Creation Care Internal Audit Report

Creation CareInternal Audit Report

August 2007

PREPARED FOR: NORTHLAND, A CHURCH DISTRIBUTED

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NORTHLAND, A CHURCH DISTRIBUTED Creation Care Internal Audit

Table of Contents

Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Section 1 INTRODUCTION The Perfect Gift ................................................................................................. 1-1 Project Purpose.................................................................................................. 1-1 Report Structure................................................................................................. 1-3

Section 2 ENERGY Why is it Important? .......................................................................................... 2-1 What We Found................................................................................................. 2-2 Recommendations ............................................................................................. 2-3

Energy Audit Report ................................................................................ 2-3 Additional Recommendations.................................................................. 2-4

Convert Exit Signs to LED Fixtures ............................................ 2-4 Register and Use ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager ............ 2-4

Beyond Northland ............................................................................................. 2-4

Section 3 SOLID WASTE Why is it Important? .......................................................................................... 3-1 What We Found................................................................................................. 3-2 Recommendations ............................................................................................. 3-5

Reduce...................................................................................................... 3-5 Reuse ...................................................................................................... 3-8

Magazines .................................................................................... 3-8 Food Waste .................................................................................. 3-8 Computer Printer Cartridges ........................................................ 3-9

Recycle..................................................................................................... 3-9 Direct Recycling Opportunities ................................................. 3-10 Indirect (Congregant Driven) Recycling Opportunities ............ 3-13

Hazardous Waste ................................................................................... 3-15 Beyond Northland ........................................................................................... 3-16

Section 4 WATER Why is it Important? .......................................................................................... 4-1

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What We Found ................................................................................................ 4-2 Recommendations ............................................................................................. 4-3 Beyond Northland ............................................................................................. 4-4 Reference........................................................................................................... 4-4

Section 5 LANDSCAPING Why is it Important?.......................................................................................... 5-1 What We Found ................................................................................................ 5-1

Existing Facility....................................................................................... 5-1 New Building........................................................................................... 5-2 Irrigation system ...................................................................................... 5-3

Recommendations ............................................................................................. 5-4 Guiding Principles ................................................................................... 5-8

Section 6 “GREEN” PURCHASING GUIDELINES Why is it Important?.......................................................................................... 6-1 What We Found ................................................................................................ 6-2 Recommendations ............................................................................................. 6-2

Green Purchasing Guidelines for Products other than Paper................... 6-4 Utilize ShopIPL.org................................................................................. 6-5 Centralized Purchasing ............................................................................ 6-5

Beyond Northland ............................................................................................. 6-6 Purchasing Cooperative ........................................................................... 6-6

Section 7 OPERATIONS Why is it Important?.......................................................................................... 7-1 What We Found ................................................................................................ 7-1 Recommendations ............................................................................................. 7-1

Attend Worship Facilities Conference & Expo ....................................... 7-1 Incorporate LEED and/or Florida Green Building Coalition

Standards...................................................................................... 7-2 Bookstore Support ................................................................................... 7-3 Church Garden......................................................................................... 7-3

Section 8 CONCLUSION Short-term Action Plan...................................................................................... 8-1

Appoint a “Green Champion” ................................................................. 8-1 Seek Input from Northland Staff ............................................................. 8-2 Set Clear, Measurable and Aggressive Goals.......................................... 8-2 Develop Pilot Projects ............................................................................. 8-3 Involve Partner Sites................................................................................ 8-3

Long-term Action Plan...................................................................................... 8-3 Establish Data-tracking Systems ............................................................. 8-3 Continue Stakeholder Engagement and Education.................................. 8-4

Section 9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Table of Contents

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APPENDICES Appendix A – Energy Appendix B – Solid Waste Appendix C – Landscaping Appendix D – Purchasing List of Tables Table 3-1 Relative Percent of Total Waste for Each Generation Location................. 3-3 Table 3-2 Percent Composition of Each Generation Location ................................... 3-4 Table 3-3 Total Estimated Annual MSW Generation for Each Generation

