The First Facility Management Blog

The United States Environmental Protection Agency, The Dow Chemical Company and the city of Dalton, GA partnered in a renewable energy source project that has far exceeded expectations in its first quarter of operation. The project takes gas from a Dalton landfill and uses it to fuel Dow’s latex carpet backing plant.

While in operation just three months, the latex carpet backing plant has already surpassed initial projections, according to Todd Crook, global marketing manager, Dow Flooring. Multiple carpet manufacturers have entered into agreements to use latex carpet backing produced with the fuel of LOMAX™ Technology, the name Dow bestowed upon this renewable energy source process. LOMAX Technology uses renewable energy (currently landfill gas) to manufacture latex carpet backings, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and assists customers in developing high performance products with sustainable attributes.

Dow partnered with the EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) in early 2008 and has gained knowledge through this partnership. As a result of the success of the Dalton Landfill project and the partnership with LMOP, Dow is in the evaluation phase of two to three other similar projects in the United States.

“While most Americans think of landfills as a final resting place for their garbage, they are actually a source of valuable, clean energy,” said Victoria Ludwig, manager of the LMOP. “Dow’s landfill gas capture program is one of many examples where American businesses are rethinking how they power their operations.”

LMOP is a voluntary assistance and partnership program that promotes the use of methane in landfill gas as an energy source. By preventing emissions of methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) through the development of landfill gas energy projects, LMOP helps businesses, states, energy providers, and communities protect the environment and build a sustainable future.

“When carpet manufacturers and their customers choose Dow latex backing, they can not only feel good about getting the products, but also products with an improved environmental impact,” said Crook. “In the manufacturing of our latexes for carpet backing, our target is to replace nearly all the fossil fuel required to manufacture latex with methane gas that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere.” More than 85% of carpet manufactured today utilizes latex as a backing material to hold the carpet fibers in place. LOMAX Technology will use approximately 200 billion Btus annually of methane gas, which is equivalent to the amount of energy required to heat 2,100 US homes annually. By utilizing this landfill gas in the Dalton carpet latex plant, the partnership will reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 25 million pounds annually—which is comparable to keeping 2,300 cars off the road each year.

While piping “garbage gas” from a landfill to fuel a manufacturing facility is not a new technology, it continues to gain popularity as businesses and municipalities search for products that specifically target the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the dependence on using fossil fuels. The carpet industry has pushed the sustainability issue, putting pressure on itself before the words “LEED” and “green” came to the forefront.

“Utilizing landfill gas to replace our fossil fuel consumption is truly improving our environmental footprint and equally important is that this is a sustainable attribute that is easy for consumers and specifiers to understand, which is a challenge in today’s rush to market green products,” Crook noted. “We are using renewable energy that is naturally generated in a landfill and using that energy to replace our fossil fuel. These kinds of initiatives will change things in our lifetime.”  

Developments like LOMAX Technology are in keeping with Dow’s 2015 sustainability goals, a multi-part program to address some of the most pressing economic, social and environmental concerns facing the global community over the next 10 years.

There are activities planned in all 40 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. In addition, there are outreach efforts being put together by private entities. Keeping materials out of landfills and giving them a “second life” is an integral part of reducing your organization’s impact on the health of the environment. Check out the Web site of the National Recycling Coalition (NRC), the official coordinator of “America Recycles Day”, along with sponsorship from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Now in its 11 year, America Recycles Day (ARD) is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle and to buy recycled products. Since its inception, the event has grown to include millions of Americans pledging to increase their recycling habits at home and work and to buy products made with recycled materials. Through ARD, the National Recycling Coalition supports local communities and raises awareness by educating citizens about the benefits of recycling. Volunteer ARD coordinators are positioned throughout the country and work to organize recycling awareness events in their schools and communities, and in conjunction with their local municipalities.

On November 15 each year, millions of people become better informed about the importance of daily recycling and buying recycled products. The purpose of ARD is to continue to promote the
social, environmental, and economic benefits of recycling and encourage more people to join the movement toward creating a better natural environment.

