COURSE TITLE: Moving Business to Clean Production and the Triple Bottom Line

GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION
This advanced course is intended to provide participants with an advanced understanding of Clean Production principles including the triple bottom line.  As a vital component of zero waste, clean production represents best practices utilized by a growing number of businesses to avoid wasting and achive local, state, and federal legal requirements including international ISO 14001 environmental standards.  Many companies in California have adopted these clean production principles, and are making money while protecting the environment.  The workshop will include three components: (1) a 3.5-hour interactive lecture, (2) a one-hour facilitated laboratory, and (3) a 30 minute exam.   A course workbook will be provided.

COURSE OUTLINE
In this course, students will be introduced to why it is necessary to more fully understand four areas that impact the successful implementation of clean production.

  1. Economics
  2. Education and training
  3. Private and public policies and regulations
  4. The ecology of wasting (why waste happens)

The workshop will include two components:

  1. A three-hour lecture with questions
  2. A one-hour laboratory.  The lab will involve the students by organizing them into teams that will tackle a real world problem and provide a combined classroom presentation.  The lab component will help students to integrate the lessons learned into a cohesive strategy for the future of their business or community.  The real world problem solving will be focused on solving both a business related and a community-based issue designed to illustrate the need for a balanced and integrated solution.

PREREQUISITES
Prior to class, please review the following websites to become familiar with leading Zero Waste Communities and Zero Waste Businesses:

Zero Waste Businesses -

Zero Waste Communities –

If you would like more info on other Zero Waste resources, go to: http://www.garyliss.com/id18.html or email gary@garyliss.com for a 5-page list of resources.  Also, please review the PowerPoint before the class as well, at the Students Only access to the page.

CLASS PROJECT
See above.

TESTING
A test will be required for certification.

COURSE MATERIALS
A course workbook will be provided.

INSTRUCTORS

J. Michael HulsJ. Michael Huls is President of Huls Environmental Management, the CEO of Huls Environmental Media, both California Corporations, and an Acting Director of the California Take It Back Partnership, a volunteer 501(c)(3) stewardship organization. Mr. Huls is a California Registered Environmental Assessor (#01382), who is widely recognized for his expertise in integrated environmental management and zero waste systems.  Mr. Huls’ experience spans 36 years and ranges from award winning resource management systems to innovative storm water management programs.  He was a co-founding Board Member of the National Recycling Coalition, and a co-founder of the California Resource Recovery Association.  He has served on the technical advisory committees and presented at the 7th World Recycling Congress and the inaugural International Forum on Environmental Legislation and Sustainable Development, both held in Beijing, China (2006). 
Since 1979, he has consulted with many prestigious agencies and industries.  For the US EPA, he led development of the hazardous waste management facility permit system and conducted over 300 industrial facility assessments.  He advised the Chemical Manufacturers’ Association on environmental control technologies, and consulted to the National Science Foundation on recycling technologies. Huls performed state-of-the-art research for the US Congress on Glass and Plastic Recycling, and conducted world wide assessments of municipal recycling for the World Bank and United Nations that markedly influenced grant and loan strategies world wide.  He counseled the State of Nebraska on market development, led Verizon Communications to real product stewardship by increasing their phone book recovery program from 6% to over 50%, and has advised foreign governments on development of waste minimization systems.  At the local level, he has performed hundreds of consultations with over 100 California municipalities on recycling and zero waste management implementation.  

His pioneering work in recycling program implementation with municipalities in California since 1990 includes electronic waste recycling, commercial and C&D debris recovery programs, multifamily recycling, biomass conversion and composting, and industrial recycling development. He has conducted over two-dozen discarded resource generation studies; performed hundreds of environmental and business process audits that have garnered an average of 63% diversion from landfilling; conducted numerous refuse rate studies and negotiated innovative collection rate structures; facilitated and negotiated performance-based contracts with haulers and markets; conducted performance and fee assessments of private and municipal haulers that have identified almost $50 million dollars for potential and real cost recovery; and performed several RFP processes for single and multiple hauler municipal franchises.  He has developed innovative and sustainable zero waste programs for many businesses and municipalities using his proprietary Zero Waste Assessment Module (ZWAM) based on nine key waste generating characteristics that can be routinely found in businesses: office, hospitality, construction, grounds, food services, manufacturing, vehicle maintenance, warehousing and distribution, and retail.  These assessments readily identify potential opportunities for zero waste applications through careful supply and demand integration of “wasted” matter and energy. 
Affiliations:

  • Board of Directors, South Bay Business Environmental Coalition (current)
  • Board of Directors, Ecol-Lynx Foundation (current)
  • Co-Founding Board Member, National Recycling Coalition, 1976
  • Board of Trustees, California Resource Management Training Institute (current)
  • Co-Founder, California Resource Recovery Association (1974)
  • Advisor, Earth Resources Foundation (current)
  • Advisor, American Public Works Association’s Solid Waste Forum (Southern California) (current)

Gary LissGary B. Liss, Trustee has over 30 years of experience in the solid waste and recycling field.  Gary Liss is currently President of Gary Liss & Associates (GLA) which advises public and private sector clients on strategic solid waste and recycling policy and program analyses; develops public and private Zero Waste Plans; evaluates and develops Resource Recovery Parks; designs incentive-based solid waste and recycling systems; drafts RFPs and contracts for municipal solid waste and recycling services; and develops proposals and joint ventures among innovative reuse; recycling and composting companies. 
 