Location (Tons)............................................................................................... 3-4 Table 3-4 Relative Percent of Total Waste for Each Generation Location................. 3-5 Table 3-5 Orlando Waste Paper Company Single-Stream Recycling

Materials........................................................................................................ 3-10 Table 3-6 Orlando Waste Paper Company Single-Stream Collection Costs ............ 3-11 List of Figures Figure 2-1: 2005 Total U.S. Energy Generation ........................................................ 2-1 Figure 3-1: 2005 Total U.S. Waste Generation.......................................................... 3-1 Figure 4-1: Water Cycle............................................................................................. 4-1 Figure 5-1: High Tree Canopy ................................................................................... 5-2 Figure 5-2: A Blend of Native and Non-native Plants............................................... 5-3 Figure 5-3: Walkways Stained by Iron in the Irrigation Water ................................. 5-4 Figure 5-4: Programmable Irrigation Controller........................................................ 5-5 Figure 5-5: Tree Canopy Near the Rain Sensor ......................................................... 5-5 Figure 5-6: Candidate Area for Pavement Removal .................................................. 5-6 Figure 5-7: The Retention Pond Could Be an Irrigation Source and an

Amenity........................................................................................................... 5-7 Figure 5-8: Invasive Oyster Plant mixed with native Coontie................................... 5-8

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction “The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.” Genesis 2:15

Scripture is clear that man has a responsibility to be a good steward of the gift of His creation. This responsibility rests not only on His children as individuals, but also on the church. Caring for His creation is a very direct application of loving our neighbor, since how we care for His creation can have implications in our communities and throughout the world for generations to come. Therefore, it is essential for Northland, A Church Distributed to evaluate how it operates, and determine areas where it can improve so that it can be a better steward of His creation.

One of the challenges with this endeavor is the appearance that these issues and recommendations trump all other priorities, ministries and operations within the church. That is not at all the intent. Rather, the purpose of this endeavor is to provide Northland’s leadership with insight and recommendations regarding possible changes, and these must be prayerfully evaluated in conjunction with the other responsibilities of Northland. A prudent balance between financial and earthly resource stewardship principles must be pursued.

The majority of this report focused on operations in Northland’s original sanctuary and building. Additional evaluations in some areas of the new facility may be appropriate after operations have been established and refined.

Evaluation The Creation Care Task Force evaluated six areas within the campus and operations of Northland. These areas included:

1. Energy 2. Solid Waste 3. Water 4. Landscaping 5. Purchasing 6. Operations

Following is a summary of the recommendations for each of these sections.

Energy Representatives from Progress Energy toured Northland’s original facility and conducted a basic energy audit. They were very interested in how Northland operates and were extremely helpful in identifying areas for improvement, as well as informing Northland about rebate programs offered either by Progress Energy or various

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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government entities that can help offset the costs of some of the suggested upgrades. Their report contained estimated investment and dollar savings for many of the suggestions.

The primary suggestions from Progress Energy included:

Utilize Cool Roof products and ceiling insulation when remodeling.

Utilize High Efficiency HVAC Heat Pump Systems with a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) of 14 or higher when replacing HVAC units.

Replace the two 20-ton AC units and one 10-ton unit with units operating with higher Energy Efficiency Ratios (EERs).

Consider installing programmable or night set-back thermostats.

Consider installing lighting controls with either photocells or occupancy sensors.

Consider installing CO2 sensors and demand control ventilation for common areas.

Review future remodeling plans with Progress Energy to help incorporate energy efficient technologies.

Additionally, other recommendations from the Task Force include

Convert Exit signs to LED fixtures

Register and use ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager

Take a lead roll in working with Interfaith Power and Light to establish a program in Florida.

