EPA New England Green Team: Driving Sustainability Through Action

1. EPA NEW ENGLAND GREEN TEAM National Environmental Summit May 10, 2006 Cynthia Greene, US EPA New England

2. OUTLINE • Background on EPA New England • History - Treadlightly to Green Team • Framework of the organization • Actions to Accomplishments • Model • Elements for Success

3. BACKGROUND • Downtown Boston office space • Two floors atop 9 floor garage • Built in 1990 to GSA specs • Energy Star rating of 15% • 700 staff and contractors • 221,342 ft2 of leased space • Energy, and cleaning services through lease with GSA

4. History • 1998 “Open mike” sessions • Global Climate Change Project to reduce our contribution to green house gases • TREADlightly launched Earth Day 1999 - goal to reduce CO2 by 20% in 3 years. • Baseline set in 1998 at 13,562 lbs CO2/person

5. Treadlightly Actions • Kick Off – mug and tip sheet insert • Energy Audit • Waste Audit • Implemented a new recycling program

6. Top Ten Things You Can Do

7. Reporting • Quarterly reports on a per person basis • 3,071 lbs CO2/person/quarter • 1st year reduction of 7% • 1,080 lbs CO2/ person reduction • 23% reduction in solid waste Congratulated staff with a recycled tire mouse pad: I reduced 1,080 lbs of CO2 for New England

8. 2000 Treadlightly Revised • Align with Clinton Executive Order 13132 Greening of Government • Target 30% reduction by 2003 • Energy Management System Installed • Added 2 hybrid Prius to fleet • First Region to join WasteWise • Paper to electronic • Prevent paper waste • Reuse center for office supplies • Purchase recycled content

9. 2002 Green Team • New Administration - name change and expansion “Improve Agency environmental performance by integrating environmental accountability into day-to-day operations, decision making and long term planning” • EMS developed • Centralized purchasing to encourage EPP

10. Green Team Logo

11. 2002 Green Team continued • Members recruited and became an official part of their job - 5% or 100 hrs • 4 required quarterly meetings • Members with expertise and from each division • Support for “green” acquisitions even if more expensive • Established boundaries – operation of building and education of staff

12. Green Team Mission • To reduce EPA New England’s facilities impact on the environment. We will accomplish this through pursuing actions to reduce our energy, water, solid and hazardous waste use; increase our recycling and reuse; reduce our transportation related emissions, procure Environmentally Preferable Products, implement Environmental Management Systems, and incorporate sustainable design into each location we occupy. Additionally, our mission is to educate all EPA New England employees so that they can reduce their own impact on the environment outside of the workplace and disseminate information to others. We will provide environmental leadership through these actions and serve as an informed resource for ourselves and the public.

13. Expertise Solicited • Information Technology • Personnel • Facilities • Transportation • Energy • Solid Waste • Environmentally Preferable Products • Environmental Management System • Pollution Prevention • Marketing • Communications • Recognition

14. Framework and Establishing the Subteams • 50 members • Brainstormed ideas and categorized • EMS team analyzed ideas chosen and aligned with most important attributes • Members self assigned to teams • 11 subteams established • Subteams meet as often as need to accomplish action plans

15. Subteams and Objectives • Mass Transit - increase use for commuting and work • Fleet - increase fuel efficiency • Mail - reduce paper • Electronic transmission - reduce paper • Printing – reduce paper • EPP/Recycling – purchase EPP and reduce waste • Green Meetings – promote green meeting practices • Environmental education – promote environmentally sound practices at work and home • EMS – establish and continually improve • Intranet – communicate to employees • POCH – implement a design to reduce environmental impact of new facility

16. Actions to Accomplishments • Mass Transit - Best Workplace for Commuters - Electronic reservations to increase car pool - Link to mass transit • Fleet - 10 mpg average improvement since 2002 • Mail - Address certification software reduced returns >50%, saved $10,000 • E – Transmission: - Saved > 1.3 M sheets of paper (>2,500 reams) - Scan to pdf capability, Fax Sr, newsclip service, converting paper records, Agency reporting requirements

17. Actions to Accomplishments continued • Printing - 2 sided printers installed - all copy machines default to 2 sided • EPP/Recycling: - Janitorial supplies changed to EPP - Annual Clean-up days in each division, recycled over 22 tons of paper (>63 lbs paper/person) • Green Meetings - Tip sheets on “how to” • Environmental Education: - Green notes - Annual Green Expo with over 60 vendors and collections for HG devices, techno-trash, etc.

18. Green Expo

19. Actions to Accomplishments continued • EMS: - Environmental policy - Employees trained and EMS established • Intranet - All activities of team recorded and Internet in 2006 • POCH - LEED silver design with a green roof

20. Team Model • Set simple goals and make it personal • Create teams around the most important environmental issues and tie to EMS • Set boundaries • Establish objectives, action plans, measurement and periodic reporting (quarterly and annually to the top) • Communicate your actions to all employees

21. Team Model continued • Use Contractor support • Work for continual improvements • Use incentives and rewards • Celebrate success • WALK THE TALK

22. Elements of Success • Support from the top RA – Business acumen Each Office Director - champion of a subteam • Green Team Leaders from P2, facilities and front office • Working relationship with building owner, manager, utilities • Work with outside partners – GSA, DOE, nonprofits (WasteCap)

23. Elements of Success continued • Part of member’s official duties • Representation from each division • Facilitated brainstorming meetings • Hook to current initiatives/visions: Earth Day, Stewardship Initiative, Resources Conservation Challenge, Greening of Government, Executive Orders • Survey Staff periodically, make changes and continually seek new ideas and strive to improve.

24. EPA New England Green Team • Creating a model that others can follow and improve upon. • Educating staff and providing leadership. • For more information contact: Cynthia Greene 617-918-1431 greene.cynthia@epa.gov OR Gina Snyder 617-918-1837 snyder.gina@epa.gov Go to our Website www.epa.gov/region01