Previously he was Executive Director of the California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA).   For CRRA, Mr. Liss organized workshops and their Annual Conference, including the first Zero Waste Conference in the nation in 1997.   Under his leadership, CRRA adopted its Agenda for the New Millennium, which calls for Zero Waste as a new goal for resource and waste management.  Mr. Liss also assisted CRRA in the formation of GRRN, a national advocacy for Zero Waste, and the Global Recycling Council (GRC), which advocates for Zero Waste primarily within California.
 
Prior to that, Mr. Liss was Solid Waste Manager for the City of San Jose, CA and developed their recycling programs into a national model, which is currently diverting 62% of the waste stream.  Before that, he worked for the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a national solid waste consulting firm, the New Jersey Department of Energy, and the City of Newark, New Jersey. 
 
He has a Masters in Public Administration from Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, and a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering (Environmental Engineering major) from Tufts University.  In 2005, Mr. Liss was extensively trained in the Zero Emissions Research & Initiatives (www.zeri.org) and is now a Certified ZERI Practitioner.

Jaime LozanoJaime Lozano, Trustee, with over 20 years of experience in the environmental field working both with Solid and Hazardous Waste. Mr. Lozano is adept at implementing new and innovative programs, and currently he is the Chair and President of the South Bay Business Environmental Coalition (SBBEC).  He co-founded the group in 1990, and through his leadership SBBEC has acquired a statewide reputation for its environmental leadership activities.  The SBBEC is comprised of representatives from the private and public sectors of Southern California who sought a forum in 1990 to express common concerns for environmental issues and regulations impacting businesses, communities and educational institutions. Business entities, government agencies, educators and community volunteers pool their expertise in a cooperative relationship to improve the environment shared by all. Today, the SBBEC has two main areas of focus: K-12 environmental education the annual Regional Environmental Science Fair, and the stewardship of positive and innovative environmental practices by Los Angeles area businesses.  Stewardship is encouraged one way through the WRAP/Environmental Stewardship recognition ceremony originally conceived by Mr. Lozano and now conducted annually by the SBBEC.  

WRAP (Waste Reduction Awards Program) awards are presented annually by the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) to businesses that demonstrate sound environmental practices. Mr. Lozano paired the SBBEC with the CIWMB in 2000 to create an event to reward the Los Angeles area WRAP winners for their innovative waste reduction and recycling practices. For the past five years, the Cities Subcommittee of the SBBEC, the CIWMB and the Los Angeles Regional Agency (LARA) have brought this one-of-a-kind event to the businesses of Los Angeles. WRAP winners are honored with beautiful recycled glass awards and a ceremony featuring prestigious special guests, including local elected officials and CIWMB board members. 

The mission of the SBBEC Regional WRAP awards ceremony is to create a unique recognition and empowerment event for South Bay WRAP recipients and provide an annual forum where South Bay businesses, municipalities, community leaders, and refuse and recycling service providers have an opportunity to assemble, network, and pool expertise and experience to:

  • Proactively strive to preserve and enhance our natural resources;
  • Find workable, sustainable solutions to environmental problems;
  • Encourage responsible environmental practices, polices and standards;
  • Document /Showcase exemplary programs and approaches for peer mentoring; and
  • Break down perceived barriers between Businesses and Governmental Agencies

Prior to his work with the SBBEC, Mr. Lozano completed two years of Law School, Interned for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Oklahoma, working on both Civil and Criminal litigation, he then returned to the Los Angeles area and worked in a local Law Firm as a law Clerk responsible for the day to day activities in a major Environmental Litigation called the McColl Toxic Waste Dump Case.  After that assignment, he worked as a Safety & Environmental Manager at various Private Firms, including Northrop Aircraft Division and Lorber (Textile) Industries, where he implemented major waste diversion programs that continue to this day! 

After working in the private sector, Mr. Lozano was recruited by the City of Carson to implement their waste diversion compliance programs mandated by the State of California.  When Mr. Lozano took Carson’s Waste Management Program over, their diversion rate based on disposal in 1990 was an intimidating negative 147% and required enormous and aggressive outreach and educational programs to turn the City’s growth in disposal around to the mandated 50% diversion mandate that California required be met by the year 2000!  Mr. Lozano worked diligently with the Business Community, conducted extensive outreach and educational workshops, and provided businesses with “Free” process audits that identified potential wasting and cost avoidance within each business’s operations.  By the year 2000, when Mr. Lozano departed the City of Carson, the City’s diversion rate was a positive 72%, was now considered a model jurisdiction by the State of California, and had received many awards including the First Trash Cutters Award from the State of California, and an Award from the U.S. Congress, for its exemplary programs. 

Mr. Lozano has also worked for the City of Hawthorne, and currently works for the City of Los Angeles, where he is responsible for working with Businesses who wish to review their operations and implement new waste diversion programs.

Mr. Lozano also works on special assignments with the U.S. Department of State.  Mr. Lozano has been chosen to represent the United States, the State of California, and all three Cities where he has been employed, internationally in Central and South America on Solid and Hazardous Waste Issues.  Thus far, he has traveled to El Salvador, (twice), Venezuela, Argentina, (twice), and Chile.  While there, Mr. Lozano has worked closely with Local Government, Legislators, Non-Governmental Organizations, Businesses, and local community leaders to discuss, identify and find solutions for environmental problems.  Mr. Lozano’s experiences have been quite rewarding and he actually maintains many contacts and friendships after his travel assignments; in fact many of his contacts have later traveled to visit him here in Los Angeles.

Affiliations:
Board Chair, South Bay Business Environmental Coalition
Trustee, California Resource Management Training Institute
Member, California Waste Association
Member, North American Hazardous Waste Association
Associate, Los Angeles County Disposal Association
Past Board Member, Los Angeles District, Explorers Post