Closing the Loop: Buy Recycled-Procurement Track

Kathleen Gildred, Executive Director of SCCED, and Kate Lutz, SCCED Conference Organizer, welcomed 125 attendees from 52 municipal and county agencies. They reported this year's theme of America Recycles Day theme is, "If you're not buying recycled, you're not really recycling," which is consistent with this Conference theme of "Closing the Loop." Kathleen outlined the three conference components, 1. the Procurement Track at the Ken Edwards Center, 2. the Maintenance Track at the Santa Monica City Yards, and 3. the Vendor Fair on the 3rd Street Promenade.

Craig Perkins, Director of Environmental and Public Works Management, City of Santa Monica, emphasized in his opening address that implementing buy recycled programs was not enough. We need to buy less toxic goods that emit fewer air and water pollutants, and are less destructive to the environment and people. We need to look at opportunities to buy alternatively-fueled vehicles and electricity produced from renewable resources.

Eric Nelson, Environmental Purchasing Coordinator, King County, Washington, emphasized three keys for success in environmental purchasing: 1. Start with a policy. Make the organizational decision to be environmentally smart. 2. Get the users involved in uation of how to do that. 3. Designate a person with the full or part time responsibility to implement the program. He reported that buying recycled had saved the County over a million dollars so far. He distributed a four-page model environmental purchasing policy. He recommended using email and a website. The County has designated key representatives in each agency to receive information. We email a Procurement Bulletin every couple of weeks to inform people about the latest developments.

Susana Estreller, Administrator of the L.A. City Recycling Program, reported on the city's Buy Recycled 2000 Campaign and the Mayor's Buy Recycled Challenge. The city purchases $3 million of copier and printing bond paper annually, with 95% of that having recycled content. They have switched to chlorine-free toilet tissue and paper towels, with no negative response.

Claudia Roberts, Purchasing, City of Victorville, stressed the real reason to buy recycled is for our children's future. Every recycled product we buy makes a difference for the future of the world -- and anyone can start now.

Ron Weber, Environmental Technologies for the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), emphasized that each person can make the consciousness shift, which then becomes a global consciousness shift from non-sustainable practices to sustainable practices. Using virgin products is not sustainable, because eventually we will run out of virgin sources.

Manuel Vasquez, City of Los Angeles, recommended uating vendor products, including looking at the vendors' suppliers, and their impact on the environment.

Dean Kubani, Environmental Analyst, Environmental & Public Works Management Department, City of Santa Monica, outlined the goals of the Sustainable City Program:

1. Reduce Resource Consumption, 2. Reduce Waste and Pollution, and 3. Protect Human Health and the Environment. He reported on the City's progress in vehicle maintenance; purchasing custodial supplies, paper, office products, paint, trash can liners and alternative fuel vehicles; pest control services; energy and water conserving equipment; green building materials, and renewable energy.

Beth Eckl, Recycling Program Manager, General Services Agency, Alameda County, offered advice about using price preferences effectively. She emphasized that California State Public Contract Code 12210 (a) allows local governments to use a price preference for recycled products. Strategies Alameda uses to promote buy recycled include: 1. meet with the users, 2. find out their concerns, 3. create targeted educational materials, 4. have samples of recycled products, 5. develop special product campaigns, 6. do blind tests, 7. conduct pilot tests, 8. reward small successes, 9. do a life-cycle analysis, 10. have vendor presentations, 11, organize environmental lectures, 12. send out bulletins, and 13. conduct an educational campaign.

Eugene Grigsby, Director of UCLA Advanced Policy Institute, Co-convenor UCLA County-wide Solid Waste Management Committee, said that since over 60% of the waste stream is paper, if every city bought recycled paper it could have a real impact. He invited purchasing agents throughout the County to call 310-825-8886 to get information about coop or piggy-back purchasing systems.

