Leveraging Environmental Dollars at UNSW

Danielle ColeGreen Office Program Coordinator

University of New South Wales

• Unfortunately the environmental argument alone isn’t always enough.

• Reduced resource usage = Reduced costs

• Re-invest savings into additional environmental projects and programs.

Overview

• EMP history and background• Leveraging environmental $$

EMP- Direct University funding- Grants and consultancies- Fee for service

OTHER FACILITIES DEPARTMENTS - “Fabric” and operational management

• The future• Conclusion

EMP history and background

• Set up 1995 in Inst. of Environmental Studies, administratively located in Facilities from 1998

• Retains strategic reporting accountability to Environment Policy Advisory Committee (EPAC)

UNSW Environment Policy

• To… “strive for environmental best practice…[and] lead the way in developing environmental best practice utilising the intellectual and research capabilities of the University”

• To… “promote the principles and practices of environmental responsibility by sharing knowledge and experience with other universities, government and private organisations and community groups”

“The EMP unit seeks to introduce an element of integration to environmental management at UNSW

through developing links between academic and operational staff, students and the wider community…”

EMP activity areas (slide 1 of 2)

• Green Office Program, designed to introduce environmentally responsible products and practices to UNSW offices (also accountable for delivery of unswitch energy conservation campaign)

• Recycled Organics Unit, established as NSW centre for organic resource management, information, R&D, demonstration and training

• Ecoliving Program, created to provide a working model of accessible, ecologically sustainable urban living and a dynamic learning resource for the University and general community

EMP activity areas (slide 2 of 2)

• Greenhouse Challenge, targeted at reducing UNSW greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption, waste disposal and transport

• Environmental Auditing Short Course, partnership between EMP unit and School of Safety Science

• Indoor Plant Leasing Service, supplies and maintains indoor plants for UNSW offices

• Range of policy and strategic tasks/projects aimed at placing the environment on the agenda with respect to operational and “fabric” matters

Interaction with Facilities - Overview

• About one third of our activities relate to the Facilities sphere of influence, directly, or indirectly through links we have established between teaching, research and campus environmental management

Teaching &Research

Operations& Fabric

Consultancy CommunityOutreach

Objective is tomaximise the area of overlap

EMP Budget 2001

• 9 positions, 7 full-time, 2 part-time

• $570,000 budget

External grants and

consultancies66%

Direct UNSW funding

18%

Internal fee for service

16%

1. Direct UNSW funding

• 18% of EMP budget

• Equivalent to $100, 000p.a

• Funds EMP manager and general EMP operating costs

2. External grants and consultancies

• 66% of EMP budget

• Equivalent to $380,000p.a

• Funds Recycled Organics Unit, Ecoliving Program, some Green Office projects

Major Projects 2001 - Consultancy

ROU• Series of best practice organic resource management

manuals for NSW Waste Boards• QA systems for composting facilities• National competency standards and accredited training

programs for organic resource industry • Development of extensive on-line organics information

resources • Input into Australian Standards for recycled organics GOP• Office audit manual for Fuji Xerox

Major Projects 2001 - Grants

ECOLIVING PROGRAM

• Philanthropic trust

• State and local government grants

3. Internal fee-for-service

• 16% of EMP budget

• Equivalent to $90,000p.a

• Funds the Green Office Program

UNSW Green Office Program

• Purchasing

• Waste reduction and recycling

• Energy conservation

• Workplace ecology

UNSW Green Office Program

• Communication via seminars, e-mail discussion group, campus publications, campaigns and office deliveries

• Full-time coordinator, 2 part-time permanent assistants

• Funding: remanufactured toner cartridges, Energy Management Unit, Indoor Plant Leasing Service

Remanufactured toner cartridges

Photo: Empty toner cartridges awaiting collection. Each empty toner cartridge is worth $5 to GOP.

