umpqua bank plaza material assessment report 11.20.14

Umpqua Bank Plaza Materials Assessment™

Prepared for Umpqua Bank Plaza & Republic Services, Inc.

Eric T. Crum Director

Moonrose Doherty Materials Assessment Manager

Ashley Donald Project Lead

November 20th , 2014

Community Environmental Services

Portland State University

PO Box 751 – CES

Portland, OR 97207

Contents Section 1: Background 1

Umpqua’s Current Diversion Program 1

Section 2: Methods 3

Section 3: Observations 6

3.1: Umpqua Bank Plaza Building Observations 6

3.2: Starbucks Observations 8

3.3: Plaza Deli Observations 9

Section 4: Findings 10

4.1: Umpqua Bank Plaza Overall 10

4.2 Umpqua Building Only Findings (Starbucks and Plaza Deli Not Included) 12

4.3: Starbucks Findings 13

4.4: Plaza Deli Findings 14

Section 5: Multi-year Comparison 15

Section 6: Recommendations 17

Section 7: Materials Assessment Photos 19

7.1: Umpqua Only 19

7.2: Starbucks 22

7.3: Plaza Deli 23

Section 8: Glossary of Material Categories 24

Appendix A: Republic Services Waste Audit Summary, Umpqua Bank Plaza, 2013 26

Umpqua Bank Plaza : Materials Assessment 1

Section 1: Background

In October of 2014, Republic Services Inc., con-

tacted Community Environmental Services (CES),

a research and service unit at Portland State Uni-

versity (PSU), on behalf of Umpqua Bank Plaza

(Umpqua) with a request to conduct a reassess-

ment of materials from the Umpqua Bank Plaza

located at 1 SW Columbia St, Portland, OR in

Multnomah County. The first assessment was

conducted by Republic Services on July 10th, 2013

(Appendix A). Umpqua Bank Plaza, originally

opened in 1975 as the Benjamin Franklin Plaza,

and is a nineteen (19) story (minus the 13th floor)

office tower located in Downtown Portland. The

tower has 270,000 square feet of leasable area

and a 204-space underground parking structure.

The building is filled by K & L Gates, Umpqua Bank,

Umpqua Investments, fitness center, Plaza Deli, a

Starbucks, and an unrented space. This is the first

material assessment CES has conducted of

Umpqua’s landfill-bound materials. The objec-

tives of the current materials assessment are as

follows:

1. Determine the composition of Umpqua’s landfill-bound waste by conducting a ma-terials sort on the landfill-bound materials stream.

2. Assess the landfill-bound material by hand sorting the materials into specific catego-ries, weighing the hand-sorted materials,

1 “Buddied-up” is where there is at least a garbage, and commingled

recycling bin right next to each other. Often times those bins are also

recording the data, and making quantita-tive and qualitative observations.

3. Compare the results from the current as-sessment to the waste audit conducted in 2013 by Republic Services.

4. Develop recommendations regarding im-proving waste materials diversion or re-duction based on the findings from the as-sessment.

Umpqua’s Current Diversion Program

Umpqua Bank Plaza is a LEED Certified Gold

building owned by Shorenstein Properties LLC,

which has also publicly stated their commitment

to creating and protecting environmentally con-

scious real estate. Republic Services collects

Umpqua’s two (2) 4-yard containers of landfill-

bound materials daily, Monday through Friday.

Additionally, Republic Services also collects the

building’s one (1) 3-yard container of commingled

recycling daily, Monday through Friday, and one

(1) ninety-five (95) gallon container for glass bot-

tles and jars for recycling once a week. The build-

ing’s internal materials collection systems include

centralized stations of buddied-up 1 garbage,

commingled recycling and glass bottle and jar re-

cycling bins that are centrally located on each

floor. Employees have their own desk-side recep-

tacles for both landfill-bound materials and com-

mingled recycling that are then emptied into the

centralized containers located on each floor by

buddied up with a compost bin as well as a glass bottles and jars bin too.

Community Environmental Services | November 20th , 2014 2

janitorial staff, which are then emptied into the

Republic Services external containers by janitorial

staff. Signage is posted at every central recycling

container depicting recyclable materials.

Currently, any form of compost collection is not

implemented at Umpqua Bank Plaza. The service

is available through their current hauler, Republic

Services.

The Shorenstein Company has created a sustain-

ability committee, G.R.E.E.N. or Green Real Es-

tate Environments Now, which has a primary fo-

cus on greenhouse gas emissions via electricity

expenditures. The building has achieved an En-

ergy Star certification, which Shorenstein contin-

ues to maintain through programs such as “Green

Tip of the Month”.

For the Starbucks coffee shop and Plaza Deli, the

current diversion programs of these two busi-

nesses are unclear and information on their col-

lection systems or diversion practices was not

provided to CES.

.

Image 1.1: Entire pre-sorted load

Image 1.2: The first 4-yard containers

Image 1.3: The second 4-yard container


Section 2: Methods

The materials assessment was conducted on

Tuesday, October 28, 2014 by CES staff at the

Willamette Resources Inc. (WRI) transfer station,

located at 10295 SW Ridder Rd., Willsonville, Or-

egon. The material load consisted of landfill-

bound materials generated during one (1) day at

Umpqua (Monday, October 27th) and was deliv-

ered to the site by Umpqua’s commercial hauler,

Republic Services (see Image 2.1).