Timonie Hood, US EPA Region IX, outlined the new Executive Order on Preventing Waste and Acquisition Policy which requests agencies to 1. eliminate virgin requirements in bid specs, 2. use recovered recycled materials, 3. consider bio-based products, and 4. analyze recyclability of products and life cycle costs. The order, which applies to all agencies that spend over $10,000 of Federal money on a single product, can be a product specification guideline at any level of government agency purchasing.

Gretchen Brewer, Earth Circle, provided an historical perspective from her 20 years of work in buying recycled. Purchasing personnel are vital in expanding the use of recycled products. Recycled content plastic lumber has now met relevant standards by the ASTM, American Society of Testing and Measurements, and is an ideal substitute for wood in many applications.

Pat Bailey, Recycled Program Manager, Procurement Division, California General Services Administration, outlined a Recycled Paper Master Contract which is cheaper than virgin paper (call 916-391-4684). All counties and cities can buy copier paper through this contract. The Division has also developed a Natural Gas Master Contract , which can save municipalities considerable money (call 916-323-7666).

Jennifer Pinkerton, waste prevention and recycling consultant to the Department of Water and Power, City of Los Angeles, warned that the recycled paper market share has dropped from 7% a few years ago to 4% now. We are in danger of losing post-consumer waste recycled content paper if we don't buy more. She also recommended waste prevention, through reducing photocopying, eliminating unneeded copies of multi-part forms, and using computer systems to design, modify and store forms on-line and print them only when needed.

Debbie Raphael, Environmental Programs Division, Department of Environmental and Public Works Management, presented the City of Santa Monica Toxics Use Reduction Program which emphasizes "green" custodial supplies, fleet maintenance, pest control, street maintenance, and in the plumbing and paint shops as well. They have identified "green" alternatives in 15 of 17 cleaning product categories, eliminated many hazardous materials, saved about 5% over previous annual costs, improved custodial morale, and developed improved avenues for training and feedback.

Martin Graham, District Environmental Coordinator, San Diego District, U.S. Postal Service, announced the USPS is a national leader in the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, re-refined oil and retread tires. More than 100,000 postal vehicles currently use re-refined oil, and more than 100,000 retread tires are purchased annually. Last year the San Diego District recycled 17,970 gallons of waste oil (gaining a $2,875 rebate from the State). They also have purchased lifetime oil filters for postal vehicles and use on-site recycling of waste antifreeze.

Larry Wheaton, Maintenance Supervisor, City of Claremont, reported that using lumber made from recycled plastic saves considerable money because it lasts much longer than wood, and has lower maintenance costs. A high density board, made from plastic milk bottles, is vandal and graffiti proof (graffiti washes off with water).

Grahame Watts, Environmental Analyst, Environmental Programs, Public Works, City of Thousand Oaks, recommended promoting the use of re-refined oil both by the City and by private citizens. All City vehicles have been operating with re-refined oil for the past 3 years and it has been found to be equivalent to virgin oil. The City also promotes the use of re-refined oil among the general public with videos and point of purchase displays. From current experience with educational outreach, additional promotion will increase participation.

Ralph Merced, Fleet Maintenance Supervisor, Department of Environmental and Public Works Management, City of Santa Monica, conducted a tour of the Santa Monica fleet maintenance facilities. The tour demonstrated the shift to "greener" products, including the use of refined oil and hydraulic fluid, recycling oil filters, water-based parts cleaner, re-conditioned batteries, retread tires, propylene glycol antifreeze, and a bucket loader with a recycled rubber blade. The facility also has a CNG filling station.

Robin Jarrett, Street Maintenance Division, Department of Environmental and Public Works Management, City of Santa Monica, described using 1. white topping concrete, 2. recycling waste into aggregate, 3. smart digging techniques, and 4. rubberized sidewalks.

Mark Breed, Facilities Superintendent, Department of Environmental and Public Works Management, City of Santa Monica, described how the Santa Monica Central Warehouse, by providing post-consumer waste recycled content supplies, can really make a difference. For example, the City uses 14,280 pounds of toilet paper annually.