CRRA2019

Executive Director

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. 

Grant Manager/Program Lead

Stephanie Becker manages CalRecycle’s Farm and Ranch Solid Waste Cleanup and Abatement Grant Program, and backs up the Tire Amnesty and Cleanup Grant Programs. Previously, she promoted energy conservation through the FlexAlert program at the state’s electrical grid, the California Independent System Operator (ISO). Stephanie has worked on a wide range of social change campaigns (environmental matters of course are her favorite) and holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Marketing from California State University, Sacramento.

CalRecycle's Farm, Ranch & Tribal Land Illegal Dumping Cleanup Grant

The presentation will shed light on CalRecycle's Farm & Ranch grant opportunity – a program often forgotten about but around since 1997 – that provides funding so illegally dumped material on ag land (zoned or authorized) or eligible appurtenant easements, right-of-ways, public roads and utilities can get cleaned up. Tribe land is eligible.

Even though CRRA has a rather metropolitan audience, the growing urban farming communities may benefit from a program like this – either prior to setting up their facility or to be used by the established farms burdened with illegal dumping.

The PowerPoint will cover a brief history of the program, different cases/stories (with pictures), eligible expenses, how to apply for the grant, additional resources (for more information) and any questions.

In addition to familiar cleanup costs, this grant covers post revegetation (compost), abatement measures (fencing/signs/cameras) and preventative education/outreach. As time allows, CalRecycle’s popular labor group, the Local Conversation Corps often used on this grant, may be mentioned (they are involved with tire, e-waste, etc cleanup).

Farm and Ranch grant cases, or what are referred to as "site cleanups" are awarded to protect the environment and to abate a nuisance, public health or safety threat.

This program is one of the few, if not the only program available to cleanup illegal marijuana grows in California (a growing epidemic). Homeless encampments (in qualifying areas) are also eligible for cleanup.

The Grant Manager/Program Lead will be the presenter.

Founder

Founder, Circular CoLab & The UPcyclers Network

Gina is an advocate for the Circular Economy and believes in the power of collaboration to create change.  Gina founded the Upcyclers Network to promote demand for recovered, recycled, and discarded material by amplifying the impact of businesses that transform “waste” into value.

Gina has 15+ years of experience working in CSR and Social Impact in the US, China, and Germany.  She has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia Business School.  

Let’s Talk about Conversion, Not just Diversion; Upcyclers Network

This presentation will provide recommendations on how to further the development of domestic circular economies that can add to a community’s bottom line and sustainability goals.  Case Studies from US public and private sector innovators and partnerships that have created successful programs and business models to recover and reuse materials will be discussed with topics including:

• The creation of resource recovery hubs and start-up incubators by municipalities who are strategically reframing their waste as part of broader economic development goals.
• The development of corporate partnerships to build entirely new supply chains to recover and recirculate materials.
• New business models and start-ups focused on providing materials management solutions.

The presentation will conclude with recommendations on how to build more momentum and demand for recovered materials and share the goals of the newly launched Upcyclers Network.