United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response (5306W)
EPA-530-K-05-003
May 2005
/ Environmentally Beneficial Landscaping
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Cost Savings
. Pollution
. Prevention
.esource
Conservation
What Is GreenScapes?
Roads and highways, golf courses
and ski resorts, commercial
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 their practices and pur-
chases and their 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.
National
Recognition
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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 materials that are
hauled away, buried, or burned each day from
landscaping and groundskeeping operations—
trees, shrubs, brush, lumber, asphalt, and con-
crete, just to name a few. Also, consider the
millions of gallons of water, pesticides, fuels,
and oils used each and every day in landscap-
ing. The costs of these materials—both eco-
nomic and environmental—can be easily
reduced or eliminated with updated landscap-
ing 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
R
educe
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 nonpoint 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 mode 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, boardwalks, and
signs made from wood to long-lived plas-
tic lumber. Structures made from recov-
ered plastic material do 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.
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. When treat-
ment is necessary, consider using organic
or biobased fertilizers and pesticides.
• Start or increase onsite composting of
clippings, trimmings, leaves, and food
scraps. Compost contributes vital nutri-
ents and disease-suppressing properties
to the soil, reducing the need for chemical
fertilizers or pesticides. Compost is also
an excellent soil amendment for seeding
grass and young plants, reclaiming nutri-
ent-poor soil, and preventing erosion.
•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.
• For every one percent of organic matter,
the soil can hold 16,000 gallons of plant-
available water per acre of soil down to
one foot deep.
• 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
by chipping wood wastes generated from
your site.
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R
• 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.
• 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.
euse
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 while adding the benefits of
mulch, such as moisture retention, weed
prevention, and erosion control.
• Return wooden pallets to your supplier
whenever possible. Nonreturnable pallets
can be chipped and used on site for
mulch or compost.
• 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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R<
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 100 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.
R<
Lecycle
Creating products from recycled materials
saves energy and resources, and can often
generate revenue. Try some of the following
recycling suggestions:
•Send clippings, trimmings, and leaves that
cannot be composted on site to a local
composting facility in exchange for 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.
• Place recycling receptacles next to trash
receptacles.
• Collect and recycle the used oil and tires
from your vehicles and equipment.
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 environmentally preferable products. 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).
•Select plastic lumber made from recycled
bottles and bags for benches, signs, and
other outdoor structures. Plastic lumber is
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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.
• Use high efficiency lighting for roadways,
parking lots, security, and landscaping.
• 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.
• If you have to have irrigation or ornamental
water features, make sure to use the most
water efficient equipment available.
• Use recycled glass for golf course bunker
sand, beach sand, or filter media.
• 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.
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.
• 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 control,
habitat manipulation, and modification of cul-
tural practices, often including steps you can
take before you ever encounter a pest prob-
lem. If pesticides become necessary, they
are selected and applied in ways that mini-
mize risks to human health and the environ-
ment and remove only the target organism.
Join the Alliance-Help
Make a Difference!
There's a lot that can be done to advance green
landscaping, but we can't do it alone—we need
help from industry. The knowledge and experi-
ence of those who have "been there, done that"
is invaluable. To help foster these important
partnerships, we established the GreenScapes
Alliance. The Alliance combines government and
industry into a powerful, unified influence over
the reduction, reuse, and recycling of materials
and resources in land use activities. This
includes 4 million miles of roadside landscaping,
land revitalization, and the construction and
maintenance of office complexes, golf courses,
parks, and other landscapes across the nation.
More than 100,000 businesses are involved in
these types of activities every day.
The Alliance also is a venue that allows those
who have information or experience doing green
landscaping to advocate and share that valuable
knowledge with others. Together, we promote
practices and products that still meet users
needs but have better environmental profiles
than current methods.
The Alliance is another unique component of the
Agency's Resource Conservation Challenge,
which is a major EPA initiative that identifies and
uses innovative, flexible, and protective ways to
conserve natural resources and energy.
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The Greenscapes Alliance reinforces these
goals by emphasizing a holistic multimedia
view of environmental impacts and steward-
ship. In addition, the Alliance:
• Provides information about the cost sav-
ings that can be achieved from reducing
material use and waste, resource conser-
vation, and on the performance of envi-
ronmentally preferable products and prac-
tices.
• Educates land managers that green land-
scaping efforts yield water and energy
savings, conserves landfill space, reduces
greenhouse gas emissions, and saves
money.
• Provides case studies, success stories,
and technical assistance to help alleviate
concerns regarding alternative practices
and products.
• Promotes market expansion and growth
of environmentall preferable products.
•Recognizes organizations that achieve
environmental excellence in pollution pre-
vention and resource conservation.
Who?
Organizations can participate in the
GreenScapes Alliance as Partners and/or
Allies:
• Partners include companies, agencies,
and others who, in joining the program,
commit to undertaking a minimum of two
GreenScapes activities.
• Allies include professional groups, trade
associations, research organizations, and
product manufacturers, publications or
marketers who, in joining the program, will
work with their affiliated organizations to
promote greater use of GreenScapes
methods.
How?
Simply go to our Web site at
www.epa.gov/greenscapes, download the
registration form from the "GreenScapes
Alliance" section, fill it out, then fax or mail it to
us. Once we receive your registration form, we
will send you a welcome letter and a certificate
recognizing your participation in the program.
Imagine the difference we can make working
together.
Join Us—Make a Difference!
For More Information
Visit the Greenscapes Web site to learn more
about the innovative landscaping techniques
that are taking place across the country and
read their success stories.
www.epa.gov/greenscapes
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.
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