According to the EPA, recycling 1 million cell phones saves enough energy to power over 1,940 U.S. households with electricity for one year. With an estimated 150 million cell phones sitting unused in homes and offices across the country waiting to be recycled or reused, there is the potential to offset the energy consumption of more than 291,000 households.In addition, recycling those 150 million phones would prevent 75,000 tons of e-waste from entering U.S. landfills.

One cell phone recycling event set for this coming Saturday has been organized by Keep America Beautiful, Sprint, and ReCellular in the 2008 Cell Phone Round-Up. By visiting their dedicated Web site, visitors can print a postage-paid shipping label to recycle a cell phone, or phones. Proceeds benefit community-based efforts to reduce waste, prevent litter, and beautify public spaces.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently selected the furniture and wall system manufacturer with the 2008 WasteWise Gold Achievement Award for Packaging Reduction. KI was recognized for its multi-faceted program that eliminated 6.29 million pounds of industrial waste and raw materials as a result of product redesign and recycling activities in 2007. 

As part of its effort, KI focused on the reduction of material contents in products, waste prevention in its manufacturing processes, material diversion from landfills, and the purchase of recycled content components. KI’s waste prevention program saved the company more than $500,000 in costs last year. 

“We are proud to be recognized with this prestigious honor from the EPA,” said Beth Seymour, vice president of manufacturing. “Our packaging reduction program and similar initiatives are important to our customers who themselves emphasize good stewardship of the environment and want to do business with companies who share that commitment.”

 WasteWise is a free, voluntary EPA program through which organizations eliminate municipal solid waste and select industrial wastes. WasteWise created the Gold Achievement Award in 2005 to recognize its partners’ achievements in areas such as climate change, green buildings, product stewardship, and beneficial use of secondary materials. 

To read TFM’s coverage of packaging reduction, read “Reducing Waste, Coming And Going” from the February 2008 issue.

Kohler Co., a global company focused on kitchen and bath design and technology, was chosen by the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program as the Manufacturing Partner of the Year.

“Kohler is honored to be recognized by the EPA for the company’s efforts promoting the WaterSense program and overall water efficiency,” said Shane Judd, senior product manager for water conservation at Kohler. “Public education, along with new water efficient products and building design methods, are critical to contain water use. Kohler has responded to this need by developing new products that use less water, but don’t sacrifice performance.”

EPA launched the WaterSense Awards program last February, honoring work performed during 2007. The new awards recognize WaterSense partners who helped advance the overall mission of WaterSense; increased awareness of the WaterSense program in a measurable way; and demonstrated overall excellence in the water efficiency arena.

Kohler displays the WaterSense logo in product literature, on its Web site, at trade shows, and regularly conducts continuing education courses on water efficiency. These courses are hosted across the country, where architects, designers, builders, and plumbers learn from Kohler trained associates the importance of specifying water saving products inside the home, and the ultimate benefits to the end customer.

Moreover, the company’s spokesperson, Ed Del Grande of Ed the Plumber on the DIY Network, tours the United States talking about high efficiency toilets, conducting interviews on reducing water use, and promoting WaterSense for audiences at national trade shows.

One of the accomplishments by Kohler in 2007 was the promotion of WaterSense toilets at the Charmin Holiday Restrooms in New York City. A combination of high efficiency toilets and low flow faucet aerators saved New York more than 500,000 gallons of water in a six week period.

“Kohler understands that using water more wisely is an imperative element to sustainable design, and choosing water saving plumbing products is easy and can have a huge impact on water consumption,” added Judd.

WaterSense, the EPA’s voluntary public/private partnership program, seeks to protect the future of the nation’s water supply by promoting water efficiency and enhancing the market for water efficient products, programs, and practices. Plumbing fixtures and faucets that qualify for the WaterSense label assure consumers of actual water savings and strict performance standards.

Halco Lighting Technologies recently announced the conclusion to its participation in the national 2007/ 2008 ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World campaign. On October 9, 2007 Halco joined ENERGY STAR and a progressively greener community’s effort to change, one light—one energy saving step—at a time with its supporting pledge. The campaign, sponsored by The Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, and Department of Housing and Urban Development, kicked off on October 3, 2007 and officially came to a close on October 1, 2008.   

