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Product Stewardship and Lifecycle Analysis in Purchasing
Jonathan CohenDirector, Workplace Programs and the
Responsible Purchasing NetworkCenter for a New American Dream
COG Recycling CommitteeMarch 18, 2010
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Agenda
1) Introduction
2) The Problem
3) Solutions
4) Criteria for Decision Making
5) Q+A
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Introduction
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My Background:
1. Corporate Social Responsibility
2. Standards
3. Business Partnerships
4. United Nations
5. International/National/Local Programs
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UN Conference on Environment and
DevelopmentThe Earth Summit
Redefining the American Dream Conference
Airlie, Virginia
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1) REDUCE unnecessary consumption, and
2) SHIFT consumption patterns toward more sustainable alternatives
Two Organizational Goals:
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RPN Origins
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Purpose: Harness the power of institutional purchasers from government agencies, businesses, universities, and nonprofits to advance social responsibility and environmental sustainability
Founded at the White House in 2005
>$100B in annual spend Membership network
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RPN Members
250 RPN members: Members Employ over 750,000
2/3 have responsible purchasing policies
Eco-labels are widely recognized and used 94% plan to do more responsible purchasing
next year
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The Problem
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Temps up 2-8° by 2100
Electronics consume 26% of electricity in offices
Lighting >7% of U.S. electricity consumption
>50% of electricity is from coal
95% of vehicle fuel is from petroleum
Energy & Global Warming
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Hazardous Substances
1 in 3 commercial cleaners contain harmful ingredients
Hazardous e-waste is dumped abroad
Chemicals like those in flame retardants are in everyday products & cause brain, thyroid, reproductive problems
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Air Quality
Outdoor VOCs cause ground-level ozone & smog, causing lung disease and asthma
Indoor VOC levels 10X higher than outdoors
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Water Toxins in consumer
goods kill aquatic ecosystems
Pollution & climate change are killing coral reefs & habitats
Carpet production uses ~10g water/sq yd
It takes 3 gallons of water to bottle 1 gallon
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Waste
70% of heavy metals in landfill from electronics
70% of mercury-lamps are not recycled
16-35m gal leftover consumer paint/year, <1/2 properly managed
California buys enough carpet to cover 47 mi of 4-lane highway/year
~80% of water bottles are landfilled
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Bottled Water
Quick Facts:
The U.S. leads the world in bottled water consumption
Making bottles to meet U.S. demand requires >1.5M barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel some 100,000 cars/year
25-40% of bottled water is tap water
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Water Weight
1.5 to 2.7 million tons of plastic are used each year to make bottles for bottled water.
For every one million bottles of water that are manufactured and shipped to consumers, 18.2 tons of carbon dioxide emissions are pumped into the air.
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Seattle residents use the equivalent of 354,000 pint bottles of water each day. That equals about 41,000 barrels of oil, creating 5,400 tons of greenhouse gases.
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Doom & Gloom
Down economy
Collapsing ecosystems
Crumbling infrastructure
Are people really doing
‘green purchasing’ in
these bleak times?
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Yes, They Are
According to the 2009 Responsible Purchasing Trends Report:
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Responsible Purchasing Trends
Report (coming May 2010)
Green purchasing is growing
It’s getting easier And it can save money
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Solutions
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Responsible Purchasing GuidesProduct Categories:
Bottled Water Cleaners Computers Copy Paper Fleets Vehicles Fluorescent Lights Graffiti Remover Green Power Office Machines Paint Remanufactured Toner Tires, Wheel Weights
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Calculate the Benefits
Calculators available to use with:
ENERGY STAR for electronics & appliances
EPEAT for computers
RPN for remanufactured toner cartridges, drinking
water, fleet vehicles
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Case Study: Reman TonerWashington D.C. Current Savings
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The Future of Green Purchasing
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Building a Green Purchasing Program
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Top 3 Social/Environmental Issues:-Recycled Content-Recyclability-Energy Conservation
Most of you usually or occasionally consider environmental factors in purchasing decisions
Importance of Soc/Env Issues in Purchasing Decisions
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Criteria for Decision Making
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The Best Green Claims
Life cycle-based criteria
Balanced stakeholder development process
Transparent administration
Independent product verification
Tiered (e.g. bronze, silver, gold)
Continuously improved
Standards and verification are independent
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Do You Know What These Mean?
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Most Used & Recognized EcolabelsUsage Rank:
#1
#2
#3
#4
Case Study
Santa Monica, CA saved 5% by implementing green cleaning
Reduce sick days. Improve worker health and performance.
Green Cleaning Mandates Chicago Public Schools, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Alameda Co., Montgomery Co.
EcoLabels Green Seal, EcoLogo
Green Cleaners
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Specify EPEAT registered machines
Save up to 60% of energy use
Avoid hazardous waste disposal
Reduce material waste and water pollution
Earn recycling income
Accrue tax breaks for donations
Computers
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Case study
Washington D.C. saved $1.5m over 5 yrs.
First Christian Church used CFLs and T-8 lamps with electronic ballasts, sensors, LED exit signs, and timers – saving $6,000 annually.
Typical CFL saves $30
Lasts up to 10x longer
Look for rebates
Spec Energy Star
CFL & LED Lighting
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Duplexers reduce paper by ~40%
Energy Star reduces energy up to 60%
Spec Energy Star or EcoLogo for LEED credit
Copiers, Printers, Fax Machines
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Case Study
City of Portland, OR
Reduce usage by 15%
Meet or exceed EPA
Aim for 30-100% PCW
Prefer chlorine-free
Saved >$10,000 1st year
Copy Paper
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Make Duplexing Mandatory• Save up to 40% on paper costs - use the extra money to
buy 100% recycled paper• Set up the equipment
• First, work with IT dept. to set all printers to “double-sided”
• Then, do the same with copiers. “Two-sided” to “Two-sided is an effective default mode
• Train Staff– Explain that single-sided is still available– Pre-printed letterhead needs to be fed
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Case Study King County, WA saved $275,000 in 2007 by using remans instead of OEMs
Remans cost 30-60% less than OEMs
No up-front costs – save immediately.
Cut 5-9 lbs of waste per cartridge
Remanufactured Toner Cartridges
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RPN Member Benefits Advice and Communication Events and Webinars Publications Press Advocacy Speakers Job Postings Member Directory Consulting
Member Pledge
"I pledge that my organization will strive to use its purchasing power to maximize environmental stewardship, protect human health, and support local and global sustainability."
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Responsible Purchasing Network
Jonathan CohenDirector, Workplace Programs and the
Responsible Purchasing Network
www.ResponsiblePurchasing.org301-891-3683
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Thank You
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