reduce landfill waste by over 4 million tons annually. This pilot will examine the value of ASR as a fuel and mineral supplement in cement kilns by identifying the parameters and mechanical means necessary to process ASR into material appropriate for substitution of coal and mineral feedstocks. Generated ASR could provide 8% of the cement industry energy needs as supplemental fuel, conserving over 2 million tons of coal and minerals each year in the United States.

FACT SHEET [PDF 72kb]

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Improving Management of Household Prescription Medication Waste

focus area: hospital/medical
priority area: waste min/energyrecovery/recycling
sector served: healthcare

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 1 Amount $48,750

Partner: Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.;American Plastics Council, CVS Corporation; Capital Returns, Inc.; National Expired and Unused Medication Drive; PharmEcology Associates, LLC; Dillon Environmental Associates; Clean Harbors, Inc.; Franklin County Solid Waste Management District (MA); Pemi-Baker Solid Waste District (NH); Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation; Strong Pharmaceutical Services.

Project Overview: Through partnerships with private and public sector businesses and organizations, this pilot will develop and implement collection programs for household prescription medication waste (HPW) and bulk compounding chemicals. At present there are no widely available solutions for proper management of HPW. In conjunction with retail-based, senior center, and other household hazardous waste programs, this project will develop practical strategies for collecting HPW and ensuring their proper end-of-life management. Additionally, the pilot will develop best management practices for plastic medication associated containers.

FACT SHEET [PDF 72kb]

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Sustainable Transit Leadership

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 9 Amount $35,000

Partner: Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)

Project Overview: The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), in partnership with U.S. EPA Region 9 will research and demonstrate specific green practices that transit authorities can implement to directly reduce waste, increase recycling, and use recycled content in building materials. Although green highway and building initiatives are well underway, little has been done to green transit agencies beyond establishing standard recycling programs. Examples of potential projects include revising BART's facilities standards to include RCRA Comprehensive Procurement Guideline construction and landscaping items, increasing energy efficiency standards for new systems or upgrades, increasing station recycling capacity and outreach, and specifying building materials to reduce indoor air emissions at transit facilities.

FACT SHEET [PDF 626kb]

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Testing the Viability of Converting Wood Pallet Waste-to-Flooring

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 4 Amount: $29,000

Partners: North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention, North Carolina State University (NCSU), U.S. Forest Service, and Land-of-Sky Regional Council

Project Overview: North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention, North Carolina State University (NCSU), U.S. Forest Service, and Land-of-Sky Regional Council and U.S. EPA Region 4 will test the feasibility of converting wood pallets at the end of their useful life into value-added flooring products. Pallet manufacturing uses the largest amount of hardwoods of any industry in the country. The cost of disposing of a standard pallet is between $.50 and $1.25, plus transportation and handling. However, when the pallet is recycled it can be turned into a finished material with a $4 -5 per square foot value. The funds will support the actual start-up of the new pallet flooring product line by providing technical expertise, developing partnerships with retail building suppliers, and monitoring the supply chain and customer feedback. The funds also will be used for public education and information dissemination via case studies, web publishing, and professional journal articles to assist in project replication in other regions. Benefits include conserving valuable public landfill capacity, reducing methane gas releases from pallet wood decomposition in the landfill, and reducing demand for hardwoods from regional forests and thus achieving more carbon dioxide sequestration.

FACT SHEET

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Integrated Tribal Environmental Management Center

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 7 Amount: $30,000

Partners: Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation

Project Overview: The Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation, in partnership with U.S. EPA Region 7, will expedite the development of an Integrated Tribal Environmental Management Center. The Center will bring together many different environmental management disciplines, with an emphasis on waste minimization, recycling, energy recovery, and water quality. It will establish a comprehensive program that includes education, materials management, economic/business opportunity development, and land stewardship. The Pilot will demonstrate the feasibility of melding solid waste management, recycling, water quality protection, and entrepreneurship on a Native American Reservation. It will create a model for environmental management that will be directly transferable to other rural, agricultural, and tribal populations.

