Resource Conservation Challenge


Strategic Plan 

WHAT CAN YOU SAVE TOMORROW?

Five Year Plan 
Foreword 

By Tom Dunne, Deputy Assistant Administrator 

Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response 

What did you do with your last empty 

soda can, or the one before that? Did 

you save energy and money, reduce 

greenhouse gases and protect our environment by 

recycling it? Did you take a few seconds and find 

a recycling bin at the local mall, your school or at 

work? In past years, we didn’t care enough, we 

didn’t save enough; in one year, we simply tossed 

out nearly 51 billion cans! Making the same 

number of new cans amounts to 16 million 

barrels of crude oil, which is enough gas to run 

over a million cars for one year. All wasted. 

Aluminum beverage containers are only one 

product, one commodity, one material that we 

should never consider a waste. 

How about that old, obsolete computer? Valuable.

Empty plastic milk jugs? Valuable.

Concrete from a demolished building? Valuable.

Even coal ash? Valuable.

Recycling isn’t the only way to recover value from 

a product. Designing a product without toxics 

and making it with recovered materials also saves 

tremendous amounts of energy, money, and 

benefits our environment. The Resource 

Conservation Challenge (RCC) was launched in 

2002 to reinvigorate resource conservation, 

asking all Americans — What Can You Save 

Today? Now, we put forward a plan, asking: 

What Can You Save Tomorrow? 

The future of resource conservation has a 

foothold in the past. A generation ago Congress 

passed the Resource Conservation and Recovery 

Act (RCRA) with the goal to “recover energy and 

other resources from discarded materials”. Since 

RCRA was passed, we’ve worked hard to ensure 

the safe handling, management, and disposal of 

waste through a “cradle-to-grave” approach. 

RCRA is a national, statutory program designed to 

address waste after its has been created or, in 

some instances, mishandled. Consequently, we 

have dealt with waste management issues 

through tough, enforceable regulations, by 

cleaning up contaminated sites, and by strictly 

controlling disposal. 

Today, we need a new approach. We need to build 

a sustainable program for pollution prevention, 

recycling, beneficial use, and conservation of 

these materials we once considered merely waste. 

This type of approach is a “cradle-to-cradle” 

system for materials management. It promises to 

move us vigorously toward a world where nearly 

all materials are reused or recycled. It shifts our 

focus to a product’s entire life cycle, starting first 

with product design and carrying straight 

through to product disposal—making goods more 

durable, recyclable, and less hazardous. 

So, the Resource Conservation Challenge 

perpetuates this point of view. In the next 5-10 

years, we can accomplish a lot—be it recycling 

millions of computers, beneficially using 

industrial byproducts, and even designing the 

greenest products possible. Today’s strategy 

provides direction. In some instances, the RCC 

focuses on critical areas where a significant 

amount can be accomplished quickly. For other 

extremely difficult and complex issues, the path 

to success may be evolutionary. As we move 

forward implementing the projects and programs 

that make up the RCC, new ideas, innovative 

solutions, and new measures of success will be 

incorporated into the RCC strategy, giving us the 

best opportunity to accomplish our goals. 

This strategy illustrates not only how the RCC will 

grow, but also how important it is to work 

collaboratively with internal EPA offices, states, 

industry, and the environmental community. To 

strengthen this collaboration, the leadership of 

the RCC is now shared jointly by my office and 

the Agency’s Office of Pollution Prevention and 

Toxic Substances. The strategy’s direction, goals, 

and objectives illustrate that integrated planning 

has already begun. It shows how this partnership 

is well on its way to making sure that both waste 

management and pollution prevention are part of 

the resource conservation solution of the future. 

Through this plan, the RCC moves beyond merely 

asking, “What can you save today?” It also shows 

us what we can save tomorrow. 

1
S

ince the creation of the U.S. Environmental 

has made enormous progress in protecting 

and improving the environment. The Resource 

Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) has been a 

significant force in achieving this environmental 

progress. RCRA establishes the basis for waste 

management in the United States. While the Act 

is probably best known for creating the waste 

management regulatory structure, its very name 

emphasizes saving and recovering our natural 

resources. 

RCRA. OSW works to protect against the hazards 

of waste disposal by focusing on materials 

recycling and reuse, toxic chemical reduction and 

Substances (OPPTS) to improve efforts to save 

and recover valuable materials. OPPTS is a vital 

(P2) Program strives to reduce or eliminate waste 

before it is generated. 

The Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC) 

combines the strengths of these complementary 

programs to: 

• Prevent pollution and promote recycling and 

reuse of materials; 

• Reduce the use of toxic chemicals; and 

• Conserve energy and materials. 

organized around ambitious challenges and 

voluntary partnerships that aim to make dramatic 

progress in the achievement of these goals. RCC 

voluntary partnerships seek to improve 

environmental performance by challenging 

stakeholders to identify and implement innovative 

approaches that go beyond compliance and 

current regulations. By focusing on resource 

conservation—including more efficient use of 

materials—the RCC unites OSW and OPPTS in a 

partnership that will lead shared projects and will 

identify and achieve waste and toxic reduction 

goals. 

In 

state environmental officials initiated discussion 

on the direction of waste and materials 

management in the United States over the next 

20 years. 

future directions in materials use and technology 

use. It identifies three overarching goals: 

• Reduce waste and increase the efficient and 

sustainable use of resources; 

• Prevent exposures to humans and ecosystems 

from the use of hazardous chemicals; and 

• Manage wastes and clean up chemical releases 

Prevention (P2) Vision to provide strategic focus 

and identify current P2 priorities. The P2 Vision 

frames three broad strategic categories: 

• “Greening“1 supply and demand, 

• P2 integration, and 

• Delivery of P2 services. 

a future where waste is a concept of the past. 

are to reduce what comes into the waste 

management cycle, using pollution prevention, 

1 

Introduction 

Protection Agency (EPA), the United States 

EPA’s Office of Solid Waste (OSW) implements 

use, and energy conservation. Additionally, OSW 

is working in collaboration with the Agency’s 

Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxic 

EPA program that works to reduce risks from 

highly toxic materials. Its Pollution Prevention 

Established in 2002, the RCC is primarily 

Beyond RCRA: Prospects for Waste and 

Materials Management in the Year 2020 

(referenced hereafter as 2020 Vision), EPA and 

The 2020 Vision examines trends and 

in a safe, environmentally sound manner. 

