Progress Report 2005 
2Printed on paper containing at least 30 percent postconsumer recovered fiber. 
Contents 

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................1


RCC’s National Priority Areas ..................................................................................................................2


Municipal Solid Waste–Recycling..........................................................................................2


Reusing and Recycling Industrial Materials ......................................................................13


Priority and Toxic Chemical Reduction................................................................................17


Green Initiatives–Electronics ..................................................................................................20


Progress ..........................................................................................................................................................26


i 

Introduction 

The Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC) is 

now in its fourth year. During our first two 

years, the RCC built on the Environmental 

Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) tradition of collaboration and partnerships to achieve common 

environmental goals–reuse, recycling, toxics 

reduction, and resource and energy conservation. Through this effort, we are advancing 

environmental stewardship, fostering cradleto-cradle management of materials, and conserving energy and resources. This progress 

report highlights the RCC’s achievements, recognizes new areas of interest and collaboration, and lays the framework for the future 

work of the RCC. 

Among other things, we identified four priority 

areas on which to focus: 1) municipal solid 

waste recycling, 2) reusing and recycling industrial materials, 3) priority and toxic chemical 

reductions, and 4) green initiatives– 

electronics. We welcomed new partners and 

existing partners fulfilled commitments from 

past years. We celebrated new successes, 

issued new challenges, and created new programs in areas that were ready to move forward. These programs will continue to be a 

core part of the RCC. 

The RCC on the Move 

Since 2003, we have made significant progress 

toward our goals and we have laid out ambitious new agendas for the future. 

We are focused on four national priority areas. 

For each area, we developed specific action 

plans that set forth specific projects 

and measures of success to meet RCC 

goals. 

The RCC is working to move the 

nation’s current waste-handling system toward a more effective materials 

management system. This shift in 

approach requires an increased focus 

on reusing and recycling materials. At 

the same time, it requires a closer look 

at the beginning of a product’s life 

cycle, when waste can be prevented 

by designing products to be more 

durable, recyclable, and less toxic. 

These RCC materials management goals have 

been incorporated into the Agency’s Strategic 

Plan, the Resource Conservation and Recovery 

Act’s (RCRA’s) 2020 Vision, and Pollution 

Prevention (P2) programs. By working with 

business and industry, state and local governments, and the public, the RCC seeks to reduce 

waste, to reuse and recycle more products, to 

promote the purchase of recycled and recyclable products, and to reduce toxic chemicals in 

waste and in the environment. 

Goals of the RCC 

• Prevent pollution and 

promote reuse and 

recycling. 

• Reduce priority and 

toxic chemicals in 

products and waste. 

• Conserve energy and 

materials. 

1 
RCC’s National Priority Areas 

The RCC’s four focus areas were selected based 

on several important factors: they address 

some of the largest and most significant waste 

streams; they have potential economic incentives that dovetail with environmental 

improvements; they meet current and future 

Agency goals; and they represent significant 

opportunities for partnerships in resource conservation. The RCC, a dynamic program, 

encompasses additional programs and goals, 

including energy conservation. 

• Municipal Solid Waste–Recycling – Focuses on three key 

municipal waste streams: paper, organics, and packaging and 

containers; includes a strategy to meet our 2008 Agency goal 

of increasing the recycling rate to 35 percent. 

• Reusing and Recycling Industrial Materials – Focuses on 

three key industrial nonhazardous waste streams: coal combustion ash, foundry sands, and construction and demolition 

materials; identifies targets and measures for safe beneficial 

use of these materials. 

• Priority and Toxic Chemical Reduction – Explains our plan 

to reach the Agency goal of reducing the use of priority chemicals by 10 percent by 2008; identifies efforts to reduce the 

use or releases of other toxic chemicals of national concern. 

• Green Initiatives—Electronics – Addresses the entire life 

cycle of electronics, including design, operation, reuse, recycling, and disposal of electronics with a focus on computers, 

cell phones, and televisions. 

In May 2005, EPA published the RCC Action 

Plan, which describes our specific goals and 

objectives. The Action Plan is posted at: 

<www.epa.gov/rcc>. In this report, we showcase a sampling of new initiatives and completed programs to illustrate the RCC in action. 

Municipal Solid Waste– 

Recycling 

Municipal solid waste is part of everyone’s 

daily life. Just think about how much waste 

material you generate every day–the 

cardboard from your cereal box, the paper 

from your home office, the can or bottle from 

your lunch. The RCC is about changing our 

behavior so that we learn to reuse and recycle 

these materials more often. 

We have set a national goal to recycle 35 percent of America’s municipal solid waste by 

2008. Reaching this goal has proven tougher 

than once thought. As more products become 

readily available and our society is constantly 

on the go, we must make it easier and more 

convenient to collect, recycle, or reuse commodities now considered waste. 

By focusing on these large waste streams– 

paper, organics (food and yard waste), beverage containers, and packaging–we can develop 

specific strategies and partnerships specifically 

tailored to recycle and/or reuse these materials. 

Following are several examples of successful 

partnerships that are in place. 

2 
Paper 

Paper and paper products are produced and 

used in large quantities throughout the world. 

In the United States, paper makes up 35 percent, or a little over one-third, of the municipal 

solid waste stream and provides great opportunities for change. The RCC is focused on minimizing waste and increasing recycling by 

developing partnerships between communities, industry, and government. We are committed to finding creative ways to increase 

collection, recycling, and markets for recycled 

paper, and to reduce the use of virgin paper. 

In pursuit of this commitment, we convened a 

series of scoping meetings and a national 

stakeholder meeting to increase the recovery of 

paper and the use of recycled paper products. 

Stakeholders included: federal, state, and local 

governments; paper industry trade associations; paper mills; waste paper haulers and 

dealers; environmental interest groups; paper 

market experts; and recycling industry trade 

associations. Some potential actions that 

emerged from the scoping and stakeholder 

meetings include: 

•	 Identifying and linking information 

resources for recycling program coordinators and recycling officials; 

•	 Evaluating the current distinction between 

recovered papers (post-consumer vs. preconsumer) to determine whether it creates 

barriers for using certain recovered fiber in 

paper products; and 

•	 Evaluating the supply and demand of


recoverable paper. 


RecycleMania 

The RecycleMania Intercollegiate RCC Paper Goal by 2008: 

Recycling Competition was started in Increase the recovery of 

2001 by recycling coordinators at paper and paperboard 

Ohio University and Miami University products from 36.7 million 

of Ohio. Private and state colleges tons in 2001 to 44.1 

and universities nationwide compete million tons in 2008. 

against each other for the recycling 

crown. Participation in the competition has grown significantly each year as many 

colleges and universities across the country 

find it to be a successful strategy for generating 

excitement about recycling on campus. In fact, 

RecycleMania won the National Recycling 

Coalition’s Outstanding Recycling Innovation 

Award in 2004. 

