United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA747-N-01-002
August 2001
www.epa.gov/oppt/epp
Issue 9
ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING
Highlights -
Paper Sets the Standard
l/l/astel/l//se Update
delivers EPP Theme
King County Annual
Report
Sharing Responsibility for
Sustainability
New Eco-Labels Web Site
Green Conferences
Arizona National Guard
Eco-Building
EPP Database
Carpet Products and the Environment:
Don't Sweep the Issues Under the Rug
Carpet is quiet, soft, slip-resistant,
and often quite beautiful. These
qualities make it an extremely
common choice as a floor covering for
office space. But carpet is also a problem
for solid waste management programs
around the country and contributes to
concerns about poor indoor environmen-
tal quality. By considering a variety of
lifecycle attributes, from the materials
used to manufacture and install carpet to
recycling and disposal issues, purchasers
can make informed decisions about car-
pet options.
Key Health and Environmental
Issues Associated With Carpet
Health and environmental concerns
associated with carpet include indoor air
quality, toxic chemical emissions from
manufacturing and disposal operations,
and solid waste impacts. A variety of
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can
be emitted from carpet materials. For
example, 4-phenylcyclohexene has a very
low odor threshold and has been associ-
ated with indoor air quality complaints
after new carpet is installed. Other com-
pounds emitted from carpet, such as
formaldehyde and styrene, can present
acute or chronic health concerns under
certain exposure conditions. The manu-
facture and disposal by incineration of
polyvinyl chloride, a common compo-
nent of carpet backing, is a source of
dioxin contamination in the environ-
ment. Dioxin is a potent carcinogen that
is highly persistent in the environment
and bioaccumulates through the food
chain. About 4 billion pounds of carpet
enter the solid waste stream in the
United States each year, accounting for
< Continued on Page 6 >
PROFILE OF A PIONEER:
Wanted: Good Home for Excess Supplies
Need some laboratory glassware,
file folders, or a lamp for your
office? Before they purchase any
of these items, employees at the U.S.
Geological Survey's (USGS) campus in
Menlo Park, California, have learned to
first check the stock at the "Supply
Exchange."
Spearheaded by Susan (Sue) Hunt, a
logistics management specialist at USGS's
Redwood City Marine Facility, the
Supply
Exchange is a
place where
employees can
drop off and
pick up
unwanted, but
still usable,
office, field,
and laboratory
supplies. Sue
< Continued on Page 3 >
Printed on paper that is processed chlorine-free and contains at least 50 percent postconsumer fiber.
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Paper Sets the Standard
As many of our readers are aware, with each
new issue, the EPP Update highlights a dif-
ferent type of paper determined by EPA to
have certain positive environmental attributes. We
are using this issue to highlight EPAs new paper
standard for EPA publications and photocopiers—
making it easier for everyone at EPA Headquarters
(HQ) to print "green." The new policy requires
that paper used at HQ contain at least 50 percent
postconsumer fiber and be bleached without the
use of chlorine or chlorine-containing compounds
whenever possible.
To ensure adherence to the new policy, EPA
changed two of its direct-deal contracts with the
Government Printing Office (GPO) to incorporate
requirements for the new specifications. Due to
availability issues with colored stock, the require-
ments apply only to white cover and text stocks.
For one-time bids through GPO, EPA specifies the
recycled content levels required by the new policy
and encourages the use of process chlorine free
paper, if available to meet the requested schedule.
Therefore, although the paper used for this EPP
Update is processed chlorine free, all EPA publica-
tions cannot be assumed to be.
EPAs new policy strengthens the existing federal
standard requiring all Executive Agencies to I"—--—^___^
use paper containing at least 30 percent
postconsumer fiber. The new policy
also encourages EPA Regions and
other government agencies to adop
the 50 percent postconsumer standard.
Some EPA Regions, including Regions
3,4, and 10, have already done so.
Based on typical EPA copy paper
usage and printing, EPA estimates
that annual savings over the 30 per-
cent postconsumer standard will
equate to eliminating 71.7 tons of solid
waste, conserving 157,872 gallons of
water, saving 205,920 kilowatt hours
of electricity, preventing the ~*
emission of 1,135 pounds of '•
greenhouse gases, saving
396 cubic yards of landfill space,
and saving nearly 1,600 trees.
For more information on EPAs new
paper policy, contact Russ Clark
at .