Furthermore, EPA is developing a Pollution 

EPA is now charting its direction, building on the 

2020 and P2 Visions. The RCC is a way to achieve 

When it is economically feasible, the RCC’s goals 

The term environmental “greening” is used in many ways in different contexts. For the purposes of our strategy, the RCC generally defines 

greening as practices, consistent with the demands of efficiency and cost effectiveness, that prevent pollution and waste, eliminate toxics, and 

increase recycling. This also includes expanding markets for recovered materials through preference and demand for such products. 

2
waste minimization, source reduction, and manufacturing 

process and/or product design changes. Moving to an 

efficient and safe materials flow is central to the RCC. EPA 

acknowledges industry’s progress and willingness to move 

forward with this shift in focus toward resource 

conservation. EPA also acknowledges that some waste 

disposal will always continue to be a necessary, yet less 

desirable, option. 

The Agency Strategic Plan and the 2020 and P2 Visions call 

for a transformation of the nation’s current waste-handling 

system to more of a materials management system. The 

RCC—in partnership with the states—aims to achieve this 

transformation. 

To complement this Strategic Plan, we have identified four 

key areas for national focus—Priority and Toxic Chemical 

Reductions, Municipal Solid Waste, Beneficial Use of 

Secondary Materials, and Green Initiatives—Electronics2

. In 

spring 2005, after discussions within EPA and with our 

state RCRA and pollution prevention counterparts, we 

developed a national action plan for results in each of 

these four areas. This plan describes specific goals and 

actions needed to move toward the overall goals of the 

RCC. The action plan also identifies specific ongoing and 

new activities, and associated means, benefits, measures 

and outcomes, and outlines the implementation priorities 

and responsibilities of participating EPA offices and key 

stakeholders. 

This RCC Strategic Plan, with its focus on waste and toxics, 

aligns internal EPA and state projects, goals, and strategies. 

In the short term, the RCC will focus primarily on solid 

waste and pollution prevention. Ultimately, the RCC 

challenges us to put “resource conservation and recovery” 

into the design and manufacturing of products or recycling 

options and purchasing decisions. 

2 The RCC continues to work in other key areas for resource conservation, e.g., tires, hospitals, schools, green buildings. These areas, however, are not RCC national 

priority areas and have existing champions in other program offices or within the Office of Solid Waste. 

3
The RCC Strategic Plan 

Tand manufacturers to enter into partnerships 

to dramatically reduce the use of toxic 

chemicals, or to eliminate waste when possible. It 

challenges individual consumers to make more 

informed purchasing decisions and more 

environmentally friendly waste and materials 

management decisions. And, it challenges 

government to lead by example. Our specific 

challenges will be described in more detail in the 

action plans being developed for each of the four 

national priority areas for the RCC (see discussion 

below). 

program will harmonize the work of OSW and 

OPPTS to attain waste and toxic reduction goals. 

The RCC Strategic Plan focuses on specific waste 

and toxic reduction principles that will provide 

national coordination, while allowing the 

continuation of work in other important 

environmental areas. The RCC program is working 

to enhance state participation by working 

interested in reaching out to states that are 

engaged in exploring materials management 

programs, projects, activities, and resource 

conservation. 

Purpose 

vision and broad goals. It is the key to 

establishing the path along which the RCC will 

collection of individual, ambitious projects and 

achievements into a cohesive set of robust 

programs. These programs aim to identify 

prevention, recycling, reuse, toxics reduction, and 

energy and materials conservation. The Strategy 

is dynamic, gaining greater specificity as the RCC 

identifies areas of national focus, further 

identifies goals and measures specific to different 

areas, and develops specific action plans. The RCC 

Strategy will: 

• Coordinate OSW and OPPTS waste and toxics 

reduction programs and projects; 

effective materials management; 

• Build on current partnerships and attract new 

partners; and 

• Describe the measures used to track success for 

future projects. 

Programs 

The RCC provides a forum for leadership and 

collaborative efforts of stakeholders and partners. 

Many RCC activities require cross-Agency 

collaboration because RCRA and pollution 

prevention goals both relate to materials 

management. Since there are many other Agency 

efforts which complement the goals of the RCC, 

we aim to support those initiatives already 

directions and goals established by the RCC are 

consistent with the goals established by other 

comprehensive collaboration needed to advance 

Relationship to the Agency 

Strategic Plan 

More specific goals and strategies will be 

identified in the action plans, and will support 

2003-2008 Strategic Plan. 

The RCC is currently a part of both Goal 3 and 

Goal 5 of the Agency goals. Goal 3 relates to land 

preservation and restoration, and Goal 5 relates 

to compliance and environmental stewardship. 

hrough the RCC, EPA challenges businesses 

To establish a strong foundation for the RCC, the 

through various state organizations. We are also 

This Strategy describes the RCC’s direction, focus, 

continue to grow. The RCC will grow from a 

opportunities for, and ways to achieve, pollution 

• Better align EPA and state focus to attain 

Relationship to Other EPA 

coordination to focus EPA efforts with the 

underway. It will be important to ensure that the 

EPA and state programs. The RCC will seek the 

materials management efforts nationally. 

The RCC’s three goals are drawn from the 

Agency’s overall strategic goals and direction. 

the specific goals and commitments of EPA’s 

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The RCC is working on projects that also support both EPA 

Goals 2 and 4. Goal 2 promotes clean and safe water, and 

Goal 4 addresses healthy communities and ecosystems. 

During each cycle of the Agency’s Annual Performance 

Plan, the RCC will add specific targets and measures that 

support the goals established by EPA’s 2003-2008 Strategic 

Plan. 

