NEWS & PUBLICATIONS
Perlmutter Associates' Featured Publications...
ReThink Disposable Strategic Plan, 2023
This was a project to expand ReThink Disposable, a program of the national environmental organization Clean Water Action, from a west coast, mainly California, program to six states. ReThink Disposable works with restaurants and institutions to replace disposable plates, utensils, etc with reusable ones, making the economic case. I worked closely with CWA and ReThink staff, as well as an advisory committee of ReThink clients. The project had strong justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion elements.
City of Boston Zero Waste Recommendations, 2019
I convened team of experts from around the country to help the City and its Zero Waste Advisory Committee identify and chose policies and programs to reach Zero Waste. Our team evaluated the City’s waste management practices and presented relevant best practices from around the world. Based on this information, the Advisory Committee recommended to the Mayor 30 initiatives the City could undertake to become a Zero Waste City, meaning diverting 90% of its waste from disposal. These recommendations fall into the categories of reducing and reusing, recycling more, increasing composting, and inspiring innovation. We also provided the City with case studies and lessons on how several leading Zero Waste cities are educating their residents and business-people, and ways the city can include Zero Waste in its economic development strategy. More background information, recordings of the public meetings, and presentations from the meetings can be found on the City’s website.
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Zero Waste Plan
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Suggested Economic Development Approaches
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Case Studies on Zero Waste Outreach and Education
Advancing Safer Chemicals In Products: The Key Role of Purchasing, 2015
Information abounds about how and why to purchase more environmentally sustainable products. However, little has been written about how purchasing agents can drive, and are driving, the creation of products that are less toxic. I convened and facilitated an advisory committee of public and private sector experts in environmental purchasing, reviewed literature and purchasing guides, and interviewed leaders in the field. The report describes why purchasing safer products is important, how purchasers can drive the creation of more products with safer chemistries, and pros and cons of product certifications. It contains six case studies of public and private organizations succeeding in this work, and contains a list of helpful resources.The report was commissioned by the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, and was done with the support of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, The Responsible Purchasing Network, and the Green Electronics Council.
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Advancing Safer Chemicals In Products; The Key Role of Purchasing
An Agenda to Mainstream Green Chemistry, 2015
The Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3, now Change Chemistry) commissioned me to identify its role in making green chemistry become mainstream practice, the mission of the organization. There is a lot written about barriers and opportunities to advance green chemistry, yet we still have so many toxic products and processes. For this project (as with all my projects), I wanted to add add value, move the conversation forward, and lead to action-- not just repackage what had already been written. I facilitated an advisory committee made up of GC3 business members that met over the course of two years. I read literature, conducted interviews, facilitated meetings of GC3 members and others, and developed a report that, among other things, recommends five strategies that can lead to all chemistry becoming green chemistry. This document has helped informed the organization’s activities and strategic planning, and has been used and referenced by others inside and outside of the organization.
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An Agenda to Mainstream Green Chemistry
Implementation Recommendations for Recycling and Jobs in Massachusetts:
A Study of Current and Future Workforce Needs, 2013
This report was a follow-on to the report “Recycling and Jobs in Massachusetts: A Study of Current and Future Workforce Needs” (below). I convened and facilitated a task force comprised of people in the recycling industry and government workforce development practitioners. The goal was to identify ways that these two groups could work together more effectively to identify and fill workforce training needs. The process gave the workforce development professionals more insight into how the recycling industry worked, and showed that the recycling industry lacks understanding about services that workforce development professionals could provide them. The report includes recommendations to address these needs and gaps. The project was funded by SkillWorks, through the Northeast Recycling Council.
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Implementation Recommendations for Recycling and Jobs in Massachusetts: A Study of Current and Future Workforce Needs
Recycling and Jobs in Massachusetts, A Study of Current and Future Workforce Needs, 2012
While I had been previously involved in studies of the economic impacts of the recycling industry, this was interesting to me because it focused on the specific numbers and types of jobs that might be in demand going forward. It looked into experiences of companies and workers, and near-future trends. Its purposes were to understand whether Massachusetts’ recycling industry employment was growing or contracting, quantify the number and type of existing jobs and project future ones, understand factors influencing growth and contraction, and provide information to workforce development programs that would help them develop training to match industry needs. Working with Green LMI, JFY NetWorks, and Green Economy, a sampling of recycling companies was surveyed to find out their workforce challenges and needs. A separate focus group was also held with recycling workers to identify how they found their jobs and whether the fact that it was in the recycling or environmental field mattered. The research was funded by SkillWorks and MassDEP, with support from the Environmental Business Council of New England and MassRecycle.
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Recycling and Jobs in Massachusetts, A Study of Current and Future Workforce Needs
Clean Tech: An Agenda for a Healthy Economy- How Massachusetts Can be the Center of Clean Technology Innovations that Serve the World, December, 2007
This project looked at how Massachusetts can orient its economic development approach to encompass a range of clean technologies and make it a hub of clean tech innovation and adoption. Massachusetts was doing a good job of supporting clean energy technologies, but the Commonwealth had potential to lead in other clean technologies as well, which were largely being ignored. I was hired by the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production to develop and implement the project approach and develop the final recommendations. The work included research, interviews, facilitation of an advisory committee, a series of focus groups on different topics and in different regions of the state, and writing three reports. The project identifies five areas of clean tech where Massachusetts leads (materials reuse, green buildings, certain advanced materials, clean energy, and green chemistry), and provides overarching recommendations for clean tech economic development as well as for each of the five technology areas. By creating a comprehensive clean tech economic development strategy that crossed existing environmental silos, synergies could be created that would further support and grow these industries. The recommendations are still timely, especially with the interest in the Green New Deal.
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Clean Tech: An Agenda for a Healthy Economy
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Clean Tech Policy Recommendations
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Clean Tech: Initial Report on ‘An Agenda for a Healthy Economy'
Articles/Op Eds...
Five Strategies to Accelerate Green Chemistry
GreenBiz, March 7, 2016
“The Rise of the Non-Toxic Buyer: 6 Case Studies on Safer Chemistry.”
GreenBiz, November 12, 2015
Charting a Path to Make Green Chemistry Mainstream
GreenBiz. April 3, 2015
Timberland, Seventh Generation Take Green Chemistry Mainstream.
With Monica Becker. GreenBiz. January 10, 2014
Recycling Trash Still Beats Incineration
Boston Globe Letter to the Editor, December, 2012
Recycling in New York
New York Times Letter to the Editor,October, 2011
Recycling is Still Our Best Option
Boston Globe Letter to the Editor, January 17, 2009
A Place for Clean Technology
With Joel Ticker. Boston Globe Op Ed, October 6, 2008
In the News ...
Boston Unveils New Composting Plan
WGBH Radio, June 2019
"Can Cities Ever Reach Absolute Zero (Waste)?"
Next City Magazine, April 15, 2019
Big Ideas in Play as Boston Zero Waste Advisory Committee Convenes for First Time
Waste Dive, February 2018
Listen Up America: You Need To Learn How To Recycle. Again
Wired Magazine, 2015
Are Big Blue Bins Bad For Recycling? A Story Of High Hopes, Human Nature, And Flawed Green Initiatives.
Boston Globe Magazine, 2013
Energy, Environment, and the Bottom Line
NY Times Energy and Environment Blog, April 14, 2009
Local Clean Technology Lauded
Metrowest Daily News, 2008
How San Francisco’s Discarded Cans Are Recycled To Aid Mining in Utah
Washington Post, May 5, 1991