WASTE

 REDUCTION  STRATEGY  2010  

ELEANOR  ROTHMAN  

 
 
 

 
 

WASTE  REDUCTION  STRATEGY  2010  

For  the  Los  Angeles  architecture  firm  
 
 
 
 
 
By  Eleanor  Rothman  
Frederick  Fisher  and  Partners  Architects  
July  2010  

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 WASTE  REDUCTION  STRATEGY  2010  
ELEANOR  ROTHMAN  

WASTE  REDUCTION  STRATEGY  

By  Eleanor  Rothman  
 
  Between  sampling  products,  making  models,  printing  plots,  studying  magazines,  and  using  
electronic  software,  architecture  firms  are  constantly  in  demand  of  materials.    Yet  no  materials  
have  a  permanent  home  in  our  offices.    Consequently,  we  end  up  producing  a  huge  amount  of  waste.    
With  every  mis-­‐measured  foam  roofing  model  or  outdated  sample,  we  send  a  complicated  and  
valuable  material  to  be  thrown  away.  
Yet  “away”  no  longer  exists,  and  you  can’t  “throw”  anything  there.    The  action  is  obsolete.    
Our  world  is  spinning  towards  the  day  when  disposal  becomes  impossible  and  all  waste  must  be  
accounted  for.  
In  fact,  that  day  is  almost  upon  us.    Thus  it  is  imperative  that  individuals  and  company  
leaders  implement  sustainable  practices  in  their  lives  and  businesses.    Below  is  a  guide  for  the  first  
steps  in  waste  reduction  and  responsibility.    Take  a  moment  to  review  these  guidelines  and  do  your  
part,  however  insignificant  it  may  feel.  
Remember  that  America’s  mentality  is  shifting.    Our  youth  is  no  longer  learning  about  
garbage  facilities  or  even  recycling:  they  are  learning  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  waste.  
 
 
REDUCE  
Use  the  internet.  
Many  companies  are  switching  to  the  internet  to  display  their  product  information.    Try  to  avoid  
ordering  samples  and  product  binders  by  using  online  sources  whenever  possible.    This  will  also  
open  up  space  in  your  office.  
 
Know  your  sources.  
Always  opt  for  the  eco-­‐minded  brand.1    When  that  isn’t  possible,  order  LOCALLY.    For  a  Los  Angeles  
based  firm,  samples  from  California  are  inherently  more  sustainable  than  samples  from  Italy.    
 
Order  efficiently.  
In  order  to  minimize  driving/shipping  emissions,  limit  your  sample  orders  to  what  you  actually  
need  and  order  them  in  one  shipment.  
 
REUSE  
Contact  the  representative.  
Often,  companies  producing  material  samples  will  reclaim  them  for  reuse  or  recycle  in  their  own  
facilities.    Such  organizations  include  Shaw  Carpet  and  Heath  Ceramics.    Some  of  these  reps  accept  
products  from  other  companies,  so  give  them  a  call.  
 
Email  the  office.  
Many  of  our  samples  have  great  artistic  possibilities.    Odds  are  someone  in  the  office  is  interested  in  
the  materials  you  are  looking  to  discard.    Send  out  a  friendly  email  to  your  coworkers  and  you  may  
get  some  hits.  
 
Post  an  ad.  
In  a  metropolitan  Mecca  like  Los  Angeles,  people  are  always  looking  for  something,  especially  
something  free.    Post  an  ad  for  your  materials  on  one  of  Southern  California’s  many  selling  and  
trading  sites,  and  you’re  sure  to  get  plenty  of  hits  and  discover  exciting  projects.    Start  with  
Craigslist  (www.craigslist.com)  and  Freecycle  (www.freecycle.org),  then  move  on  to  government  

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 WASTE  REDUCTION  STRATEGY  2010  
ELEANOR  ROTHMAN  

sponsored  trading  cites  such  as  LACoMax  (http://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/lacomax/)  and  CalMax  

(http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/calmax/).2  
 
Create  a  contact  list.  
As  you  receive  responses  to  your  posting,  inquire  as  to  whether  the  responders  would  like  to  be  
notified  during  future  cleanouts.    Add  any  reliable  persons  to  a  contact  list  (at  my  office,  we  call  it  
our  “Trash  to  Treasure”  list).    Then,  during  future  cleanouts,  you  will  have  a  solid  base  to  start  with.  
 
RECYCLE  
Get  with  the  program.  
There  are  plenty  of  available  recycling  programs  for  businesses  in  Los  Angeles,  CA.3    Use  them.  
 