The Need for Action Plans 

To ensure coordination between the many stakeholders, we 

have developed operational documents to describe the 

specific actions to fulfill the RCC promise. EPA has 

identified four key areas for national focus—Priority and 

Toxic Chemical Reductions, Municipal Solid Waste, 

Beneficial Use of Materials, and Green Initiatives– 

Electronics. The core of each plan is the specific goals and 

actions needed to move toward the overall goals of the 

RCC. Each plan also identifies specific ongoing and new 

projects, and associated means, benefits, measures and 

outcomes, and describes the implementation priorities and 

responsibilities of participating EPA offices, states, and key 

stakeholders. These plans are iterative documents that will 

change to adjust to emerging priorities and new 

circumstances. 

The Principles 

Our long-term vision—to move from a waste management 

program to a materials management program—is guided by 

five basic principles: 

• Product Stewardship,

• Beneficial Use of Materials (source reduction, recycling,

and beneficial use), 

• Energy Conservation,

• Priority and Toxic Chemical Reduction in Waste, and 

• “Greening” the Government.

These principles provide a sense of direction, a sense of the 

outcomes the RCC plans to achieve, and the roadmap it 

intends to follow. The Strategic Plan provides a foundation 

for overall Agency planning, budgeting, reporting and 

accountability, while acknowledging that commitments are 

dependent on resources. 

In the following pages, the RCC Strategic Plan focuses on 

each RCC principle and defines the Agency’s strategic 

directions and goals for that particular principle. Taken as a 

coordinated whole, the Plan identifies key RCC goals over 

the next 5 to 10 years. Achieving the goals requires 

partnering with stakeholders inside and outside the Agency. 

Together, partners will participate in goal development and 

help put the necessary structure and resources in place. The 

RCC Strategic Plan does not start from scratch; existing 

efforts led by EPA and state environmental agencies have 

laid the groundwork for progress. The Plan aligns with 

other EPA and state work to enhance resource 

conservation. 

Although the individual principles are similar in seeking to 

promote resource conservation, it is important to recognize 

that the plans discussed under each principle differ. Each 

principle contains diverse strategic approaches, several at 

different stages of implementation. These strategic 

approaches do not reflect RCC’s final thinking, and we 

expect to add focus and specificity in many areas as the 

RCC grows. Some areas focus on short-term ideas based 

largely on current projects; others reach into the future. 

Some will be carried out through new partnerships, others 

will succeed through cross-office collaboration, and some 

may require program changes. These differences mean that 

results may be evident relatively quickly in some areas, 

while for others, results may take years to achieve. In all 

cases, the common objective across the individual 

principles is to establish direction and to create a 

mechanism that identifies and achieves measurable 

environmental results. 

5
P

roduct Stewardship refers to “greening” 

products from design to use to disposal. 

Thus, Product Stewardship encompasses 

toxics reduction, design for reuse, upgrade or 

recycling, maximizing energy conservation and 

product life span, and making sure, when 

practicable, that the specific product can be 

returned to some kind of useful application when 

it is no longer needed. Product Stewardship is a 

means to achieving the basic goals of the RCC. 

The RCC focuses on the materials-use aspects of 

Product Stewardship. The goal is to make sure 

that products are designed to have another useful 

life and that funding and infrastructure support 

from the necessary parties to ensure that 

discarded products find their way to another 

product is returned to service through upgrade or 

commodities are used in new products. 

things, we need to engage all of those who 

benefit from products—manufacturers, retailers, 

consumers, and recyclers—in new kinds of 

partnerships. Right now the primary responsibility 

for managing discarded products and materials 

falls on government and the waste management 

Several things must happen in order to achieve 

this transformation. First, we need to ensure that 

products are designed with reuse, upgrade and 

recycling in mind. One reason it is so much more 

expensive to divert waste from landfilling or 

burning is that most products do not easily lend 

themselves to reuse, upgrade or recycling. 

Second, sustainable funding sources for recovery 

funded by tax dollars. For some materials, 

recycling is not economically sustainable; 

in the product or high cost of using virgin 

materials, recycling is economically sustainable. 

When tax revenues fall, recycling generally takes 

a back seat to other more urgent public needs, 

such as police, firefighters, or education. One 

approach to get more sustainable funding for 

recycling, and the direction that is being taken by 

Canada, Japan, and European nations, is to make 

the cost of recovering products at the end of 

their useful life part of the cost of buying the 

product. 

Third, we need to improve the mechanisms of 

daunting task. On the one hand, it is efficient 

from a collection cost standpoint to load lots of 

different products into one container such as a 

residential “blue bin,” and dump them from one 

recycling truck. On the other hand, separating 

different products and different materials at 

drop-offs points—regardless of whether they are 

streams that will better help pay for their 

through the existing municipal waste or recycling 

infrastructure or by employing the existing 

product distribution system to take materials 

Improvements in this area are needed to help 

make recovery more affordable and convenient, 

and to maximize the value of recovered materials. 

reuse, upgrade and recycling, we need to be sure 

past, we have worked to ensure that our landfill 

and incineration standards encompass safe 

resources to ensuring that reuse, upgrade, 

remanufacturing, and recycling processes are 

conducted safely without unacceptable risk to 

human health and the environment. 

I. Product Stewardship 

that endeavor. The RCC further seeks cooperation 

valuable use. Valuable use may mean that a 

repair, or that its component parts or 

To get to this more sustainable way of doing 

industry. With everyone’s help and involvement, 

we can change the current paradigm of “buy, use 

and dispose” to one of “buy, use, reuse, upgrade 

or recycle”. 

must be available. Right now, recycling is largely 

however, for other materials, because of the value 

collecting and separating products for recovery. 

Two competing needs conspire to make this a 

curbside, municipal, retailer, or charity collection 

sites—can yield cleaner, more valuable commodity 

recovery. Collection can be accomplished either 

back for recovery, such as “reverse distribution.” 

Finally, as we move toward an economy based on 

that these processes are managed safely. In the 

management. Now, we need now to devote 

6
Product Stewardship – Principal 

Components 

Identify Priority Product Streams

RCC will work with states and industry stakeholders to 

select a manageable set of product categories to target for 

Product Stewardship initiatives. For each product sector, 

RCC will develop a focused strategy for applying the 

Product Stewardship framework. 