RecycleMania collaborated with our WasteWise 

program in 2005. WasteWise provides technical 

support by tracking data, providing conversion 

metrics, fostering the exchange of innovative 

ideas, and assisting with recruitment. This collaboration has been a resounding success, as 

RecycleMania 2005 saw record participation 

with 47 schools and 198,000 students, up from 

17 schools and 83,000 students in 2004. 

Students collected 10 million pounds of basic 

recyclables, which achieved a reduction of 

about 4,406 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMTCE). Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by this amount is the same as removing 

3,484 passenger cars from the road for one year. 

3 
4 
5 
Goal by 2008 

Increase the 

recovery/ 

diversion of yard 

waste from 15.8 

million tons in 

2001 to 16.8 

million tons in 

2008. 

RecycleMania 2005 saw Miami University of 

Ohio triumph in the Per Capita Classic, a contest measuring pounds collected per student. 

California State University San Marcos took the 

trophy for the Recycling Rate competition, a 

measure of the campus’s overall recycling percentage. The winners of RecycleMania 2005 are 

recognized at WasteWise’s Annual Meeting. For 

more information about the RecycleMania program, or for registration information, please 

refer to <www.recyclemaniacs.org>. 

Organics: Food and Yard Waste 

Organic municipal solid waste includes both 

yard and food waste and constitutes 24 percent, or almost one-quarter, of the current 

waste stream. Most of this waste can be recycled in beneficial ways, such as composting. 

RCC partners are working to increase the 

amount of organic material diverted from 

landfills, to improve the current markets for 

composted material, and to identify future 

markets where these materials can be used. 

Municipal Solid Waste Streams 

9%

O rgani c s

P ac k aging

O t hers

35%

P aper 32%

24%

GreenScapes 

Waste reduction, water conservation, and natural resource conservation are just a few of the 

benefits of GreenScapes. Launched in the fall of 

2003, GreenScapes had a target of enrolling 25 

new members by the end of 2004. The endeavor has exceeded its target by over 200 percent, 

adding 60 new partners outside the Agency 

and two new internal partners: the Office of 

Water and the Office of Pesticides. The 

GreenScapes program provides information 

and technical assistance on “green landscaping,” recruits partners, and recognizes outstanding achievers. A GreenScapes partner commits 

to any number of resource-saving efforts, such 

as composting yard waste; turning tree waste 

into mulch; using native plants to reduce water 

and pesticide use; or using recycled materials in 

landscaping. 

More Jungle, Less Waste 

Parrot Jungle is on an island off the coast of 

Miami, Florida, that works to conserve the 

native plants and animals of the area. It 

employs environmentally friendly practices 

and offers a unique opportunity for tourists to 

see animals in their natural habitat. As a 

GreenScapes partner, the jungle created an 18­

acre garden that was designed with the environment in mind. The design includes: 

6 
•	 Composting 100 percent of its organic


waste;


•	 Using mulch derived from tree trimmings 

and selective pruning practices; 

•	 Using integrated pest management with 

biological controls and little pesticide use; 

•	 Using indigenous soil and native plants; 

and 

•	 Using specially designed sprinklers that 

make large water droplets for less water use. 

As a result, 30 cubic yards of green material 

and 60 cubic yards of tree trimming materials 

are diverted from landfills each week and used 

as compost or mulch, diverting about 530 tons 

of tree trimmings and green material each 

year. Using the compost as a soil amendment 

and tree trimmings as mulch also saves money 

and water, creates a greener environment, and 

makes the island’s gardens flourish. 

For more information regarding this project or 

GreenScapes, please refer to 

<www.epa.gov/greenscapes>. 

Organic material also includes food residue 

material or food waste. Food waste is generated by handling, storing, selling, preparing, 

cooking, or serving food. Food waste constitutes 11 percent of the organic waste stream 

and approximately 3 percent of the entire 

municipal waste stream, which is equivalent to 

25 million tons. Therefore, the RCC has targeted food waste as a priority focus area. It is ripe 

for new partnerships, pilots, and projects to 

divert this waste from our municipal landfills. 

Massachusetts has been a leader in this area. 

Supermarkets Make 

Compost RCC Food Waste Goal by 

As a result of a WasteWise 2008: 

campaign, Massachusetts Increase recycling to 5 perdeveloped a pilot program in cent from the current baseline 

2003 to encourage supermar- of 2.8 percent. 

kets to recycle their organic If this goal is met, 287,000 waste material and send it for MMTCE will be diverted, the composting. The pilot consist- equivalent of 228,000 pas­ ed of 14 stores from four large sengers cars being taken off supermarket chains. At the the road for one year. conclusion of the pilot in 

2004, the Massachusetts 

Department of Environmental Protection developed a step-by-step guide and marketing publication to support the growth of the program. 

This pilot was scaled up and membership 

reached 55 stores representing six 

Massachusetts supermarket chains. These 

supermarket chains represent 80 percent of 

the grocery industry in that state. As a result of 

this program, 6,600 tons of food waste were 

composted and 20,500 tons of cardboard were 

recycled. The compost was sold as commercial 

compost or used on the composter’s property. 

2005 Progress: Building the Food Waste and Composting 

Infrastructure in Massachusetts 

This program will provide a variety of technical assistance 

methods to enable supermarkets and other large generators 

of food waste to: (1) cost-effectively divert food waste from 

disposal to composting operations; and (2) assist compost 

operations located on farms and municipal and state lands by 

helping them to improve management practices and increase 

the cost-effectiveness of their composting operations. 

7 
Building on this accomplishment, a new goal 

was set for the future of this program. We hope 

to enroll 35 more stores and two new supermarket chains within a year. Ultimately, our 

goal is to include all supermarket stores in New 

England in a voluntary program to divert 

organics from their stores by 2008. 

For more information on this program and a 

copy of the step-by-step guide, please refer to 

<www.wastecap.org/wastecap/Programs/sroi/ 

sroimain.htm>. 

Packaging and Beverage Containers 

Packaging materials and beverage containers 

make up approximately one-third of the 

municipal solid waste stream. This stream conRCC Packaging Goals by 2008 

Paper folding cartons: Increase the recovery/diversion of paper 

folding cartons from 0.48 million tons in 2001 to 0.8 million 

tons in 2008 (an increase from 8.7 percent to 14.0 percent). 

These figures are included in the paper and paperboard figures. 

Wood packaging: Increase the recovery/diversion of wood packaging from 1.25 million tons in 2001 to 2.0 million tons in 

2008, a 9.0 percent increase from current rates. 

Plastic wraps: Increase the recovery/diversion of plastic wraps 

from 0.17 million tons in 2001 to 0.5 million tons in 2008, a 

12.0 percent increase from current rates. 