The landfill-bound materials were contained in

two (2) 4-yard collection containers and the total

landfill-bound load weighed 0.36 tons (720

pounds), as reported by the WRI scale house. CES

staff performed a visual assessment of the load.

All bagged waste was opened and pre-sorted

based on the content to: (1) Starbucks; (2) Plaza

Deli; and (3) Umpqua Bank Plaza. The entirety of

the load was then hand-sorted by CES staff on-

site at WRI. Each of the three (3) content-based

groupings were sorted separately and the data in

this report provides each grouping separately as

well as one complete overview for detailed data

evaluation.

Landfill-bound Material Categories

The contents of all bags, excluding those bags de-

termined to be restroom waste, were hand-sorted

into the twenty-one (21) material categories de-

tailed in Table 2.1. Restroom waste was not hand-

sorted and was weighed only (see Images 7.18 and

Table 2.1). For the material categories used in the

assessment of Starbucks’ waste, see Table 2.2.

For the material categories used in the assess-

ment of the Plaza Deli’s waste, see Table 2.3. Vis-

ual representation of all material categories is

provided in Section 7: Material Assessment Pho-

tos and a detailed description of each material

category is provided in Section 8: Glossary of

Material Categories.

Twenty (20) of the material categories were cho-

sen according to CES standards and specific cate-

gories determined in the scope of work. The cate-

gory of Metal/fabric filters was chosen due to the

observed presence in Umpqua’s landfill-bound

load during the assessment process. Materials

that make up a significant portion of the material

waste stream are identified by CES in order to ad-

dress the diversion options or waste reduction op-

portunities associated with these specific material

categories.

CES weighed all sample materials, including the

hand-sorted materials, anomalies, and bagged re-

stroom waste. Each material category was

weighed individually utilizing a bench scale inde-

pendently calibrated and collecting weights to the

nearest hundredth of a pound.


Readily Recyclable Compostable Other Recoverable Non-Recoverable

Mixed paper

Corrugated card-board

Metal

Plastic bottles & tubs

Glass bottles & jars

Compostable food

Food-soiled fibers

Intact food

Yard debris

Plastic film

Office reuse

Electronics

Batteries

Light bulbs

Rigid plastics

True waste

Restroom waste

Liquid

Single-use drink cups

Single-use food ser-vice ware

Metal/fabric filters

Table 2.1: Material categories


Mixed paper

Corrugated card-board


Compostable food

Food-soiled fibers

Intact foods

Plastic film

Rigid plastic

True waste


Liquid

Table 2.2: Material categories for Starbucks


Mixed paper


Metals

Glass bottles & jars

Compostable food

Food-soiled fibers

Plastic film

True waste


Single-use food ser-vice ware

Table 2.3: Material categories for Plaza Deli


The four (4) general material classifications take

into account the existing diversion opportunities

in the Portland-metro region and at Umpqua

Bank Plaza and are further defined below:

Readily Recyclable materials include commin-gled recycling materials (corrugated card-board, mixed paper, plastic bottles and tubs, metals) and glass bottles and jars; all of which are required to be recycled by businesses under the Metro regional gov-ernment’s business recycling require-ments. (Please note that in the Metro re-gion, glass bottles and jars are recycled separately from the other readily recycla-ble materials listed. This dual-stream method of recycling allows for better quality and viability of recyclable prod-ucts as commodities). These materials are collected by Umpqua’s primary commer-cial hauler, Republic Services.

Compostable materials are those that are ac-cepted under Metro’s current composta-ble materials guidelines for businesses and accepted by Republic Services’ com-post guidelines. Food scraps fall under this category and were sorted separately by CES. Additionally, intact food was sorted separately and included under the Compostable category although it should be noted that intact food also has poten-tial for diversion through food donation programs. Please note that compostable materials acceptable within the Metro-re-gion’s commercial programs will not in-clude waxed cardboard as of November 2014. Additionally, in March of 2015, all materials other than food scraps and ap-proved compostable bags will be ex-cluded from the Metro-region’s commer-cial composting programs. However, due

to Republic Services composting capabili-ties at Pacific Region Compost (PRC), fi-bers such as waxed cardboard and com-postable food and beverage service ware are still being accepted by Republic Ser-vices from their commercial customers. Therefore, food-soiled fibers continues to be included in the Compostable category for the Umpqua Bank Plaza materials as-sessment. For more information, visit the Metro website: (http://www.oregon-metro.gov/).

Other Recoverable materials are those that have the opportunity to be recovered through an expanded diversion program or an existing non-primary hauler diver-sion system.

These materials experience fluctuations in recoverability due to the volatility of global secondary commodity markets. The materials are sometimes more read-ily recyclable than at other times, such as during times of market downturns. Some materials, like rigid plastics and plastic film, are accepted by material recovery facilities in the Metro region. Please note that all other recoverable materials are unacceptable in the commingled recy-cling stream.

