By-Product Synergy

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Houston By-Product Synergy Project Wraps Up Successful Year 2

February 13, 2012 in By-Product Synergy, Noteworthy

The 4th and final meeting of Year 2 for the Greater Houston By-Product Synergy project took place on January 18, 2012 and was hosted by Goodwill industries of Houston. Attending participants including Altiras, Baker-Hughes, Cemex, Cherry, Dixie Chemical, Dow Chemical, Goodwill, Shell, Texmark CXI, and The Meadows Group were welcomed to the new Corporate Headquarters for Goodwill industries of Houston by Steve Lufburrow, President/CEO, Goodwill Houston, who shared some impressive information about the organization.

Through donations and Goodwill store purchases, Goodwill Industries of Houston had annual revenues of $55 million in 2010, and currently employs 1300 employees in the Greater Houston area. Goodwill Houston is growing rapidly. In 2011 they opened 9 new stores, and every store means 25 new jobs for the community. Goodwill hires many veterans and employees that most other companies won’t hire due to disabilities or other barriers.

Introductions at the meeting included a welcome of David Wall, The Meadows Group, who has recently joined the project and Valori Ransom, who recently joined Dixie Chemical as their Environmental Manager.

Information about how to use Cirrus™ and an overview of new cirrus functionality was presented by Michael Snyder of Dow Chemical. The ability to post MSDS reports and pictures of materials will help cirrus users more efficiently screen materials. Members can also now sort materials to see what has been posted since their last visit to Cirrus or in a particular time period, e.g., the last week.

Members then explored current synergies, synergies under evaluation, and new materials at roundtable discussions. Topics of discussion included the EPA’s findings on the combination of red mud from aluminum production, waste material from phosphate mining, and fly ash for use in levee construction in the Gulf Coast and Greater Houston area.

Following the meeting, Jim Thompson, Operations Director for Goodwill Houston led a tour of the Goodwill Swain Center, where Goodwill employees perform light assembly work for a wide range of Houston businesses.

The next GHBPS Working Meeting will be held April 18th. Companies and organizations in the Greater Houston area interested in joining the project can contact Susan Fernandes, Project Manager, at fernandes@usbcsd.org.

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Join us for the next Houston BPS Meeting

January 10, 2012 in By-Product Synergy

Join other business leaders in the Greater Houston area on January 18th for the next working meeting of the Greater Houston BPS Project. BPS is the matching of wastes and under-valued resources at one facility with potential users at another – the results include reductions in operating costs, improved environmental performance, increases in energy efficiency, reductions in CO2 emissions, and job creation and retention. The US BCSD’s approach to BPS results in quantifiable economic, environmental and societal benefits for not only the participating companies and organizations but also the communities in which the project located.

Please click here to RSVP now!

Date:
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
8:30am – 12:00pm

Location:
Goodwill Industries of Houston
1140 W Loop N
Houston, TX 77055
Onsite Contact: Jim Thompson, 832.978.5037
Click here for directions.

Agenda:
8:30 – 9:00 | Networking
9:00 – 9:10 | Welcome from Goodwill, Steve Lufburrow, CEO
9:10 – 9:30 | US BCSD News and Updates
9:30 – 9:45 | Cirrus Updates & Best Practices, Michael Snyder, Dow Chemical
9:45 – 11:15 | New Synergy Ideas: Interactive Discussion and Working Groups
11:15 – 11:30 | Wrap Up and Next Steps
11:30 – 12:00 | Tour of Goodwill Swain Center

For more information, contact Susan Fernandes, Project Manager, at fernandes@usbcsd.org.

Please click here to RSVP now!

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Houston BPS Moving Forward

December 20, 2011 in By-Product Synergy

On October 27, Greater Houston By-Product Synergy project participants met for the Third Working Meeting, Year 2, to discuss current synergy activities, identify new synergies, and discuss comments recently submitted to EPA on the proposed revisions to the Definition of Solid Waste. The meeting was hosted by Baker Hughes.

