I hope I see you at what will prove to be a fabulous presentation by David Allaway from the Oregon DEQ. David will get your mind thinking in new ways with the info he has to share.
Local business owners and community members interested in going beyond recycling will not want to miss “Reducing Environmental Impacts of Packaging and Products”. This presentation and discussion focuses on the best kept secret—that materials efficiency provides some of the most cost-effective and money saving strategies for a healthy triple bottom line.
Community members are invited to attend at:
1:30-3 p.m., Wednesday January 6, 2010
Eugene Public Library, First floor Bascom-Tykeson Room
The presentation will include surprising results from several life-cycle analyses of various packaging options, and it will illustrate how corporate greenhouse gas inventories typically overlook how purchasing habits contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. What are the upstream impacts of manufacturing and what are the downstream impacts of disposal? Are biodegradable plastics better? Maybe plastics aren’t the evil we thought they were.
David Allaway, a senior policy analyst for the Department of Environmental Quality, has participated in several peer-reviewed studies that inventory the environmental burdens of different packaging options, including water delivery. He also participates in Wal-Mart’s Packaging Sustainable Value Network and several projects to improve understanding of the role of materials and products in contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, and opportunities to reduce those emissions. David will share several case studies and resources available to help show that businesses save money and reduce environmental impacts through waste prevention. While recycling is an important solution, David’s presentation will demonstrate the importance of focusing more on “reduce and reuse”.
With the growing awareness and attention on climate concerns – both globally and here at home, business owners and concerned community members are challenged to absorb and understand a broad new array of concepts and consequences related to the environment and how it will affect their economic bottom line. This workshop was put together to help community members become acquainted with real data and real solutions that aren’t getting the attention they deserve.
“David is a lively and compelling speaker, yet provides fact-based, peer-reviewed hard data,” said Sarah Grimm, waste reduction specialist for Lane County Public Works. “His practical, un-biased approach is accessible yet undeniable.”
This event is open to the public and is brought to you by Lane County Waste Management, Master Recyclers and the City of Eugene Climate and Energy Program.
