CRRA2019

Sustainable Materials Management Specialist

Amanda Hong serves in the Environmental Stewardship Unit for U.S. EPA Region 8 based in Denver, CO. Her work focuses on sustainable packaging and trash free waters, sustainable materials management in the built environment, and promoting source reduction, reuse and recycling efforts. She began her EPA career in the San Francisco office in 2013. Amanda holds a BA in Economics from CU Boulder and a Master of Public Policy from the University of California Berkeley. She served in the Peace Corps in Mali, West Africa from 2009-2011. 

Litter, also known as escaped trash, is garnering more attention these days as the negative impacts of plastic pollution are becoming more well known. Currently, there are multiple data cards used by different groups to monitor and track basic information about escaped trash during clean up events. This leads to inconsistent data categories. Furthermore, communities report that more detailed data is required to more effectively develop upstream solutions that can prevent trash from escaping in the first place.

EPA's Trash Free Waters program has developed a draft Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol (ETAP) to provide a consistent method for measuring escaped trash in many environments. ETAP enables users to track escaped trash by material, product type, and weight. It also offers a threat analysis category, which is intended to provide data to aide in waterway impairment listings. 

This presentation will provide attendees with an understanding of the challenges facing escaped trash measurement, why measurement is needed, and how ETAP can be used to inform upstream solutions.