Environmentally Friendly Design

RCC will continue to work with stakeholders in the product 

chain to develop tools, such as “green” product rating 

systems. These tools can encourage manufacturers to make 

“greener” products and institutional buyers and others to 

purchase these products. 

Existing Product Streams

RCC will continue work on product streams that have 

already been selected, such as electronics and carpets. 

Electronics has been identified as a national focus area, 

and RCC is developing a strategy focusing specifically on 

this commodity. 

Scope 

For the purpose of the RCC Strategy, Product Stewardship 

includes: 

• Designing products with a “green” focus

• Facilitating efficient collection (in addition to source

reduction, recycling, and beneficial use) 

• Market development (in addition to source reduction,

recycling, and beneficial use) 

• Safe recovery

The targets outlined below align with the following Agency 

Strategic Plan goals: 

• Goal 3: Land Preservation and Restoration 

Sub-objective 3.1.1: Reduce Waste Generation 

and Increase Recycling 

–	 Reduce waste material through product and 

process redesign. 

• Goal 5: Compliance and Environmental Stewardship 

Sub-objective 5.2.2: Prevent Pollution and 

Promote Environmental Stewardship by Business. 

–	 Improve environmental stewardship practices in 

business operations by adopting more efficient, 

sustainable, and protective policies, practices, 

materials, and technologies. 

Broad Goals: Where RCC Wants To 

Be in 5-10 Years 

Only by working with the product chain—manufacturers, 

retailers, consumers—before products ever become waste 

can products be designed to ensure that what is waste 

today will be useful to society tomorrow. This is a critical 

component of achieving RCC’s goals for waste 

minimization, and a cornerstone of the transformation of 

materials and waste management policies, incentives, and 

disincentives necessary to achieve the 2020 and P2 Visions. 

The design component of Product Stewardship is important 

to move toward materials management scheme. Therefore, 

over the next few years, RCC anticipates that 

environmentally friendly design decisions will be important 

for designers to factor into their work. The underlying goals 

of Product Stewardship are: 

• To work within the product chain to develop creative, 

economical ways to encourage “greener” product design 

so that products are much easier and cheaper to reuse, 

upgrade and recycle for the same or higher value uses. 

• To work to develop sustainable financing mechanisms to 

support product recovery and discourage disposal. 

• To encourage environmentally safe practices in the reuse, 

upgrading, remanufacturing, and recycling of products. 

7
Strategic Targets: What RCC 

Wants To Achieve 

• Within 10 years, as mentioned in the RCC 2005 Action 

Plan, EPA’s goal is to make it as convenient for the 

average American to take a discarded TV or PC for reuse, 

upgrade, or recycling as it is to purchase a new product. 

The overwhelming bulk of discarded electronic equipment 

will go to safe reuse and recycling. Electric products will 

be designed for recycling, and contain minimal toxic 

constituents. 

• In 2002, the carpet industry, 12 states, and EPA signed a 

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Carpet 

Stewardship. That MOU set a goal to divert 40 percent of 

postconsumer carpet from landfills by 2012 primarily 

through reuse and recycling. The overall waste diversion 

goal is divided into specific goals for reuse: 

– 3 to 5 percent for reuse,

– 20 to 25 percent for recycling,

–3 percent to cement kilns, and 

–1 percent waste-to-energy. 

• Additional information can be found in the Action Plans

located on the RCC web page, www.epa.gov/rcc. 

8
II. Beneficial Use of Materials 

T

his RCC principle foresees a future where we 

all generate less waste, we recycle as much 

as we can, and we beneficially use waste and 

materials through environmentally sound 

practices. Rather than view the byproducts of our 

lives as waste destined for disposal, we will see 

the economic and environmental benefits of 

using them as inputs to new products and in 

ways to reduce our reliance on virgin materials. 

Beneficial Use of Materials – 

Principal Components 

Analyze and Characterize Waste Streams

RCC will look at manufacturing processes and 

products, including industrial and municipal 

waste streams. RCC will continue ongoing efforts 

where they have proved effective and needed. 

RCC also will identify additional efforts based on 

select criteria, and develop corresponding 

initiatives for new wastes streams or potential 

partners. 

Analyze Current Situation

RCC will identify environmentally safe and 

beneficial practices, incentives, and barriers. 

Increase Outreach and Education

RCC will conduct various campaigns to educate 

all parties in the product chain about the benefits 

of source reduction, recycling, and beneficially 

using waste and materials. 

Two Primary Focus Areas 

• To increase recycling of municipal solid waste 

by focusing on paper, yard and food wastes, 

and packaging/containers (e.g., wood 

packaging, paper cartons, polymer wraps/films); 

and 

• To increase beneficial use of secondary 

materials by focusing on coal combustion 

byproducts, foundry sands, and construction 

and demolition debris. 

Scope 

This principle focuses on both consumers and 

industry and outlines efforts to achieve RCC 

goals. All wastes and materials are covered under 

this principle since there are large volumes of 

these materials that may be recycled or 

beneficially used. Waste and materials come from 

homes, yards, offices, and manufacturing and 

industry processes. This principle adds a new RCC 

focus on nonhazardous industrial waste, which 

amounts to about 214 million tons a year. The 

byproducts of these manufacturing processes 

represent a large, nonhazardous industrial waste 

stream with significant potential for recycling 

and beneficial use. Some of the industrial waste 

is diverted from landfilling through reuse and 

recycling but, for others, inadequate markets 

restrict their reuse or recycling. This lack of use is 

due in part to the uncertainty of the 

environmental impact of the reuse and recycling 

of these waste streams. 

America generates approximately 250 to 350 

million tons per year of construction and 

demolition debris– waste generated from 

building, demolishing, and rebuilding roads, 

bridges, and buildings. While millions of tons of 

concrete and asphalt respectively are recycled 

each year, many opportunities to recycle and 

safely reuse other construction-related products 

remain untapped. In addition, by taking a design 

for the environment approach, Americans could 

reduce construction waste from new construction 

projects. 