Non-Recoverable materials are those that cannot be diverted from the landfill through Umpqua’s existing collection sys-tems or in the Portland-metro region due to lack of markets and/or processing facil-ities. For analytical purposes this was di-vided into the following subcategories: true waste, single-use drink cups, single-use food service ware, liquid, restroom waste, and metal/fabric filters.


Section 3: Observations

The following qualitative observations were made in addition to the quantitative data gathered during

the materials assessment. Three sections follow: Section 3.1 details the observations made of the overall

landfill-bound material load. Section 3.2 details the observations made regarding the portion of the over-

all landfill-bound material load deemed derivative of Starbucks. Section 3.3 details the observations

made regarding the portion of the overall landfill-bound material load deemed derivative of the Plaza

Deli.

3.1: Umpqua Bank Plaza Building Observations

1. Multiple clear bags full of recyclables only were found throughout the load and many contained mostly paper (image 3.1- 3.3).

2. Large quantities of small desk side bags filled with only 2-3 items such as single-use lunch containers, recyclable paper, recycla-ble yogurt containers or compostable tea bags, for example, were found (image 3.4).

3. Multiple loose recyclable paper parking tickets/valet stubs were found (image 3.5).

4. One (1) bag and several loose glass beer bottles (image 3.6).

5. Yard debris (tree limbs) found within the load (image 3.7).

6. A bag of single serve K-cups and loose found throughout the load (image 3.8).

7. Single-use drink cups were observed in large volume in the load (image 3.9).

Image 3.1: Clear bag full of recyclables



Image 3.4: Small desk side bags with small quantities of items

Image 3.5: Loose paper parking tickets/valet stubs

Image 3.6: Loose glass beer bottles


Image 3.7: Tree limbs Image 3.8: K-cups Image 3.9: Single-use beverage cups


3.2: Starbucks Observations

The following qualitative observations were

made in addition to the quantitative data gath-

ered during the materials assessment.

1. Large amounts of coffee grounds and food scraps were found within the Star-bucks bags (image 3.10-3.11).

2. Large quantities of intact foods were found throughout the load (image 3.12, 3.13).

3. Mixed paper was only found in the form of aseptic containers (image 3.14).

4. Plastic jugs and tubs were minimal in the load, possibly indicating good recycling practices (image 3.15).

Image 3.10: Coffee grounds Image 3.11: Coffee grounds and food scraps

Image 3.12: Intact foods, including fruits and premade goods served through Starbucks retailers

Image 3.13: Intact Starbucks mocha powder

Image 3.14: Aseptic containers Image 3.15: Plastic bottles and tubs


3.3: Plaza Deli Observations

The following qualitative observations were

made in addition to the quantitative data gath-

ered during the materials assessment.

1. Small amounts of mixed paper were found in the load in the form of order tickets (image 3.16).

2. Large amounts of clean, clear plastic film from ice and vegetable packaging were found (image 3.17).

3. Multiple bags contained primarily com-postable foods and food-soiled fibers (image 3.18-3.19).

4. Single-use beverage cups were not plen-tiful in the load (image 3.20).

Image 3.16: Deli tickets - only paper found in the load

Image 3.17: Clear plastic film Image 3.18: Bag containing primarily compostable materials.

Image 3.19: Bag contained primarily compostable materials.

Image 3.20: Single –use beverage cups


Section 4: Findings

Findings and recommendations resulting from

the materials assessment of the landfill-bound

load are cited in terms of weight in pounds.

Lighter materials such as plastic film, plastic bot-

tles and tubs and single-use drink cups can repre-

sent a large percentage of volume in the waste

stream, yet when considered by weight alone,

these materials may not appear as a significant

component of the load. By extrapolating the

weights obtained from the representative sample,

CES can approximate the composition of the en-

tire landfill-bound load. Please refer to the photos

in Section 7: Materials Assessment Photos for

visual representation.

4.1: Umpqua Bank Plaza Overall

Figure 4.1 and Table 4.1 (see proceeding page)

present the weight according to the different ma-

terial categories outlined in Section 2: Methods

for the entirety of the Umpqua Bank Plaza load,

including Starbucks and Plaza Deli. Figure 4.2 and

Table 4.2 present the material category weights

of the Umpqua load without Starbucks and the

Plaza Deli. Figure 4.3 and Table 4.3 present the

material category weights of the bags from Star-

bucks and Figure 4.4 and Table 4.4 present the

material category weights of the bags from the

Plaza Deli.

17% readily recyclable

3% other recoverable

46% compostable

34% non-recoverable

Figure 4.1: General material composition (by weight in pounds) for the entire Umpqua Bank Plaza (includes Starbucks & Plaza Deli)


Of the landfill-bound materials, 66% were di-

vertible (readily recyclable, compostable, and

other recoverable materials). According to the

data, over 17% of the landfill-bound materials

could have been diverted through Umpqua’s ex-

isting recovery systems for commingled recy-

cling, and glass bottle and jar recycling. Of the

readily recyclable category, mixed paper com-

prised the largest portion, with 12.5% of the to-

tal landfill-bound sample.

