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True Commitment
NEIWPCC Adopts Environmentally Sustainable Practices
By Susan Sullivan, NEIWPCC
At NEIWPCC, we recognize that as an organization involved in environmental issues, our practices must reflect a commitment to a culture of sustainability. To assist in the development and implementation of such practices, NEIWPCC established a voluntary Sustainability Committee in 2008 to examine where the organization could eliminate, reduce, and recycle waste. Everyone in our main office in Lowell, Mass., was invited to participate in the committee, and roughly 40 percent of the staff have taken part in the monthly voluntary meetings.
The following summary describes the committee’s goals and achievements in the areas of water conservation, energy conservation and emissions reductions, recycling and composting, green meetings, and green purchasing.
Water Conservation
NEIWPCC’s water conservation efforts have centered on reducing water waste and encouraging the use of tap water rather than bottled water. We posted creative signs in the kitchens and restrooms to encourage staff to be cognizant of water usage. To encourage the use of public water, we have installed water filters on kitchen faucets and purchased an Energy Star refrigerator that disperses ice and chilled tap water. It is estimated that the installation of the refrigerator will reduce our use of bottled water by 50 percent. NEIWPCC has also instituted a policy of no bottled water at meetings and conferences; tap water is provided in pitchers for attendees.
Energy Conservation and Emissions Reductions
Initial efforts towards energy conservation and emissions reductions in the Lowell office include the posting of reminder signs to turn off lights when rooms are not in use and the installation of the Energy Star refrigerator. The new refrigerator is far more efficient than the one it replaced, and the exchange is expected to reduce our energy consumption by approximately 40 percent. We have also selected renewable energy sources from our electricity provider, so that 100 percent of our electricity usage is offset by energy produced by small hydropower facilities (70 percent) and wind energy (30 percent).
NEIWPCC intends to install programmable thermostats to allow for better temperature control and reduce unnecessary energy use for heating and cooling the office outside of normal business hours. Another initiative will be the installation of motion sensors on light switches in offices, conference rooms, copy rooms, and kitchens. We are currently in discussions with the building’s management company about the implementation of these energy conservation efforts, and we are optimistic they will be adopted soon. NEIWPCC has already been successful in persuading the management company to install motion sensor light switches in the building’s common areas, such as restrooms.
We are also exploring the possibility of reducing the number of NEIWPCC workgroup meetings held at our Lowell office. While these meetings have long been a NEIWPCC tradition and allow for crucial face-to-face interaction between workgroup members, it is imperative to consider whether a slight reduction in the number of meetings could be accommodated in light of the obvious environmental benefits. In a typical year, NEIWPCC holds approximately 50 water quality, wastewater, and water resource protection workgroup meetings in Lowell. We estimate that reducing the number of these meetings by just 30 percent would result in a 25,000-pound reduction in carbon dioxide emissions generated by workgroup members’ car travel.
In an additional effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, NEIWPCC is now registering our conferences and events with RideShare.us (www.rideshare.us), which allows event participants to post messages seeking carpool partners. Also, staff extensively utilize a company hybrid vehicle while traveling throughout our member states for regional meetings, training sessions, and workshops. (To accommodate larger carpool groups or the hauling of equipment to training programs, NEIWPCC has two minivans.) The organization is investigating the option of creating a company policy that would require carpooling when feasible.
Recycling and Composting
NEIWPCC’s recycling and composting efforts have been significantly enhanced over the course of the year. Although the Commission’s lease management company currently only provides for paper and cardboard recycling, Commission staff instituted a successful in-house voluntary plastic, glass, and metal recycling effort. We are also communicating with the management firm and other tenants in the building about the need for a formal, building-wide recycling program for glass, metal and plastic.
An ongoing test for NEIWPCC’s sustainability initiative is the use of disposable items such as paper plates, paper and plastic cups, and plastic cutlery. Considering the many meetings held by NEIWPCC in our Lowell office, reducing waste in this area has been a challenge that the Sustainability Committee has fully embraced. Disposable items have largely been replaced with reusable items, including silverware, non-disposable plates, and new “Going Green” mugs that were distributed to all of NEIWPCC’s staff and are available for guests. Communications are ongoing with the Commission’s caterers to discourage the use of Styrofoam disposable items and bottled water.
NEIWPCC purchased a Vermiculture composting system in which we placed fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and teabags. The goal was to reduce our solid waste and produce beneficial products such as liquid fertilizer and nutrient-rich soil. It was projected that the system would result in a 250-pound reduction in the solid waste generated by the office each year, and we were well on our way to achieving this decrease when it was discovered that the system attracted small mice. This left us little choice but to suspend the effort until a system suitable for in-office use can be found.