Beverage containers: Increase the recovery/diversion of beverage containers from 2.93 million tons in 2001 to 4.36 million 

tons in 2008, a 13.0 percent increase from current rates. 

tains plastic, glass, and metal beverage containers, corrugated cardboard, and wood. To 

reduce this large waste stream, we drafted a 

plan to work with industry, coalitions, and 

think tanks to foster development of sustainable packaging, including material standards, 

recycling strategies, secondary markets, and 

innovative design. 

Cradle-to-Cradle Packaging Design Challenge 

Winners. 

In 2004 the winners were announced from the 

RCC/McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry 

partnership challenge. The design challenge 

focused on e-commerce packaging and shipping design. The goal of this challenge was to 

encourage industrial designers, design students, and packaging professionals to use 

cradle-to-cradle principles to design environmentally sound packaging and to develop the 

systems needed for product recovery. 

This design challenge has had a positive effect 

on the shipping industry. The winning professional design has been adopted by the company that designed it and is currently in use. 

Other companies are also working to develop 

a cradle-to-cradle packaging envelope that will 

work with their existing processes. 

8 
Professional Winner: The Bevelope 

The Bevelope is a reusable packaging envelope. The key feature in the design of the 

Bevelope is the ‘bevels’ that help the package 

expand to accommodate products with different thicknesses. A few cleverly placed scores 

creating the bevels make it possible to adjust 

the Bevelope’s thickness to accommodate the 

slimmest paperback book, a molded DVD case, 

or a very thick manual. Made out of 100 percent recycled material and biodegradable ink, 

the Bevelope can be both reused and composted at the end of its useful life. In addition, 

the Bevelope is lightweight, reducing costs to 

the user. 

Student Winner: Keep It Nature Friendly 

The winning design used Japanese cloth as a 

flexible way of wrapping and transporting 

goods. The cloth is wrapped around the package using strong paper corner protectors to 

guard against damage. These corner guards, 

made of the kenaf plant, are versatile in that 

they can accommodate any number or size of 

books. The entire assembly is then wrapped to 

secure the items in one parcel using a gelatinbased adhesive. 

After the customer receives the package, the 

wrapping materials are given a second life. The 

customer can choose to assemble the protective corners and use it as a germinator and 

plant pot. A bookmark that contains kenaf 

seeds and instructions to convert the corner 

protectors into a pot for growing them is 

included with the ordered goods. All components are safely and easily compostable. 

For more information, please refer to the 2005 

RCC Action Plan posted at <www.epa.gov/rcc>. 

Broader Municipal Solid Waste 

Efforts 

The RCC has a number of other overarching programs that are working to reduce the volume of 

municipal waste. These include voluntary programs and education and outreach programs. 

Reducing Waste Reduces Greenhouse Gases 

A number of the most successful programs 

under the RCC not only measure what they 

divert from the waste stream, but also track 

9 
the impact that diverted waste has on the environment. WasteWise is one such program. 

WasteWise is a voluntary partnership in which 

members reduce municipal solid waste and 

select industrial wastes through carefully 

designing their own waste reduction programs. 

WasteWise targets the reduction of municipal 

solid waste, such as office paper and corrugated containers, by providing their partners with 

management support, waste assessments, 

employee education, measurement, and reporting and program maintenance. WasteWise partners include large corporations; small- and 

medium-sized businesses; schools; colleges; 

universities; hospitals; state and local governments; tribes; and other institutions. 

More than 1,600 organizations are WasteWise 

partners. In 2004, these partners diverted nearly 5 million tons of waste from landfills, which 

equals a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions 

of about 4 million metric tons of carbon equivalent, the equivalent of removing over 3 million 

passenger cars from the roads for one year. 

For more information, please refer to 

<www.epa.gov/wastewise>. 

Education and Outreach Programs 

To be successful, recycling initiatives need full 

public participation. The RCC has created a 

number of outreach campaigns to educate the 

public about how they can play a role in conserving resources in their own communities. 

Making a Difference in Schools 

Our “Make a Difference” 

campaign was launched in 

2003 to help middle-schoolaged kids understand their 

relationship with, and 

impact on, the environment. Since then, we have 

brought this important 

environmental message 

into more than 10,000 classrooms with our “Make a 

Difference” kit, called Your 

Life, Your World, Your Choices. 

In May 2004, EPA joined with the 

Mechanicsburg (Pennsylvania) Middle School to 

sponsor an “Environmental Challenge Day.” We 

joined more than 300 students, teachers, and 

parent volunteers who participated in this allday event. Through these activities, students 

learned about reducing, reusing, and recycling 

waste as a way to conserve natural resources. 

We continue to promote the “Make a 

Difference” campaign at national conferences, 

through educational organizations and associations and on the Web. 

To get copies of this material, please refer to 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/education>. 

10 
Helping Older Americans Conserve 

Resources 

For the first time, the RCC 

targeted older or retired 

Americans with a campaign called “The Power 

of Change.” The campaign 

helps older Americans 

learn more about waste 

in the environment, and 

how they can use their 

“power” to change their 

lifestyles in order to preserve the environment 

now and for future generations. The cornerstone of the crusade is a free kit, which contains a number of innovative resources 

explaining how to make simple, everyday 

changes to reduce waste, conserve our natural 

resources, and save energy. It includes educational material to help people make better 

environmental decisions when they move, 

travel, or use home health products. It also 

contains information to help community leaders organize or get more involved in local conservation or waste reduction projects. 

The “Power to Change” campaign was 

announced in San Francisco at the 2004 Joint 

Conference of the American Society on Aging 

and the National Coalition on Aging. Since 

then, we have distributed nearly 100,000 kits. 

More information about the “Power to Change” 

is available at: <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/ 

aging/index.htm>. 

Erik Estrada Reaches Hispanic Listeners 

In 2004, the RCC developed a public service 

announcement (PSA) to complement the 

Hispanic Used Motor Oil campaign and to 

reach a broader audience. Erik Estrada, who 

gained fame as a motorcycle cop in the 1970s 

television series CHiPs, worked with us to produce two PSAs aired in some of the country’s 

largest Spanish-language radio markets. The 

ads were recorded in both Spanish and 

English. We estimate the printed campaign 

and the radio messages reached about 14 million listeners and 144,000 readers. 

The Hispanic Used Motor Oil campaign is part 

of the National Hispanic Outreach Strategy and 

is directed toward members 

of the Hispanic community Potential Benefits of the Hispanic who own service stations or Used Motor Oil Campaign 

automotive repair shops, or 

who change their own oil. Benefits from this campaign are 

The campaign helps to based on two estimates–amount of 

enhance awareness of, and used oil disposed of improperly and 

participation in, environ- number of people being reached by 

mental issues. The specific the campaign. Estimates show that 

goal of this program is to 25 percent of people who change 

improve management of their own oil dispose of it improperly. 

used oil and reduce haz- Potential benefits include the followardous waste contamina- ing: 

tion of our land and water. • Recovery of 709,000 gallons of 

The bilingual materials in used motor oil; 

the “You Dump It, You Drink 

It,” campaign are successful- • Reduction of 585 pounds of 

wastewater emissions; and ly spreading the message of 

proper management of • Conservation of nearly 15 million 

used motor oil to the gallons of crude oil when replaced 

Hispanic population. by the recycled used oil. 

