^GreenScapes
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What is GreenScapes?
oads and highways, golf courses
and ski resorts, commercial
L K buildings and industrial sites—the
widespread use of economically and
environmentally costly landscaping is
everywhere. By simply changing these
landscapes to "GreenScapes," you can
save money and prevent pollution.
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA's) GreenScapes program
provides cost-efficient and environmen-
tally friendly solutions for large-scale
landscaping. Designed to help preserve
natural resources and prevent waste and
pollution, GreenScapes encourages
companies, government agencies, and
other entities to make more holistic deci-
sions regarding waste generation and
disposal and the associated impacts on
land, water, air, and energy use. By
focusing on the "4 Rs"—reduce, reuse,
recycle, and rebuy—you can help
improve both your bottom line and the
environment.
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Why Is GreenScaping
Important?
Think about some of the large-scale land uses
in the United States—shopping and retail cen-
ters; recreational facilities such as golf courses,
ski resorts, amusement parks, public gardens;
roads and highways; abandoned industrial
sites such as brownfields; college and universi-
ty campuses; and military installations. Think
about the millions of tons of waste materials
that are hauled away, buried, or burned each
day from landscaping and groundskeeping
operations—trees, shrubs, brush, lumber,
asphalt, and concrete, just to name a few.
Also, consider the millions of gallons of water,
pesticides, fuels, and oils used each and every
day in landscaping. The costs of these materi-
als—both economic and environmental—can
be easily reduced or eliminated with updated
landscaping methods.
What Can You Do?
Understanding the economic and environmen-
tal benefits of saving resources and preventing
waste and pollution is key to bringing positive
changes to your operations and surroundings.
These changes can be made gradually. Set a
combination of short- and long-term goals-
activities that can be performed in a few
weeks paired with actions that can be imple-
mented later for future gains. Even small
improvements can create a huge ripple-effect
not only on your site, but throughout your
industry and the environment. Focus on the
4Rs:
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle
• Rebuy
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Xxedi
luce
Reducing the production of waste is the first
and most important step towards efficient
materials use. When planning a new landscape
design or updating a current one, avoid prod-
ucts that require frequent replacement or regu-
lar maintenance to reduce future waste.
Durable products will long outlast those of
lesser quality, reducing future waste generation
and the need to purchase new or replacement
products. Try some of the following waste
reduction suggestions:
• Reduce or eliminate plastic silt fencing and
substitute with blankets, berms, and filter-
socks made of compost, for erosion con-
trol and reduction of non-point source pol-
lution. Compost provides superior filtration
and erosion prevention/control, is more
easily installed and maintained, and does
not require energy-intensive removal or
disposal from the site once the job is
completed.
• Reduce nonpermeable hardscape wherev-
er possible to minimize rainwater runoff
and erosion. Consider parking areas or
paths made from mulch or gravel. Where
hard surfaces are necessary, use asphalt
This filter berm made from compost demon-
strates how well the organic material helps
retain runoff in comparison to a typical silt
fence in the lower portion of the photo.
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containing recycled tires—the surface will
last longer and require less maintenance.
• Switch from benches, signs, and trail
markers made from wood to long-lived
plastic lumber. Equipment made from this
recovered plastic material does not require
routine upkeep—saving paint, solvent, and
labor costs. Plastic lumber also lasts many
years longer than wood—greatly reducing
maintenance and replacement costs.
• Conserve water through "Xeriscaping."
Plant vegetation that is not only drought-
resistant, but indigenous to a region's soil
and climate conditions. Once established,
these native plants can survive with little
care or water. Add compost to the soil to
help improve water absorption and reten-
tion and further reduce water require-
ments. Native plants are also more pest-
resistant and healthier, thus requiring less
Compost - An On-Par Alternative
The soil on the North Shore Country Club
(Glenview, Illinios) golf course had elevat-
ed sodium levels—too high to maintain
quality turf. Standard procedure called
for the installation of a wellto solve this
problem, but that solution came with a
quarter million dollar price tag. With a
little research, North Shore found compost
to be the economical alternative to
enhance the quality of its soil.
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fertilizers and pesticides. Long-lived,
hardier vegetation can save money by
lowering labor costs and money spent on
maintenance supplies.
•Produce less green waste by limiting fertil-
izer and water use—this will save you
money and maintenance time due to
slower plant growth. Less landscape
maintenance translates to fewer hours of
equipment operations, saving fuel, mainte-
nance, labor, and emissions and increas-
ing equipment longevity.