WasteWise Update Delivers EPP Theme
A recent issue of EPAs WasteWise Update, a technical assistance pub
lication focusing on waste reduction, highlights environmentally
preferable purchasing. The Update discusses the environmental
and business benefits of environmentally preferable purchasing and
provides guidance on setting up a green purchasing program.
WasteWise partners' success stories support suggestions for devel-
oping, implementing, and assessing an environmental purchasing
program. To appeal to a larger audience, the Update presents infor-
mation and examples that are useful to both businesses and gov-
ernment agencies. An extensive list of resources directs readers to
additional sources of information on green purchasing standards
and initiatives.
To obtain a copy of the Update, call the WasteWise Helpline
at 800 EPA-WISE, or visit the WasteWise Web site at
.
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King County Reports EPP Successes
King County, Washington's
Environmental Purchasing
Program has had 9 years of
success, spending $3.5 million for
environmentally preferable prod-
ucts and saving $575,000. The
county publishes an annual report
that contains information about its
EPP program, including implemen-
tation, challenges, and opportuni-
ties. The report also contains
information about specific products
that the county purchases each year
and how its purchasing decisions
lead to financial savings. For exam-
ple, the Rent on Maintenance
Facility in King County is using
recycled plastic sideboards for their
dump trucks rather than the tradi-
tional wood sideboards. The plastic
sideboards are more impact-resis-
tant and need replacing less fre-
quently, which saves money in the
long-term. Though the recycled
plastic sideboards have a higher
initial cost, replacement of the side-
boards has been reduced from two
wooden sideboards per week to
fewer than one plastic sideboard
per month, saving the county
$5,000 per year.
"The central message of the
report is that users are making this
success happen," says Eric
Nelson, King County's EPP
Program Coordinator. "The report
shows that successful environ-
mental purchasing is an incremen-
tal process—we haven't had any
major breakthroughs but have seen
many small successes."
The 2000 annual report is avail-
able online at or 206 263-4278,
or Karen Hamilton at
or
206 263-4279.
Pioneer < Continued from Page 1 >
explains that the Supply
Exchange program, which is free
to all participants, is an important
part of the campus culture, saving
both landfill space and trash col-
lection fees, reducing procure-
ment costs, and conserving
government resources. Recently,
the Supply Exchange received a
White House Closing the Circle
Award in recognition of its recy-
cling and reuse accomplishments.
Sue and a group of colleagues
were inspired by activities that
they participated in during the
1990 Earth Day commemoration.
The extensive USGS recycling
program evolved from there, and
in 1996, when the first of many
office relocations began, the
Supply Exchange was born. Since
then, Sue has had to contend
with several relocations of the
Supply Exchange itself, because
the dedicated space required to
make the program work is
increasingly hard to come by on
an ever-shrinking campus.
However, she acknowledges that
her efforts, which are above and
beyond her normal job responsi-
bilities, are well worth it when
she sees the results. "It is satisfy-
ing," Sue says, "when someone
tells me that they discovered
something they really needed at
the Supply Exchange. One lab
manager said he picked up
$5,000 in laboratory glassware in
one trip alone!"
Although the Supply Exchange
does not accept furniture items or
electronic equipment, Sue works
with the agency property office to
donate surplus office furniture
and computers directly to schools
that desperately need them. In
addition, items that are no longer
in demand by USGS employees
are made available to local
schools and nonprofit
organizations.
Sue, a 27-year veteran of USGS,
grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and
says she has always had a passion
for not wasting things. A con-
fessed pack rat, she also is an avid
birder and native-plant gardener.
In addition to the Supply
Exchange, Sue has spearheaded
several related efforts, including a
program to collect items such as
photographic negatives, blue-
prints, foam packaging, and ink
cartridges, which are typically not
collected as part of most office
recycling programs.
For more information on the
USGS Supply Exchange, contact
Sue at 650 329-5860 or
.
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Sharing Responsibility for
Sustainability
FNS Member
Organizations:
• Navy
• Air Force
• Army
• Environmental Protection
Agency
• Department of Energy
• National Park Service
• General Services
Administration
• Bonneville Power
Administration
• National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Recent energy shortages in the
Western United States highlight
the need for meaningful coopera-
tion among federal government agen-
cies in the areas of planning,
purchasing, and managing valuable
resources. The Federal Network for
Sustainability (FNS), a voluntary group
of representatives from several western
federal agencies, aims to promote this
type of interagency collaboration.