11 
On Earth Day 2005, w

e launched a program 

with Advance Auto Parts® called “Bring Every 

Quart Back.” This program targets do-it-yourselfers who change their own oil, and specifically aims to keep oil out of the Potomac River 

Basin. Advance Auto Parts® spreads the message through internal communication channels 

and when they sell oil to customers. The partnership plans to produce a media kit, posters, 

and public service announcements in both 

Spanish and English. For more information on the Hispanic Used Motor Oil Campaign, please refer to 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/usedoil/ 

index.htm>. 

America’s Marketplace Recycles 

An exciting new program, America’s 

Marketplace Recycles targets recycling at shopping centers. Shopping centers represent an 

ideal venue to reach a wide range of suppliers, 

owners, and consumers all at the same time. The challenge is aimed at reducing waste mat

e­

rials such as corrugated cardboard packaging, 

wood pallets, plastics packaging, paper, and food court and landscape wastes by targeting 

the shopping center’s management, retail tenants, and visitors. The challenge also promotes 

the recycling message to consumers, whether 

at home or on the go. The goals of the challenge are to: 

•	Promote recycling at shopping centers; 

•	Promote and energize the recycling message; and 

•	 Encourage waste reduction in packaging. 

Shopping centers across the country are taking 

part. To help them reach our goal, the RCC prepared a guide to help retailers easily identify 

opportunities to reduce waste and increase 

recycling. The shopping centers with successful 

recycling programs received achievement 

awards in recognition of Earth Day 2005. Award 

categories ranged from best new recycling program to most innovative program for both 

small and large shopping centers. Winners 

included: 

•	The Fair Lakes Promenade in Fairfax, 

Virginia won the “Best Community 

Partnership for Small Shopping Centers” 

award for collecting 72,000 pounds of electronics in a single day. 

•	Target won the “Recycler of the Year” award. 

Its 1,300 stores and distribution centers 

recycled 700 million pounds of material. In 

addition, the retail chain either recycled or 

refurbished 44,000 shopping carts in one year. 

For more information on the shopping center 

challenge, please refer to 

<www.epa.gov/rcc/amr.htm>. The guide can be 

found at <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/amrguide/amrguide.pdf>. 

12 
Reusing and Recycling 

Industrial Materials 

Industrial waste is one category of waste residuals that holds a number of unexplored opportunities. Millions of tons of secondary materials, 

which can be safely and effectively reused, are 

sent for disposal every year. The RCC has developed partnerships with industries that produce 

coal ash, foundry sands, and construction and 

demolition debris. These materials are generated in large volumes and readily lend themselves 

to reuse and recycling. 

Industrial Materials 

The reuse and recycling of industrial materials 

can result in environmental benefits such as less 

use of virgin products, reduced greenhouse gas 

emissions, less energy and water use, and less 

waste. To meet these goals, the RCC is working 

with industry partners. 

Coal Combustion Products Partnership 

In 2004, the American Coal Ash Association estimated a 3 million ton increase in the use of coal 

ash in cement and other products. The use of 

coal ash in construction products reduced 

greenhouse gas emissions by 670,000 metric 

tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE). The Coal 

Combustion Products Partnership (C2P2) is 

responsible for these changes. C2P2 is a cooperative partnership between the RCC, the 

American Coal Ash Association, the Utility Solid 

Waste Activities Group, the Federal Highway 

Administration, and the U.S. Department of 

Energy. 

This partnership looks for ways to increase


the safe use of coal ash in building and man­


ufacturing materials or other applications.


Using coal ash not only eliminates a waste,


but also increases the durability of concrete,


saves energy, decreases greenhouse gas emis­


sions from cement production,


and decreases the use of virgin


resources. As a first step in pro- Goals of the C2

P2 Program:


moting the safe use of coal ash,
 • Increase the use of coal the RCC published Using Coal Ash ash in concrete from 12 in Highway Construction: A Guide million metric tons in 2001 to Benefits and Impacts. This report to 20 million metric tons in explains the potential benefits of 2010; and the use of coal ash in highway 

projects and provides guidance to • Increase the overall use of 

ensure that the material is used coal combustion products 

safely. to 45 percent by 2008. 

C2P2 partners were recognized for 

their achievements in April 2005. The “Overall 

Achievement” award went to WE Energies for its 

leadership in expanding markets for coal combustion products and for reusing 98 percent of 

its coal ash. The “Enhanced Utilization” award 

went to the Lower Colorado River Authority for 

its Fayette Power Project, which resulted in all of 

its current coal combustion products being 

recycled and the use of old stockpiles to satisfy 

the needs of their customers. 

For more information, please refer to: 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/c2p2/ 

index.htm>. 

13 
Waste Turns into Road 

Originally built in the 1920s, Wacker Drive is a major two-level viaduct in downtown 

Chicago that had to be rebuilt because of heavy use and deterioration. To provide 

increased strength, improved workability, and extra resistance against future corrosion, 

10,000 tons of fly ash were added to the concrete used in the new cast-in-place roadway. This type of concrete can double the life of roads compared to conventional pavements. By using fly ash instead of Portland cement, 19,000 barrels of crude oil were 

saved. Additional benefits of using fly ash include producing less greenhouse gas emissions, preserving virgin resources, conserving landfill space, and creating a more 

durable roadway with a service life of 75 to 100 years. 

For more information and to obtain a copy of the guide, please refer to 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/c2p2/index.htm>. 

Construction and Demolition Debris 

By reusing materials from construction and 

demolition (C&D) projects, we conserve materials, reduce the environmental impacts from 

manufacturing new products, and save landfill 

space. Plus, we have the added benefit of 

reducing building costs by reusing products 

that would have otherwise been waste. As a 

result of these benefits, C&D is another area of 

focus for the RCC. 

Providing Assistance and Measuring Success 

Through an EPA grant, the Construction 

Material Recycling Association provides technical assistance , education, and training to public and private institutions, corporations, and 

companies to help them implement C&D recycling. Three WasteWise Building Challenge participants were selected to serve as models for 

the benefits of diverting C&D debris from landfills and taking advantage of the existing markets for recycled C&D materials: 

•	 City of Claremont, California – Village


Expansion 


•	 Target Stores – Eureka and Southbay,


California


•	 New Jersey Public Schools, Newark, New 

Jersey – Newark First Avenue School warehouse demolition. 