Compostable food and fibers comprised almost

46% of the landfill-bound materials, making it

the largest component of the material catego-

ries. By investing in a centrally located compost-

ing receptacle on each floor that is then col-

lected into a larger container for hauling by Re-

public Services, and offering back-of-house

composting to Starbucks and Plaza Deli,

Umpqua could help significantly reduce the

quantity of compostable materials being cur-

rently directed to the landfill.

Other recoverable materials comprised only 3%

of the landfill-bound materials. Materials such

as reuse, electronics, and plastic film, could be

diverted from the landfill if Umpqua pursues ad-

ditional recovery methods for these materials.

Finally, 34% of the load consisted of materials

without current recovery markets. The largest

category within these non-recoverable materi-

als was true waste, comprising 12.5% of the to-

tal load. Combined, single-use drink cups and

single-use food service ware comprised 20.2%

of the materials, nearly the same amount was

restroom waste, at 20.4%.

Table 4.1: Detailed material composition (by weight in pounds)

WEIGHT %

Mixed paper 87.7 12.5%

Corrugated cardboard 14.0 2.0%

Plastic bottles & tubs 9.6 1.4%

Metals 3.6 0.5%

Glass bottles 9.1 1.3%

Total 123.9 17.7%

Compostable food 197.1 28.1%

Compostable fibers 64.0 9.1%

Intact food 38.2 5.4%

Yard debris 22.4 3.2%

Total 321.7 45.8%

Reuse 6.5 0.9%

Electronics 5.8 0.8%

Plastic film 4.8 0.7%

Rigid plastic 2.5 0.4%

Batteries 0.4 0.1%

Lightbulbs 0.1 0.0%

Total 20.0 2.8%

True waste 88.0 12.5%

Restroom waste 48.2 6.9%

Metal Filters 40.3 5.7%

Single-use drink cups 24.7 3.5%

Single-use food 23.2 3.3%

Liquid 12.2 1.7%

Total 236.5 33.7%

GRAND TOTAL 702.02 100.0%

MATERIAL

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4.2 Umpqua Bank Only Findings (Starbucks

and Plaza Deli Not Included)

Figure 4.2 shows that 22.3% of the landfill-bound

materials could have been diverted through

Umpqua’s existing recovery systems for commin-

gled recycling (mixed paper, corrugated card-

board, plastic bottles and tubs and metals) and

glass bottle and jar recycling. Table 4.2 demon-

strates that of these readily recyclable materials,

mixed paper comprised the largest portion at

16.0% of the weight of the entire load and indicat-

ing room for improvement in paper recycling cap-

ture (see Table 4.2).

Compostable food and fibers comprised 28.3% of

the landfill-bound materials. Figure 4.2 also

shows that some materials such as reuse, elec-

tronics and plastic film (other recoverable materi-

als) could be diverted from the landfill if Umpqua

pursues additional recovery methods for these

materials. Finally, 45.9% of the consisted of mate-

rials without current recovery markets. The larg-

est category within these non-recoverable mate-

rials was true waste, comprising 13.9% of the total

load. Restroom waste also comprised a significant

portion, with 9.3% of the total load.

Figure 4.2: Umpqua general material composition

Table 4.2: Umpqua detailed material composition (by weight in pounds)

WEIGHT %




Metals 3.5 0.7%


Total 115.5 22.3%




Total 146.5 28.3%

Reuse 6.5 1.3%

Electronics 5.8 1.1%



Batteries 0.4 0.1%

Lightbulbs 0.1 0.0%

Total 18.3 3.5%


Restroom waste 48.2 9.3%

Metal Filters 40.3 7.8%

Single-use food 23.0 4.4%

Yard debris 22.4 4.3%


Liquid 11.5 2.2%

Total 237.9 45.9%


MATERIAL

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4.3: Starbucks Findings

Starbucks, due to its location within Umpqua, has

access to the same recycling and disposal systems

as Upmqua. As Table 4.3 shows, the largest cate-

gory of materials generated by Starbucks were

compostable materials at 85% of the total load.

Within this category, compostable food scraps

represented the largest portion of this material

with 56.9% of the total Starbucks landfill-bound

load. Starbucks could have a significant reduction

in landfill-bound materials if compositing proce-

dures were implemented.

The next largest material category was intact

food, comprising 18.2% of the total weight from

Starbucks. This number could be reduced through

additional efforts in expanding diversion pro-

grams to include food donation programs.

Readily recyclable items such as paper (aseptic

containers) and plastic bottles comprised 4.4% of

the load.

Table 4.3: Starbucks detailed material composition (by weight in pounds)

Figure 4:3: Starbucks general composition

WEIGHT %




Total 6.5 4.4%




Total 126.9 84.9%



Total 0.3 0.2%



Liquid 0.8 0.5%

Total 15.7 10.5%


MATERIAL

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Composta

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Non

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4.4: Plaza Deli Findings

The Plaza Deli, similarly to Starbucks, has access

to the same recycling and disposal systems as

Upmqua.

As Table 4.4 shows the largest category of mate-

rials generated by Plaza Deli were compostable

materials, making up 75.3% of the total landfill-

bound load from Plaza Deli. Of this, 64% was

comprised of compostable food scraps, indicating

potential for back-of-house capture of food

scraps originating from food preparation.