Do  your  research.  
Know  which  materials  are  recyclable  and  which  aren’t.4    Use  the  cans  accordingly.  
 
Don’t  be  lazy.  
Though  there  may  be  a  trashcan  conveniently  located  under  your  desk,  get  some  exercise  and  walk  
the  extra  ten  feet  to  the  recycling  bin.    It  won’t  take  a  significant  chunk  out  of  your  day.  
 
 

RESOURCES  
1  Green  products:  

 
Carpet:  Shaw  Contract  Group  
Dalton,  GA  
www.shawcontractgroup.com    
(800)  257-­‐7429  
• Cradle  to  Cradle  Silver,  NSF  140,  CRI  Green  Label  Plus,  Good  Environmental  Choice  
certification.  
• 100%  recyclable  with  recycling  services  included.  
 
Ceiling/wall:  Phonstop  Acoustic  Ceiling  and  Wall  Tiles    
Minneapolis,  MN  
(800)  662-­‐0032  
• 100%  post-­‐consumer  recycled  glass  bottles.  
• NRC  0.90  (same  as  standard  insulation).  
• Automatically  Class  1  fire  retardant.  
 
Fabic:  Textus  Commercial  Textiles  
Irvine,  CA  
www.themomgroup.com  
(949)  833-­‐8886,  (800)  366-­‐6839  
• ISO  14001  company.  
• Terratex  100-­‐percent  recycled  polyester  (from  pre-­‐consumer  sources)  
• MBDC  Gold  certified  fabrics  such  as  the  antimony-­‐free,  recyclable  Eco-­‐Intelligent  polyester  
and  Climatex  Lifecycle  made  from  wool  and  ramie.  

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 WASTE  REDUCTION  STRATEGY  2010  
ELEANOR  ROTHMAN  

• Eco  Wool  fabrics  processed  without  pesticides;  using  biodegradable  detergents  that  
minimize  water  pollution;  vegetable  oil  lubricants  rather  than  mineral  oil;  and  
environmentally  friendly  dyes.  
• 72  percent  lower  CO2  emissions  compared  with  conventional  wool  products.  
 
Flooring:  Nova  Distinctive  Floors  Floating  Cork  Flooring    
Carson,  CA  
www.novafloorinSgs.com  
(866)  576-­‐2485  
• Made  from  recycled  wine  stoppers.  
• Glueless.  
• FSC  Certified.  
• 10-­‐  to  20-­‐year  warranty.  
 
Lighting:  Lunera  Commercial  LED  Fixtures  
Redwood  City,  CA  
www.lunera.com  
650-­‐241-­‐3875  
• Dimmable  commercial  LED  fixtures  with  higher  energy  efficiency,  lower  operating  cost,  and  
improved  environmental  impact.  
• Design  and  manufacture  ceiling  grid  lay-­‐in  and  suspended  fixtures  that  replace  fluorescents.  
• Develop  application-­‐specific  task  lighting.  
 
Tile:  Eco  by  Cosentino  
Stafford,  TX  
www.ecobycosentino.com  
(866)  579-­‐4ECO  
• Cradle  to  Cradle  and  Greengaurd  certified.  
• 75%  recycled  content  composed  of  post-­‐industrial  or  post-­‐consumer  materials.  
• Bound  by  an  environmentally  friendly  resin  which  comes  in  part  from  corn  oil.  
 
Wood:  Black  Locust  Lumber  
Lewistown,  PA  
www.blacklocustlumber.com  
 (908)  735-­‐9645  
• Grown  locally  in  North  America.  
• Fast  grown,  sustainably  logged  and  un-­‐endangered  tree.  
• Extremely  durable.  
 
2  How  to  post  an  ad:  

 
i. Always  be  skeptical  when  dealing  with  strangers  over  the  internet.    When  posting  an  ad,  you  
need  to  draw  hits  and  provide  information.    Yet  there  is  a  delicate  balance  to  be  maintained.    
Never  display  your  phone  number,  address,  or  email  address  upon  initial  communication.    In  
addition,  feel  free  to  ask  general  information  of  your  responders.    It  is  entirely  within  your  
rights  to  establish  his  or  her  legitimacy  before  making  contact.  
ii. First  responders  aren’t  the  best  responders!    Don’t  feel  you  have  to  give  your  goods  away  to  
the  first  person  showing  interest.    Give  the  ad  some  time  and  choose  the  most  valuable  causes  
that  appear.  