Based on actual tonnage recycled and disposed of by these Building Challenge Projects, 

over 17,000 tons of materials were, or will be, 

diverted from landfills–about an 87 percent 

diversion rate, which is well above the targeted 

rate of 75 percent. In addition, the grantee prepared a set of master specifications for C&D 

recycling, which are available free of charge to 

individuals and organizations requesting them 

for future projects. A guide is available at: 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/ 

pubs/combined.pdf>. 

14 
From Rubble Comes New Material 

The U.S. Army estimates it will generate 23 million tons of C&D debris over the next 15 years. 

To reduce the environmental impacts, we have 

been working with the Army Corp of 

Engineers’ Construction Engineering Research 

Laboratory and the University of Florida Center 

for Construction and Environment to conduct 

training for the Army in C&D recycling. The 

training was site-specific with an emphasis on 

deconstruction techniques to increase reuse 

and recycling of demolition debris. Workshops 

were conducted at Fort Lewis, Washington; 

Fort Hood, Texas; and Fort Bragg, North 

Carolina. 

Implementation of the training is an integral 

component of this project. Fort Lewis is now 

initiating a six-building deconstruction pilot 

project. Fort Hood is developing a deconstruction strategy for roughly 100 World War II 

buildings and is incorporating deconstruction 

C&D Workshops included: 

•	 Assessment of buildings to be removed; 

•	 Deconstruction processes: techniques, and 

management; 

•	 Conditions for successfully implementing 

deconstruction; 

•	 Regulatory and policy constraints; 

•	 Action plan to implement deconstruction 

on a pilot basis; and 

•	 Diversion of lumber and organic material 

from landfills and displacing virgin lumber. 

into their Residential Communities Initiative 

(RCI) program. Similar results are anticipated at 

Fort Bragg. 

For more information, please refer to 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/ 

debris-new/index.htm>. 

Reusing and Recycling Tires 

Tires pose significant public health and environmental risks if not disposed of properly. 

When tires are stockpiled, they can 

become breeding grounds for a vari- Tire Reuse and 

ety of pests, including mosquitoes Recycling Goals

that can carry dangerous viruses. Tire 

•	 Divert 85 percent of stockpiles can ignite, creating fires newly generated scrap that are difficult to extinguish and tires to reuse, recycling, can burn for months, generating or energy recovery by unhealthy smoke and toxic oils. The the end of 2008; and environmental impacts of a stockpile 

fire can be far-reaching and the after- • Reduce by 55 percent 

math frequently includes costly the number of tires in 

cleanups. existing stockpiles by the 

end of 2008. Markets exist for approximately 80 

percent of the roughly 300 million 

scrap tires discarded annually. Challenging 

national goals have been set and action plans 

developed by the RCC Scrap Tire Workgroup to 

increase the usage of tires in different markets 

and to reduce tire piles. This Workgroup is 

composed of 51 members from states, industry, and EPA who are focused on increasing the 

reuse, recycling, and energy recovery of scrap 

tires. 

Market development and support is critical to 

diverting tires from stockpiles and landfills. 

15 
Recalled Tires Put to Use 

Recently, Ford Motor Company replaced 13 million tires on its automobiles. Ford has 

ground over 6.5 million of these tires into 125 million pounds of crumb rubber product. 

Crumb rubber is used for playground surfaces and rubberized asphalt in roadways. To 

date, it has distributed the crumb rubber to 130 projects in 27 U.S. states and three 

Canadian provinces. 

These markets include rubberized asphalt for 

highways, surfaces for playgrounds and other 

sports facilities, rubber mats, new tires, molded/extruded products, sealants, and septic 

tank drainage fields. Since tires produce the 

same amount of energy as oil and have 25 percent more energy than coal, tires can also be 

used as fuel when appropriate air controls are 

in place. EPA has recognized this as a viable 

alternative to the use of fossil fuels, particularly 

because it results in lower nitrogen oxide emissions when compared to many U.S. coals, particularly the high-sulfur coals. The tire-derived 

fuel policy was an important accomplishment 

of EPA this year and can be found at: 

<www.epa.gov/ 

epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/tires/tdf-fs.pdf>. 

Innovative alternatives to disposal are being 

explored and used by EPA, states, and the 

scrap tire industry. 

Unknown 

10.3% 

44.7% 

Tire-Derived 

Fuel 

Miscellaneous/ 

Agriculture 

1.7% 

Electric Arc 

Furnaces 

0.2% 

Export 

3.1% 

Cut/Punched/ 

Stamped 

2% 

Landfill 

9.3% 

Civil 

Engineering 

19.4% 

Ground Rubber 

9.7% 

U.S. Scrap Tire Deposition 

For more information, please refer to 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/ 

tires/index.htm>. 

Energy Conservation and Recovery 

Under the RCC, we are pursuing numerous projects that produce energy directly from wastes or 

industrial byproducts. By using these wastes as 

fuel, we reduce reliance on foreign and domestic 

natural resources (e.g., coal, oil). Additionally, 

many RCC efforts conserve energy by using 

waste materials as a substitute for raw materials 

or industrial products. In these cases, the 

replacement of virgin raw materials with a material that would otherwise be considered a waste 

can save a tremendous amount of energy. 

Landfill Gas Recovery 

As of December 2004, approximately 380 landfill gas energy projects were operating in the 

United States, with another 600 landfills being 

likely candidates for bioreactor projects. If 928 

landfills converted to gas energy projects, 10 

percent of the energy we capture from them 

would produce 500 megawatts of energy, preventing the equivalent of 85,000 rail cars full of 

coal from being burned. 

Currently, the 380 projects generate 9 billion 

kilowatts of energy per year. We continue to 

work to increase this number with EPA’s 

16 
Landfill Methane Outreach Program, a voluntary 

assistance and partnership program that promotes the use of landfill gas as a renewable, 

green energy source. For more information, 

please refer to <www.epa.gov/lmop/proj/>. 

Priority and Toxic Chemical 

Reduction 

Toxic chemicals make up a small, but troublesome, portion of the nation’s waste stream. The 

RCC’s priority chemical reduction priority area 

focuses on toxic and persistent chemicals, minimizing their use throughout a product’s life 

cycle–during manufacture, in products, and as 

waste–to better protect human health and the 

environment. By substituting and, in some cases, 

eliminating certain chemicals, companies produce 

less waste and lower their production costs. The 

RCC’s chemicals work focuses on the 31 most persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals. In 

addition, the RCC is working to set criteria that will 

help identify other toxic chemicals of national 

importance. The National Partnership for 

Environmental Priorities (NPEP) is one of the premier programs that the RCC has in place to 

achieve priority chemical reductions. 

National Partnership for 

Environmental Priorities 

NPEP uses voluntary partnerships to reduce the 

use and release of priority chemicals. 