Sustainability—which means meeting
current social, economic, and environ-
mental needs without compromising
the ability of future generations to do
the same—has become a guiding
principle in planning and oper-
ating strategies for many
businesses, institutions,
and governmental orga-
nizations. FNS capital-
izes on the
experiences and
resources of its member
agencies to efficiently
implement sustainable prac-
tices in their regions.
On Earth Day 2000, 11 federal
officials representing 6 government
agencies in western regions signed a
Statement of Unity, pledging to coordi-
nate federal leadership efforts on sus-
tainability and to demonstrate
sustainable practices within the federal
government. The officials formed FNS
as an outgrowth of this signing ceremo-
ny to provide an operational focus for
Sustainability projects and programs,
including environmental initiatives,
resource conservation, and green pur-
chasing, both within and among the
signatory agencies.
Currently, FNS focuses on three goals:
expanding the market power of "green"
government purchasing, increasing the
use of renewable energy sources, and
developing and using environmental
management systems, which help busi-
nesses incorporate environmental man-
agement into everyday practices. After
just 1 year, FNS touts several accom-
plishments in these areas. For instance,
two green power summits were held in
San Diego and Seattle, where more than
300 federal and utility sector partici-
pants learned about renewable energy
resources and mechanisms for develop-
ing or purchasing these resources in a
financially conscious manner. FNS also
is reassessing purchasing specifications
for recycled paper and electronic equip-
ment to boost the market for these
products.
The way FNS operates is effec-
tive. First of all, leveraging
the expertise and
resources of several
western federal agen-
cies maximizes tax-
payer dollars. In
addition, FNS members
incorporate Sustainability
activities into their every-
day work responsibilities, and
in the end, each agency benefits
from pooling resources. Voluntary par-
ticipation ensures motivated, productive
members, committed to pollution pre-
vention and long-term Sustainability
"Because of FNS," says EPAs Barbara
Either, "we don't have to reinvent the
wheel when we want to buy green
power or research a green product."
FNS member agencies can provide sup-
port based on their past experiences,
which, according to Curtis Framel of
the Department of Energy, ensures effi-
ciency and a "streamlined approach to
Sustainability that avoids duplication."
For more information or to become
a member of FNS, please visit
or
contact FNS Chair Alan Hurt at
619 524-6253.
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How Well Do You Know Your Labels?
Do you know what it means when a
product claims to be "organic" or "envi-
ronmentally friendly?" Moreover, who
monitors companies' claims? A new "eco-
labels" Web site helps consumers decipher
labels on food and wood products so they can
make more informed decisions about the prod-
ucts they buy.
Developed by the Consumers Union, the
publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, the
eco-labels site provides users with information
about the products on which the eco-labels are
used and the organizations and standards
behind each label's environmental claims.
Users can search the database three different
ways—by label, product, or certifier—and are
given a list of the associated eco-labels. For
example, selecting "Sustainable Wood" in the
label search box identifies three labels found on
products claiming to use sustainable wood.
Clicking on the specific label brings the user to
a page of detailed information, including a pro-
gram description, how a particular product
qualifies to carry that label, and a
Consumer's Union evalua-
tion assessing the quality
of the labeling program.
The site also provides
contact information for
organizations and a list
of products carrying
that label.
Searching by
product provides
users with another
way to sort and access
the information on eco-labels.
For example, entering "coffee" in the
product search box identifies five different
labels found on coffee. Each label represents a
different positive environmental attribute, such
as organic, bird-friendly and social responsibil-
ity. The user can then access the same detailed
information mentioned above. The site does
not, however, evaluate specific product brands.
Users also can search for a certifying organiza-
tion or program, such as Rainforest Alliance,
Green Seal, or the Department of Agriculture,
and access information on standards at both
the state and federal level.
In addition, the site provides a glossary and a
page describing the criteria used to evaluate
"What Makes a Good Eco-Label." For users
who like interactive learning, the virtual
kitchen provides pop-up style information
about food, wood, paper, and coffee products.
Information is still being added to the site, so
check back often. You can visit the eco-
labels Web site at .
For additional information, contact Irvashi
Rangan at 914 378-2351.
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Carpet Products and the Environment
< Continued from Page 1 >
more than 1 percent by weight and about 2 percent
by volume of all municipal solid waste. Furthermore,
the bulky nature of carpet creates collection and han-
dling problems for solid waste operations, and the
variety of materials present in carpet makes it diffi-
cult to recycle.
