Instructions for Filling in the Environmental Benefits Fact Sheet

The underlined text in the Environmental Benefits Fact Sheet represents pieces of information extracted from Worksheet 2 in NERC's Environmental Benefits Calculator.  Below are the facts as they appear in the Fact Sheet and the location of the Calculator sources for each. Remember to update the year throughout the Fact Sheet.  Please also note, the Fact Sheet is written as if the Calculator user inputted source reduction and reuse figures, in addition to recycling figures.  Feel free to tailor the Fact Sheet if you did not report source reduction and reuse figures. 

FACT - [Area Name]'s recycling provided industry with an environmentally preferable source of materials. 

[Area Name]'s municipal and commercial recycling programs supplied X tons of scrap commodities such as paper, glass, metals, plastics, wood, computers, and construction & demolition (C&D) materials for use in the making of new products."

• The underlined Xis from Worksheet 2, Table 1; Column B - Tons Recycled;   TOTAL – ALL MATERIALS (Field B53).

Please note: your Area Name may report only residential data, thus delete the word "commercial" in the Fact Sheet.  Please also compare the commodities entered in Worksheet 1 Data Inputs to what is listed in the Fact Sheet, and edit the paragraph above to make sure the material types match.

FACT - Greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by [Area Name]'s source reduction, reuse and recycling.

[Area Name]'s source reduction, reuse and recycling reduced greenhouse gas emissions by X metric tons of carbon equivalents per year, which is equivalent to approximately X% of all industrial carbon equivalent emissions from fossil fuel combustion in [State] and X% of greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)."

• The first underlined X is from the addition of two figures in Worksheet 2; Table 2; Column E - Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Source Reduction and Reuse Compared to Disposal (MTCE);  TOTAL-ALL MATERIALS(Field E132) + Table 3; Column E - Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Recycling as Compared to Disposal (MTCE); TOTAL-ALL MATERIALS (Field E181).
  
• The second underlined X is from Worksheet 2; Table 4; Column E - Source Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Emission Reductions as a Percent of Emissions from Source; Total Major CO2 Emission Sectors From Fossil Fuel Combustion(Field E239).
  
• The third underlined X is from Worksheet 2; Table 4; Column E - Greenhouse Gas Savings Comparisons; Source Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Emission Reductions as a Percent of Emissions from Source; Total Major GHG Emission Sources (Field E234).

FACT - [Area Name]'s source reduction, reuse and recycling saved energy.

[Area Name]'s source reduction, reuse and recycling efforts saved a total of X trillion BTUs of energy, equal to nearly X% of all energy used by industry in [State].  This is equivalent to X gallons of gasoline.  It represents the amount of energy that would be required to power X homes for one year in [Area Name]."

• The first underlined X is from the addition of two figures in Worksheet 2 (with a simple conversion from Million BTUs to Trillion BTUs).  The first figure is from Table 5a; Column E - Net Energy Consumption from Source Reduction and Reuse Compared to Disposal (Million BTUs); TOTAL-ALL MATERIALS(Field E288).  The second figure is from Table 6a; Column E - Net Energy Consumption from Recycling as Compared to Disposal (Million BTUs); TOTAL-ALL MATERIALS (Field E385).

• The second underlined X is from Worksheet 2; Table 7; Column C - Source Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Energy Savings as a Percentage of Each Sector & Source Consumption; Industrial (Field C485).

• The third underlined X is from the addition of two figures in Worksheet 2.  The first figure is from Table 5b; Column D - Gas Saved (Gallons); TOTAL-ALL MATERIALS (Field D332).  The second figure is from Table 6b; Column D - Gas Saved (Gallons); TOTAL-ALL MATERIALS (Field D467).

• The fourth underlined X is from the addition of two figures in Worksheet 2. The first figure is from Table 5b; Column H - Energy Savings in Per ‘Average' Household (No. of Houses/Year); TOTAL-ALL MATERIALS (Field H332). The second figure is from Table 6b; Column H; TOTAL-ALL MATERIALS (Field H467).

FACT - [Area Name]'s recycling reduced air and water pollution.

The recycling of paper, plastic, glass, aluminum cans, and steel cans in [Area Name] resulted in reductions of X metric tons of water pollutants and X metric tons of air pollutants (not including the greenhouse gas reductions already discussed).  Recycling reduced emissions of sulfur oxides (SOx), an important ingredient in acid rain formation, by X metric tons; an amount equal to more than X% of all such emissions from electrical utilities in the state. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) were reduced by X metric tons; an amount equal to X% of emissions from [State]'s electrical utilities."

• The first underlined X is from Worksheet 2; Table 9; Column H - Net Emissions from Recycling as Compared to Disposal (Metric Tons); Total Waterborne Wastes (Field H580).

• The second underlined X is from the subtraction of Worksheet 2; Table 9; Column D - Net Emissions from Recycling as Compared to Disposal (Metric Tons); Carbon Dioxide (Field D569) from Table 9; Column D - Net Emissions from Recycling as Compared to Disposal (Metric Tons); Total Air Emissions (Field  D582).

• The third underlined X is from Worksheet 2; Table 9; Column D - Net Emissions from Recycling as Compared to Disposal (Metric Tons); Sulfur Oxides (Field D 581).

• The forth underlined X is from Worksheet 2; Table 10; Column D - Recycling Reductions as a Percentage of Acid Rain Emissions from Electrical Utilities; Sulfur Oxides (Field D610).

• The fifth underlined X is from Worksheet 2; Table 9; Column D - Net Emissions from Recycling as Compared to Disposal (Metric Tons); Nitrogen Oxides (Field D578).

• The sixth underlined X is from Worksheet 2; Table 10; Column D - Recycling Reductions as a Percentage of Acid Rain Emissions from Electrical Utilities; Nitrous Oxides (Field D609).

FACT - [Area Name]'s recycling conserved natural resources.

By recycling nearly X tons of scrap metal in [year], [Area Name]'s recycling efforts reduced the need for virgin materials by twice that amount, including X tons of iron ore, X tons of coal and X tons of limestone.  By recycling X tons of mixed paper, newsprint, phone books and office paper in [year], [Area Name] reduced the need to cut X trees.  On average, a live tree removes 60 pounds per year of air pollution from the environment."

• The first underlined X is from Worksheet 2; Table 13; Column B - Tons Recycled; Ferrous Steel (Field B682).

• The second underlined X is from Worksheet 2; Table 13; Column G - Total Resources Saved;Ferrous Steel (Field G682).

• The third, fourth, and fifth underlined Xs are from Worksheet 2; Table 13; Iron Ore Saved (Field C682); Coal Saved (Field D682); and Limestone Saved (Field E682).

• The sixth underlined X is from the addition of two figures in Worksheet 2; Table 13; Column B; Mixed Paper, Newsprint and Phone Books (Field B683) + Office Paper (Field B684).