Halco is announced a total savings of 9,859,848 kWh and the prevention of 14,300,276 pounds of green-house gas emissions as a result of its collected pledges. Among the campaign drivers in the state of Georgia, Halco acquired the third largest number of individual pledges. The company was also pleased to report that it was in the top percentile among other leading light bulb manufactures.

Along its campaign trail, Halco participated in the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech’s Earth Day festivities and actions along with teaming up with Oglethorpe and Kennesaw University with spreading the awareness. Halco acknowledged the Jewish Council of Public Affairs, Jewish Family and Child Services, Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Best of Atlanta, and several representatives and distributors for their combined efforts in Halco’s 2007/2008 Change a Light, Change the World Campaign endeavors.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing revisions to certain regulatory requirements for hazardous waste shipments between countries to ensure that recovery is done in an environmentally sound and economically efficient manner. These changes would make the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act’s (RCRA) hazardous waste transboundary shipment regulations more consistent with those of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Hazardous waste is often shipped between countries for recovery. EPA has established an extensive set of regulations under RCRA governing the shipment of hazardous waste within the United States. Additionally, the United States participates in a number of bilateral waste agreements between countries and in the multilateral waste agreement controlling the shipment of hazardous waste for recovery between OECD Member countries.

Specifically, this rule proposes to revise:

• The existing RCRA regulation regarding the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes for recovery among countries belonging to the OECD to conform to legally required revisions made by the OECD
• The RCRA regulations for spent lead-acid batteries to add export notification and consent requirements
• The hazardous waste import requirements
• The address to which export exception reports are to be sent

Comments will be accepted for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register, which is expected by tomorrow, October 3, 2008.

More information is available at www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/international/oecd-slab-rule.htm.

Steelcase, a global office environments manufacturer, was recently granted a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody Certification by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), an independent third party accredited by the FSC to certify companies to its international standards. The certification highlights Steelcase’s ability to meet the FSC tracking requirements for ensuring that the materials used to develop its wood products come from a well managed forest.

By working with well managed forest, these woodlands can provide a continuous yield of raw materials and remain the home for numerous animal species. Loggers use special techniques to harvest the wood without causing environmental damage. In a forest that is not responsibly managed, loggers perform clear cutting, high grading, and over harvesting which can take an area out of production for over 50 years. Steelcase’s efforts to operate sustainably span the history of the company as purchased wood veneer comes from sustainable sources.

“It is an honor to receive this FSC certification as it affirms Steelcase’s commitment to cradle to cradle environment processes,” says Nancy Hickey, senior vice president, chief administrative officer of Steelcase. “From design to production, we are constantly seeking more effective ways to conserve resources, prevent pollution, and nurture environmental consciousness. FSC certification demonstrates that Steelcase’s responsible practices extend to the very beginning of the product lifecycle by utilizing responsibly managed forests.”

Founded in 1992 following the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, the first FSC certification was issued in 1993. FSC certification for a company demonstrates that it can perform to the highest social and environmental standards in the market in wood product sourcing. Additionally, as governments around the world enforce stricter environmental regulations in their purchasing programs, FSC certification protects a corporation’s brand and reputation in the international market.

The Steelcase wood business operates out of the world’s first LEED certified manufacturing facility. The facility opened in 2001 and has since made additional changes to allow the facility and its operations to become more sustainable. Notable is the recent change from solvent based to water based finishes; this has contributed to a reduction in VOCs by 91% since 2001.

This FSC Certification comes on the heels of other recent environmental accomplishments by Steelcase, including the most cradle to cradle (C2C) product certifications in the industry as well as the first wood casegood to be C2C certified. These products are additionally certified by Indoor Advantage, receiving awards from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WasteWise program for the past six years for the company’s efforts in waste prevention, recycling collection, and manufacturing recycled content products. Steelcase was also recognized for signing an agreement to purchase all of the green power produced from a new wind farm in Texas for at least five years, publication of the company’s inaugural corporate responsibility report, and creating a Green Giants campaign that highlights sustainable leaders that have made strides in giving back to the community from an environmental perspective.

