Greening your Home and Office

Steven CarsbergCity of Phoenix

Greening Your Home and Office

•What does “buying green” or environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP) mean?

•How can buying green affect the environment? •What types of green products are available?

– Recycled content– Bio-based / rapidly renewable– Energy Efficient / Water efficient– Low toxicity

•How do I identify and find green products? – General guidelines– Eco-labels

Buying Green - Definition

•Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (buying green) means buying goods or services that have a lesser or reduced impact on human health and the environment when compared to competing goods and services that serve the same purpose.

–Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

What are the main environmental impacts of our activities?

Paper, paper products, & building

products from forestsGreenhouse gases from, heating- A/C, lighting,

appliances, & commuting.

Water use & disposal of cleaning &

packaging products that do not safely

biodegrade.

Waste that does not get recycled or

composted ends up in landfills for thousands

of years.

Air pollution from vehicle emissions,

solvents and cleaners, dust-generating

activities, electricity generation.

Use of chemicals in products around home expose

household members and toxic chemicals may contaminate

environment.

Climate Change

• What are “greenhouse gases”? – Carbon dioxide – Methane– Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs, CFCs),

and nitrous oxide. Where do they come from?

– Combustion byproducts (vehicles) – Electricity generation (power

plants)– Heating/cooling homes. – Landfills (methane)

• Find your personal emissions calculator at this EPA Web site:

epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html

Climate Change

Climate Change

Buying Green - Ecolabels

•City Council Resolution 20519 and the Environmentally Preferable Purchase (EPP) Program helps the city buy green products and services, like lumber from sustainable forests, using the standards developed by 3d Party Certifiers.

•Every single purchase has an environmental impact!

•Your purchases can change the world.

US EPA recycled content

Green Seal- Less toxic products

Energy Star energy efficientproductsUS Department of Agriculturebiobased products

Forest Stewardship Councilwood products

US EPA Design for the Environment –

US EPA Watersense

Recycled Content

Recycled content products. Visit www.epa.gov/cpg for a comprehensive list in the following categories:

•Construction products, •Vehicular products, •Transportation products, •Park & Recreation products / Landscaping Products. •Non-paper office products, •Miscellaneous

• Words you may see on product labels:

•% Pre-consumer/post industrial recycled content

•% Post-consumer recycled content*

•% Total Recovered Content or Total Recycled content.

Kitchens/BreakroomsEnergy Star:

• Refrigerators: most refrigerators over 10 years old use TWICE as much electricity as a new Energy Star model!

• “Retire your refrigerator” cost-savings calculator: http://www.recyclemyoldfridge.com

Recycle your old fridge or freezer and get $30. • Get rid of leftover refrigerators and freezers with SRP's Appliance Recycling Program. Free pick-up and a $30 check!

• Visit www.srpnet.com/Powerwise or call 602-236-4225 to schedule a pickup. (Unit must be 10-30 cubic feet & still be working to qualify)

Kitchen/Cafeteria ItemsBio-based or rapidly renewable products

• Vegetable-based plastic trash bags

• Disposable food service (“to go”) items

• Cutting boards

• Disposable cutlery

Recycled-content items

• Paper towels, napkins. List of paper product recycled content values available at http://nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp

• Some disposable cutlery.

• Trash liners ( EPA CPG designation is 10% post-consumer)

Re-use•Reusable dine-in dishes / Bringing your own dishes and utensils from home and washing is the overall GREENEST option.

Bring back the water cooler!

Break the single-serve disposable bottled water habit! • Bottled water is full of oil: each bottle requires ¼-full of oil in resources to produce.

• Expensive: about $6 a gallon.

• Contains about 40% regular tap water anyway.

• Tap water is safe and cheap.

• Use bulk refillable jugs.

Restrooms• Use Low-flow water fixtures.

– Water use factoid: Did you know that running a bathroom faucet 5 minutes requires as much electricity as running a 60-watt light bulb for FOURTEEN HOURS?