This program has enabled the United States to 

make significant progress in reducing the release 

of priority chemicals. Partners commit to reduction goals that they set and they are formally recognized for meeting those goals. NPEP partners 

have reduced or eliminated nearly 3 million 

pounds of priority chemicals such as lead, 

mercury, naphthalene, and dioxins. Nearly 

100 companies are now NPEP partners. 

Getting the Lead Out 

A number of NPEP partners are working toward or have reached their first 

reduction goals this year. 

•	 Bowling Green State University 

set an NPEP partnership program goal to collect and reclaim 

uncontaminated sources of elemental mercury at a rate of 3,000 

pounds over a three-year period. 

The university selected mercury 

because of its potential adverse 

health effects if released into the 

environment. Since its launch in 

2004, Bowling Green has already 

removed over 4,150 pounds of 

elemental mercury for recycling. 

•	 Wirerope Works, Inc. manufactures rope, structural strand, and 

related products for use in lifting 

and stabilizing applications. It 

has reengineered its production 

process and thus reduced its 

annual use of lead by 27,000 

pounds. 

For more information on the NPEP 

program, please refer to: 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/ 

hazwaste/minimize/partnership.htm>. 

Getting the Lead Out 

International Truck and 

Engine Corporation, a 

manufacturer of school 

buses and medium and 

heavy trucks, initiated an 

award-winning program 

to eliminate lead. The 

company changed 

processes and increased 

recycling to reduce toxic 

chemicals in its manufacturing and painting 

process. 

The result: 

• Over 100,000 pounds of 

lead use reduced to less 

than 200 pounds a 

year—a 98 percent 

reduction. 

• New processes saved 

over $125,000 a year. 

17 
Other Priority and Toxic Chemical 

Reduction Efforts 

Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign 

Every year, hundreds of thousands of dollars 

are spent on school incidents involving chemical spills and fires. These 

incidents involve potenOld Car Battery Roundup tially dangerous chemiOn Earth Day, the Automobile cals that, in some cases, 

Association of America held its sec­ had been unused for 

ond annual Great Battery Roundup decades. In addition to 

and collected 7,600 car batteries. the potential health 

Each car battery contains approximately 21 pounds of lead that can be 

recycled for use in another 

vehicle–resulting in 160,000 pounds 

of lead being recycled. The roundup 

is designed to educate and encourage 

dangers and clean-up 

costs, these spills also 

cause school closures 

that result in a loss of 

valuable education 

time. 

motorists to recycle old car batteries The Schools Chemical 

for reuse. Cleanout Campaign 

(SC3) addresses this issue 

by cleaning out excess, 

legacy, unused, and improperly stored chemicals and implementing preventive measures in 

schools. Thoughtful chemical purchasing and 

proper chemical use and management (storage, 

labeling, and disposal) are critical for reducing 

chemical exposures and costly accidents that 

ultimately affect student learning and attendance. 

In 2004, we launched SC3 to facilitate implementation of programs that promote removal 

of existing stocks of dangerous chemicals from 

schools, encourage safe chemical management, and raise national awareness. Ten pilot 

projects were implemented across the 

country. Through 

these programs, over 

75,000 pounds of 

dangerous chemicals 

were safely removed 

and properly disposed of, thus, creating an environmentally 

safe learning environment for over 400,000 

students. 

For more information, please refer to 

<www.epa.gov/sc3>. 

Hospitals for a Healthy Environment 

EPA and the American Hospital Association 

have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 

for pollution prevention in health care facilities. The objectives of this MOU are to do the 

following: 

•	 Virtually eliminate mercury-containing 

waste from health care facilities’ waste 

streams; 

•	 Reduce the overall 

volume of waste (both 

regulated and nonregulated waste) by 33 

percent by 2005, and 50 percent by 2010; 

and 

•	 Identify hazardous substances for pollution prevention and waste reduction 

opportunities, including hazardous chemicals and persistent bioaccumulation and 

toxic (PBT) chemicals. 

18 
A

s of June 2005, the Hospitals for a Healthy Developing More Environmentally 

Environment program had enrolled 1,027 partFriendly Products ners representing 4,337 facilities, including 

hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. Of the 

enrolled partners, 56 of them have indicated 

that their facilities are now mercury-free. With the end of 2005 in sight, Hospitals for a 

Healthy Environment is working to tally its 

results from its partners to confirm that their 

goals were met. One partner that has made 

great strides is St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in 

Edgewood, Kentucky, which stopped using 

ethylene oxide in its sterilization process due to its carcinogenic risk to human health. The 

facility switched to a closed-system sterilization process that takes less time and operates 

at a lower temperature to sterilize medical 

devices–reducing both human exposures and 

energy use. In addition, the 2005 Environmental Leader Award was given to a hospital that collected over 125 pounds of mercury in one facility 

alone; saved 480,000 

gallons of water; 

The RCC seeks to 

recycled or diverted 

increase solid waste 3,295 tons of waste; 

reduction, reuse, and and sa

ved over 

recycling through $323,000 in waste 

Hospitals for a disposal and other
 Health Environment, costs. 
 focusing on mercury,


paper, packaging, 

For more informa­


electronic equipment, tion, please r

efer to: 

food scraps, and <w

ww.h2e­

yard trimmings. online.org>. 

Design for the Environment and Green 

Chemistry These two EPA programs are complementary 

approaches to pollution prevention. More than 

a decade ago, manufacturers started thinking 

of “design for” qualities or traits in their products and processes. At the same time, views on 

risk management began shifting from regula­ tory to voluntary efforts that promote risk reduction through pollution prevention and 

source reduction. 

Product designers make many important decisions about the environmental impacts of the 

products they design. Our Design for the 

Environment Program has partnered with the 

Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) to educate designers and students about how to create more environmentally responsible 

products and to award designs that demonstrate superior environmental performance. 

Designers are involved in the creation of every 

product that people use in their homes, at work, 

and in their daily lives, such as electronic equipment, tools, lighting systems, household fixtures, toys, apparel, vehicles, and furniture. Throughout its life cycle, every product creates 

different amounts and various kinds of environmental impacts. The choices designers make 

influence the type and magnitude of these 

impacts. 

19 
To help designers make the best environmental choices, IDSA organized a partnership program to support the creation of more 

ecologically friendly products. This partnership: 

•	 Educates design students and practicing 

designers about improving the ecological 

performance of products; 

•	 Identifies and provides ecodesign information that is most needed by product 

designers; and 

•	 Rewards green product design via the 

BusinessWeek Industrial Design Excellence 

Awards (IDEA). 

Educators and ecodesign strategists developed 

a curriculum for students of product design. 