Solid Waste The evaluation of Northland’s solid waste activities included two primary tasks. The first task was to conduct a “waste generation audit” which evaluates where waste is generated, who generates it, how it is collected, and what infrastructure is in place to capture recyclable material. The second task was to conduct a “waste composition study” which identifies the composition of Northland’s waste stream by sorting a week’s worth of waste into 34 different material categories.

The main generation areas, defined by the function(s) served, were determined to be:

1. Offices; 2. Restrooms; 3. Sanctuary/common areas; 4. Children’s Worship Wing; 5. Early Childhood (Saturday through Monday); and 6. Co-op (Monday – Friday).

The following table summarizes the results of the waste composition analysis.

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Percent Composition of Each Generation Location

Offices Restrooms

Sanctuary / Common

Area

Children’s Worship

Wing Early

Childhood Co-op Total

Paper 71.3% 80.0% 44.4% 47.2% 30.3% 36.1% 55.2% Plastic 12.1% 8.1% 17.3% 17.2% 21.6% 28.0% 16.9% Metal 2.0% 0.5% 2.8% 2.8% 5.5% 4.1% 2.8% Glass 1.1% 0.0% 0.0% 1.2% 1.3% 0.7% 0.8% Organics 12.6% 11.2% 32.6% 30.0% 41.3% 31.0% 23.6% Inorganics 0.0% 0.0% 0.5% 0.0% 0.0% 0.2% 0.1% Problem Materials 0.9% 0.1% 2.4% 1.6% 0.1% 0.0% 0.7% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

The first principle in efficient solid waste management is to explore options to reduce the amount of waste generated. A primary opportunity to reduce the generation of waste paper is to convert to double-sided printing. Not only will this reduce the amount of waste paper generated, but it will also reduce paper purchasing costs. Additional options to reduce waste paper generation include the installation of air dryers in the restrooms and the utilization of reusable plates, cups and silverware. Options to reduce other waste fractions include utilizing water coolers instead of single-serve water containers, and utilizing mugs in office coffee areas instead of polystyrene foam cups,

The next principle in efficient solid waste management is to explore options to reuse a product instead of disposing it. One of the largest opportunities to reuse waste in Northland’s waste stream is the redistribution of the nearly two tons of magazine waste generated annually. This can be accomplished through a more organized and thorough distribution system, and then donating the periodicals to congregations or other churches.

Another option to reuse a waste fraction at Northland is to collect and compost the nearly 4.5 tons of food waste generated annually, comprising over 26% of Northland’s waste stream. Alternatively, food waste can be processed through a liquid waste extractor that will reduce the weight and volume of material to be disposed, or produce a material suitable for use as a soil amendment.

Lastly, options to recycle waste should be evaluated. Northland’s best option for recycling fiber and containers is to utilize a program that will collect all recyclable fibers and containers in a “commingled” collection bin. Orlando Waste Paper provides a weekly service like this for an eight cubic yard container for approximately $95 per month. In order to successfully capture the recyclable materials, proper collection procedures, containers and education materials will need to be implemented internally.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


Water Water is a precious resource that can not generally be created through man-made endeavors. Consequently, it is of the utmost importance to practice good stewardship with our water resources. Evaluation of Northland’s water system proved to be the most difficult task of the audit. Northland’s water provider, the City of Longwood, does not currently offer any assistance in evaluating opportunities to conserve water.

Basic techniques for conserving water include repairing leaks, limiting irrigation, and utilizing water-efficient toilets and appliances.

There are two specific recommendations for Northland. First, consider the installation of low-flow toilets and sink aerators. There are a few recent technologies in toilets that are worth considering. “Dual-cycle” toilets are available in commercial grade models that provide one flush mode for liquid disposal, and a second flush mode for solid disposal. Also, “waterless urinals” are available that can be retrofitted to existing fixtures, require very little maintenance, and cost about the same as a standard urinal. Both of these options can both conserve water resources and reduce Northland’s operating costs.