Following a Safety Moment and summary of the Baker Hughes facility by Melanie Brook-Lander and Eric Murray, we heard comments about current synergies from all attendees. Michael Snyder of Dow Chemical, who was attending for the first time, gave a summary of the company’s five facilities in the Houston area as well as potential synergy opportunities.

Larry Covert, Alternative Fuels Manager, CEMEX made a presentation about the New Braunfels, TX Kiln Alternative Fuels Operations that have now been significantly expanded following receipt of a modified permit from TCEQ. This facility is now permitted to receive: Tire-derived Fuel (TDF), Wood-derived Fuel; Refuse-derived Fuel; bio solids; agricultural wastes and dedicated energy crops like sorghum; and other alternative fuels.

Following the general discussion, working groups separated to continue development on current and new synergy opportunities. The Recyclables Working Group, for example, introduced how a sample of the plastic sheathing used in Baker Hughes’ cables is currently under evaluation by CEMEX. The group also discussed alternatives for shredding baled textiles from Goodwill so they can be used by CEMEX as an alternative fuel. An action item was to identify additional quantities of similar materials, like oily rags, to justify purchase of a shredder. The Chemicals Working Group identified several synergy opportunities in individual meetings and focused their general discussion on strategies to increase company participation in the Greater Houston BPS project.

Following the working groups, Kieran Sikdar and Susan Fernandes presented to the group a number of new additional projects being tackled by the US BCSD. This included highlights from our Fall Meeting and an overview of comments the Business Council recently submitted to the EPA in response to the proposed changes to the definition of solid waste. Comments can be accessed by clicking here.

The meeting ended with a tour of the Baker Hughes waste management area, led by Eric Murray.

The next GHBPS working meeting will be held at Goodwill Industries of Houston on Wednesday, January 18, 2012. Contact Susan Fernandes, Project Manager, at fernandes@usbcsd.org if you’re interested in attending.

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City of Chicago Restarts Waste to Profit Network

November 10, 2011 in By-Product Synergy, Noteworthy, Press

The City of Chicago has announced that it has issued a grant to the US BCSD for the re-launch of the Chicago Waste to Profit (WTP) Network, a by-product synergy project in which wastes and under-valued resources at one facility are matched with users at another, resulting in cost savings for the participating businesses while diverting waste from landfills, reducing energy use and CO2 emissions and helping create and retain jobs.

The highly successful network was started in 2006 by the Chicago Manufacturing Center and the US BCSD in partnership with the City of Chicago Department of Environment, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and US EPA Region 5.

When the Network was launched in 2006 it had the objective of identifying and facilitating waste exchanges that would result in cost savings to participating businesses. The US BCSD has expanded upon the former model by proposing integration of an innovative private sector financing model for viable energy-saving synergies and collaboration beyond waste reduction and reuse to include a broad spectrum of sustainability-related issues that directly impact the Chicago Climate Change Action Plan. The US BCSD intends to create a forum for this collaboration that will meet both in person and on-line, which will link the Chicago Network to other US BCSD BPS projects throughout the US and world.

“We have seen in Chicago and elsewhere around the country that cross-industry collaboration opens the door to a wave of economically viable reuse and efficiency opportunities, resulting in significant job creation and wide-spread economic development,” said Andy Mangan, US BCSD’s Executive Director. “A new accelerator is that we now have a private sector financing model to fund implementation of those viable projects.”

The WTP Network addresses Chicago’s sustainability needs by working together with Chicago area companies, institutions, and City of Chicago departments to identify and implement by-product synergies that reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions and deliver economic impact.

“The re-launch of the Waste to Profit Network will allow Chicago and the region to improve upon our waste diversion strategies, reduce green house gas emissions, and just as importantly maintain jobs during these rough economic times”, said Karen Weigert, Chicago Chief Sustainability Officer. “We can’t ignore the many success stories that have taken place as a result of the Network. The foundation is in place and we must continue to build on those accomplishments and explore ways to improve the process.”