The RCC’s success in increasing the beneficial use 

of wastes as materials will largely be measured 

by our ability to work with states, local 

governments, and others to reduce the generation 

of municipal solid waste, to divert that waste 

from disposal, and to effectively promote 

recycling of valuable commodities in those 

municipal waste streams. RCC has set the 

daunting national goal of achieving a 35 percent 

recycling rate for municipal solid waste by 2008, 

and holding the per capita rate of municipal solid 

(Source Reduction, Recycling, and Beneficial Use) 

9
waste generation constant at 4.5 pounds per person per 

day. To meet these goals, RCC will develop a targeted 

strategy, aimed at increasing the recycling rate of paper, 

organic wastes (yard and food waste), and packaging 

containers as key waste streams. 

For the purpose of the RCC Strategy, this principle includes: 

Source Reduction: 

• By 2008, maintain the national average municipal solid

waste generation at 4.5 pounds per person per day. 

Recycling: 

• By 2008, increase municipal solid waste recycling to 35

percent from 30 percent in 2002. 

Beneficial Use: 

• By 2008, increase the use of coal combustion products to

45 percent. 

• By 2010, increase the use of coal ash in concrete to 20 

million tons. 

The targets outlined below align with following the Agency 

Strategic Plan goal: 

•Goal 3: Land Preservation and Restoration

Sub-objective 3.1.1: Reduce Waste Generation 

and Increase Recycling 

Broad Goals: Where RCC Wants To 

Be in 5-10 Years 

• RCC’s long-term goals for beneficial use of materials is 

to: 

– Reduce the amount of municipal and nonhazardous

industrial waste generated; 

– Increase the recycling rate of key municipal solid

waste streams; and 

– Increase the beneficial use of key nonhazardous

industrial waste streams. 

Strategic Targets: What RCC 

Wants To Achieve 

The nation has a fairly strong infrastructure for recycling 

municipal solid waste. As mentioned in the RCC 2005 

Action Plan, by focusing on targeted key waste streams, 

such as paper, yard and food waste, and packaging 

containers, RCC should meet the national 2008 recycling 

goal for municipal solid waste. The goal of the Coal 

Combustion Products Partnership Program (C2P2), which is 

a cooperative effort of RCC and the coal combustion 

products industry, is to help promote the beneficial use of 

coal combustion products. C2P2 will help to meet RCC 

goals by recycling the large waste stream of coal 

combustion byproducts. Construction and demolition debris 

and foundry sands will be other large nonhazardous waste 

streams targeted for recycling and beneficial use goals. 

Additional information can be found in the Action Plans 

located on the RCC web page, www.epa.gov/rcc. 

10
III. Energy Conservation 

E

nergy conservation is intrinsic to many RCC 

activities. By working with stakeholders, the 

RCC aims to increase energy savings 

associated with the management of waste and 

from using recycled materials. Also, many 

products that end up in the waste stream have 

energy impacts at each stage of their life cycles: 

the acquisition of raw materials, manufacturing 

into products, use by consumers, and disposal as 

waste. While the existing U.S. regulatory scheme 

ensures that wastes are properly managed, 

opportunities still exist to improve on this 

approach and conserve additional energy in the 

process. Most notably, we can decrease the 

amount of waste generated and increase 

recycling. The energy saved and recovered will 

provide many benefits, such as reducing the 

releases of pollutants from energy generation, 

minimizing reliance on foreign energy sources, 

and financial incentives to manage certain 

wastes. 

Energy Conservation – 

Principal Components 

The RCC plans to engage in a variety of activities 

across program areas to accomplish its goals. 

While many of the activities involve new efforts, 

some are associated with well-known programs 

and thus require a significant level of 

collaboration and alignment towards common 

goals. 

Reform and Revision

RCC will analyze EPA regulations, policies, and 

guidance and consult with our stakeholders to 

identify barriers, gaps, and opportunities for 

change that can be explored. 

Assistance, Evaluation and Outreach

RCC will facilitate change by providing support, 

outreach, and partnership services to public and 

private sectors. 

Education

RCC will work to educate the public and private 

sectors regarding waste materials management. 

The new approach will focus on the benefits of 

reuse of waste materials to increase resource 

conservation or to produce energy. 

The targets outlined below align with the 

following Agency Strategic Plan goals: 

• Subobjectives 5.2.2 - 5.2.4, which include 

energy savings that result from activities in the 

Performance Track Program, Sector Strategies 

Program, State Innovation Grant Program, and 

the Environmental Results Program, among 

others. 

Scope 

The Energy Conservation principle challenges RCC 

partners to focus on untapped opportunities to 

conserve and recover energy from waste. The RCC 

recognizes that other sources of energy, such as 

wind, solar, water, are being explored and 

championed in other Agency actions. The RCC 

will continue to discuss inclusion of these 

programs where it is feasible and makes sense. 

It is important to note that advances in the 

recovery of energy from wastes should not come 

at the expense of current and future efforts in 

source reduction and recycling. RCC energy 

recovery means: 

• Safely recovering energy from materials now 

handled as wastes, and 

• Managing materials more effectively 

throughout their life cycles, thereby saving 

energy at each stage. 

Many RCC activities contribute directly to energy 

conservation. For example: 

• Using coal combustion byproducts such as fly 

ash in concrete reduces the need to produce 

Portland cement, leading to direct energy 

savings. 

11
• When conditions are appropriately controlled, scrap tires

can be safely burned as fuel. 

• Landfill gases can be recovered through landfill systems.

The RCC will continue to explore opportunities in these 

areas and has developed measurable goals or is in the 

process of developing measurable goals. In addition, some 

advanced industrial processes for handling secondary 

materials and industrial byproducts may have energy 

benefits. To advance the goal of energy conservation, the 

RCC will increase public information and provide technical 

assistance to promising programs. The initial focus areas 

include comparable and waste-derived fuels and 

technology development. 

Broad Goals: Where RCC Wants To 

Be in 5-10 Years 

Access to reliable and clean energy is a national priority 

and energy conservation represents areas in which the RCC 

will increase attention and activity. The RCC hopes to 

accelerate the introduction of conservation measures, 

which can reduce the environmental impact of energy 

production, conserve national resources, diversify our 

energy production profile, and enhance sustainability. 

