Recycling and Green Purchasing 101 Required for all State Agencies

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• Recycling and Green Purchasing 101Required for
  all State Agencies
• Rachel Eckert
• NC Pollution Prevention

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NC Legislation for Agencies

• General Statues 130A-309.14143-58.2.3
• Addresses procurement of recycled content and EPP
  products and services, particularly paper
• Executive Order 156
• Addresses sustainability, waste reduction,
  recycling, recycled content purchases, and EPP
• Requires RC paper and equipment that can handle
  it
• Annual Report required on recycling and recycled
  content purchases, DUE NOVEMBER 15th

Focus Area More energy efficient, less toxic,
less polluting, and which generate less waste
overall
Required Recycling Aluminum, Recyclable glass,
Plastic bottles, Newspaper, Sorted office paper
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COLLECTIONS, MANUFACTURING, BUYING RECYCLED
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Reduce

• GS Establish and implementa solid waste
  reduction program for materials used inagency
  operations.
• EO Requires source reduction, particularly for
  office paper
• Requires two-sided printing, duplex copying, and
  using electronic communication
• EO Encourages reusable over disposable, more
  durable, recyclable, and products delivered with
  minimal packaging

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Reducing Your Waste Responsibilities

• Put the burden on the suppliers and manufacturers
• Make copiers and printers meet specifications
  including accepting recycled content or other
  environmental papers and have a double-sided
  printing function
• Ask engine manufacturers to accept re-refined
  motor oil
• Include take-back clauses, particularly for
  electronics and other big ticket items, making
  supplier responsible for disposal
• Purchase in bulk, purchase locally, participate
  in cooperative purchasing
• Lease large ticket items (like photocopiers),
  giving the disposal problem back to the vendor
  and encouraging product stewardship on the part
  of manufacturers

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I try to tell people to recycle!

• But they just dont listen

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Pointers

• Getting non-recyclers to start VS Keeping current
  recyclers informed and energized
• How to use Prompts (such as signs, stickers,
  mailers, bill stuffers)
• Helpful resources (interns, senior centers,
  nonprofits, partners)

Encouraging non-recyclers
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Working Your Programs

• In a nut shell
• Identify perceived and actual barriers
• Select tools to help overcome barriers
• Pilot project to develop commitment and community
  norms
• Evaluate, fine tune, and implement

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Whatcha Need

• Current policies and procedures
• Contracts and specifications
• Training Manuals
• Website
• Buy-in

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Key Elements of a Policy

• Integrate policy in purchasing department
• Get key personnel involved
• Review your current purchasing policies and look
  for any contract language that may hinder green
  purchasing
• Consider elements you want to emphasize
• Research policies in place in organizations
  similar to yours
• Spread the news - make sure suppliers,
  purchasers, and users know about policy

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Getting Specific

• Establish a preference for recycled content
  products
• Create minimum content standards
• Federal agencies paper has to have a minimum of
  30 post-consumer content (EO 13101)
• Set goals, or a series of goals
• NC agencies goal to purchase only recycled
  content paper by 2001
• Institute a price preference for EPPs
• Allow a 5 or 10 price differential for products
  that have green attributes

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Definitions
buying recycled purchasing products that
contain materials diverted from the solid waste
stream
environmentally ? preferable ? procurement   purch
asing goods and services that have a lesser or
reduced effect on human health and the
environment in their manufacture, use, and
disposal when compared to other goods and
services that serve the same purpose
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RE3 tools
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Buying EPP durable VS disposable

• Plastic Lumber VS Wood
• Fluorescent VS Incandescent
• Lithium VS Alkaline
• Refillable/Rechargeable VS Disposable
• Green Building energy, water, building
  position, lights, windows, heating, air
  conditioning

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Do Inventory

• Paper - photocopier/printer paper, notebooks and
  notepads, note cards, post-its, folders,
  calendars, envelopes
• Supplies - pencils, pens, scissors, tape
  dispensers, toner cartridges
• Technology - computers, photocopiers, printers,
  lights
• Vehicle related - cars, oil, diesel
• Cleaning products - cleaners, trash can liners,
  trash cans, paper towels, toilet tissue
• Building materials paint, benches, mulch,
  carpet, furniture
• Water related shower heads, urinals, toilets

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Some EPP Attributes

• Recycled content
• Durability
• Maintenance
• Recyclability
• Disposal
• Energy efficiency
• Water efficiency

• Raw materials acquisition
• Production
• Manufacturing
• Packaging
• Distribution and transportation methods
• Operation

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Pick your battles

• Use resources for attribute lists
• EPAs Database and Green Seal
• EPAs Menu of Attributes
• Or, brainstorm your own list
• Search the web for studies already done, copy and
  share
• Not all attributes are applicable to your use and
  location
• Chose a concise list to consider be efficient
• Make an impact