Benefits of toner cartridge service

• Highly profitable – average of $25 mark-up per cartridge, $5 per empty

• Cheap, reliable cartridges available to UNSW staff

• Raises environmental awareness within the University culture

• Reduced waste to landfill and raw material requirements

Environmental dollars – Remanufactured cartridge service

Annual profit remanufactured toners

$0

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

$25,000

$30,000

1998 1999 2000 2001Year

Pro

fit

in d

olla

rs

Indoor Plant Leasing Service

• Established 2000• Modeled on

similar service at Wollongong University

• Employs ex-UNSW student 3 days per week

• 350 plants, weekly income of $800

Environmental dollars –Indoor Plant Leasing Service

Annual Income Indoor Plant Leasing Service

$0

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000

2000 2001 2002

An

nu

al in

com

e

PC unswitch Campaign

All staff requested to:

1) Turn off monitors when not in use for periods exceeding half an hour

2) Shut down and switch off computers at the end of the day unless it is essential to leave them on

PC unswitch Campaign

26%

17%

28%32%

43%37%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Monitors on Monitorsstandby

Computers on

Office Equipment Night Status

February-01July-01

Stationery Re-use Centre

• Established in 2000.• More than 300 staff and

students have visited the Centre

• Students also collect items from stationery giveaways outside the Library organised every 6 months by the Student Environment Collective

• Staff donate their unwanted stationery

Environmental dollars – Stationery Re-Use Centre

• All items re-distributed at no charge, therefore no direct funding to GOP

• $11,800 worth of stationery went through the Stationery Re-use Centre in 2001, including:

-27 boxes of computer paper

-437 folders

-6500 reusable envelopes

• Reduced waste to landfill = reduced waste disposal costs

Enviro Pads

• 110-120 page bound lecture pads made from waste A4 paper that has only been used on one side

• Sold at Union retail outlets for $1.75 each

• GOP receives $1.27 per lecture pad

Enviro Pads

• Made by volunteers from the Enviro Collective

• Managed by a paid student coordinator using grant from Student Guild and income from the sale of the lecture pads

Operations and “fabric” management

• Recycled toilet paper – Campus Services

• Power Factor Correction - Energy Management Unit

• Water Conservation Initiatives- Engineering Operations

Recycled toilet paper – Campus Services

BEFORE• $37 per carton• Virgin pulp• Non-standard toilet rolls

AFTER• $22 per carton• Recycled pulp• Standard toilet rolls

Change to recycled toilet paper at UNSW - cost savings

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

$250,000

$300,000

$350,000

0 6 12 18 24Months after installation of new

dispensers

Toile

t pap

er c

osts

Before

After

Power Factor Correction - Engineering Services

• Power Factor Correction equipment installed in 1999 at cost of $1 million

• Power efficiency increased from 83% to 96-97%

• Savings of $300,000 annually, 3 year payback period

• Delay upgrading high voltage mains

Water Conservation Initiatives- Engineering Operations

$0

$200,000

$400,000

$600,000

$800,000

$1,000,000

2000 2001 Target

Annual potable water rates UNSW

How?

• Tracing pipe leakage

• Replacement of toilet systems with dual flush capabilities

• Installation of electronic flushing systems in urinals

• Installation of flow restrictors in basins and showers

• Substitution of potable water with bore water

Leveraging Environmental Dollars at UNSW- the Future

• Further projects to promote energy efficiency

• Further projects addressing operations and fabric management

• Incorporating environmental design into future building works

• Waste minimisation officer position• Interest free loan fund – Harvard University

Harvard Interest-Free Loan Fund• Established 1993• Environmental projects that had a payback of less

than 5 years• Once loan paid back, savings returned to faculty• 35 projects, $2.6 million upfront expenses• First year savings estimated at $800,000, 34% return

on investments, 5 year savings of $4.5 million• Projects: installation of water saving technologies,

lighting upgrades, HVAC efficiency improvements etc.

Harvard Interest-Free Loan Fund

Harvard Interest-Free Loan Fund - Further information

www.greencampus.harvard.edu

Interest-Free Loan Fund for UNSW?

• Study to investigate the feasibility of a similar loan scheme at UNSW has recently been approved by EPAC

• no structure exists to encourage, coordinate, support and promote new environmental initiatives which extend beyond the limitations of UNSW’s existing frameworks

Conclusions1. The potential is infinite!2. Environmental dollars = generating funds and

saving dollars3. Students are a unique resource – use them!4. Don’t overlook projects with long payback

periods or paybacks that are difficult to quantify – consider all benefits and spin-offs

5. Capture and re-invest $$ into further environmental projects