Because there are many opportunities and priorities that 

vary according to geographic area, the first phase of the 

strategy implementation will involve energy conservation 

pilot projects. The RCC plans to focus on existing energy 

activities and determine how these activities contribute to 

the RCC’s strategic objectives. These, along with others in 

the next five years, will evolve into a more structured RCC 

energy conservation program that works towards the 

following goal: 

• Challenge RCC partners to increase energy savings

associated with recovering energy from wastes and 

saving energy throughout materials life cycles. 

Strategic Targets: What We Want 

To Achieve 

Within 10 years, the RCC anticipates meeting the objectives 

outlined below. We will add to the RCC objectives already 

included in the Agency’s Strategic Plan by working with 

stakeholders to agree on appropriate numerical targets for 

RCC’s objectives. Currently, EPA’s Strategic Plan expresses 

energy goals in BTUs of energy reduced and in percent of 

energy saved. The following RCC targets can be expressed 

either way. 

• Increase the energy saved through waste prevention, 

recycling, and product stewardship efforts. 

• Increase the energy generated from wastes not amenable 

to source reduction, recycling, or product stewardship 

efforts. 

• The RCC will continue to work with stakeholders to 

identify the initial activities on which the RCC will focus 

and to set numerical targets for the specific areas or 

waste. 

12
IV. Priority and Toxic Chemical 

Reduction in Waste 

T

he use of chemicals in industrialized nations 

has brought about tremendous 

advancements in technology and improved 

virtually every aspect of society. Although useful, 

certain chemicals in use today are highly toxic. 

They do not break down when released into the 

environment and can be dangerous even in small 

quantities. The Agency has identified 31 specific 

priority chemicals that meet these criteria. While 

this list represents the Agency’s priority, it is 

certainly not exhaustive. Other candidates for 

national attention are likely to be identified. 

Priority Chemical Reduction 

– Principal Components 

National Partnership for Environmental Priorities

Program (NPEP)

The NPEP program, a voluntary partnership 

program to reduce the generation and use of 31 

priority chemicals, is the RCC’s most direct tool 

for “beyond compliance” management of priority 

chemicals. It forms a significant foundation upon 

which the RCC will build its priority chemicals 

reduction and management plan. As NPEP grows, 

it will complement existing state programs to 

provide a framework for national chemical 

reduction. 

Other EPA and state activities, such as efforts to 

remove mercury from dental amalgam, mining 

operations, and automotive switches, or efforts to 

remove lead from automobile tire weights, can 

also play a significant role in reducing the release 

of priority chemicals to the environment. 

Pollution Prevention (P2) Chemicals Agenda

This component is an approach to look for 

additional P2 opportunities for substances that 

are identified as being of national concern. These 

substances may include other persistent, 

bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals (PBTs) that 

are not currently identified as the Agency’s 

priority chemicals. RCC may also focus on 

chemicals known to cause environmental 

problems, such as chemicals of concern that are 

frequently found at cleanup sites. As EPA, in 

cooperation with the states, develops a strategic 

plan in the national focus area of priority 

chemicals reduction, the RCC will address the 

need for additional national-level activities in this 

area. 

Scope 

EPA’s goal is to reduce the release of priority 

chemicals in waste an additional 10 percent by 

2008, building on a 50 percent reduction 

achieved in 2005 (using a 1991 baseline). The 

1991 baseline reflects releases of 31 specific 

priority chemicals. EPA’s national efforts have 

focused primarily on pollution prevention, prior to 

use, and regulatory, end-of-pipe waste 

management. The U.S. has made significant 

progress in reducing releases of the 31 priority 

chemicals and their presence in materials and 

wastes. 

The RCC is developing a chemical reduction plan 

that will identify and reduce the use of other 

toxic chemicals in product manufacturing that 

ultimately end up in waste streams. It should be 

noted that the list of 31 priority chemicals does 

not include all chemicals of concern, many of 

which are being targeted under other Agency 

programs. For example, some of these chemicals 

are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic 

chemicals, such as certain brominated flame 

retardants (BFRs). Others may include chemicals 

that are of high importance that meet key criteria 

such as a new use, increased use, high production 

volume, or potential significant exposure risk. Still 

others–for example, halogenated organic 

solvents–have long been identified as a concern, 

and are targets of EPA and state P2 efforts. 

National efforts to reduce these chemicals will be 

recognized by RCC programs, such as NPEP, and 

will contribute greatly to achieving this RCC 

principle. 

13
The targets outlined below align with the following Agency 

Strategic Plan goals: 

• Agency Goal 1: Clean Air and Global Climate Change 

Sub-objective 1.3: Protect the ozone layer 

• Agency Goal 4: Healthy Communities and Ecosystems 

Sub-objective 4.1.3: Reduce chemical and 

biological risks 

Sub-objective 4.1.4: Reduce risks at facilities 

• Goal 5: Compliance and Environmental Stewardship 

Sub-objective 5.2.2: Prevent Pollution and Promote 

environmental stewardship by business 

–	 Reduction of priority chemicals in hazardous and 

nonhazardous waste by 10 percent by 2008, using 

2001 as baseline year. 

–	 PBT Initiative: By 2008, decrease releases of 

persistent bioaccumulative toxic chemicals by 15 

percent and toxic chemicals (including dioxin) by 

10 percent as reported in the Toxic Release 

Inventory (TRI), compared to 2001 levels. 

Broad Goals: Where RCC Wants To 

Be in 5-10 Years 

The RCC plans to continue its focus on priority chemicals 

and other Agency chemicals of concern. It will integrate 

the Agency’s activities that are focused on pollution 

prevention, reduction, and proper management of these 

chemicals in wastes and products. One activity to help 

achieve this goal will be to significantly expand the 

existing NPEP Program, a multifaceted effort designed to 

increase collaboration between RCC and the regulated 

community. 

Efforts to reduce the 31 priority chemicals will contribute 

to meeting both Government Performance and Results Act 

(GPRA) and pollution prevention goals. Identifying and 

targeting additional chemicals as priorities under the RCC 

will further supplement this principle. The RCC’s chemical 

reduction strategy will bring attention to other important 

chemicals identified by EPA and states, and reduction 

achievements will be documented in EPA’s Annual NPEP 

Trends Report. 