Consideration of the Entire Life Cycle and
Trade-off Issues is Important
Significant impacts can occur throughout the life
cycle of carpet, and these impacts vary with the types
of materials used, the pattern of carpet use and
replacement, and the options available for reuse,
recycling, or disposal. An approach for evaluating the
lifecycle impacts of carpet and other floor coverings
is included in the Building for Environmental and
Economic Sustainability (BEES) tool, which can be
downloaded from .
Nylon is the most popular fiber used in commercial
carpet facing. Two closely related forms of nylon—
"nylon 6" and "nylon 6,6"—are used in carpet facing.
Recycled nylon 6 is available and is used by some
manufacturers. Currently, there are no commercial
sources of recycled nylon 6,6. Some manufacturers
believe that nylon 6,6 provides better performance
for certain characteristics such as stain resistance.
Polypropylene and PET are also used in carpet face
fiber. Recycled PET is widely available, but carpet
made with PET face fiber is not as durable as nylon
or polypropylene carpet and is usually recommended
only for light to moderate wear conditions.
Carpet fibers can be "solution dyed" by the fiber
manufacturer or dyed later at the carpet mill as the
carpet is manufactured. Some believe that solution
dyeing during fiber manufacture results in lower
emissions and better color fastness than subsequent
dyeing at the carpet mill. However, the differences
between solution dyeing and mill dyeing depend
highly on the particular processes used, and it is dif-
ficult to generalize about the advantages of one
process versus the other.
Carpet backing is used to provide structural sup-
port to the face fiber. The primary materials used in
carpet backing are jute, polypropylene, polyvinyl
chloride (PVC), and polyurethane. Jute is a renew-
able biobased product but is not as durable as the
synthetic backings. Recycled-content (up to 100 per-
cent) PVC backing is available, but dioxin and other
chlorinated byproducts are formed during the manu-
facture and disposal (by incineration) of PVC.
Polypropylene avoids the chlorinated byproduct
issues of PVC, but its manufacture requires more
energy than PVC does, and recycled-content
polypropylene backing is not readily available. A new
polyurethane backing under development uses a
polyol derived from soybean oil. In addition to the
renewable resource advantage, it appears that soy-
based polyurethane requires less energy during the
curing step than polyurethane made from standard
petroleum-based polyols.
Carpet cushion is placed underneath the carpet to
provide additional comfort, insulation, and noise
reduction. In some cases, the cushion is integrated
with the backing. Materials commonly used in carpet
cushion include polyurethane, jute, synthetic rubber,
PVC, and other synthetic fibers. All of these sub-
stances can be obtained from recovered materials.
Because of its complex nature (typically at least
three different materials bonded together), carpet is
difficult to recycle. However, some manufacturers do
have programs to collect used carpet for materials
recovery and subsequent processing into a variety of
products. Most of the carpet in the United States that
is recycled is separated and processed into new prod-
ucts in Georgia by the DuPont Carpet Reclamation
Program (800 4DUPONT). A few other carpet manu-
facturers incorporate postconsumer materials
in their carpet. A description of recycling activities
within the carpet industry can be found on the
Carpet and Rug Institute's (CRI's) Web site at
.
VOCs can be emitted from any or all carpet com-
ponents, as well as from adhesives that are sometimes
used during carpet installation. Field or laboratory
testing is needed to identify and quantify the com-
pounds emitted. Currently, it is not possible to pre-
dict the identities and quantities of these emissions
based solely on the chemical composition of the
materials used in the carpet.
The Choice is Yours
Environmentally preferable carpet choices each
have their own merits, and choosing one depends on
the specific need, location, and use for the carpet.
Some questions to consider in determining the best
choice for your situation include:
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• What are the durability requirements?
Because increasing the durability of carpet generally
requires a more resource-intensive manufacturing
process and makes use of recycled material difficult,
it is important to anticipate the expected use pattern
and replacement schedule in order to make the best
environmental purchase. For example, don't specify
the most durable carpet for a temporary space with
light use and frequent change in tenants and, there-
fore, frequent renovations and flooring replacement.
• Tiles or broadloom?
Tiles use more material initially because of the need
for a thicker backing but, depending on the use pat-
tern, they can save materials in the long run because
worn or soiled tiles can be replaced individually
rather than replacing the entire carpet. Also, keep in
mind that broadloom carpet comes in standard
widths—typically 6 and 12 feet. Because tiles are
smaller, less carpet is wasted when tiles are installed
in spaces with different dimensions.