FACT SHEET

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Biomass Energy Conversion Study

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 7 Amount: $51,736

Partners: Biomass Energy Conversion (BECON )Facility, Iowa Energy Center/Iowa State University

Project Overview: The Iowa Energy Center's Biomass Energy Conversion (BECON) facility, in partnership with U.S. EPA Region 7, will investigate the feasibility of establishing new, bio-based plastic manufacturing processes. BECON represents a multi-million dollar investment by the Iowa Energy Center to produce value-added products from farm crops and wastes and transferring that knowledge to industry. The pilot will obtain the expertise necessary to delineate processes, develop cost estimates for equipment, define operational control strategies, and estimate operating costs for pilot-scale equipment. Most plastics currently are produced by petroleum. These processes produce significant quantities of toxic or hazardous byproducts. To the extent that these plastics can be displaced by products made from cleaner, biological sources, the wastes associated with current plastic production can be minimized. Additionally municipal solid waste streams contain significant amounts of paper, food wastes, scrap wood, yard wastes, etc. (biological materials). These waste streams are potential feedstocks for creating plastics. By diverting biological wastes from the municipal solid waste stream, these materials become valuable products with productive reuse.

FACT SHEET

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Assisting Small Businesses in Voluntary Pollution Prevention Efforts: Facility Decontamination in the Wood Preserving Industry

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 7 and Office of Solid Waste Amount: $56,255

Project Overview: U.S. EPA Region 7 will develop an equipment cleaning methodology for wood preserving facilities to assist in the conversion from PCP and CCA to less toxic chemicals. Standard operating procedures will be prepared for performing a simple, cost-effective cleaning of the wood treatment facility's process equipment. By facilitating the conversion to other preservatives, the Pilot will enable facilities to eliminate disposal of hazardous wastes at a RCRA permitted facility since the wastes generated following conversion would be nonhazardous. If successful, this project will provide the wood treatment industry with innovative methods to properly clean their facilities at minimal expense.

FACT SHEET

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Developing a Policy to Facilitate the Use of Drum Top Crushing Devices for Fluorescent Lamps

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 3 Amount: $40,000

Partners: DTC device manufacturers, Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia

Project Overview: U.S. EPA Region 3, in partnership with the States in Region 3, drum top crushing (DTC) device manufacturers, and the Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers, will collect data on mercury and other emissions from the use of DTC devices to develop a national policy on the use of DTC devices. The use of DTC devices for managing fluorescent lamps has been subject to inconsistent regulatory determinations, in part, because there isn't a clear national strategy for controlling emissions from these devices. A clear policy directed at protecting human health and the environment should help reduce mercury emissions. The educational component of this project will help minimize human health effects from exposure to mercury due to improper handling and disposal of fluorescent lamps.

FACT SHEET

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Building Deconstruction and Reuse

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste and U.S. EPA Region 4 Amount: $37,858

Partners: University of Florida Center for Construction and Environment, Gainesville Regional Utilities, City of Gainesville, FL

Project Overview: University of Florida Center for Construction and Environment, in partnership with EPA Office of Solid Waste, EPA Region 4, Gainesville Regional Utilities, the City of Gainesville, and other partners will conduct an innovative research, demonstration, and education project deconstructing a typical wood-framed house in Gainesville, Florida, and designing and reconstructing its constituent materials into new neighborhood building projects. EPA has estimated that 136 million tons of building-related construction and demolition (C&D) waste is generated in this country per year, of which 92% is from renovation and demolition. The proposed project is particularly unique in its simultaneous focus on the front end and the back end of the building process. Deconstruction and design for reuse are innovative principles in need of broader demonstration so that they may be adopted by mainstream America. Partnering with a community and a municipal utility, such as GRU, increases incentives and opportunities to spread the message of the energy value of reuse to its customers. The project is expected to recover 60% of the house's materials, resulting in the elimination of 27 tons of C&D waste that would have otherwise gone to a landfill.

FACT SHEET

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University Food Waste Composting

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 8 Amount: $45,000

Partners: University of Colorado at Boulder, City of Boulder Office of Environmental Affairs

Project Overview: The University of Colorado, in partnership with the City of Boulder and the U.S. EPA, will address the waste diversion challenge faced by university housing and other food generators by determining the cost-effectiveness and practicality of on-site, in-vessel composting technology. The total annual food waste from the University of Colorado Dept. of Housing's eight commercial kitchens is approximately 650 tons, which represents about 32% of Housing's total waste stream The Pilot will test a composting technology that reclaims nutrients that would have been cast away as trash. The City of Boulder is interested in testing the in-vessel composting technology as a potential component to its planned municipal composting operation. The Pilot has great potential to lead to a large-scale municipal food collection program that could set a precedent for other urban food waste diversion programs

FACT SHEET

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Effectiveness of Cell Phone Reuse, Refurbishment, and Recycling Programs

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 2 Amount: $35,000

Partner: INFORM, Inc.