The US BCSD is a non-profit business association that provides opportunities for its members to work on authentic sustainability projects with industry, government, academia, and other key stakeholders who might not otherwise have the chance to collaborate and network. The projects generate economic returns while improving the environment and society — the triple bottom line. The US BCSD is part of a broad network of 60 national councils worldwide, and is a partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, a global network of 200 international companies with members drawn from 30 countries and 20 major industrial sectors.

The US BCSD’s Goals for 2011-2012 Chicago WTP Network include:

75 member organizations
$5MM in savings from landfill diversion
Reduction of 15,000 tons of CO2 equivalent

Stats regarding the Chicago WTP Network since 2007:

Over 225,000 tons of solid waste diverted;
Approximately 0.16 million metric tons CO2 eliminated;
$20M in estimated economic impact/business bottom line impact;
Over 45 jobs created or retained.

Previous case studies:

Glass cullet from Engineered Glass Product recycled into glass countertops by Gilasi/Innerglow Surfaces;
Mixed contaminated plastics recycled into plastic curb stops used by Department of Fleet Management;
Diversion of 20,000 tons of industrial bleach from Abbot Laboratories to ArcelorMittal Steel;
Numerous cases of increased recycling of challenging commodities.

For more information about US BCSD and by-product synergy, please visit http://bps-hub.org

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Waste Minimization at Marathon Oil

July 11, 2011 in By-Product Synergy

Waste minimization is 1 of 11 Environmental Stewardship focus areas for US BCSD member Marathon Oil, as reported in their 2010 CSR Report.

Marathon facilities develop programs for waste minimization, recycling, reuse and reclamation based on their specific needs, with business units monitoring their own waste disposal activities. Due to these practices, it has been a challenge for Marathon to develop a Company-wide approach to minimizing wastes. We plan to improve data collection and analysis to assist in waste reduction and recycling strategies.

Marathon actively explores hazardous and non-hazardous waste recycling and reuse options to manage the largest waste streams at each plant, resulting in reclamation, energy recovery or recycling. Marathon Oil is a charter member of the Ohio By-Product Synergy Network, collaborating with over 25 other companies on waste minimization efforts.

In our first year of participation, a BPS member company reused 25 tons of food waste from our Findlay Office Complex cafeteria to make commercial grade garden compost.

Another Ohio synergy uses spent water softening lime from our Canton refinery to neutralize acid mine runoff. We provide spent lime to the BPS member company free of charge. By diverting non-hazardous waste from the landfill, this project reduces Marathon’s disposal costs as well as the mine’s costs to purchase lime. BPS members are evaluating additional projects, including one to produce methane from biological sludge from Marathon’s wastewater treatment plant operations. (2010 CSR Report, Marathon Oil)

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US BCSD Spring Meeting 2011 Recap

June 22, 2011 in Biodiversity, By-Product Synergy, Ecosystem Services, Energy Efficiency, Water

The US BCSD welcomed over 60 sustainability professionals to Detroit, Michigan on June 6th and 7th, continuing work with our members on our five primary focus areas and introducing a number of new organizations to the US BCSD. Immediate feedback highlighted the one and a half day meeting as a resounding success, showing that the work we’re doing demonstrates a strong business case for sustainability in organizations and enterprises of any size.

For sustainable development to be a viable growth strategy, collaboration is key.

AW Armstrong, Program Manager for the US BCSD’s By-Product Synergy expansion efforts, led a productive and dynamic working group session on Monday, June 6th focused primarily on the US BCSD’s growth strategy for BPS. Representatives from Dow Chemical, Procter & Gamble, Novozymes, Texas Molecular and others discussed the next steps needed for the widespread adoption of the US BCSD’s By-Product Synergy process on a national scale. One key conclusion was that success on a regional scale depends highly on the diversity and number of organizations involved, both small and large, expanding opportunities for collaboration. Read the rest of this entry →

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By-Product Synergy Projects Kick-off Year 2

May 17, 2011 in By-Product Synergy

Greater Houston By-Product Synergy

On April 26, Baker Hughes hosted the first working meeting of the Greater Houston By-Product Synergy Project’s Year Two, kicking off what’s sure to be a productive 12 months. The project welcomed two new participants: Procter & Gamble and Goodwill, who will be working with the existing 20 participants to match waste streams with new users.