Readily recyclable materials represented 5.5% of

the landfill-bound materials from Plaza Deli and

included plastic bottles and glass bottles presum-

ably from beverages sold on-site and indicating

potential for increased customer recycling.

Additionally, 3.7% of the Plaza Deli materials be-

ing directed to landfill consisted of clean recycla-

ble plastic film with the potential for recovery.

Table 4.3: Plaza Deli detailed material composition (by weight in pounds)

Figure 4.3: Plaza Deli general composition

WEIGHT %



Metals 0.1 0.2%


Total 1.9 5.5%



Total 25.9 75.3%


Total 1.3 3.7%



Single-use food

service ware0.1 0.4%

Total 5.4 15.5%


Non

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Compo

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Section 5: Multi-year Comparison

Table 5.1 and figure 5.1 compare the material

composition of the landfill-bound waste streams

in 2013 and 2014. The 2013 data is derived from

the landfill-bound materials assessment that Re-

public Services completed in July of 2013. (Appen-

dix A: Republic Services Waste Audit Report,

Umpqua Bank Plaza, 2013).

Figure 5.1 presents a comparison across two (2)

assessment years (2013 and 2014) of the material

composition of the landfill-bound loads, based on

the four (4) material classifications discussed ear-

lier in Section 2: Methods.

It should be noted that in order to give an accurate

comparison between the 2013 and 2014 data CES

had to move around and combine some material

categories from the previous years’ assessments.

Table 5.1: Detailed comparison by year of landfill-bound material composition: 2013 and 2014

LB % LB %

Mixed paper 54.81 11.4% 87.7 12.5%

Cardboard 3.85 0.8% 14.0 2.0%

Plastic bottles & tubs 14.42 3.0% 9.6 1.4%

Mixed metals 4.81 1.0% 3.6 0.5%

Glass bottles & jars 14.42 3.0% 9.1 1.3%

Total Readily Recyclable 92.31 19% 123.9 18%

Compostable food 187.51 39% 197.1 28.1%

Compostable fibers 19.23 4% 64.0 9.1%

Intact food - - 38.2 5.4%

Yard debris - - 22.4 3.2%

Total Compostable Food & Fibers 206.74 43% 321.7 46%

Reuse - - 6.5 0.9%

Electronics - - 5.8 0.8%

Plastic film 4.81 1% 4.8 0.7%

Rigid plastic - - 2.5 0.4%

Batteries - - 0.4 0.1%

Lightbulbs - - 0.1 0.0%

Total Other Recoverable 4.81 1% 20.0 3%

True waste 149.05 31% 88.0 12.5%

Restroom waste - - 48.2 6.9%

Metal filters - - 40.3 5.7%

Single-use drink cups - - 24.7 3.5%

Single-use food service ware 24.04 5% 23.2 3.3%

Liquid - - 12.2 1.7%

Total Non-Recoverable 173.09 36% 236.5 34%

GRAND TOTAL 476.95 100% 702.02 100%

2013 2014MATERIAL


For original placement of categories please see

Appendix A, as listed above. The changes made

are as follows:

2013: Compostable percentage of other com-post is reported as compostable fibers. Non-recoverable true waste combines the percentages of solid waste, house-hold waste, hazardous waste and Styrofoam/peanuts.

Figure 5.1: Comparison by year of landfill-bound general material composition: 2013 and 2014

The overall proportion of recoverable materials in

the landfill-bound load was smaller in 2014 as

compared to 2013 (Figure 5.1), but not signifi-

cantly. Within this category, readily recyclable

materials decreased the most, from 19.4% to

17.7%. This decrease is attributable to the decline

in glass bottles and jars as well as plastic bottles

and tubs observed in the landfill-bound waste

stream. However, mixed paper increased from

11.4% to 12.5% of the total load in 2013 and 2014

respectively, see Table 5.1 and thus indicates a

target material for increased recycling

Other recoverable materials increased to 2.8% of

the load in 2014 versus around 1% in 2013 (Figure

5.1). This increase indicates the potential for ad-

ditional diversion programs as well.

Compostable has increased slightly from 2013,

from 43.3% to 45.8%. (Figure 5.1 & Table 5.1).

However, if yard debris (3.2%) is removed from

the compostable category, there is a decrease

from 43.3% to 42.6% observed. This is a material

category ripe with room for improvement be-

cause of the potential to not only collect food

scraps for composting, but also to donate intact

food which would decrease the compostable cat-

egory weight and percent of the load in addition

to higher use of the material.

Non-recoverable materials have decreased

slightly, from 36.3% of the load in 2013 to 33.7% in

2014. In 2013, 14% of the non-recoverable mate-

rials were attributable to single-use containers

which includes both single-use food and single-

use drink cups. This increased in 2014 to over 20%.

This is a clear indication that there is a need for a

campaign or measure aimed at the reduction of

single-use container use. For more information

see Section 6: Recommendations.


Section 6: Recommendations

After analysis of the data, CES recommends the following:

Consider implementing a compost system and offering small compost bins in all break rooms and centralized collection areas at Umpqua with back-of-house compost collection for Starbucks and for Plaza Deli. Compostable food scraps comprised 28% of just Umpqua’s load and over half of both the Starbucks materials and the Plaza Deli materials.