Restrooms• It’s water down the drain. . .

Toilets:Type of Fixture Gallons per flush Annual Water Savings/ person

Typical pre-1990 toilet 5 gpf 0

1992 EPAct standard* 1.6 gpf 6300 gallons

WaterSense** 1.28 gpf 6900 gallons

*The 1992 Energy Policy Act standard is mandatory. **WaterSense is a voluntary consensus-based standard

Cleaning/Janitorial

• Low-toxicity cleaning products. – EPA’s “Design for the Environment” (dFE)

• safer chemistry designation• Seen on both consumer/retail products and commercial.

– Green Seal GS-37 certification• commercial or institutional cleaning products only• used by C.O.P. in facilities such as Convention Center, libraries,

and City Hall.

Cleaners, Detergents

• A list of certified bio-based / Plant-based products is maintained and available from the USDA at

www.biopreferred.gov

General Guidelines for Cleaners, Detergents

• Beware of Generic “Green-washing claims”. NOT MEANINGFUL LOOK FOR INSTEAD: Earth Friendly. 100% Renewable resource. “ ___% post-consumer

recycled content”Green or variations on word green. Eco-safe or Eco-friendlyEssentially non-toxic. “Non-toxic” Made with non-toxic ingredients. All-natural “____% plant-based/

bio-based”

General Guidelines for Cleaners, Detergents

NOT MEANINGFUL LOOK FOR: Recyclable “____% total recycled content” Safe for the Environment Ozone friendly. CFC-free Degradable.“Biodegradable” grades in 28 days in

_____ test “Biodegradable per OECD Method

310” Compostable. “Composts in ___ days in a (home

or commercial) composting facility.”

Compostable Plastic per ASTM D6400

Flooring/Lighting•Recycled Content Carpet Fiber & Cushion

• Polyester carpet - up to 100% post-consumer recycled content.

• Nylon carpet - available w/ 25-30% recycled content.

• Glass backing can be made from recycled glass

• Cushion from jute, old carpet cushion, or tire rubber.

• How to find: you have to ask the retailer or manufacturer.

• More types of recycled content products can be found at EPA’s website : www.epa.gov/cpg. (60 categories in all)

•Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL’s) -

• use only ¼ the electricity of an incandescent.

• Each bulb replaced (60 watt equivalent) will save you $30 in electricity.

Standby Power Devices

•Watch out for “energy” vampires! • Anything with a remote control or an A/C Power adapter,

consumes “standby power”, (may be as high as10 watts), even when “off”.

• Easy solution: Plug into a powerstrip and turn off the powerstrip when these devices are not in use.

• “Smart” powerstrips will shut down automatically whenever one main controlling device plugged into the strip is turned off.

Home Office

•Recycled Content Paper Products (35% post-consumer content or more)

•Non-paper Recycled Content Office Products• Toner and inkjet cartridges (also, always recycle your old ones)

• Plastic binders, file folders

• Office Furniture, waste receptacles

•Energy Star computers, monitors and printers.

•EPEAT-registered computers offer overall lowest environmental impact: For more information visit: www.epeat.net

•Enable your monitor’s and computer’s power management features to save $25 to $75 a year in electricity! (Hibernate mode)

Utility Appliances•Hot Water Heater options.

•Cheapest: hot-water heater insulated jacket, (or insulation roll)

•Upfront cost about $10-20

•Choose one with “R-value” 8 or greater

•Save 4-9% on water heating costs, or $35 per year, on avg.

•Demand or tankless water heaters. Energy Star units qualify for a 30% of cost federal tax credit (up to $1500)

Laundry Room/Utility Room•Hot Water Heater options.

• Energy Star certified Storage Tank Hot Water Heaters.

• New standard -- late 2008.

• Few models currently available.

• Energy Factor > 0.62 criteria.

• Units do not qualify for the federal energy efficiency tax credit.