Project Overview: INFORM, Inc., in partnership with U.S. EPA Region 2 will examine the effectiveness of selected cell phone donation and take-back programs and determine how their value is recaptured and how collected phones are ultimately managed at end-of-life. Using this data, the Pilot will assess the environmental benefits of these programs. The research can lead to increasing both the quantity and effectiveness of successful donation and take-back programs as a means of diverting cell phones from landfills and incinerators and possibly encouraging environmentally preferable product redesign. The pilot is designed to be a first step towards forging the link between product design and end-of-life management.

FACT SHEET

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eCommerce Packaging and Shipping Design

Sponsor: EPA Office of Solid Waste Amount: $50,000

Partners: McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC

Project Overview: The Office of Solid Waste and McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC will work with various partners to eliminate waste in eCommerce product packaging. The growth of eCommerce has provided many societal benefits, however, the eCommerce revolution also has contributed to an increase in paper and plastic packaging materials in municipal solid waste systems each year. The Pilot consists of two phases: 1) development of a progressive design framework for eCommerce packaging; and 2) execution of a Design Challenge to solicit innovative designs which meet the framework outlined in phase one. The pilot seeks to transform the current packaging system and will be accomplished through the combined expertise, ingenuity, and commitment of all actors involved in the package delivery system. By establishing a new design framework for shipping packages, the Pilot will lead to reductions in waste and greenhouse gas. It will develop areas of collaboration between industry, the federal government, and advocacy organizations.

FACT SHEET [PDF 631kb]

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Small Scale Anaerobic Digester

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 2 Amount: $65,000

Partners: Council on the Environment New York, Columbia University, EcoCorp, Earth Pledge

Overview: This pilot will develop, test, and replicate an innovative small-scale anaerobic digestion facility for on-site installation at concentrated urban food waste sources and explore emerging renewable energy applications for food waste methane.

FACT SHEET [PDF 134kb]

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Greening Industrial Design

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste Amount: $50,000

Partners: Industrial Design Society of America

Overview. This pilot will conduct workshops, target outreach, and develop a web site to improve awareness among engineers and designers of the highly credible and easy to use methods for reducing the environmental impacts of products

FACT SHEET [PDF 131kb]

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Innovative Training for Retail Purchasing Agents on Recycled Content Products

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 5 Amount: $20,000

Partners: Recycling Association of Minnesota, Ecosource, Illinois Recycling Association, Waste Cap,

Overview: This pilot will innovatively link vendors of recycled-content products with buyers from major retailers to promote the use of recycled-content products.

FACT SHEET [PDF 133kb]

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Industrial Phosphate Sludge Waste as a Raw Material for Iron Phosphate Glass

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 5 Amount: $43,000

Partners: Mo-Sci Corp., University of Illinois, Illinois Waste Management Resource Center, Illinois EPA, Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Overview: This pilot will investigate the feasibility of using non-hazardous industrial phosphate sludge waste as a raw material for iron phosphate glass.

FACT SHEET [PDF 134kb]

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Testing the Environmental Results Program for Underground Storage Tanks

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 1 Amount: $20,000

Partners: Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Overview: This pilot will test the Environmental Result Program model on the Underground Storage Tank Systems to determine whether it can be used to enhance environmental performance and compliance in this sector.

FACT SHEET [PDF 138kb]

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Agricultural & Municipal Cooperation in Co-composting Green and Animal Wastes

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 9 Amount: $29,000

Partners: Sustainable Conservation

Overview: This pilot will further test an innovative model of dairy manure and green waste management that benefits both the agricultural and municipal sectors.

FACT SHEET [PDF 137kb]

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Testing Chemical Management Services in Universities: A Market-Based Approach to Reducing Chemical Use and Waste

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 9 Amount: $45,000

Partners: Chemical Strategies Partnership

Overview: This pilot tests a new approach to the way chemical providers do business by making it financially feasible for colleges to purchase chemicals by need rather than volume.

FACT SHEET [PDF 133kb]

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Environmental Behavior Placement on TV

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 9 & HQ Innovation, Partnership,& Communication Office Amount: $30,000

Overview: This pilot will develop a public information campaign and guide modeled on the private sector concept of "product placement" to place environmentally beneficial behavior (EBB) in TV shows.

FACT SHEET [PDF 137kb]

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Collecting and Recycling Used Computers Via the Reverse Distribution System

Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 1 Amount: $46,541

Partners: Product Stewardship Institute, Staples, Inc., Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection, Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection

Overview: This pilot will test the reverse distribution model for moving used computers from consumers to recyclers rather than to disposal. Reverse distribution will collect the computers through the same infrastructure used to deliver the products to the customer making it convenient for households and businesses.