» Provide clearly labeled and color coded (green) compost bins in buddied collection systems in break rooms for Umpqua, and back-of-house food service areas of Starbucks and Plaza Deli.

» Make sure that signage is clear and visible. Consider using illustrated and multilingual sign-age.

» Train custodial staff and Umpqua Bank Plaza employees on proper composting practices upon implementation of composting.

Target paper for increased recycling and reduction in use. Recyclable paper, both mixed paper and white office paper comprised 12.5% of the load (see images 3.3 and 3.4).

» Make sure that signage pertaining to recyclable paper is clear and visible. Consider using illustrated and multilingual signage.

» Ensure that recycling containers for paper are easily accessible in multiple central areas and especially copy rooms and printer areas.

» Ensure that all employees have desk-side recycling receptacles.

» Implement double-sided printing mandates.

» Encourage electronic communication and sharing of documents rather than printed form.

» Provide reception/security desk with paper recycling.

» Start a paper reduction and employee education campaign.

Focus on materials management training for staff and janitorial employees. Umpqua has diversion streams in place for 18% of the materials that were observed in the landfill-bound load.

» Ensure that custodial staff is well-trained in the proper servicing of recycling bins to avoid source-separated commingled and other recoverable materials from accidentally being directed toward the landfill (see Image 3.1).

» Ensure that recycling receptacles are well-marked and “buddied” (placed with garbage).

Consider implementing innovative waste reduction strategies by promoting the use of durable drink cups and food service ware. These measures will reduce the amount of single-use drink cups and food service ware in the landfill-bound load (see Images 7.16-17, 25).


» Provide durable dishes in break-rooms for employee use to reduce the use of disposable dishes for everyday use, not just special events or large group meetings.

» Consider making reusable take-out containers available to employees. Examples of reusa-ble take-out containers include Eco-Takeouts (http://ecotakeouts.com/).

» Consider exploring hosting a Go Box drop box in the lobby and partnering with the Plaza Deli so that Plaza Deli offers the option of Go Box. https://www.goboxpdx.com/

» Partner with Starbucks to initiate a reusable mug campaign that offers incentives through Starbucks for using a reusable mug. Examples may include: a punch card system for em-ployees that utilize reusable mugs with a free drink at the completion of the punch card.

http://ecotakeouts.com/

https://www.goboxpdx.com/


Section 7: Materials Assessment Photos

7.1: Umpqua Only

Image 7.1: Corrugated cardboard

Image 7.2: Mixed paper

Image 7.3: Plastic film

Image 7.4: Plastic bottles and tubs

Image 7.5: Mixed metals

Image 7.6: Glass bottles and jars

Image 7.7: Compostable food scraps


Image 7.9: Compostable food soiled fi-bers


Image 7.10: Intact foods

Image 7.11: E-waste (includes batter-ies and lightbulbs)

Image 7.12: Office reuse

Image 7.13: Rigid plastics

Image 7.14: Single-use beverage cups

Image 7.15: Single –use food contain-ers


Image 7.16: Yard debris

Image 7.17 True waste

Image 7.18: Restroom waste

Image 7.19: Liquid Image 7.20: Metal and fabric filters Image 7.21: Umpqua materials only seperated into material categories


7.2: Starbucks

Image 7.21: Mixed paper comprised solely of aseptic containers

Image 7.22: Corrugated cardboard



Image 7.25: Compostable food soiled fi-bers

Image 7.26: Intact foods


Image 7.28: Rigid plastic

Image 7.29: True waste

Image 7.30: Single-use beverage cups

Image 7.31: Liquid

Image 7.32: Starbucks materials only

separated into material categories


7.3: Plaza Deli

Image 7.32: Mixed paper comprised solely of aseptic containers

Image 7.33: Metal


Image 7.35: Glass bottles

Image 7.36 Compostable food scraps

Image 7.37 Compostable food soiled fibers


Image 7.36 True waste

Image 7.36 Single-use beverage cups

Image 7.35: Single-use service ware

Image 7.36: Plaza Deli materials only,

separated into material categories


Section 8: Glossary of Material Categories

Batteries – Containers consisting of cells carrying an electric charge and used as a source of power. Bat-

teries directed to the landfill are extremely harmful to the environment, as their toxic contents can seep

into the soil.

Compostable food scraps– Vegetable, fruit, grain-based food scraps, meat, fish, fat, bones, eggshells,

tea bags, and coffee grinds. This category excludes non-compostable hot and cold drink cups, gable-top

or square shaped aseptic cartons, waxed cardboard, and utensils, straws, lids, or bags made of plastic.

Corrugated cardboard – Corrugated boxes or sheets used for shipping and packaging materials.

Electronics – Discarded electronics such as central processing units (CPUs), monitors, televisions, cell

phones, microwaves, coffee makers, radios, printers, fax machines, cords, and related office equipment.

Food-soiled fibers – Paper fibers contaminated with food including coffee filters, soiled napkins, soiled

paper bags, pizza boxes, waxed corrugated cardboard, and compostable food service ware products that

meet the guidelines set by ASTM and BPI.

Glass bottles and jars – Bottles and jars made of glass. This category excludes light bulbs, flat glass,

flower vases, drinking glasses, window glass, and tempered glass such as baking dishes.