The curriculum is organized into four areas of 

study: 1) understanding environmental 

impacts, 2) ecodesign strategies to generate 

new designs, 3) impact assessment, and 4) professional practice. This curriculum has 

been disseminated to more than 40 

Green Alley at Digital product design schools in North 

Edge Expo America. Additionally, the IDEA 

September 2004 – At the Partnership Team is developing mateNBC-4 Digital Edge Expo rials for practicing designers. The 

in Washington, DC, EPA’s 

materials will be available by the end 

partner Best Buy collect- of 2005. 

ed 144,000 pounds of The partnership also improved the 

electronic materials for ecodesign criteria used to judge the 

recycling. This one col- annual IDEA program. The new 

lection event has the process places increasing emphasis 

potential to save 300 on environmental impacts as a vital 

cubic feet of landfill aspect of a successful design soluspace. tion. In addition, they provide “Dos & 

Don’ts” in the entry instructions of 

things to consider when providing ecodesign 

documentation. To better recognize and promote efforts being made in the design field, a 

new ecodesign category has been approved 

for launch in the 2006 IDEA competition. 

Information about submissions to the 

Ecodesign category will be posted with the 

IDEA requirements for 2006. 

For more information, please refer to: 

<www.idsa.org/whatsnew/sections/ 

ecosection/>. 

Green Initiatives— 

Electronics 

The National Safety Council predicts that by 

2010, 250 million computers will be obsolete 

(see <www.nsc.org/ehc/epr2/ 

baseline.htm>). In 2005, Americans discarded 

about 130 million cell phones, which translates 

to 65,000 tons of trash. The main challenge for 

this priority area is to get industry, consumers, 

and state and local governments to work 

together to create a future plan for electronics. 

These plans include reducing the amount of 

toxic chemicals used in electronics, reducing 

the amount of e-waste produced every year, 

and providing a future infrastructure for reuse 

and recycling. By targeting all phases of electronic equipment’s life cycle, the RCC is: 

•	 Creating relationships with equipment 

manufacturers; 

•	 Educating the consumer population; 

•	 Working with state and local governments 

to support their efforts; and 

20 
•	 Harnessing the purchasing po

wer of the 

federal government to increase the use 

and acquisition of more environmentally 

sustainable electronics. 

These four goals are being met through some 

of the efforts described below. 

Plug-In To eCycling 

Plug-In To eCycling has had 

success in attracting new partners to help provide opportunities to safely, conveniently, and 

affordably recycle old electronics equipment. 

This program also promotes safe recycling 

practices that minimize impacts on the envi­ ronment. Reusing or recycling old electronics conserves natural resources by prolonging the 

useful life of products or recovering valuable 

material. Plug-In To eCycling currently has 20 

partners, with Good Guys, Office Depot, 

Samsung, Philips, Pioneer, eBay’s Rethink 

Initiative, and NEC joining in 2004. 

Plug-In To eCycling has made significant 

strides in recycling electronics this year. In 

2004, members conducted pilot programs and 

workshops to collect and recycle used electronics. In each of the pilot programs, tons of 

electronics were collected. 

•	Office Depot and Hewlett Packard’s pilot 

program collected and recycled approximately 10.5 million pounds of obsolete 

electronics, saving 36,350 cubic feet of 

landfill space. 

•	Good Guys, one of the largest domestic 

specialty retailers of high-end entertainment electronics, collec

ted and safely 

recycled over 4,000 TVs, diverting 16,000 

pounds of lead away from landfills. 

•	AT&T Wireless collected 450,000 pounds of 

cell phones, batteries, and PDAs for reuse 

and resale. 

•	Dell collected 3 million pounds of unwanted computer equipment for safe recycling. 

•	 Hewlett Packard recycled 9 million pounds 

of products per month. 

•	Lexmark collected 5,800 pounds of old 

electronics from their own employees. 

•	Panasonic diverted 5.6 million end-of-life 

products from landfills. 

EPEAT—How Green Are Your Electronics? 

One example of how we evaluate the environmental performance of electronic products is 

through the Electronics Product Environmental 

Assessment Tool (EPEAT). Large institutions can 

use EPEAT to rate how green their electronic 

purchases are. 

The tool grants the equipment a point range 

depending on how environmentally friendly 

the product is. Based on the total number of 

points, the product qualifies for a bronze, silver, or gold rating. The tool, which was developed through a multi-stakeholder process, 

promotes continuous improvement in products, addresses the entire product life cycle, 

and aims to provide market advantage for 

green electronic products. We are currently 

identifying an organization to conduct a public 

review of the draft criteria and manage this 

21 
new tool. For more information, please refer to: 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ 

ecycling/index.htm>. 

The Federal Electronic Challenge (FEC) 

The FEC is a voluntary effort by federal agencies to buy greener electronics and to mange 

used electronics in an environmentally responsible way. 

On November 15, 2004, 11 federal agencies 

and the Executive Office of the President made 

a formal commitment to join this challenge 

and improve their life cycle electronics stewardship. 

The program plans to complete a baseline survey, set goals, and implement an action plan to 

improve management of electronic assets in 

three areas–acquisition and procurement, 

maintenance and operation, and disposal. The 

FEC will provide member federal agencies with 

tools and technical assistance to implement 

activities and help them achieve bronze-, silver-, or gold-level recognition. To help federal 

agencies properly dispose of and recycle old or 

excess equipment to meet their FEC commitments, we awarded contracts for Recycling 

FEC Federal Partners 

The Executive Office of the President; the Departments 

of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Health and Human 

Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, 

Transportation, and Veterans Affairs; the 

Environmental Protection Agency, and the General 

Services Administration. 

Electronics and Asset Disposition (READ). READ 

will provide federal agencies with a way to 

safely recycle and, if necessary, dispose of outdated equipment to meet their commitments. 

For more information, please refer to: 

<www.federalelectronicschallenge.net> and 

<www.epa.gov/oamhpod1/ 

admin_placement/0300115/fact.htm>. 

EPA’s Design for the Environment Assessment: 

Switching to Lead-Free Alternatives 

The electronics industry is facing legislative 

and market pressure to 

phase out the use of 

tin/lead (SnPb) solders and 

switch to lead-free alternatives. Due to these pressures, industry 

representatives 

approached the Design for the Environment 

(DfE) Program for assistance. In 2002 alone, 

estimates of SnPb solder used worldwide were 

over 176 million pounds. 

The DfE Lead-Free Solder Partnership conducted a study of life-cycle environmental impacts 

of SnPb and several lead-free solder alternatives. The study provided an objective analysis 

of the life-cycle environmental impacts of leading candidate alternatives and identified environmental concerns along with the 

traditionally evaluated parameters of cost and 

performance. This assessment describes ways 

to redirect efforts towards products and 

processes that reduce solders’ environmental 

footprint, including energy consumption, 

releases of toxic chemicals, and potential risks 

22 
to human health and the environment. For 

more information on this study please visit: 

<www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/solder/lca/index.htm>. 

