Grantee Research Project Results
1997 Progress Report: Development of a Model Pollution Prevention Diffusion Partnership for Small Business
EPA Grant Number: R824747Title: Development of a Model Pollution Prevention Diffusion Partnership for Small Business
Investigators: Forsythe, Randall D. , Wickliff, Alisa B.
Institution: University of North Carolina at Charlotte
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: October 1, 1995 through September 30, 1997
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 1996 through September 30, 1997
Project Amount: $180,000
RFA: Incentives and Impediments to Pollution Prevention (1995) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Sustainable and Healthy Communities , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development
Objective:
Major Grant Activities & Accomplishments This annual report highlights the 1997 year of activities in the grant program entitled "Development of a Model Pollution Prevention Diffusion Partnership for Small Business." Progress has been made in the three categorical endeavors of this research project: a. Development of a regional P2 network; b. Development of a "Green Star Business" program; and c. Implementation of a small business P2 Challenge Grant Program; and is discussed below. Each component has 1997 activities listed and at the end of each section key findings are provided.
Component A: Development of a Regional P2 Network
The EAO office has successfully identified avenues for continued development of its regional P2 network. The goal is to continue to broaden the network through regional partnering in order to better broadcast pollution prevention services to small businesses. There are three main thrusts in our approach to sustain and expand a regional P2 partnership: team building, program marketing , and regional P2 workshops. These thrusts are listed below.
Teaming
1997 Activities The two main components of teaming
include a program advisory board and partnerships in the regional community. The
Pollution Prevention Advisory Board met for the second time at the end of
February 1997 to discuss the goals and activities of the model P2 diffusion
program. A description of the Board was provided in the first annual report. The
primary goal of the meeting was to discuss the "Green Star Business" program
(discussed below). The Board will also play a major role in the evaluation of
the results of this program which will be included in the final report.
We have either developed or expanded partnerships in the region. These are listed below:
NC Cooperative Extension Service: The University has previously worked with the Gaston County Cooperative Extension Service Office on some regional environmental problems. We were able to successfully expand this linkage to include two pollution prevention workshops in cooperation with their county-wide Wellhead Protection Program.
Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC): Community colleges represent one of the main educational avenues for individuals entering technology-based trades. As such, we believe a regional office has a unique opportunity to work in partnerships with their efforts. We are working with the Graphic Arts Department at CPCC to prepare and promote pollution prevention through their semester Ink & Paper course required for all graphic arts majors. The staff also worked with us to prepare a regional document on pollution prevention for the printing industry.
Water Quality Coalition: Increasingly environmental initiatives are undertaken by community-based stakeholders or interagency-stakeholder coalitions. A regional office, as part of this community, has unique opportunities to participate within this community group. We participate in monthly meetings in a regional water quality coalition. The coalition consists of representatives from county recycling offices, stormwater, water quality, and cooperative extension offices. The forum and discussion provide a good overview of education and assistance needed to promote pollution prevention and conservation throughout the community.
The Printing Industry of the Carolinas, Inc. Trade groups represent a less regional organization but provide an avenue to approach a targeted high priority industry in a given community. We identified printers as a high priority P2 target in the Charlotte area and through research identified PICA as the most appropriate partner for our effort. PICA worked with us to develop a regional pollution prevention booklet for the printing industry and will be distributing the booklet to its nearly 400 members in the region.
Program Marketing
1997Activities The Office continues to
update and prepare marketing materials on the program and its activities. The
goal of program marketing is to seek community avenues for marketing P2. P2
marketing involves the preparation of "advertising" material and also its
dissemination in the community. To date, the Office has tried a significant
number of marketing products and avenues to distribute P2 information.
One successful means of establishing presence has been to create and disseminate an environmental P2 Quick Reference Card. Due to popular demand, we are currently distributing the third update of the Reference Card. We also mailed our third announcement of the Pollution Prevention Challenge Grant program to over 2,300 regional small businesses in June, 1997. We are in the process of preparing a new website for the office at: http://www.uncc.edu/envres/eaoforsb. We have developed P2 Pointers fact sheets that include an overview of P2 business elements, cost accounting, and internet sites that provide P2 case studies. These products have been distributed via direct mail to small businesses, through the news media, workshops and through community-based distribution such as the regional environmental regulatory office.
Regional P2 Workshops
1997Activities For this pilot program,
workshops have been found to be an essential component for regional P2 delivery.
These workshops build foundations for effective communication and action. Mutual
trust and respect emerge from the workshops and offer new bridges for P2
activity. The second annual pollution prevention conference was held in 1997. 31
participants attended the day-long training session on Pollution Prevention and
Cost Accounting. The workshop focused on identifying and considering all hidden
and less tangible impacts of pollution prevention investments. Sam Perkins,
president of GreenTech consulting, provided the materials and training. Three of
the Pollution Prevention Challenge Grant recipients were able to attend the
workshop and were asked to incorporate cost accounting into their final reports.