Second, Northland should use and install “WaterSense” water products whenever possible. WaterSense is the EPA’s water equivalent of ENERGY STAR. It can provide ratings on the efficiency of toilets, faucets, and irrigation technologies.

Landscaping Utilizing proper landscape architecture principles has many benefits. It presents a safe, warm and inviting environment for visitors and congregants alike. It provides and excellent opportunity for environmental stewardship and can set a good example for others. Lastly, it is directly linked with water and energy conservation principles.

In general, there are a few guiding principles that can be used when evaluating landscape architecture options.

1. Concentrate high water use plants in the same area.

2. Utilize drought tolerant plant and turf species in more remote areas of the site.

3. Segregate irrigation types to allow different water rates to be applied to plants that have different water needs.

Some specific recommendations for Northland include:

1. Install a rain sensor on the existing church building;

2. Relocate the new building’s rain sensor from underneath the new live oak;

3. Connect the irrigation system into a reclaimed water source if one is available;

4. Replace some of the plants in the planters near the front of the new building with native plants; and

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


5. Replace some of the St. Augustine sod areas with Argentine Bahia sod to reduce the amount of water needed to keep the large turf areas green during the summer.

Purchasing Green Purchasing has been defined as “the practice of preventing waste and pollution by considering environmental impact along with price and performance.” Traditionally churches have evaluated purchasing decisions primarily through a cost filter, seeking the lowest cost option. While being a good steward of the church’s financial resources is an important obligation of the church, there is a growing realization that it is important to balance economic, social and environmental stewardship principles. Striving for, and achieving, this balance can be a challenging task, and requires a more rigorous analysis of many purchasing decisions previously made out of habit.

Northland’s first task regarding purchasing should be to develop an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program or policy. The EPP needs to take into consideration not only a product’s short and long term impact on the environment but also the short term cost, long term savings and practicality. There are numerous tools available on the internet to aid Northland in developing a manageable and appropriate EPP.

Paper is obviously a product prime for inclusion in an EPP. Most large office supply companies have environmental stewardship programs that simplify the process of locating and purchasing paper with various percentages of post-consumer recycled content.

Other non-paper products can be purchased with environmental stewardship principles as well. The North American Green Purchasing Initiative facilitates the purchasing of green products, and works to create markets for environmentally friendly products. Their self-assessment tool is “designed to help professional purchasers evaluate their organization's environmental purchasing initiatives and identify opportunities for improvement.”

Northland also has a few options to help it streamline its purchasing procedures, especially if it desires to implement an EPP. First, the development of a preferred product list in the EPP can help guide staff members when they directly purchase products. Second, a preferred product list can be developed from which a vendor has a standing order. This ensures that products in high demand are in stock and minimizes the need for staff to make emergency, off-list purchases. Lastly, purchasing requests and needs can be forwarded to a centralized purchasing agent (a staff member) who will regularly assimilate purchasing requests in order to obtain any bulk discounts, and evaluate the purchasing options in light of the EPP and sustainable product lists and principles.

Purchasing cooperatives can also assist Northland find suppliers of green products at prices that it most likely would not find on its own. Cooperatives such as the Recycled Products Cooperative specialize in recycled paper and office supplies.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


ShopIPL, a service through Interfaith Power and Light, is a purchasing cooperative for energy efficient-related products such as switches, bulbs, thermostats, etc. Northland may wish to consider organizing a purchasing cooperative for items specific to churches.

Operations All of the areas previously discussed fall either directly or indirectly under the umbrella of Church Operations. Consequently, in order to implement effective changes that result in Northland being a good steward of His creation, it is important to implement many of these changes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. That responsibility will likely fall under the direction of Church Operations, and implementing a robust efficiency program will require a coordinated effort that incorporates purchasing decisions, policy changes, education materials and training programs.

The majority of what the Task Force found has been reviewed in the prior sections. However, there a few additional recommendations and ideas that do not fall neatly into the other sections.