To view this project or to order the summary 

booklet, please refer to: <www.epa.gov/dfe>. 

Other Key Green Initiatives 

Greening the Government 

Though electronics has been targeted as a 

national priority area under the RCC umbrella, 

a number of other initiatives are very important to reach the goals of the RCC. For example, the Greening the Government initiative 

provides a vision for our role in implementing 

future waste prevention, recycling, and federal 

acquisition programs across the federal government, and the Green Buildings program is 

working to reduce the environmental footprint 

of buildings across our nation. 

The goal of this initiative is to establish a federal program that brings together all green programs into one–green procurement of 

products and services, green building and 

landscaping, and waste prevention and recycling. The joint impact of federal agency activities will enable the government to exercise 

greater influence over market development for 

green products and services. 

Government Purchases Environmentally 

Preferable Products 

“Green” procurement is the acquisition of products or services that have a lesser or reduced 

effect on human health and the environment 

when compared with competing products or 

services that serve the same purpose. This 

includes products that are made with recycled 

content, are energy efficient, or have other 

environmentally preferable attributes, such as 

ease of recycling or reduced toxicity. The purchase of products made with recycled content 

is promoted through the Comprehensive 

Procurement Guidelines (CPG) program. 

Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines 

Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines were 

created to encourage the use of materials 

recovered from the solid waste stream and 

thereby help to conserve resources, reduce 

energy usage, and reduce the amount of waste 

disposed in landfills or incinerators. Section 

6002 of the Resource Conservation and 

Recovery Act (RCRA) requires EPA to designate 

products that can be made with recovered 

materials and to recommend practices for buying the products. It also requires federal agencies to purchase these designated items. 

Procuring agencies include all federal agencies 

and any state or local agency or government 

contractor that uses appropriated funds. 

Through CPG, we have designated 61 items, 

including seven designated on April 30, 2004. 

The seven items designated were bike racks, 

Federal agencies continue to purchase millions of dollars worth of products containing recycled content. 

Over the last decade, the federal government has purchased more than $3.6 billion of such products. 

Procuring agencies now buy more than 60 types of 

products made with recycled materials designated by 

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

23 
blasting grit, modular threshold ramps, nonpressure pipe, rebuilt vehicular parts, office furniture, and roofing materials. To view our 

recommended recycled content products and a 

supplier’s database, please refer to: 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/procure/ 

products.htm>. 

Green Purchasing at EPA 

For the first time, our employees can purchase 

environmentally preferable office products. 

Through green purchasing, we are making our 

air and water cleaner and healthier, diverting 

tons of materials from landfills, and saving 

large amounts of energy. This pilot program is 

educating office supply vendors as well as 

other public and private entities about promoting and increasing the sale and purchase of 

recycled-content and environmentally preferable products. 

24 
EPA “LEED”s on Green Buildings 

To serve as a model with healthy workplaces that 

minimize environmental impacts, we strive to 

make all of our buildings as energy efficient and 

sustainable as possible. Using the Leadership 

Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green 

Building Rating System, we require our newly 

constructed buildings to achieve at least a LEED 

Silver certification. LEED is a voluntary, national 

standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. In 2004, we began constructing four new green buildings that will have at 

least a LEED Silver rating. 

LEED ratings range from Bronze to Gold and are 

based on a rating system where points are given 

for sustainable and environmentally friendly 

design. Examples of some of the rating criteria 

are public transportation access, water efficient 

landscaping, renewable energy, green power, 

and C&D debris reuse. 

For more information, please refer to: 

<www.epa.gov/rcc/element/design.html> and 

<www.epa.gov/opptintr/greenbuilding>. 

Federal Green Construction Guide 

Collaborating with the Office of the Federal 

Environmental Executive and the Whole Building 

Design Guide, EPA has drafted the Draft Federal 

Guide for Green Construction Specs to assist federal agencies in greening their buildings. The 

draft guide is available at: 

<www.wbdg.org/design/greenspec.php>. 

Covering over 60 building materials and methods, the online tool is being developed to allow 

federal building professionals to “cut and paste” 

their way to greener office, residential, laboratory, and other buildings. Specifically, the draft 

guide, organized according to the Construction 

Specifications Institute’s MasterFormatTM, will 

help agencies meet their project-specific environmental goals and mandates. 

Headquarters, Arlington, VA: In May 2004, GSA signed a lease Boston Regional Office: In July 2004, 

for a 422,000 square-foot building that will house programs EPA met with GSA to discuss the 

located in Crystal City. The building will have a minimum of a restoration of the McCormack Court 

LEED Silver rating, but hopes to achieve an environmental per- House and Post Office Building. We will 

formance rating of Gold. The developer is pursuing the use of occupy the building when renovations 

30-35 percent slag cement (an industrial byproduct) below grade, are complete in 2007/2008. We 

and the architectural finishes will comply with CPG. The building requested that GSA make the building 

should be completed in 2006 and will achieve the Energy Star LEED Silver, at a minimum, and 

Building label, using 22 percent less energy than the industry achieve an Energy Star Building label. 

baseline. 

Cincinnati Annex #2: We are designing an addition to the Denver Regional Office: In June 2004, 

AWBERC facility in Cincinnati. The addition will be at a minimum we met to discuss the new Denver 

LEED Silver and achieve an Energy Star Building label with Regional Office. The building will be at 

energy use 30-35 percent below industry baseline. Construction least LEED Silver, and we expect the 

start is expected in late FY 2005. design to result in an LEED Gold building. The building will have energy use 

39 percent below the industry standard. 25 
Progress 

EPA will continue to work with its current partners and identify new partners who will assist 

us in achieving the program’s goals and targets. We will document progress, sharpen our 

focus, and reward success. As we advance 

toward our goals, we will refine them and set 

new targets that better reflect the ongoing 

work of the RCC. 

Within each national priority area, we will continue to identify projects that can, and should, 

be scaled up to the national level, with each 

region being given an opportunity to expand 

the program further. We will continue, through 

the RCC, to work and gather the necessary 

data, so that benefits of the program can be 

clearly articulated and communicated. As always, we will continue 

to report the programs successes 

and identify how they relate to 

the set goals. 

The RCC will continue to communicate with 

the public broadly about its areas of focus. We 

will continue to provide, develop, and seek out 

new tools that can help us achieve our goals. 

Building expertise and providing technical 

assistance will continue to be a strong element 

of the RCC. 

Finally, we will continue to educate the 

American people about the impacts of purchasing decisions on the environment. With 

everyone working together, material and 

resource conservation will become the norm 

for all of us, not the exception. 

26 

Office of Solid Waste and Emergency 

Response 

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 

(5305W) 

Washington, DC 20460 

EPA530-R-05-001 

December 2005