In an exclusive interview with CarbonInsider.com, the director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Change Division indicated that the agency is anticipating widespread carbon regulatory restrictions on business. EPA is moving ahead with preparations that could well include imposing on industry mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions which experts have said lead to global warming. Investors and corporations are watching closely to see how regulations are eventually structured.

In her interview with Carbon Insider, Dina Kruger, Director of the EPA’S Climate Change Division noted that as a result of a U.S. Supreme Court decision, the agency is studying how to proceed with regulating greenhouse gas emissions under a mandate from the Clean Air Act. But the agency insists it has not developed a preferred regulatory framework for dealing with climate change regulation, even as investors and corporations expect some kind of cap-and-trade approach to be legislated.

“We have not developed a position on the best way to regulate greenhouse gas emissions,” said Kruger. “What we are doing is trying to proceed in a very measured way…A lot of people are looking to Congress for thoughts on how to do this through legislation.”

Still, Kruger commented EPA has become a major source of information on the cap-and-trade strategy currently in use in Europe for regulating carbon reduction. “EPA has expertise in the design and running of cap-and-trade programs,” Kruger told Carbon Insider. “We get a lot of questions from members of Congress and others about how it could work — what the issues are, what are the lessons learned from the European system and we are doing our best to answer them. But again we look to Congress to establish such a program.”

Added Kruger, “The next Administration will be coming in and they are going to be looking across climate policy and providing their own direction and guidance.”

To help bring transparency to the fast-growing voluntary carbon offset market to combat climate change, Environmental Defense Fund has announced the launch of CarbonOffsetList.org, an online resource that will help businesses identify and purchase carbon offsets that represent real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon offsets allow buyers to offset, or neutralize, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced from their own activities by funding projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere. Developed through a rigorous review process in collaboration with a committee of external experts in the fields of science and policy, the Web site identifies 11 pre-screened, independently verified offset projects that meet Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) criteria for high quality carbon offsets.

EDF’s evaluation focused on the environmental integrity of the projects and whether projects could show verifiable and measurable proof of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The approach focused on finding high quality emissions reductions regardless of project type, technology, or supplier.

“Companies increasingly see the value in incorporating carbon offsets into their overall climate action strategies, but until now, buyers had to do their own homework to determine which projects were most credible,” said Thomas Murray, managing director of corporate partnerships for EDF. “CarbonOffsetList.org eliminates the guesswork and offers buyers direct access to a list of thoroughly vetted projects that meet Environmental Defense Fund’s high-quality criteria.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that in the near term (through 2025) nearly one-third of the needed U.S. emissions reductions could be met by offsets. Voluntary action by businesses and individuals to reduce their emissions through on-site reductions and carbon offsets plays an important role. By connecting offset purchasers to high-quality projects, CarbonOffsetList.org will help ensure that money spent on offsets makes a real contribution to combat climate change.

“While most experts are convinced that there is a role for carbon offsets, the subject often prompts more questions than answers,” said Bill Chameides, dean of Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and member of the independent expert review committee. “EDF’s site should give purchasers confidence that the offsets they buy result in real greenhouse gas reductions to help meet their environmental goals.”

In response to numerous inquiries from companies seeking guidance on using carbon offsets as part of a comprehensive sustainability strategy, EDF developed the current list through a request-for- proposal and project-by-project review process. EDF received more than 70 project proposals from dozens of suppliers, with a wide ranging diversity of project types and approaches. In order to be considered for inclusion, providers submitted project documentation for review, including project design documents and third-party verification reports.