Participants utilized April’s meeting to review the challenges, opportunities, and results of Year One, and to work together to identify new synergies and further existing ones. Participants also discussed the application of the CIRRUS™ database, which helps identify synergies outside the face-to-face meetings. The database now includes access to nation-wide data, lists 62 companies, 245 resources available, and 128 resources needed. The two working groups, combustibles and chemicals, will continue their synergy work until the next BPS meeting in July.

Ohio By-Product Synergy

The Ohio By-Product Synergy Network also had an exciting start to the 2nd year of the project. On April 15th, over 40 attendees were present at the year two kick off meeting including many new and prospective members. Three new exciting members were welcomed to the Ohio BPS Network: The Dow Chemical Company, G&J Pepsi Bottlers, and Tosoh SMD, Inc. Several additional members are expected to join the project shortly as well, continuing the expected network growth.

As a part of the year two kick-off process, participants discussed the how the BPS process works and value of BPS to their organizations. Specifically, members discussed how

Synergies can lead to reduced disposal costs, reduced raw material costs, improved efficiency, and income from new “products”
BPS makes sustainable development tangible for companies and other organizations, and is a sound greenhouse gas emission reduction strategy.

Four working groups, biomass, recyclables, residuals and chemicals/fuels, formed to discuss the materials and synergy challenges unique to their groups. Participants were excited about the integration of CIRRUS™ database into the project, and all members of the project are utilizing CIRRUS™ in preparation for the next project meeting on June 17th.

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Perfect Balance: BPS featured in the Markit Magazine

March 29, 2011 in By-Product Synergy, Press

Fresh off the press, The Markit Magazine’s Spring 2011 issue spotlights the US BCSD’s By-Product Synergy project focus – a proven methodology helping to show that the transition to a low carbon economy doesn’t have to be a financial burden for companies, and can instead open a whole new world of opportunities.

“The beauty of the BPS process is that it breaks down the barriers to cross industry communication by fostering dialogue and working across groups to identify supply chain localization and waste minimization opportunities.”

The article touches on the history of BPS and it’s introduction in the UK, via Peter Laybourn and the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP). The success stories highlighted in the article are numerous, including concrete examples from the Kansas City BPS Project, the Greater Houston BPS Project, and the Ohio BPS Network.

In Kansas City, Cook Composites and Polymers (CCP) developed a program in conjunction with Advanced Protective Coatings (APC) and Harley Davidson. CCP and APC developed a water-resistant concrete coating from CCP’s rinse styrene, a waste by-product created in the CCP manufacturing process, for use in industrial settings such as factory flooring. Harley Davidson’s local factory was the first customer. The process developed in the partnership was commercialized and, along with reduced waste management costs, CCP was able to develop a new product with an increase in gross profit from $0.20 per pound to $0.40 per pound.

In Ohio, Kahiki Foods and Kurtz Brothers partnered to take food waste from Kahiki’s food production facilities for use as a feedstock for Kurtz Brothers’ anaerobic digestion process used to create fertilizer and bio-gas for electric generation. The project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 500,000 metric tons equivalent carbon dioxide annually as a result of eliminating landfill disposal of food waste as well as displacing the need for fertilizers and energy produced from fossil fuels.

The US BCSD’s path forward in By-Product Synergy is also described, showing how collaboration in the BPS process has led to the development of new tools like our Cirrus database. Cirrus works to improve understanding and communication among project participants by providing instant access to material data. Cirrus has also facilitated a further evolution to the BPS program, which is now beginning to include material flows, energy efficiencies in buildings and water use synergies. This includes Markit’s web-based Markit Eco, which provides carbon emission benchmarking and supply-chain tracking as well as best practice information from leading providers.