FACT SHEET [PDF 132kb]

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Potential Recycling of Medium Density Fiberboard

EPA Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 4 Amount: $27,225

Partners: University of Tennessee

Overview: This pilot will determine what happens to the formaldehyde portion of the urea formaldehyde (UF) resin from ground up fiberboard and whether it poses a risk to human health or can be safely reclassified and eligible for recycling.

FACT SHEET [PDF 129kb]

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Financial Benchmark for Recycling Businesses

EPA Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 5 Amount: $65,000

Partners: Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance, North Carolina Department of Environmental Protection, Minnesota Bankers Association, AMPros Corporation

Overview: This pilot will collect and analyze financial data from recycling companies to provide industry-specific financial benchmark information. The benchmark will provide a financial risk management tool and provide useful data to make informed decisions about recycling investments.

FACT SHEET [PDF 131kb]

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Florida Green Lodging Certification Program's Web Locator and Green Information Service

EPA Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 4 Amount : $30,000

Partners: Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Overview: This pilot will enhance Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Green Lodging Certification Program (GLC) with the addition of a Green Lodging Locator identifying Florida's certified green hotel/motel properties.

FACT SHEET [PDF 129kb]

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Collaborative Partnership to Effect Significant Environmental Performance and Compliance Improvements in the Healthcare Sector

EPA Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 1 Amount: $74,040

Partners: American Hospitals Association, American Nurses Association, Healthcare without Harm, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

Overview: This pilot will work with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) to include environmental compliance and performance information into the JCAHO survey and accreditation process.

FACT SHEET [PDF 130kb]

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National Paint Product Stewardship Dialogue

EPA Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 9 Amount: $43,804

Partners: Product Stewardship Institute, numerous major paint manufacturers, retailers, and various state and local government

Overview: This pilot establishes a dialogue among numerous stakeholders to reach an agreement to reduce paint waste; develop efficient programs to collect, reuse, and recycle surplus paint; and develop sustainable financing systems to cover management costs.

FACT SHEET [PDF 130kb]

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Creating an Integrated "Green" Parking Lot and Urban Wetlands on a Former Commercial Site

EPA Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 6 Amount:$50,000

Partners: Heifer International, Arkansas Office of Environmental Quality, Arkansas Economic Development Fund, City of Little Rock, Pulaski County, Downtown Partnership of Little Rock

Overview: This pilot will develop an innovative design for converting a former industrial property to an urban wetlands ecosystem with a "green" parking plaza. The parking plaza will encourage environmental stewardship by demonstrating environmentally friendly approaches to construction and designing green development projects.

FACT SHEET [PDF 137kb]

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Costilla County Biodiesel Waste-to-Energy Demonstration

EPA Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 8 Amount: $50,000

Partners: Costilla County Economic Development Council, Costilla County, Colorado

Overview: This pilot will test small-scale biodiesel production using locally grown crops (e.g., canola seed) and used restaurant cooking oil to demonstrate the viability of producing this renewable energy at a local level. Additionally, once in full production, the pilot will be able to recover methanol from the pre-treatment process, which can be reused in the production of biodiesel; produce glycerol as a valuable byproduct; and create jobs by adding value to local agricultural products (e.g., manufacturing canola oil). Benefits include expanding the availability of renewable energy from waste oil, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing toxicity and associated health risks.

FACT SHEET [PDF 139kb]

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Measuring the Environmental Benefits of Federal Electronic Equipment Management Practices

EPA Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 10 Amount: $60,000

Partners: U.S. EPA Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. EPA Office of Administration and Resources Management, U.S. EPA Regions 5 and 9, Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and the Federal Network for Sustainability

Overview: This pilot will develop tools to measure the impact on the environment and economy from environmentally sound management of electronic equipment. Currently, no assessment tool exists to determine the environmental benefits of purchasing, operating, reusing and recycling electronics. This pilot will allow the federal government to measure and promote the environmental and financial benefits of proactive electronics management.

FACT SHEET [PDF 142kb]

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Expanding Pharmaceutical Waste Management in Hospitals

EPA Sponsor: U.S. EPA Region 1 Amount: $60,000

Partners: Health Care Without Harm, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, H2E Champions PharmEcology Associates, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and the New Hampshire Hospital Association
Overview: This pilot breaks new ground by taking a systematic approach to looking at on how pharmaceutical wastes in hospitals are generated, how they can be minimized, and how they should be managed in order to develop best management practices for healthcare organizations and improve regulatory compliance. The approach is expected to be readily transferable to the entire healthcare sector. Reducing pharmaceutical generation and implementing proper waste management system will benefit patients, staff, visitors, and the surrounding communities by improving environmental performance in the healthcare sector.

FACT SHEET [PDF 140kb]

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