• All pesticides are toxic to some degree-
spot treat whenever possible. In most
cases, treating an entire region with pesti-
cides isn't necessary if the problem is
confined to specific areas. Treating more
than necessary is wasteful and can be
environmentally damaging. For similar rea-
sons, consider using organic fertilizers
instead of chemical ones.
•Start or increase onsite composting of
your green wastes and food scraps.
Compost contributes vital nutrients and
disease-suppressing properties to the soil,
reducing the need for chemical fertilizers
or pesticides. Compost is also an excel-
lent material for seeding grass and young
plants, reclaiming nutrient-poor soil, and
preventing erosion. Compost can be
made cheaply and easily on site. In
addition, diverting organic material to a
compost pile can prevent the production
of the greenhouse gas methane that
normally occurs when this waste is buried
in landfills.
• Top-dress your turf with compost—this
can decrease fertilizer use by up to 50
percent and decrease irrigation needs by
increasing water absorption and retention.
• Place mulch over a plant's root zone to
reduce moisture evaporation and conserve
water. Mulch also inhibits weed growth.
Save money and make your own mulch
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by chipping wood wastes generated from
your site.
• Set mower blades higher. Longer top
growth means deeper roots, making the
grass more durable in drought conditions
and better able to fight weeds and dis-
eases without pesticides.
• Grasscycle—leave grass clippings in place
(don't bag) when mowing. The clippings
quickly decompose and release valuable
nutrients into the soil, reducing the need
for fertilizers by 15 to 25 percent. This
activity also reduces water use, grass dis-
posal, and maintenance costs. Grass trim-
mings do not cause thatch.
• Use vegetation outside to reduce indoor
heating and cooling needs. Deciduous
trees planted appropriately along the
south sides of buildings can reduce air
conditioning costs by up to 20 percent; in
winter they allow the sun's rays to warm
buildings. Coniferous trees planted to
block prevailing northwest winter winds
can reduce heating costs. Trees planted to
shade paved areas reduce the summer
"heat-island" effect that makes parking
lots so inhospitable.
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IVeuse
Reuse serves as another key component to
environmentally beneficial landscaping. Many
items can be reused effectively without adding
much time or energy. Try some of the following
reuse tips:
•Chip woody shrubs and tree clippings into
mulch that can be applied to the land-
scape. This activity saves money on dis-
posal costs and commercial soil amend-
ments, while adding the benefits of mulch,
such as moisture retention and weed
prevention.
• Return wooden pallets to your supplier
whenever possible. Nonreturnable pallets
can be taken apart and the wood can be
reused for compost bins, for example, or
chipped and used on site for mulch.
• Donate healthy plants to community gar-
dens, schools, churches, or other local
nonprofit organizations when reconfiguring
or removing trees and shrubs from your
landscape.
•Use alternative sources of irrigation water
such as gray water, reclaimed water,
and collected rain water. These options
save water and money while helping to
reduce runoff, erosion, and nonpoint
source pollution.
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A "Growing" Plastics Recycling Business
Agri-Plas, Inc., an agricultural plastic
recycler in Oregon, processes tons of dis-
carded plastics from the agricultural and
nursery industries each year. The company
collects trays, pots, and greenhouse films
from about TOO nearby nurseries and
picks up baling twine and plastic agricul-
tural chemical containers from local farm-
ers and growers. Agri-Plas provides the
recovered plastic to end users that make
new products for the nursery and automo-
tive industries.
rCecycle
Creating products from recycled materials
saves energy and resources, and can often
generate revenue. Try some of the following
recycling suggestions:
• Send clippings and trimmings that cannot
be composted on site to a local compost-
ing facility in exchange for the finished
compost at a discounted price or fee.
• Save bedding trays and plant containers
from annuals and other greenery and send
them to a recycler for processing.
• Rinse out and recycle plastic bottles and
jugs from commercial chemicals.
• Collect and recycle the used oil and tires
from your vehicles and equipment.
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R<
Lebuy
Rebuying means re-thinking your purchasing
habits. Look for products that meet your
needs but have a better environmental profile
than your current product purchases. Consider
biobased, recycled content, and other environ-
mentally preferable aspects in your purchasing
decisions. Recycled products, for example, are
often more durable than those made with vir-
gin materials, saving money and raw materials
over time. Rebuying is key to sustaining recy-
cling markets, and it aids in the development
of technology that conserves resources and
prevents waste. You can work with your man-
agers, clients, suppliers, and vendors to identi-
fy and establish specifications to purchase var-
ious recycled-content products. Biobased
products—products other than food or feed
that utilize biological products or renewable
domestic agricultural (e.g., plant, animal, and
marine) or forestry materials—should also be
given preference1. Try these rebuy tips:
•Use blankets and berms made of com-
post to minimize or eliminate soil erosion,
runoff, and nonpoint source pollution.