• What is the recycled content of the carpet face fiber,
backing, and cushion?
' Is there a mechanism for recycling some or all of the
carpet components?
' What are the chemical emissions from the manufac-
ture and disposal of carpet materials?
' What are the emissions from the carpet itself or
from other materials used during its installation
(e.g., adhesives)? Do any of these emissions pre-
sent indoor air quality concerns?
and requires that any carpet unable to be reused must
be recycled with the Dupont Carpet Reclamation
Program or its equivalent.
EPA also is exploring the development of voluntary
consensus standards, which would incorporate envi-
ronmental factors into the product design and manu-
facturing process. In addition, under EPAs
Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG), federal
agencies are required to purchase carpet and carpet
cushion, among other items, with recovered content.
The CPG currently addresses only polyester carpet, but
EPA is considering adding a requirement for nylon car-
pet and nylon carpet backing.
Purchasers can find contract language and other vol-
untary standards for carpet in the EPP Database at
. For CRI's
Green Label Emissions Limits and additional carpet
resources, go to
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Save Money and the Environ
[EPA has recently begun updating and expanding its green con-
ferences/green meetings Web site, so keep checking it out at
!]
Don't be left behind—more and more people are
adopting the "green meetings" concept when
planning events and conferences. Although
some might view green meetings as a fad, current ini-
tiatives that are under way are proof to the contrary.
Before going any further, however, it is important to
identify what exactly a green meeting is, the environ-
mental impacts of holding a meeting, and how to
minimize those impacts. Then, this article profiles
organizations that are helping develop the green meet-
ings market, and shows how coordinated and collabo-
rative this type of work is.
What makes a meeting green?
Bringing people together for meetings, often for
multiple days at a time, can create a variety of envi-
ronmental impacts—from the smog and greenhouse
gas emissions associated with air and ground travel to
the paper, plastic, and food waste associated with
feeding attendees. Fortunately, however, more and
more meeting planners are realizing that they can
reduce these impacts and save money in the process,
without sacrificing the quality of the attendees'
experience.
The Oceans Blue Foundation, a Canadian coastal
conservation group, defines green meetings as "an
assembly or gathering of people for the purpose of the
exchange of information, where, through careful plan-
ning, negative impact on the environment is mini-
mized." In the early
1990s, a green
meeting might have
meant that
brochures were
printed on recycled-
content paper or
that soda cans were
collected for recy-
cling. The costs
associated with
even these simple
steps were often
prohibitive for
most meeting
planners and
Conference
meeting service suppliers. Today, however, the oppor-
tunities to organize green meetings and events are
almost limitless—often offering ways to save money
and increase efficiency.
What can be done to minimize the impacts?
Depending on the size of a conference, incorporat-
ing environmentally responsible decisions into meet-
ing planning can begin months, even years in
advance. Start by carefully choosing the city and con-
ference site that offers the most environmental advan-
tages. This can be the most critical step in laying the
groundwork for either a green or brown meeting.
Other opportunities to reduce meeting-related
impacts on the environment can be divided into six
categories. The following lays out a few steps in each
category:
A ccommoda tions
• Choose a hotel that has energy and water conserva-
tion programs, including automatic controls for the
HVAC system; fluorescent lighting and automatic
lighting controls; low-flow taps, showerheads, and
toilets; and gray water initiatives (the recycling and
reuse of unpurified water).
• Give hotel guests the option to reuse towels and
sheets.
Transportation
• To minimize vehicle emissions, plan a meeting so
as to maximize the ability to reach meeting loca-
tions, accommodations, area restaurants, attrac-
tions, and the airport via mass transportation or by
walking.
Food and Beverage
• Plan menus around abundant, locally produced
ingredients and avoid threatened species.
• When possible, all surplus food should be donated
to local shelters and food banks.
• Consider providing drinking water in pitchers or
large reusable containers instead of small plastic
bottles.
Meeting Facilities
• Look for facilities that invite meeting attendees to
share in energy conservation and the waste reduc-
tion process—for example, by reducing paper
towel use, supporting use of soap dispensers vs.
individual soaps, avoiding waste, and participating
in recycling programs that utilize visible signage
-------
ment by Meeting Green
informing attendees on what is and is not recy-
clable.
Exhibits
• Use signage and evaluation bins that are reusable
whenever possible.