The office staff also participated in the fourth annual air source meeting for Mecklenburg County. This meeting is held once a year to present air regulatory information and pollution prevention opportunities for the 300+ permitted sources in the County.
1997 Key Findings
Developing a P2 Network through partnerships and program marketing is elemental to a successful regional diffusion program. This time consuming work is crucial to a successful outreach program. Creating strong partnerships in a time of limited non-profit dollars is key in the development of successful regional P2 outreach programs. Research is ongoing to catalog the successes of other regional urban P2 diffusion projects in terms of their financial structure and partnerships.
As community-based solutions become more commonplace for environmental problem-solving across the nation, intra-community P2 Programs need to be established in order to have the appropriate setting for involvement.
Component B: Development of a "Green Star Business" Program
1997 Activities
The Green Star Business Program has been the most challenging component of the program. The Advisory Board (PPAB) met in February 1997 to discuss the "Green Star Business" program. Alternatives and/or additions to existing environmental award programs were discussed. Based on research of national "green business" programs, it was suggested that we design a "user-friendly" program to identify environmental problems associated with businesses (typically small business and service agencies) that are most commonly patronized by a large segment of the population. Initially, printers, drycleaners, restaurants, and car washes were identified as target areas. Ideas for "green star business" products were discussed at length and included a debate on awards, informational pamphlets, reduction in environmental compliance fees, a "green business" directory, and an environmental calendar.
Based on the Board's advise, we began an eight-month research project to identify and survey the industry groups, regulators, and consumers for a "green star business" program. We concluded that many of our regional businesses recognize the value of being "green" but do not equate this with additional profit. At the same time, they also firmly believe that few consumers or users will reward businesses for "green" products or services.
New reports, however, indicate that many businesses and industries in other parts of the country have begun to recognize the value of being "green." Some have come to realize that creating wastes, energy, lost raw materials, or by-products, is an indication of inefficiency and higher production costs. An efficient industry is not only more environmentally responsible, but also has competitive advantages over its less efficient competitors. Despite these conflicting observations, our regional research indicates that the two primary reasons for a small business to be "green" is to avoid or reduce environmental restrictions, or because consumers demand "green" products and services. Additionally, we concluded that the consuming public needs reliable information about what is a responsible consumer. They need information on how to evaluate businesses and their products and services on an environmental impact scale.
Cost savings aside, it is apparent green business can only be as green as its consumers. Thus, our green business initiative has been strategically redesigned to educate and promote business clients. Currently we are working on an environmental calendar focused on pollution prevention through green consumerism. An environmental calendar is a means to educate consumers in an attractive and widely accepted fashion. We are in the final phase of preparing the "green" consumer calendar to be distributed to 25,000 college educated consumers. Each month of the year will have a picture and provide a lesson on an environmental topic. The topics will include energy conservation, chemicals and households, dining & lodging, and recycling and solid waste. Each subject will include a lesson and several practical pointers derived from the lesson. The calendar viewer will be presented with five questions related to the topic each month. Answers will be provided and will allow the viewer to grade his or her knowledge of the subject matter. For those seeking additional information, internet addresses will be offered. In the future, we plan to seek business sponsors to pick up the cost of continuing the calendar and, thus, linking specific business with the community goals of pollution prevention. The success of this Green Business Education Initiative will be measured by whether or not it can be sustained by green business advertising for its continuance.
1997 Key Findings
It has become apparent that the idea of a "green" business program is not main stream. Grass roots approaches are probably the only regional means to implement these programs via consumer-based education.
Component C: Pollution Prevention Challenge Grant Program
1997 Activities
The pollution prevention challenge grant program was designed to address the technical and financial barriers for implementing pollution prevention in small business. Through this pilot regional competitive grant program, we are continuing to research the benefits and the challenges of the program and its success in small businesses implementing pollution prevention.
Beginning in 1997, we have awarded 11 pollution prevention challenge grants to small businesses in the greater Charlotte area. One grant application was denied because is did not focus on pollution prevention. The companies that received grants available from our office. Grants were funded in two categories: audit+ (including a sound economic analysis) and alternative technology implementation. The program targets small businesses, provides only seed money (up to $2,000), and has a 50% matching or in kind contribution requirement. Audits must include cost benefit analysis, and thus this type grant is referred to as an 'audit+' grant. The second type of grant, is normally seen to follow after the conduct of an audit+ which has identified or targeted a problem with potential for P2. Each facility was visited by office staff at the initial phase of their project. Each facility is required to prepare a final report prior to receiving their final payment. These case studies are in the process of being evaluated and reviewed to make sure that there has been a sound cost accounting assessment for either the technology or the proposed activities set forth in the audit+ evaluation.