Green Meetings
NEIWPCC has been making significant strides toward making our meetings and events more sustainable. Hotels and other meeting venues are asked to outline their recycling policy when a formal request for proposal is submitted. Hotel venues are queried on whether they are centrally located or on public transit routes, and on whether they have a towel and linen reuse program; water-saving devices on showerheads, toilets and faucets; and recycling programs for use by guests. Venues are asked to make recycling receptacles for paper and plastic products visible throughout the duration of a NEIWPCC event, and to properly recycle leftover food.
NEIWPCC has initiated a program of paperless meetings, starting with the NEIWPCC Executive Committee and Commission Meetings. A secure website has been developed for our Commission members to access materials for meetings and presentations. Effective January 2009, NEIWPCC will no longer be providing printed agendas of meeting materials to our non-agency Commissioners.
Additionally, most registrations for NEIWPCC events are done via an online registration process. This significantly reduces the amount of paper used to produce printed registration forms and to mail them back and forth. And in most cases, event signs are produced using soy-based inks on recycled or biodegradable materials. All signage is collected by the vendor and properly recycled. NEIWPCC is further reducing meeting-related paper use by:
• Using conference websites and e-mail to promote an event, and providing the event itinerary and proceedings online (including speaker presentations and handouts).
• Printing materials that must be distributed in hard copy on double-sided, post-consumer recycled paper using vegetable-based inks.
• Reusing directional signage, speaker name tents, attendee name badges, and other generic signs.
• Minimizing the use of costly new packing supplies by reusing boxes and packing materials.
• Requesting that hotels and venues provide banquet event orders and rooming lists electronically.
Other meeting, conference, and training activities that NEIWPCC has undertaken include the following:
• Attendees sign up for meals in advance, allowing us to provide accurate attendance numbers that result in less food waste and lower costs.
• Juice, iced tea, coffee, and tap water are served in pitchers or bulk containers.
• Information about alternative environmentally preferable transportation choices such as mass transit, airport shuttle, and carpooling (via the RideShare program) is provided to attendees on conference websites.
Green Purchasing
NEIWPCC is working toward integrating green strategies into all of our purchasing. Some efforts that have already been put in place include buying copier paper with a 30 percent post-consumer content; switching to natural, non-toxic cleaning products; and encouraging the purchase of environmentally friendly office supplies.
NEIWPCC’s past five annual reports (FY2003-FY2007) have been printed on recycled paper made with 100 percent post-consumer waste and processed chlorine free. The last three reports (FY2005-FY2007) were printed on Cascade’s Rolland Enviro100 stock, which in addition to being made with Forest Stewardship Council-certified 100 percent post-consumer fiber and processed chlorine free is also manufactured using biogas energy. For every ton of Rolland Enviro100 stock used instead of virgin paper, the ecological footprint is reduced by 17 mature trees; 1,081 pounds of solid waste; 10,196 gallons of water; 6.9 pounds of suspended particles in the water; 2,098 pounds of air emissions; and 2,478 cubic feet of natural gas. It is estimated that approximately three-quarters of a ton of Enviro100 was used in the production of the three annual reports.
Three issues of this newsletter, Interstate Water Report, have been printed on New Leaf Paper’s Opaque 100 stock, which is made with 100 percent post-consumer waste and processed chlorine free. New Leaf Paper is one of the nation’s leading sources of environmentally responsible papers, and as part of its services, New Leaf provides Environmental Benefits Statements. These statements specify the resources saved by using New Leaf Paper instead of virgin paper on a project. By using New Leaf Opaque 100 on the three issues of IWR, NEIWPCC saved 28 fully grown trees; 12,882 gallons of water; 20 million BTUs of energy; 1,385 pounds of solid waste; and 2,754 pounds of greenhouse gases. The calculations are based on research done by the Environmental Defense Fund and other members of the Paper Task Force.
Overall, we are proud of the progress we have made in a relatively short time on sustainability issues, but we realize we can do better and are committed to doing so. One challenge area that remains is how to document the actual impact of our programs. As a tenant in leased space, the Commission does not always have access to items such as the water bill. As such, it has been difficult for the organization to quantify the energy consumption savings our efforts may have had. This is not likely to change in the near term, but it will not dampen our efforts in any way. Acting in a more sustainable fashion, as we are dedicated to doing, is its own reward.
Susan Sullivan (ssullivan@neiwpcc.org) is NEIWPCC’s deputy director.