• Energy use savings about the same as hot-water heater jacket.

Utility Appliances•More information on residential and corporate energy efficiency tax credits can be found at:

•www.eere.energy.gov/ (Federal)

•www.azcommerce.com/Energy/Renewable (State)

•State Corporate tax credits are through Department of Commerce, residential through Department of Revenue.

•www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits

Corporate Utility Incentives

SRP PowerWise Standard Business Solutions and APS Solutions for Business (Certain exclusions and limitations apply)

• Lighting up to $0.25 per watt of reduced installed demand• HVAC From $50 to $100 per ton, depending on the energy efficiency of the installed unit• Motors From $30 to $990, depending on size of the premium efficiency motor (from 1 hp

to 500 hp)• VFDs $55 per hp on controlled HVAC fan and pump motors

APS Up-front Incentives (UFI’s) for Businesses: • Solar Daylighting -- $0.20 per estimated annual kw-hr savings• Photovoltaic Systems -- $2.50 per installed grid-tied watt, up to 50% of cost or $75,000• Solar Hot Water heating System --$0.75 per kw-hr savings, based on OG-300 rating • Solar Process Heating and Cooling Systems

Maintenance & Renovation

Paint

•Green Seal GS-11 certification • Low in volatile organic compounds (VOC)

• Contribute less to smog (ground ozone)

• Contain no toxic materials.

• Recognized by the United States Green Building Council’s Green Building Standards (LEED) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Miscellaneous Projects

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Wood Products•Certified to come from sustainably managed forests.

•No clear-cutting,

•Re-plant when trees removed

•No tropical rainforest products.

•Ask for it at retailers or look for the logo.

•Most of the big-box stores carry items

•Lumber, furniture, molding, doors, windowframes.

What the City is Doing: Integrated Pest Management

Improved indoor air quality

99% chemical free

Other targets:−Adhesives, paints,

carpet, non-toxic cleaners, lumber, floor coverings

City of Phoenix

Plant-based Ink & Cleaners

Renewable resource Reduced

greenhouse gas emissions

Other targets: Flooring, lubricants, cleaners

Before

After

City of Phoenix

Recycled Content Traffic Cones, Motor Oil & Office Products

Reduced energy Landfill diversion

Other Targets:−Janitorial paper, trash

bags, furniture, packaging, food service items, carpet, landscape items, transportation products, playground equipment.

City of Phoenix

Department: Public Works, Downtown FacilitiesEPP Practice: Recycled-content steel chairsEliminates: Use of natural resourcesEXTRA Benefits: Consistent with LEED Guidelines

Recycled Content FurnitureCity of Phoenix

Department: Parks and RecreationP2 Practice: Low Emission hand-held equipmentReduces: Emissions and air pollutants.

Landscape Maintenance EquipmentCity of Phoenix

Practice Recycled-content carpeting End-of-life recycling managementBenefits Conserves natural resources Increases recycling markets Diverts waste from landfills

Recycled-Content Carpet

Burton Barr Public Library Recycled content carpet

City of Phoenix

How can greening help?

Help save forests Help reduce Global Warming

Reduce Waste to Landfill

Clean Water & Water Conservation

Buy paper products with high recycled

content or from certified “well

managed forests”, or use rapidly

renewable sources instead of wood.

Buy energy efficient products, recycled

content products, use alternative

transportation.

Buy recycled, remanufactured,

refillable, rechargeable products

and use recycling solutions

Biodegradable liquids and

packaging; chlorine-free paper products; non-phosphate and APE and NPE free detergents, water efficient fixtures.

Buy low-toxicity or plant-based cleaners; limit use of pesticides

in home; practice integrated pest management.

Buy Low-VOC cleaners and paints; energy

efficient appliances; use alternative transportation.

Improve Air QualityReduce Exposure to toxic chemicals

EPP Program Web Sitephoenix.gov/greenphoenix/epp/