Lighting bulbs –Fluorescent and containing mercury.

Liquid – Liquids that were in containers in the load.

Metals – Containers or scraps made of aluminum, steel or tin, including containers for beverages, food,

and other materials. Empty aerosol cans, scrap metal, and clean aluminum foil are included in this cate-

gory.

Metal/fabric air filters– Industrial size filters used within ductwork to clean out dust and other unde-sired airborne particulates from the HVAC system. Mixed paper – Includes office paper, newspaper, magazines, phonebooks, paper board/soft cardboard,

folders, scrap paper, sticky notes, shredded paper, paper bags, egg cartons, cereal boxes, aseptic con-

tainers, and all other non-corrugated cardboards.

Plastic bottles and tubs – Plastic containers with a neck, including containers for beverages, other fluids;

plastic tubs of primarily food grade plastic often used for yogurt, margarine, and other food or non-food

materials, rigid plant pots larger than four inches, and plastic buckets five gallons and smaller.


Plastic film – All clean plastic film bags including grocery, zip-top, and sandwich bags. Also includes

shrink-wrap, pallet wrap, bubble wrap, and plastic films.

Restroom waste – Bathroom paper towels and other restroom related items.

Rigid plastic – Non-bottle and non-tub shaped plastics that are not accepted through the regional com-

mingled recycling programs, but are acceptable at various plastics recycling facilities in the region. This

category includes plastic pallets and spools.

Reuse – Items that may be re-used through donation to a program or by in-house programs such as for

office supplies or furniture.

Single-use drink cups – Non-durable, non-recyclable single-use cups for either hot or cold beverages.

These cups may be made of plastic, plastic-lined paper, plastic-embedded paper, or expanded polysty-

rene foam.

Single-use food service ware – Non-durable containers, plates, dishes and flatware designed for single

use and used to serve and transport food. These may be made of plastic, plastic-lined paper, plastic-em-

bedded paper, or expanded polystyrene foam.

True waste – Materials that cannot currently be diverted. These materials are known as “true waste”

because there are currently no recycling markets for these materials, and the materials are not com-

postable at local composting facilities, or the materials are not readily reused or fit for donation. Common

materials include candy wrappers, chip bags, freezer boxes, soiled textiles unfit for donation or recycling,

polyvinyl chloride items such as gift cards, credit cards, or pipe, foil and paper wrappers, and other non-

recyclable mixed material items without current recycling markets.

White office paper – White paper that is used or unused, includes office paper, scrap paper, and shredded

paper.

Yard debris – Twigs, branches, and leaves found within the load.


Appendix A: Republic Services Waste Audit Summary, Umpqua Bank Plaza, 2013

Umpqua Bank PlazaWaste Audit Summary

July 10, 2013

Prepared by:Elizabeth C. Start

Recycling Coordinator

Umpqua Bank Plaza - Waste Audit Summary Page 1

GENERAL SUMMARY

The Republic Services Waste Audit team sorted 480.8 pounds of wastematerial from two 4 yard waste containers from Umpqua Bank Plaza.Both containers were only half filled so the driver combined them forefficient transportation to the audit site, Willamette Resources, RepublicServices transfer station in Wilsonville. The sort took place over a fourhour period on Wednesday, July 10, 2013. Republic Services staff(Elizabeth Start, Recycling Coordinator; Tracy Fiorante, CustomerService Manager; and Amy Roberts-Fisher, Operations Manager)performed the waste sort. The purpose of the audit was to show wastethat could have been prevented, in addition to providing waste recoveryand recycling recommendations.

The material was separated into categories: recyclables, compost, wasteand hazardous/other material. Each category was weighed, includingsome sub-categories, and sorted into piles. While the weight provides an idea of the amount of waste material, photos weretaken to show volume of bulky materials such as non-recyclable plastic cups or non-recyclable Styrofoam.

Waste types sorted into piles

Umpqua Bank Plaza current service level:

Qty Size Type # Pickups/ Week2 4 yard Waste 51 3 yard Commingle Recycling 51 65 gallon Glass Recycling 1


WASTE AUDIT RESULTS

The waste auditors separated out recoverable material fromUmpqua Bank Plaza’s waste containers, in addition to othermaterials that had other recovery or waste prevention options.63% of the material could have been diverted from the landfillthrough utilization of services offered through RepublicServices. Auditors also found additional material that couldhave been further diverted or prevented through initiatives thatUmpqua Bank Plaza and tenant businesses can offer toemployees.

Recyclables91.5 lbs

19%

Compost209.5 lbs

44%

Waste174.8 lbs

36%

Hazardous/Other5 lbs1%

Waste Sort General Composition

Food Waste, 39%

Cardboard, 0.8%Paper, 11.4%

RecyclablePlastic, 3%Glass, 3%Metal, 1%

Plastic Film*, 1%

Single UseContainers, 5%

Other Compost, 4%

Styrofoam/Peanuts,1%

Solid Waste, 26%

HazardousWaste, 1% Household Waste,

3%

Percentage of Commodities

The waste material was further segregated to showthe types of recyclable commodities and waste thatwas in the waste sort. The solid waste portion ofthe sort included bathroom waste and otherputrescible waste. Plastic film and bags, althoughlightweight, made up a large portion of the volumeof the waste. Another type that was separated forpurposes of the audit was single use containerswhich included, drink cups, lids, straws, coffeecups, clamshell containers and other foodcontainers.


