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Green Procurement at Fort Bragg. To eliminate this…. Green Procurement at Fort Bragg. And this…. Start at the source! But first, a little background information…. Sustainable Fort Bragg.
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Green Procurement at Fort Bragg • To eliminate this…
Green Procurement at Fort Bragg • And this….
Start at the source! But first, a little background information…
Sustainable Fort Bragg • Initiated in 2001, stakeholders from installation met and hammered out a vision for a sustainable installation by 2025 • Formed teams (air, land use, water, materials, waste, and energy) to develop objectives to meet sustainability goal • Environmental procurement position was created to work materials issues from cradle to grave
Sustainable Sandhills • In 2003, a regional sustainability initiative was begun by Fort Bragg and NC DENR to include the six counties surrounding the installation • Similar teams were formed to address sustainability objectives • Ft Bragg provided team liaisons and the interim director
Sustainable Fort Bragg • Materials Team used process mapping to discern what FB purchased in great quantity • Compared it to landfill violations • The decision is made to immediately work on carpet and office furniture
Green Procurement at Fort Bragg • Process Improvement Issues: • Carpet and serviceable furniture ending up in the C&D landfill • No central management of office furniture • Multiple sources of purchase for furniture
Green Procurement at Fort Bragg • Solution: • Tackle carpet first, then furniture • Walk the walk! Environmental Management Branch renovates offices. We find out if this process will really work…
CARPET Issue: Carpet ends up in landfills Solution: Require the carpet contractor to take back existing carpet and make new carpet recyclable Carpet
CARPET Process: Write it into Installation Design Guide (IDG) for all new carpets purchased Carpet
Carpet • Our research indicated carpet tiles were more sustainable than 6’ or 12’ carpet • Shaw Carpet carried tiles made from recycled content and would be recycled at the end of their useful life cycle • Negotiated with the Corps of Engineers to install Shaw tiles in lieu of 12’ roll in our office
An Installation Solution • We have a working relationship with COE that most installation customers will not have • Make it easy for everyone to choose tile: Insert it in the Installation Design Guide (IDG)!
Process • Team formed with installation architect and environmental procurement specialist • Hosted a forum with four manufacturers: J&J, Mannington, C&A, Shaw • Used EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) as foundation for specs • Relayed what Fort Bragg wanted in carpet
Carpet Qualities Desired • Recycled content • Recyclable • Product take-back • Take existing carpet (regardless of manufacturer) and recycle • Make the transition to carpet tiles
Feasibility • Did the carpet industry see our specs as feasible? • Feed back from manufacturers was added to specs to create a living document for environmentally preferable carpet • Created more stringent specs for 6’ and 12’, less stringent for tile
Next Step: Furniture • Compared to furniture, carpet looks easy! • Using the same process, we are inviting office furniture manufacturers to Fort Bragg for a forum in June to begin writing furniture specs for the IDG: Knoll, Kimball, Steelcase, Adden and GF
Furniture Specs • Basic Specs: • Incorporate EPA CPGs (like carpet) • Product take-back • Repair not replace
Other Furniture Issues • Refurbished vs. new • EMB office furniture purchase: refurbished Knoll furniture • Contracting difficulties? Uh, yeah…. • Refurbish our own furniture? Ask me about our EPA grant!
Next Project • Interior Environmental Showcase, similar to the Fort Lewis model • Will include sustainable carpet, furniture and paint selections
Contact Information • Julia Love, Environmental Procurement Specialist, Directorate of Public Works, (910) 432-8865, julia.love@us.army.mil