1. Attend the annual Worship Facilities Conference and Expo to hear presentations on best practices in green building concepts and operations, in addition to capital planning, audio/video/lighting design, landscaping and security. Northland may even want to consider presenting on some topics where it excels.

2. Incorporate LEED and/or Florida Green Building Coalition Standards into any future remodeling and construction efforts. Implementing these concepts can lead to reductions in long-term operating costs, improvements in indoor environmental quality, and increases in staff satisfaction, health and productivity.

3. Coordinate efforts with Nature’s Table and Northland’s bookstore. Nature’s Table could sell a reusable beverage container and offer a discounted refill rate for return visits. Northland could also help subsidize the use of Polylactic Acid containers which decompose in a compost environment. The bookstore could sell reusable bags made from recycled materials. Both the bag and the beverage container could be imprinted with Northland’s logo, a creation care scripture, and the Creation, I Care website.

Conclusion There are plenty of opportunities and steps that can be taken as a church to be better stewards of His creation. Some of the steps Northland can take to be a better steward of our natural resources may be in conflict with financial stewardship principles, may not be possible given space or staffing limitations, or may conflict with other goals or plans. These are difficult issues to balance.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


The leadership of Northland needs to pray about these opportunities and seek wisdom in how to balance these recommendations with the other goals, plans, ministries, resources and limitations of the church. Scripture tell us that if anyone lacks wisdom, God will supply it. Take Him up on that offer regarding these issues.

If Northland’s leadership believes God is leading them to be more responsible in this type of stewardship, there are a few initial steps that should be taken when implementing these changes.

In order to successfully implement a comprehensive and coordinated plan regarding these opportunities, a foundation needs to be poured that will support the programs and changes being evaluated. Following are suggestions that should likely be completed within the next three to six months.

1. Appoint a Green Champion who is directly responsible for systematically championing, coordinating and implementing these changes and programs. This person will likely need to recruit a stakeholder from each operational area of the church to help generate buy-in and a shared vision throughout the church.

2. Seek input from Northland staff regarding ideas to reduce energy and water usage, solid waste generation, or other ideas to be a better steward of natural resources. The staff of the church will have excellent practical ideas for consideration.

3. Set clear, measurable and aggressive goals with timelines for achievement. These should be set for each area of focus in this report. These goals will help establish and communicate the vision for the changes and provide a roadmap for success.

4. Involve partner sites when possible. Northland is not defined by its physical campus and consequently utilizes facilities throughout Central Florida. Therefore, evaluation of Northland’s operations at off-campus facilities should be conducted. While implementation plans may differ at each facility, it still provides an opportunity for Northland to be a good steward and witness.

5. Develop pilot projects. Many of the ideas covered in this report may be difficult to implement throughout the entire church all at once. Therefore it may be wise to develop various pilot projects to test logistical, operational, educational or cost issues. Costs and benefits should be carefully documented to help in the evaluation process, and feedback from users or stakeholders should be sought whenever possible so that the project(s) can be fine tuned for future implementations.

After a sufficient foundation has been developed, other long-term action plans are necessary.

1. Establish data-tracking systems to track costs and benefits associated with the changes. This data can be shared with other churches to help them evaluate their options. ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager is an excellent example of this concept.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


2. Continue stakeholder engagement and education. Even after changes have been made, it will be important to provide ongoing education reminders and opportunities. These will help to increase participation rates and effectiveness, as well as help staff and congregants continually incorporate these concepts into their daily practices and decisions.

Finally, this audit process should not be considered as a static or one-time endeavor. Instead, Northland should continually look for new opportunities to improve its operations and use of natural resources. As Christians, we should always be striving to be more obedient and Christ-like, and this area of stewardship is no exception.

