Sustainability and Energy Action Plan

CONSUMPTION AND MATERIALS GRANTS PASS SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY ACTION PLAN Consumption and Materials The ways in which the City of Grants Pass consumes, sources, and disposes of all materials is another significant contributor to its sustainability. Solid waste currently contributes an estimated 470 MTCO2e, or nearly 9 % of the total to the City's overall emissions.72 The City spends an estimated $340,000 on waste disposal annually.73 Reducing consumption and making sustainable purchasing decisions in this area can make for substantial savings, significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions/livability improvements, and the difference between functionality and failure in the event of a natural disaster. In order to meet overall Plan goals, the goals for the Consumption and Materials section of the Plan are to 1) reduce the City’s long -term costs associated with consumption and waste disposal ; 2) reduce GHG emissions associated with consumption and waste disposal ;3) improve resiliency of waste management by keeping the ultimate destination for waste more local when possible ; 4) incorporate sustainability standards into all City purchasing decisions ; and 5) create a dialogue between a standing committee and waste haulers on sustainability improvement options Projects in this section follow a traditional reduce, reuse, recycle approach, as well as materials selection improvements and changes in disposal methods beyond an expanded availability of recycling in order to produce reductions in solid waste emissions. 68