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Paper Procurement

• GS Required it is the goal of the State that
  each department, institution, agency, community
  college, and local school administrative unit
  purchase paper and paper products with recycled
  content - at least 50 of the total amount
  spent during the FY by June 1997
• EO - Recycled paper required for all paper
  purchases by FY 2001
• EO - Photocopy machines and laser printers must
  be able to utilize recycled content paper

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More Paper Comparisons
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Procurement Specifics EO

• Electronic office equipment Energy Star
  compliant
• Remanufactured used equipment purchasing
  preference
• Vehicles less polluting fuels, highest
  available mpg

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Easy Energy Switches

• Energy Star - EPA program promoting energy
  efficiency in appliances and office equipment
  www.energystar.gov/
• Consider NC Green Power www.ncgp.org/
• Compact Fluorescents replacement for
  incandescent bulbs last 3-5 times as longer and
  saves energy as well
• State Energy Office www.energync.net/

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Vehicular Opportunities

• Re-refined motor oil
• On STC/American Petroleum Institute (API)
  Certified
• Retread tires
• Alterative Fuel Vehicles
• 3,317 in State Motor Pool (propane gas, ethanol,
  or compressed natural gas)
• States primary alternate fuel is E-85 costs
  about 0.27 more/gal
• Public Biodiesel tanks in Durham, Cary, and
  Garner at equal cost
• Hybrid cars
• 46 in State Motor Pool
• Triangle Clean Cities www.trianglecleancities.org
  /index.shtml
• Alternative Fuels Data Center www.eere.energy.gov
  /afdc/

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State Agency Accomplishments 2006

• 76 of paper products purchased had recycled
  content
• 1/3 reached 90 recycled content paper purchases
• 21 agencies, four more than last year, met the
  100 goal

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State Agency Accomplishments 2006

• Agencies spent 11.8 million on non-paper
  recycled products
• Base purchasing decisions on full environmental
  impact versus one-time cost
• Join NC Sustainability listserv and participate
  in NC Project Green

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Cleaning Products

• Recycled content paper towels, napkins, and
  toilet tissue
• Cleaners, trash can liners, trash cans
• Water related shower heads, urinals, toilets

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Honors Classes Sustainability

• Assess impacts of facility and operations on
  heath and safety, environmental quality, land
  use, and resource conservation
• Capital improvements energy efficient, water
  conservation, land preservation
• Facilities management reduce energy and fuel
  consumption, conserve water, minimize emissions
• Vehicle use and transportation alternative
  fueled or low emission vehicles, carpool,
  flex-time, telecommuting

EO
Required Environmental Sustainability Officer
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Other Products to Consider

• Organic foods
• Biobased products
• Building materials paint, benches, mulch,
  compost, carpet, furniture
• Green building
• Energy water efficient, clean air, paint,
  carpet, windows, lighting, wood, and much more
• NC Green Building www.ncgreenbuilding.org/site/nc
  g/index.cfm
• US Green Building Council www.usgbc.org

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Pointers and Priorities

• EPP, not a new process, just more attributes
• Still consider
• Price
• Performance
• Availability
• just add an environmental flavor!
• Look for labels Recycled, organic, sustainably
  harvested

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Green Purchasing means

• Quality products at competitive prices while
  protecting the environment
• Considering the effects of your purchasing
  decisions
• Our recycling markets improve and cost of green
  products is driven down as demand increases
• Allowing for full cost accounting rather than
  linear thinking in regards to costs
• Buying durable over disposable
• Purchasing with Environmental Flavor
• Does NOT ask or require that you buy
• sub-standard products!!

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Now What?
policyteaminventoryevaluate--review

• Create a Green Team
• Consider interests of your organization and focus
  on products that make an impact
• Research for specifications - Put your own twist
  on it!
• Make sure products work ask for feedback from
  users
• Use it or lose it depending on performance
• Edit specifications depending on availability
• Continue efforts! Demand can change the way
  products are made.
• Share your specifications, policies, and products
  with others

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Did someone ask for a Tutor?

• Supported by DPPEA providing technical
  assistance, education, and training
• NC Project Green
• CRA Collegiate Group
• E-Procurement
• RE3

EO
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Where to Look for Products and Specs

• Existing vendors
• State/Federal Contract
• Internet resources
• Trade exhibitions and shows
• Local stores

www.p2pays.org/epp www.epa.gov/cpg www.epa.gov/epp
www.newdream.org
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www.doa.state.nc.us/PandC/recycled.htm
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Information and Resources

• NC Pollution Prevention
• 919.715.6505
• rachel.eckert_at_ncmail.net
• www.p2pays.org/epp
• www.p2pays.org/localgov
• www.p2pays.org/DMRM
• www.wastetrader.org
• NC Project Green