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Section 1 INTRODUCTION

The Perfect Gift “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

In that colossal, incomprehensible and perfect act, God began preparing an environment for His children. It was a perfect gift, as only He could give. It was a perfect gift because it would contain the exact resources His children would need to physically sustain themselves. But as amazing as that aspect of the feat was, it was also amazing for other reasons.

It was a perfect gift because it would provide a self-portrait of the Creator Himself.

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20

It was a perfect gift because it would provide a glimpse of His unfathomable love for His children.

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” Psalm 8:3-4

It was a perfect gift because it would ultimately point His children back to the Giver, leading them to realize that everything is ultimately His.

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.” 1 Chronicles 29:11

But as with all gifts, a responsibility was placed on the recipients to be good stewards of the gift, and to use it wisely.

“The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.” Genesis 2:15

The question is, are His children currently being obedient in the way we tend this gift and these resources?

Project Purpose The purpose of this document is to explore the answer to that question. More specifically, what can Northland, A Church Distributed (Church or Northland) do to

Section 1

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be a better steward of His resources, and how can Northland better serve its congregants, local communities, and the world regarding this mandate.

In order to have any credibility in this arena, Northland first has to take a comprehensive look at how it operates. The Church has to practice what it believes. While there is growing sentiment that the church at large can do better, the difficult part is determining exactly what should be done. The Creation Care Task Force (Task Force) at Northland began exploring these options in September 2006.

One of the main challenges with this endeavor is balancing what is possible with what is practical. There are technologies and products available today that would allow a church to be completely self-sufficient and “green.” Unfortunately, the upfront costs for many of these options can be quite high and impractical for a church to absorb. It is easy to see the difficulty in balancing the responsibilities of being good stewards with both our financial and earthly resources. In the past, those two goals have appeared contradictory.

The times are changing though. In the last few years, market demand has increased, almost dramatically, for more sustainable products and services. This increase in demand has been spurred on by many things including climate trends, national security issues, companies seeking new competitive advantages, and an increased awareness by consumers and businesses that they can be environmentally responsible without jumping off the deep end.

Consequently, supply is rising to meet the market’s demand, and consumers and businesses are discovering new opportunities to balance financial and earthly-resource stewardship principles. Those two principles are not as contradictory as they have been in the past – especially when a longer-term perspective is utilized. In some cases, the financially and environmentally prudent options are the same.

Therefore, there is a wide range of options available for the Church to consider and evaluate when it comes to being a good steward of our earthly resources. Some options are low cost, while others would need to be included in future capital and/or operating budgets. Some options can be implemented immediately, while others will require training and coordination of various staff members or volunteers. Some options will seem quite obvious while others will raise a few eyebrows and generate a few laughs – and be easily dismissed. Lastly, some options can be adopted by various volunteers and ministry groups, while other options will need to be absorbed into church operations and managed internally. The intent is to provide a wide range of options for consideration, and expand our thought process regarding how we as a church can be better stewards of His creation.

Also, these options should not be interpreted as trumping all other plans, responsibilities, ministries or operations at Northland. These options must be evaluated in conjunction with the other ongoing endeavors and responsibilities of the Church. As Christians, we are continually seeking to be more obedient and Christ-like, and these ideas only focus on how we can be more obedient in the area of environmental stewardship. The ideas presented in this report are only intended to provide a range of options to the Church leadership for their prayerful evaluation and consideration.

INTRODUCTION


Report Structure The following audit report examines six main topics of Northland’s operations: Energy, Solid Waste, Water, Landscaping, Purchasing and General Operations. Each section contains a brief explanation as to the importance and impact of topic, what the Creation Care Task Force (Task Force) was able to determine, and recommendations. Also, given Northland’s desire to impact those who will possibly never step foot on the campus, most sections also contain a sub-section “Beyond Northland” that explores some ideas regarding how Northland can have an impact, and be a leader, in these areas beyond of our physical building and geographic location.