Compost is both a biobased product and
a recycled product because it is made
from recycled organic waste materials.
Compost also makes an excellent air filter
media for volatile organic compounds
(VOCs).
1. As defined under Executive Order 13101 and
Executive Order 13134.
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• Select plastic lumber made from recycled
bottles and bags for benches and other
outdoor structures. Plastic lumber is an
extremely durable material that lasts
longer and requires less maintenance than
traditional wood, realizing significant cost
savings for you over the life of the materi-
al. The National Park Service currently has
more than a dozen projects planned with
plastic lumber.
• Incorporate rubberized asphalt (made from
recycled tires) for walking, running, bike,
or cart paths—it extends the life of trails
and reduces the frequency of repairs.
• Buy hoses, tubing, trickle irrigation sys-
tems, and lawn edging made from recov-
ered plastic and old tires.
• Purchase biodiesel and biobased lubri-
cants for your equipment. Besides being
better for the environment, keeping less
hazardous materials on your site reduces
management costs and possibly insur-
ance costs.
This walking path at the Earvin "Magic"
Johnson Recreation Area in Los Angeles
County is made from rubberized asphalt,
which is more resilient than traditional
asphalt.
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•Purchase patio blocks containing recovered
plastic or postconsumer rubber (some
contain 90 to 100 percent recycled content)
to create decorative garden walkways
and trails.
• Rethink your pesticide use through
Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM
reduces the risk from pesticides, and in
some cases, reduces the amount of pesti-
cides needed. IPM is based on a combina-
tion of techniques such as biological con-
trol, habitat manipulation, and modification
of cultural practices, often including steps
you can take before you ever encounter a
pest problem. If pesticides become neces-
sary, they are selected and applied in ways
that minimize risks to human health and the
environment and remove only the target
organism.
Additional Benefits of
GreenScaping:
• Reduced exposure of your customers,
employees, and yourself to potentially
harmful chemicals, solvents, fuels, and
pesticides.
• Improved competitive edge with reduced
costs and improved materials efficiency.
•Increased beauty—a natural environment
is aesthetically pleasing.
• Improved public perception of your
business.
• Knowledge that you are making a difference
by helping prevent pollution, curb climate
change, and reduce your "environmental
footprint" on the Earth.
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ACt NOW! Here is a short list of activities
you can do to get started. Visit our Web page for
additional ideas and information.
Q Use compost blankets, berms, and filter
socks for improved erosion control.
Q Use compost for turf establishment and main-
tenance to accelerate turf growth and
enhance its health.
Q Xeriscape—plant native, drought-resistant
vegetation to reduce water use.
Q Use durable, long-lived products such as
plastic lumber and rubberized asphalt.
Q Compost landscape clippings and use as a
soil amendment.
Q Grind or chip wood waste for use as mulch to
conserve water and prevent weed growth.
Q Grasscycle—leave grass clippings on the turf
as a natural fertilizer.
Q Capture and use rain water for irrigation
needs.
Q Donate unwanted plants to local
organizations.
Q Recycle plastics, tires, and used oil from your
operations and equipment.
Q Buy environmentally preferable products such
as biobased nontoxic cleaners and solvents
for your equipment and facilities maintenance.
Q Start an IPM program.
Q Check with your insurance company for
possible discounts for reduced environmental
risks and increased safety.
Q Tell us about your successes.
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For More Information
Many public agencies and commercial landscap-
ers across the country successfully use environ-
mentally beneficial landscaping techniques. Visit
the GreenScapes Web site to learn more about
these innovative landscaping techniques and read
their success stories. Or let us know what terrific
things you're doing so we can recognize your
accomplishments and add you to the growing list
of success stories!
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/green
Reference to any specific commercia
products, processes, companies, or
services by trade name, trademark,
manufacturer or otherwise, does not
constitute or imply endorsement or
recommendation by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5, Library (PL-12J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard, 12th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
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vvEPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response (5306W)
EPA530-K-03-003
July 2003
Printed on paper that contains at least 50 percent postconsumer fiber. |
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