The full article goes into much more detail and is definitely worth the read for those interested in learning more about BPS. Click here to access.

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Building Tomorrow’s Jobs Forum: The Importance of Sustainability in Job Growth

February 14, 2011 in By-Product Synergy, Energy Efficiency, Press

The entire nation is searching for the key to job creation, and the US BCSD is no exception. For businesses to succeed and create more jobs in the 21st century, they have to pay attention to the importance of sustainability and resource-efficient structures.

Andrew Mangan, executive director of the US BCSD, recently contributed to a forum in Portland, Oregon on “Building Tomorrow’s Jobs.” The forum focused on the role of the environment and society in creating sustainable business and public policy opportunities that benefit local communities.

Mangan introduced the US BCSD’s Retooling America program that teams Barclay’s Capital financing with energy saving industrial and commercial building retrofits. He also described the by-product synergy program, which over the past decade has established regional material and waste reuse networks across the country. Both programs are significant job creation engines.

Tracy Casavant, President of Eco-Industrial Solutions Ltd. outlined her program of industrial ecology business parks in Canada, through which Greenfield properties are transformed into material reuse communities. This establishes construction and operational jobs in the process.

The forum also introduced an instrumental publication: “Community Investment Toolkit: Eco-efficient Employment.” The toolkit, developed by Metro – the elected regional government for the Portland metropolitan area, identifies strategies and tools to stimulate investment and employment. It addresses financial incentives, local zoning and building codes, urban design, and eco-efficient employment. The publication explores the following questions:

How to build more environmentally and economically sustainable infrastructure systems that reduce resource waste and the demand of current systems.
How to design vibrant employment areas that facilitate community, attract industry, and reduce the impacts of climate change.
How to redevelop and reuse underutilized employment and industrial areas for future economic growth.

Related Press:

“3 ideas offered for Metro’s ongoing dialogue” – Daily Journal of Commerce, Oregon

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By-Product Synergy: 2010 Summary and 2011 Path Forward

January 4, 2011 in Advanced Synergies, By-Product Synergy

In 2010, the US BCSD by-product synergy process brought financial gains, along with social and environmental benefits to participating companies and organizations in the Ohio By-Product Synergy Network and the Greater Houston By-Product Synergy Project. Leveraging our collaborative methodology, state-of-the-art life cycle assessment tools, and our new CIRRUS By-Product Synergy Database, we’ve set a strong foundation to take the success of these projects to a national level.

By 2015, our goal is to have 20 robust, ongoing BPS projects around the United States, able to deliver on 5 million tons of CO2 equivalent reduction, 5 million tons of landfill-bound waste diverted, and 2,500 jobs created.

In Houston, over 14,000 metric tons of underutilized resources have been identified in the project’s first year, including: vehicle tires, waste asphalt, acetic acid, polymers and diesel, kiln dust, and aluminum oxide. Fully implemented, these synergies have a potential savings of $4.2 million dollars in waste disposal costs and virgin material purchases.

We’ve seen similar success in Ohio, where companies including Procter & Gamble, Honda of America, and Worthington Industries worked to see quantifiable benefits identified in 2010, including approximately 230,000 metric tons per year of CO2 avoided and $3.5 million per year in cost savings.

Specific examples include using scrap tires as EPA-approved cement kiln fuel and reprocessing chemical by-products for reuse. These two synergies, analyzed using the Ecosystem Life Cycle Assessment Tool (Eco-LCA) developed by the Center for Resilience at Ohio State University, are projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6,000 metric tons and conserve 184 million gallons of water. Use of Eco-LCA allows us to quantify physical ecosystem benefits in addition to the traditional reuse values, information that is critical for business and policy decisions.

The US BCSD’s new CIRRUS database, which uses maps to graphically depict material details and synergies in progress for project participants, is proving of high interest to participants in past BPS projects, which are signing on and entering their material data into what will become a national synergy database.

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