Additionally, the RCC will bolster the P2 program focused 

on High Volume Production Chemicals and other efforts 

such as the Green Suppliers Network. The RCC will also 

encourage industry and others to use certain tools like the 

PBT Profiler to self-assess and develop appropriate 

pollution prevention and toxic use reduction strategies. 

More information on these programs can be found on the 

P2 web site at www.epa.gov/p2. 

The RCC’s broad chemical reduction goals include: 

• Substituting priority and other toxic chemicals with safer

alternatives whenever possible; 

• Minimizing the amount of toxics used whenever

substitution is not possible; 

• Maximizing recycling whenever minimization or

substitution is not possible; 

• Cradle-to-cradle chemical management;

• Minimizing exposures to toxics, and the volume and

toxicity of waste through better product design; and 

• Exploring assessment tools and using available data to

quantify the realized risk reduction from priority and 

other toxic chemical programs. 

Strategic Targets: What We Want 

To Achieve 

• In the early years of the NPEP program, it was critical

that RCC develop relationships with priority chemical 

generators. For that reason, NPEP historically set 

ambitious numeric goals for the number of partners 

recruited. Now that the NPEP program has matured, the 

program has shifted to focus more on the type and 

amount of chemical reduction that each program 

participant can offer. The emphasis of the NPEP program 

is now on the number of pounds of priority chemicals 

reduced, and not simply on the number of partners 

recruited. 

• Between 2005 and 2008, part of the RCC priority

chemicals strategy will be to identify new candidate 

chemicals of national concern. By the end of 2005, the 

RCC will consider whether to identify additional 

substances to target for a 10 percent reduction by 2008. 

• Additional information can be found in the Action Plans

located on the RCC web page, www.epa.gov/rcc. 

14
V. Greening the Government 

As recognized in Executive Orders E.O. 13101, 

“Greening the Government through Waste 

Prevention, Recycling and Federal 

Acquisition;” E.O. 13148, “Greening the 

Government through Leadership in Environmental 

Management;” and E.O. 13123, “Greening the 

Government through Energy Efficient 

Management,” the federal government’s 

environmental footprint is immense. The federal 

government is the largest purchaser in the United 

States—buying the equivalent of roughly $250 

billion dollars worth of goods and services 

annually. The federal government also spends an 

additional $240 billion a year, indirectly, through 

grants and cooperative agreements. In addition, 

the buildings and landscapes that the federal 

government occupies have an effect on land, 

energy, natural resources, and on indoor and 

outdoor environments. The federal government 

owns nearly 500,000 buildings covering 3.1 

billion square feet, accounting for 0.4 percent of 

the nation’s energy use, and emitting about 2 

percent of all U.S. building-related greenhouse 

gases. 

Given the size of the U.S. government and the 

scope of its work (e.g., national parks, roads and 

highways, and revitalization efforts), the 

government not only has an opportunity, but also 

a responsibility to reduce its environmental 

impacts. The RCC’s focus in this area will produce 

a variety of benefits from avoiding waste 

generation and disposal, reducing pollutant 

emissions, conserving land, reducing production 

costs, habitat restoration, and expanding and 

creating markets for green products and services. 

“Greening” the government will promote each of 

the other principles described in this Strategy. 

Greening the Government – 

Principal Components 

Green Procurement

RCC’s goal is to influence the federal government 

to purchase products with green design and 

recycled content. RCC green products include, but 

are not limited to, office supplies, and building 

and landscaping supplies. They also encompass 

services that embrace environmentally preferable 

practices and/or solutions, such as green 

landscaping, green building construction and 

deconstruction, or green cleaning services. 

Recycling and Waste Prevention Programs

RCC seeks to increase awareness among all 

federal government employees of the benefits of 

avoiding the generation of waste material and 

the benefits of recycling and/or reuse of waste 

material whenever possible. By setting an 

example, the federal government can help build 

the necessary infrastructure needed to create 

successful and sustainable waste prevention and 

recycling programs across the United States. 

Scope 

Greening the government will complement and 

promote the other RCC principles outlined in this 

Strategy. This principle focuses on a variety of 

environmental issues associated with federal 

procurement, greening buildings and waste 

prevention, and federal, state, local, and tribal 

government recycling. It formalizes the direction 

of the RCC with respect to greening the 

government, and it highlights new areas where 

the RCC can serve in a leadership capacity. 

As stated previously, “greening” can be defined in 

a number of ways and can encompass a broad 

spectrum of environmentally preferable products, 

services and practices. Under this principle, 

Greening the Government includes: 

15
• Green Procurement. 

The acquisition and/or offering of goods and services 

with attributes that reduce the reliance on virgin or raw 

material, and that have a lesser or reduced effect on 

human health and the environment when compared with 

competing products or services that serve the same 

purpose. “Green” procurement includes products that are 

made with recycled content, are energy efficient, or have 

other environmentally preferable attributes, such as 

containing fewer toxic chemicals, or that can be recycled 

easily. 

• Green Buildings and Landscaping. 

The creation of federal buildings and their environs that 

are sustainable, conserve natural resources, and reduce 

pollution throughout their life cycles. Life cycles means 

siting and design, construction and demolition, 

operations and maintenance, and product reuse. This 

concept includes large-scale federal landscaping 

operations that use cost effective and environmentally 

preferable solutions and practices, such as reusing 

organic waste materials, conserving natural resources, 

and reducing the use of pesticides and other harmful 

chemicals. 

• Recycling and Waste Prevention Programs. 

Creating a culture of waste awareness that motivates 

everyone to avoid the generation of waste materials, and 

to recycle and/or reuse waste materials whenever they 

can. 

In addition to the RCC, many EPA offices work toward 

greening the federal government. In general, no one agency 

or department is responsible for making the federal 

government “green”. Rather, it is a shared responsibility. 

The targets outlined below align with the following Agency 

Strategic Plan goal: 

• Agency Goal 5.2: Improve Environmental Performance 

through Pollution Prevention and Innovation 

Sub-objective 5.2.1: Prevent pollution and promote 

environmental stewardship by government and the 

public. 