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 WASTE  REDUCTION  STRATEGY  2010  
ELEANOR  ROTHMAN  

iii. Below  is  an  example  of  a  successful  ad  I  posted  on  Craigslist  a  few  weeks  ago:  
 
Title: Art & Construction Materials, FREE

Body: MARBLE, TERRAZZO, LIMESTONE, SLATE, STEEL, WOOD, CONCRETE,

ALUMINUM, LINOLEUM, GLASS, STUCCO, ETC.

Architecture firm looking for SUSTAINABLE/CREATIVE WAY of disposing of their valuable

material samples.

If interested, please contact us with the following information:

-Name
-General location
-Reason for desiring materials
-Proposal for use of materials

We will only donate our materials to a cause we feel is artistically, economically, or

environmentally productive for the city of Los Angeles. Hurry, materials are going fast!

Thank you, we look forward to receiving your responses.  

 
This  ad  was  successful  because  it  incorporates  a  large  number  of  keywords  that  buyers  may  be  
entering  into  search  engines.    Also,  by  requesting  information,  I  was  able  to  select  the  best  causes  
around  the  city  to  which  we  can  donate  our  materials  in  the  future.  
 
3  Recycling  programs:  

 
All  recyclable  waste:  Los  Angeles  Bureau  of  Sanitation  
Department  of  Public  Works,  Bureau  of  Sanitation  
Solid  Resources  Citywide  Recycling  Division  (SRCRD)  
(213)  485-­‐2260  
SRCRD@lacity.org  
• Call  for  a  consultation,  recycling  guide,  or  to  set  up  a  recycling  program  in  your  office.  
 
Cans,  glass,  plastic:  Los  Angeles  Conservation  Corporation  
(213)  749-­‐3601  
3655  South  Grand  Avenue,  Suite  280  
Los  Angeles,  CA.    90007  
www.lacorps.org    
• This  nonprofit  Los  Angeles  organization  will  come  to  your  office  and  pick  up  your  cans,  
glass,  and  plastics  for  free.    Service  is  less  reliable,  but  if  your  office  is  on  a  tight  budget,  
programs  like  the  LA  Conservation  Corp  are  good  options.  
 
Electronic  waste:  Best  Buy  
West  LA:  Store  109  
11301  W  Pico  Blvd  
Los  Angeles,  CA  90064  
http://stores.bestbuy.com/109/2009/04/24/go-­‐green-­‐at-­‐best-­‐buy-­‐with-­‐recycling-­‐your-­‐old-­‐
electronics/  

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ELEANOR  ROTHMAN  

• Bring  your  electronic  waste  to  the  Best  Buy  West  LA  branch  and  they  will  recycle  it  for  you.    
If  it  is  gently  used,  you  can  exchange  it  for  a  gift  card.  
 
4  Recyclable  vs.  non-­recyclable:  

Yes, It is Recyclable No, It is NOT Recyclable

Paper Paper
Newspaper Plastic or wax coated paper and cartons
Paper board Frozen food boxes
Cardboard, corrugated boxes Microwave food boxes
Cardboard cereal & cracker boxes, etc. Wax cereal/cracker box liners
6-pack cartons Books
Brown grocery bags Gummed or glued bindings
Magazines Paper towels, napkins, tissue paper
Glossy paper Paper plates, soiled paper
Junk mail Adhesive backed or sticky notes
Stationery & envelopes Carbon paper, thermal fax paper
Any high grade/uncoated paper Aluminum foil boxes
Binder/notebook paper, any color Fast food wrappers
Telephone books Pet food bags
Yes, It is Recyclable No, It is NOT Recyclable
Plastic, Glass, Aluminum Plastic, Glass, Aluminum
Aluminum cans, foil, trays Aerosol cans
Tin cans & bi-metal cans Ovenware
Glass bottles, jars (empty & rinsed) Ceramics
Any color glass bottles or jars Windowpane glass or Mirror
All plastic food containers #1 & #2, most #5,
Plastic wrap
some #4
Plastic bottles and containers, such as
All wax laminated cartons/containers, such as
shampoo, detergent, bleach, milk, soda, water,
milk cartons, juice boxes & soy milk boxes
and aspirin containers, etc.
Microwave food trays Plastic motor oil bottles

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 WASTE  REDUCTION  STRATEGY  2010  
ELEANOR  ROTHMAN  

Polystyrene #6 Foamcore
 
LA  County  Department  of  Public  Works  http://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/Recycling/what.cfm    

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