It should be noted that the focus of this audit was primarily the original building (built in 1959 and renovated in the late 1980s and again in the mid-1990s) and operations. This was done in order to not create an obstacle to opening the new worship facility. The Task Force also realizes that there are plans to remodel the original building and many improvements are already being planned that will address some of the items mentioned in this report. Since the overarching purpose of this report is to document the process of auditing church operations, and share lessons learned with others, we felt it necessary to still include these items in the report. Additionally, many of the recommendations contained in the report can be applied to both the original and new facilities. Once the new facility’s operations have smoothed out, and water and electric loads have been established, the Task Force will begin exploring options to improve efficiency in that building as well.

Finally, this audit process should not be considered as a static or one-time endeavor. Instead, Northland should continually look for new opportunities to improve its operations. For example, staff mindsets will continue to shift, allowing new policies and procedures to be implemented with less resistance and greater support. Or technologies will improve and options that at one time were too expense will become more affordable. As Christians, we should always be striving to be more obedient in our walk, and this area of stewardship is no exception.


Section 2 ENERGY

Why is it Important? Analyzing the Church’s use of energy is a natural place to start when evaluating how it can be a better steward of His creation. Not only does the cost of energy represent a significant portion of the Church’s operating budget, it also provides some of the best opportunities to implement changes that can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and practice good stewardship.

First, a higher-level overview of the energy industry is useful. As shown in Figure 2-1, approximately 88% of the United States’ 2005 net generation was produced by coal, natural gas and nuclear fuels. This metric has remained fairly constant since 1994, although the individual contribution of each fuel source has varied slightly during that time.

Figure 2-1: 2005 Total U.S. Energy Generation1

Each of these three sources present long-term environmental challenges, in spite of their relatively low per-unit cost. For example, coal and natural gas both require

1 US Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelelectric.html

2005 Electric Power Generation by Fuel Type4,054,688 GWh

Coal49.7%

Petroleum3.0%

Natural Gas18.7%

Other Gases0.4%

Nuclear19.3%

Other Renewables

2.3%Hydroelectric

6.5%

Other0.1%

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infrastructure and mining/drilling practices that can drastically alter natural landscapes and habitats. And although nuclear fuel is an extremely clean source of energy, long-term storage for spent nuclear fuel is proving to be an extremely challenging and costly issue. Although studies vary regarding the estimated longevity of currently known fuel sources, our increasing rate of consumption of these fuels and basic stewardship principles dictate that we use those sources wisely.

There are other options from which to generate energy. Currently, more renewable sources of energy, such as hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, wind, solar and agriculture byproducts account for less than 10% of the US’s net generation. While it is not practical, for numerous reasons, to thoroughly convert to these technologies tomorrow, there is growing interest and investment in developing these technologies for the mass energy market. As technologies improve and demand for greener energy increases, this percentage of renewable energy will rise. Additionally, there is legislative pressure to increase this percentage. Twenty-eight states have either passed or are currently legislating “Renewable Portfolio Standards.” These standards require Investor Owned Utilities to obtain minimum percentages of their power from renewable energy sources, and the percentages increase each year until a certain plateau is reached.

Bringing it back to an individual perspective, unless a church, family or business initiates activities to reduce its energy needs, or pursues greener energy sources, it will on average be obtaining approximately 90% of its energy from coal, natural gas or nuclear fuel. In light of these challenges and options, it is not only wise, but necessary, for an entity like Northland to carefully evaluate its energy needs and resources. Energy efficient products are coming out at a rapid pace that can reduce the overall energy requirements for the Church. While the specific payback period for these technologies will vary greatly amongst products, in the long-term they will most likely reduce operating costs. Consequently, this practice of seeking to be more energy efficient sets a good example for financial stewardship, environmental stewardship, and can be a witness to our neighbors and local communities.

What We Found The first step in conducting an energy audit is to contact the local power provider. Some Investor Owned Utilities, Municipally Owned Utilities and cooperatives offer free energy audits. These are typically offered in an effort to reduce the peak demand for the utility, which in turn can delay the need for additional capacity expansion plans, and reduce their fuel costs at the time of their peak. Generation units used to meet peak loads typically have the highest $/kWh costs for utilities.