• Discourage exhibitors from bringing to the show
large quantities of excess materials, which often
end up in the trash because exhibitors don't want
to ship the excess back at the show's conclusion.
Encourage exhibitors instead to refer clients to
their Web site. Also, useful environmentally
responsible gifts are preferable to items that will
be discarded at the end of the show.
General Office Practices and Communications
• Take advantage of or promote the use of electron-
ic communication, registration, and proceedings
distribution.
• Use double-sided copies.
Who is working to green meetings?
Europe and Canada are far ahead of the United
States when it comes to planning green meetings or
providing green meeting services such as transporta-
tion, food and beverage, or lodging. For example,
Fairmont Hotels, formerly Canadian Pacific Hotels,
has created its own Eco-Meet program. There is an
ever-increasing number of green meeting "pioneers"
in the United States, but many meeting planners are
still having a difficult time finding green services for
their meeting. This is why it is important to remem-
ber that asking for green is key. It is the first step
toward showing that there is a demand for reduced
environmental impacts associated with a meeting.
For example, when enough meeting planners ask for
reusable mugs, nontoxic cleaning services, or
energy-efficient lighting, then hotels, convention
centers, and meeting service providers will begin to
respond.
Several organizations have undertaken efforts to
promote green meetings.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green
Conference Initiative
The goal of this initiative is to develop a "one-stop
shopping" location at which meeting planners and
service providers can learn about green meetings.
The information is meant to help planners request,
and help suppliers provide, green options for meet-
ing planning. The Web site includes the following: a
checklist of opportunities that minimize the environ-
mental impacts of holding meetings; contract lan-
guage for obtaining greener conference planning/
support services; and links to information on other
related initiatives.
Oceans Blue Foundation
Oceans Blue Foundation (OBF) is a Canadian
environmental charity that was created in 1996 to
help conserve coastal environments through envi-
ronmentally responsible tourism. It is the first orga-
nization in North America to focus on developing
and promoting best practices and standards for all
sectors of the tourism industry, as well as the first to
develop guidelines for green meetings. OBF will be
leading an effort that will involve working with EPA
and other stakeholders to develop a Web-based tool
to help meeting planners plan green meetings.
The Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies
(CERES) Green Hotel Initiative
The Green Hotel Initiative seeks to increase green
lodging and meeting options by catalyzing market
supply and demand. This multi-stakeholder effort—
involving business, the hotel industry, nongovern-
mental organizations, labor, academia, and
environmental advocates—promotes environmental-
ly responsible hotel services and encourages meeting
< Continued on Page 12 >
Meetings Facts and Figures
• Approximately 93,000 federal travelers are traveling to
8,000 locations across the country on any given business
day.
• Federal travelers use 24 million room nights of hotel space
in the United States annually.
• An average hotel purchases more products in a week than
100 families purchase in an entire year.
• Travel and tourism is now the world's largest industry.
Meetings make up a growing component of this industry,
which weighed in a few years ago at $280 billion annually,
worldwide.
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Shattering the myth
that green buildings
cost more, this extra-
ordinary building cost
the Arizona National
Guard only half of
what a conventionally
constructed office
building would have.
How did they do that?
Creative use of
reclaimed materials
salvaged from build-
ings slated for demoli-
tion and inmate labor
provided through a
partnership with the
Maricopa County
Sheriff's office.
Greening the Guard in Arizona
In an innovative project, the Arizona Army National Guard is making sustainable
building practices a reality. The National Guard constructed a fully self-sustaining
office building using recovered materials and energy-efficient practices that will serve
to educate the public about sustainability Walls made of scrap tires and compacted
earth, a passive cooling design, a photovoltaic system to generate power, and a number
of other features make the National Guard's new "Eco-Building" a showcase facility for
other organizations.
The walls of the 5,200-square-foot facility are made from approximately 4,500 tires,
weighing 300 pounds each when packed with dirt. The tires are stacked like bricks and
packed with dirt. In addition to diverting tires from stockpiling or disposal, the tire walls
store heat in the winter and absorb heat during the summer, reducing the amount of
energy required to regulate the building's temperature. "Cool tubes" also were installed to
cool the building during summer. These tubes are large pipes buried 10 feet below the
building. Air is brought into the tubes through an external shaded opening and is cooled
by the temperature of the earth. Cooled air is pulled into the building through the cool
tubes when the air in the building gets hot and rises. Heating is not required due to the
internal energy load from people, computers, and printers, as well as by strategic win-
dow placement.