MATERIALS SUMMARY

Recyclable Materials:

The waste audit showed that 91.5 pounds (19%) of the material found in the wastesort is recyclable through Umpqua Bank Plaza’s current recycling program. Thesematerials included the following:

Organic/Compostable Materials:

Almost half of the material in the waste was food orcompostable waste material. This included: foodscraps, food-soiled paper, napkins, coffee groundsand tea bags, in addition to compostable single usefood and beverage containers.

Food waste makes up the largest percentage ofwaste in landfills and is a significant source ofgreenhouse gases from landfills.1

Recyclable material found in sort

Office PaperNewspaperEnvelopesMilk CartonsCardboard boxesCardboard tubesMagazines

Plastic drink bottlesPlastic food containersMilk JugsAluminum CansSmall metal scraps5 gallon bucketGlass bottles

1http://www.epa.gov/foodrecovery/

Food waste included compostable coffee grounds


Single-Use Containers:

Single use food and beverage containers accounted for almost 25 pounds of material in thewaste load. While light in weight, this material takes up a large portion of the volume of theonsite waste containers. Unfortunately, there are no recycling options for these materialsdue to the types of plastics as well as plastic-lined cups that need to be landfilled; however,employees should be encouraged to seek reusable alternatives.

Waste:

The bulk of the waste included unsanitary bathroom waste. Also included in thevolume of waste were plastic grocery bags, and an excessive amount of can liners.Putrescible waste that was unable to be separated also made up this portion of thesorted material. Another material found in the sort was Styrofoam and packingpeanuts. Like plastic bags, this material takes up a lot of volume in the container.Auditors also found 2 bags of household garbage--13.3 pounds that had beendumped in the commercial container.

Hazardous/Other Materials:

Two fluorescent tubes were found during the waste sort. Fluorescent bulbs containmercury gases which can escape causing environmental issues and health andsafety issues for waste material handlers.

A large printer cartridge was also found in the container. Although there are nomajor environmental issues, there are many recovery options.


RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Ensure employees are provided with a desk side recycling bin next to their garbage cans.

2. Implement a food waste/compost collection program.

3. Tenant, employee, and janitorial staff education for recycling, waste reduction and composting. Republic Services’Recycling Coordinator can assist with training and education.

4. Encourage tenants/employees to separate glass recycling into separate receptacles for parties/events. Train janitorialstaff to utilize the glass recycling cart.

5. Train maintenance/janitorial staff to properly utilize waste and recycling containers that Republic Services provides.

6. Have janitorial staff only discard dirty garbage liners. There were many small trash liners that were clean or barely filledwith clean material, such as paper, that were thrown away. This will cut down on cost from over usage of garbage bagsand also create less waste.

7. Republic Services recommends utilizing fluorescent light recycling services such as EcoLights/Total ReClaim -ecolights.com or (503) 760-0763. Inform maintenance staff that fluorescent bulbs should not go in the garbage.


GENERAL WASTE REDUCTION TIPS

1. Provide tenants/employees with local resources for recycling plastic grocery bags. Most grocery stores provide recyclingcontainers for the plastic bags and other acceptable film.

2. Encourage tenants/employees to use reusable coffee cups and to bring waste free lunches to work.

3. Providing durable mugs and dishes for staff to reuse may help eliminate the bulk of the single use container wastestream. Another option is to provide approved* compostable service wear if organics collection is implemented.

4. Recycle spent toner/print cartridges. There are free take back programs that will refurbish the cartridges, many times atthe benefit of non-profit groups.

5. Start a “Green Team” to encourage participation in waste prevention programs.

6. When purchasing, choose suppliers who use recyclable packaging.

7. Print on both sides of paper when possible, or use paper printed on one-side for notes.

8. Provide a station for office supplies to be reused and shared.

*If an organics collection is implemented, Republic Services will provide a list of acceptable brands of compostable products.


HELPFUL RESOURCES

Recycle at Work - recycleatwork.com

Portland’s Sustainability at Work - sustainabilityatworkpdx.com

Earth 911 - earth911.com

Republic Services - republicservices.com/site/portland-or

REPUBLIC SERVICES CONTACTS

Tracy Fiorante, Customer Service [email protected](971) 213-0551

Elizabeth Start, Recycling [email protected](971) 213-0562


© 2014 Portland State University, all rights reserved. If any portion of the information contained herein

is used, copied, displayed, distributed or referenced, attribution of such information shall be made to

Portland State University and the College of Urban & Public Affairs: Community Environmental Services.

This information may only be used, reproduced, published or re-published, or otherwise disseminated by

Republic Services and Umpqua Bank Plaza representatives in accordance with the signed Letter of

Agreement and Scope of Work effective October of 2014. The use of this information is intended for

informational and educational purposes only, and selling this report, information, or any portion thereof

is strictly prohibited.

umpqua bank plaza material assessment report 11.20.14

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