1997 Key Findings
Development and implementation of the competitive grant program has lead to a number of interesting conclusions in light of the perceived inadequacies in the current national and state models for P2 diffusion programs. First and foremost of these inadequacies, is that the majority of small businesses in the nation are underserved in the current P2 diffusion models. We know well what the regulatory costs would be for American small business if they were all brought under the regulatory umbrella. While individually, small businesses may not contribute significantly to waste loads, collectively, small businesses have a great impact. Thus, P2 delivery to the small business community remains one of the most outstanding challenge to the county's P2 efforts.
The P2 Challenge Grant program was a one-time experiment to investigate whether or not small incentive grants would be effective in overcoming diffusion obstacles mentioned above. Pollution prevention diffusion to small businesses faces 4 main perceived obstacles: a. communication, b. education, c. cost, and d. implementation.
a. Communication Our preliminary findings indicate that the P2 Challenge Grant program was extremely effective in making P2 more visible, within a regional framework, to small business. Our small, nominally funded program (with 50% match) provided an appropriate and essential avenue in motivating small businesses in the region to listening to P2 ideas.
The P2 Challenge Grant program was promoted by 3 mass direct mailings to regional small business with coinciding media releases that targeted 2,300 small businesses in the region. Over a two-year period this program marketing has generated over 100 general responses and requests for information; and 60 attendees for P2 workshops netting 12 grant awardees over an 18-month period.
b. Education Currently the educational challenges faced by small businesses are underestimated in existing P2 delivery models. Our research indicates that the level of P2 knowledge or literacy of small business operators if far below what is needed to take advantage of existing P2 diffusion delivery programs. Three observations that support this conclusion are:
* Over the last two years, the Office has worked onsite with 30+ businesses representing a large diversity of industry. These facilities range from service industries such as autobody, printing, and drycleaning to textile manufacturing. Few of these businesses (less than 35 percent) have any technical understanding of the pollution potential posed by the chemicals used at their facilities.
* Only one-third of the 12 grant recipients were capable of completing their one-page application for the P2 Challenge Grant program. The form had been deliberately simplified to a high school level of understanding.
* Age demographics of the workforce commonly found in small business operations can also limit P2 diffusion. Small business operations are typically biased towards middle to older owner/ operators posing a knowledge gap to P2 diffusion. It is not uncommon to find that the employee charged with environmental overview is a semi-retired owner or operator at the facility.
c. Costs The small, seemingly insignificant, grant program has been one of the keys to the success of this program. Few of the participants would have been engaged in P2 activity were it not for the incentive grants. The incentive grants were given for either a P2 audit+ or for alternative technology development. Based on advise from our Advisory Board, we promoted a P2 audit+ for the top dollar cost of $4000 per facility. That is, we would provide $2,000 per company and a company would match $2,000. Our research points to the fact that those grant recipients investing a 50% cost-matching have implemented P2 audit results. Subsequently, we believe these companies are more engaged in their P2 audit results than those facilities conducting a P2 opportunity audit without cost matching.
d. Implementation The P2 Challenge Grant Program was designed to promote implementation of P2 in a small business. Based on the Advisory Board discussion, the goal of the grant was to fund both an audit+ and alternative technology proposals. To-date, we have funded 5 alternative technologies and 6 audit+ proposals. At the current time only 1 or 2 of the audit+ grantees appear to be ready to move towards implementation via technology implementation.
Future Activities:
Plans for future research include bringing to conclusion both the Green Business and P2 Challenge Grant component of this regional small business P2 diffusion project. At this time, the Green Business program is in its main implementation phase. An assessment of both the consumer and small business value and merit of the green calendar will be assessed. Due to the shortness of time left in the grant, a small business survey will be developed to ascertain the merit and sustainability of a green business calendar for future annual distribution. Evaulating the Challenge Grant will be completed during the next 90 days. Three late-breaking grants have been approved for a 3-month cycle ending in May. A final impact assessment of all of the grants will be completed in order to fully assess the benefits of the program.Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 7 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Scientific Discipline, Geographic Area, Sustainable Industry/Business, cleaner production/pollution prevention, State, Economics, Social Science, waste reduction audit, small business, advisory board, challenge grant program, pollution prevention technology diffusion partnership, regional partnerships, product labeling, technical assistance, North Carolina (NC), pollution prevention, green star business programRelevant Websites:
http://www.smallbiz-enviroweb.org
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.