With its energy and water systems, the building operates independently from utility
companies. The Eco-Building gets all of its energy from a photovoltaic power system.
The main sources of lighting are windows, six energy-efficient skylights, and solar tubes.
The roof captures rainwater and funnels it into cisterns that supply water for drinking,
bathroom sinks, and toilets. Water is heated by a solar hot water system, and all the
water is supplied to the building with solar-powered pumps. Gray water, captured from
the sinks, is filtered and used for watering the garden.
In recognition of its unique design and construction, the Eco-Building received the
2000 Arizona Governor's Environmental Leadership Award. "The construction concepts
and principles used for this building are not revolutionary in and of themselves—what is
revolutionary is the willingness of this organization and the innovative approaches it has
taken to embrace environmental sustainability," said TJ. Roe, Eco-Building project man-
ager. The National Guard was able to build the Eco-Building at half the cost of a conven-
tionally constructed office building. The organization achieved cost savings by using
reclaimed materials salvaged from buildings slated for demolition and inmate labor pro-
vided through a partnership with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. This partnership
provided valuable technical skills to the inmates while minimizing construction costs,
Roe said.
Photos and information about the Eco-Building are available at
. For more information about the project, contact
TJ. Roe at 602 267-2663 or .
Worker preparing for place-
ment of the final layer of dirt.
10
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Tires and dirt are used to construct
the conference room walls.
The Eco-Building is a
showcase facility for
demonstrating:
• Sustainability
• Use of unwanted
and waste materials
• Partnerships
• Energy efficiency
and solar energy
• Costs and benefits of
constructing self-
sustaining office
buildings
EPP Database
Continues to
Expand and Evolve
Whether you're looking to purchase a new fleet of energy-
efficient vehicles or a less hazardous bathroom cleaner,
EPAs EPP database is your one-stop shop. For almost a year, the data-
base has provided environmental information about a wide vari-
ety of consumer products. Users can search the database of more
than 600 products—from computers and home electronics to
toothbrushes and toilet tissue—in a "shopping mall" format by
browsing a "store" or searching for a specific product.
The EPP database currently contains 10 speciality stores,
including Furniture/Appliances, Computers, Hardware, Industrial
Products and Services, Scientific/Medical, and Grocery/
Miscellaneous. For more convenient "shopping," the stores are
further divided into "aisles." For example, the "grocery store" is
divided into aisles for cleaning supplies, food, toiletries, and pet
products. Other stores may be added as the demand for informa-
tion on a given product increases.
Several government agencies, as well as private sector groups
and organizations, originally compiled the information in the
database. The database contains a wealth of information, includ-
ing the contract language created and used by federal and state
governments to buy environmentally preferable products and ser-
vices. It also provides the environmental standards and guidelines
for certain products, as well as vendor lists of product brands
that meet these standards.
To ensure that the database is
meeting the needs of its users, the
EPP program is actively seeking
input from users to enhance the
database and make it more user-
friendly Because the purpose of
the database is to help consumers
identify environmentally prefer-
able products, EPP wants to
ensure that it is including the
most relevant information in a
useful format.
Anyone with comments or
suggestions on how to improve
the database should contact Christopher Kent
at .
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Green Meetings
< Continued from Page 9 >
planners and travel buyers to stimulate the hotel
market.
Meeting Professionals International (MPI)—
Green Meeting Task Force
In October 1997, Meeting Professionals
International's Board of Directors authorized the cre-
ation of a task force on green meetings. The task force
developed a white paper to address options for plan-
ning green conferences. Information includes recom-
mendations to MPI planner members and MPI supplier
members on how they can make their services and
products more environmentally
responsible. It also provides
specific recommendations to
MPI on how to make its own
meetings more environmen- . ^/>_/ office
tally responsible. \( A./v) Paper
Fairmont Hotels Eco-Meet Program
Fairmont Hotels (previously Canadian Pacific), the
largest hotel company in Canada, has developed an
environmental program, which is recognized as the
most comprehensive in the North American hotel
industry. Fairmont Hotels offers conference planners
a "ready-made" green conference package called
Eco-Meet.
Look for more details on these initiatives and for
information on many other initiatives and activities
focused on greening meetings and hotels at
. The
descriptions can be found under the
"Current Initiatives" button.
For more information on green
meetings, contact Russ Clark of
EPA at .
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(7409)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
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