CarbonOffsetList.org features 11 emissions reduction projects ranging from capturing and destroying methane from landfills and dairy farms to reducing emissions at truck stops across the country. They are:

• Greater New Bedford LFG Utilization, Dartmouth, MA, offered by CommonWealth Resource Management Corp. and Carbonfund.org
• North Country LFG Utilization, Bethlehem, NH, offered by CommonWealth Resource Management Corp.
• Development Authority of the North Country Solid Waste Management Facility, Rodman, NY, offered by Carbonfund.org
• Upper Rock Island Landfill, East Moline, IL, offered by Renewable Choice Energy
• Newton-McDonald County Landfill, Neosho, MO, offered by 3Degrees
• Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority Landfill, Lebanon, PA, offered by Terrapass
• Greenville County Landfill, Greer, S.C., offered by Sterling Planet
• Inland Empire Dairy Methane, Chino, Calif., offered by Carbonfund.org
• IdleAire Technologies Corporation Advanced Truckstop Electrification, Nationwide, offered by Carbonfund.org
• Integrated Gas Recovery Systems (IGRS) Landfill, Niagara Falls, ON, Canada, offered by GreenLife
• Irani Wastewater Methane, Santa Catarina, Brazil, offered by EcoSecurities

EDF expects this list to continue to grow as additional information about the projects under consideration is received.

Widespread use of nanoscale silver will challenge regulatory agencies to balance important potential benefits against the possibility of significant environmental risk, highlighting the need to identify research priorities concerning this emerging technology, according to a new report by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN). But existing information about the impact of silver on the environment offers a starting point for some assessments of nanosilver, the report argues.

The issue of assessing the risks posed by nanoscale silver was highlighted after the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) San Francisco office earlier this year imposed a landmark fine of over $200,000 on a California company selling computer keyboards and mouses coated with nanosilver. EPA issued the fine on the grounds that the products should have been registered under federal pesticide law because of the company’s germ-killing claims.

Similar fines have not been imposed since, but the action is increasing attention on the potential risks posed by nanoscale silver and oversight of nanotechnology as a whole. There currently are more than 200 manufacturer-identified nanosilver products on the market and contained in the online nanotechnology consumer products inventory maintained by PEN –everything from baby carriages and air filters to athletic socks and coin-operated washing machines.

Silver itself is classified as an environmental hazard by EPA, because it is more toxic to aquatic plants and animals than any metal except mercury. Even if a nanoparticle itself is not especially toxic, silver nanoparticles increase the effectiveness of delivering toxic silver ions to locations where they can cause toxicity.

“We need not assume that because nano is new, we have no scientific basis for managing risks,” says Dr. Samuel N. Luoma, the author of the PEN report Silver Nanotechnologies and The Environment: Old Problems or New Challenges?, which also offers a dozen lessons concerning silver in general that can be followed for managing the potential environmental risks posed by nanosilver. “Our existing knowledge of silver in the environment provides a starting point for some assessments, and points toward some of the new questions raised by the unique properties for nanoparticles that need to be addressed through new research.”

The mass of silver dispersed to the environment from new products could be substantial if one product, or a combination of such products, becomes widespread.

“The silver that went into wastewaters when millions of people had their photographs developed taught us that small additions of silver to the environment make a big difference,” says Dr. Luoma, a former senior researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey who now leads science policy coordination for the John Muir Institute of the Environment at the University of California, Davis. “Perhaps more significant, we have no means of detecting nanosilver in the environment once it is released, even if concentrations rise to levels that are toxic to aquatic ecosystems.”

The U.S. federal government has invested only a small percentage of its overall nanotechnology research funding in understanding the risks posed by nanomaterials, according to an analysis conducted earlier this year by PEN, further highlighting the need for more research on the potential risks posed by nanomaterials. In addition, laws and institutions shaped in the mid-20th century are not likely to succeed in addressing 21st century problems.

“Silver is an old problem, and nanosilver is a new challenge. The scope of the new challenge is not yet clear because it is uncertain how much nanosilver is now used as an antimicrobial in commercial and consumer products, and because new uses are likely to be discovered in the future,” says J. Clarence Davies, a PEN senior adviser and a former EPA policy official. “Regardless of the scope of the nanosilver problem, it underscores the need for more risk research and new approaches to oversight to deal with new technologies and problems of the new century.”