Broad Goals: Where We Want To 

Be in 5-10 years 

The RCC’s Greening the Government efforts for the next 

few years will focus on the broad goals below. As Greening 

of the Government already has established Agency and 

Federal workgroups, this list of RCC goals will be used in 

these discussions and inform the workgroups of potential 

RCC activities in this area. 

• Enlist all levels of federal management and procuring

officials to embrace the “buying green ethic” and to make 

it a priority. 

• Coordinate one seamless Greening the Government

program within EPA. 

• Make purchasing and reporting easier, including 

identifying green products or services. 

• Incorporate the Greening the Government concept into

EPA grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts, and 

encourage other federal agencies to do the same. 

• Measure success of the Greening the Government

program. 

• Establish criteria that recognize manufacturers for

practicing product stewardship and incorporating federal 

procurement guidelines. 

• Establish, implement, and improve waste prevention and

recycling efforts within EPA and encouraging other 

federal Agencies to do the same. 

• Have a certified Environmental Management System

(EMS) for EPA nationwide, and encourage other federal 

agencies to do the same. 

• Establish a disciplined approach to identify future

Greening the Government opportunities. 

16
Strategic Targets: What RCC 

Wants To Achieve 

• Gain internal EPA agreement that Greening the 

Government is one coordinated effort, rather than 

separate and distinct programs. 

• By 2005, establish a baseline on contract purchases that

meet the federal comprehensive procurement guidelines. 

Items from the Federal Procurement Data System will 

form the baseline, which can be used to track increases 

in compliance across the federal sector. 

• By 2006, reduce Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)-reported 

toxic chemical releases at federal facilities by 40 percent, 

from a baseline year of 2001. 

• By 2008, EPA will do its share to reach the national 

municipal solid waste recycling goal of 35 percent. 

• By 2008, RCC will go beyond compliance with executive

orders to green federal government operations in its 

purchases of green products and services from a baseline 

year of 2002. 

• By 2008, all federal agencies will have clearly defined

environmentally preferable purchasing programs in place 

pursuant to E.O. 13101 Goal 5.1.1. These agencies will 

then expand their purchases of available green products 

and services, measuring against their baseline. 

Green procurement policies are, for the most part, in place 

at the federal level. Statutes, executive orders, and policy 

statements require and encourage federal agencies to 

purchase and pilot green products and services across the 

government. Together, these policies direct the federal 

government to become leaders in this area, and to use their 

purchasing power to create markets for green products and 

services. The ultimate goals of the Greening the 

Government principle are to: 

• Implement a program that brings together all “Greening”

the Government Sections—green procurement of products 

and services, green buildings and landscaping, and 

recycling and waste prevention actions. 

• Encourage other federal agencies to move forward in

their greening activities and influence market 

development for green products and services. 

17
Attachment 

Environmentally Friendly Design (EFD)

Because of the life cycle nature that begins Because the United States government is the 

with product design, Environmentally largest purchaser in the nation, and therefore has 

Friendly Design (EFD) is a critical piece of a major effect on the products and services that 

each principle and integral to the success of all are produced, working in Greening the 

principles. The following illustrates EFD’s role and Government offers a tremendous opportunity to 

how it is incorporated into each principle: reduce environmental impact. Through green 

procurement, the government preferentially Product Stewardship is an expression of the selects many products and services based on one responsibility that designers, suppliers, or more of their environmental attributes, such as manufacturers, retailers, consumers/users, and paper made with recycled content. However, by disposers are undertaking on to help conserve considering all of the environmental attributes of resources, reduce waste, and ensure that products a product (life cycle management), designers and are used properly in order to protect human manufacturers may find that products can be health and the environment. redesigned to be entirely recycled, reused, or 

In Beneficial Use of Materials, developing made without toxic constituents. 

baseline data about the waste that exists and 

how it can be reused and recycled can influence 

decisionmaking during the design of products, For more information on EFD, please go to the 

resulting in reduced waste (i.e., cradle-to-cradle RCC webpage for EFD: 

or closed loop systems). Creating material flow http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/elem 

accounts can be a useful way to promote ents/design.htm. 

efficient materials management and provide 

designers with the information necessary to 

design environmentally friendly products. 

By continuing to emphasize Energy Conservation 

and resource recovery in product design, we can 

reduce the environmental impacts of energy 

production used for manufacturing, conserve 

national resources by recycling energy within the 

manufacturing process, encourage the use of 

innovative energy sources by both manufacturers 

and users, and reduce the amount of energy 

consumed by operators of electronic and fueldriven products. 

The Priority Chemicals principle discusses EPA’s 

approach to reducing use of certain chemicals. 

RCC can work with designers and manufacturers 

to create products with chemicals that have 

environmentally friendly profiles. 

18
Attachment 

List of 31 Priority Chemicals 

1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene Hexachloroethane 

1,2,4,5-Tetrachlorobenzene Methoxychlor 

2,4,5-Trichlorophenol Naphthalene 

4-Bromophenyl phenyl ether PAH Group (as defined in TRI) 

Acenaphthene Pendimethalin 

Acenaphthylene Pentachlorobenzene 

Anthracene Pentachloronitrobenzene 

Benzo(g,h,i)perylene Pentachlorophenol 

Dibenzofuran Phenanthrene 

Dioxins/Furans * Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) 

Endosulfan, alpha & Endosulfan, beta * Pyrene 

Fluorene Trifluralin 

Heptachlor & Heptachlor epoxide * Cadmium 

Hexachlorobenzene Lead 

Hexachlorobutadiene Mercury 

Hexachlorocyclohexane, gamma19
Attachment 

Acronyms

BFR Brominated Flame Retardants 

CPG Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines 

EFD Environmentally Friendly Design 

EMS Environmental Management Systems 

EO Executive Order 

EPA Environmental Protection Agency 

EPP Environmentally Preferred Purchasing 

MOU Memorandum of Understanding 

MSW Municipal Solid Waste 

NPEP National Partnership for Environmental Priorities 

OPPT Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics 

OSW Office of Solid Waste 

P2 Pollution Prevention 

PBTs Persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxics 

RCC Resource Conservation Challenge 

RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 

20