Some energy providers also provide on-line energy audits on their website. These can be useful to home as well as business. Many smaller churches may find the residential tools quite useful.2

2 http://hes.lbl.gov/ and http://flint.apogee.net/comcalc/

ENERGY


Northland’s power provider is Progress Energy. On July 12, 2007, four representatives from Progress Energy visited Northland’s campus and toured the existing facility with Northland staff and Task Force members. They walked through every room, took pictures of items of interest, recorded model data from the various HVAC units, and obtained various pieces of data such as hours and days of operation, to help in their analysis.

Recommendations Energy Audit Report Appendix A contains the report from Progress Energy. The report contains an overview of the existing facility demand and consumption data, information on rebates that might be applicable to Northland, and numerous suggestions for improving the overall energy efficiency of the building.

Following is a quick summary of the changes. A more thorough review is contained in their report.

Utilize Cool Roof products and ceiling insulation when remodeling. These products, qualified by ENERGY STAR (see Section 2.3.2.2), can reflect 70% or more of the solar radiation and are eligible for rebates from Progress Energy.

Utilize High Efficiency HVAC Heat Pump Systems with a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) of 14 or higher when replacing HVAC units. Most of Northland’s existing units are 10 or less. Higher SEER systems can save 40% on cooling and heating costs. These are also eligible for rebates from Progress Energy.

Replace the two 20-ton AC units and one 10-ton unit with units operating with higher Energy Efficiency Ratios (EERs). Units with a higher EER are eligible for rebates and will reduce energy consumption.

Consider installing programmable or night set-back thermostats. Ranging in price from $30-$200, these devices can include occupancy and light sensing technologies. While fuel savings can vary depending on the technology and model chosen, a rule of thumb for these devices is one percent fuel savings for each degree set-back for each eight hour period.

Consider installing lighting controls with either photocells or occupancy sensors. The occupancy sensors tend to provide more benefits in a church setting. They are fairly easy to install, and can replace the room’s existing light switch. These can be especially useful in restrooms. Larger rooms should utilize ceiling-mounted sensors. (Progress Energy estimates annual savings of over $4,000 from the installation of occupancy sensors and energy efficient lighting.)

Consider installing CO2 sensors and demand control ventilation for common areas. These devices detect increases and decreases in room occupancy and thereby control the amount of ventilation supplied to a room. Decreasing the ventilation when the room is empty decreases energy use.

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Review remodeling plans with Progress Energy. The staff at Progress Energy is able to meet with Northland’s contractors and engineers to help incorporate energy efficient technologies.

Additional Recommendations Convert Exit Signs to LED Fixtures Consider replacing Exit signs (using two 20-watt or 40-watt bulbs) that remain on constantly with compact florescent lights or Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that use as little as 1 to 10 watts. The LED fixtures used approximately 5% of the energy used by the incandescent exit signs. Upgrade kits to convert existing signs range in cost from $12-$75, or new fixtures can be purchased for less than $100.3

Register and Use ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy. The program has a division designed specifically for congregations.4 This site has numerous resources and tools to help congregations improve their churches’ energy efficiency.

One of the tools is called Portfolio Manager (PM)5. This is a password-protected software for benchmarking all electricity and water usage for Northland’s facilities (as well as natural gas, if Northland used it), dollar savings from improvements, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. It establishes a benchmark based on historical data input by the user, and will generate an annual report for Northland that documents improvements against the baseline due to changes and equipment, policies, and/or operations.

Northland can give permission to the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) to aggregate the data with the rest of the NAE’s participating members, which will someday verify a powerful creation care ministry. Eventually the data will also be used to allow churches to generate a rating based on a comparison to similar churches.

Northland should consider assigning an individual to be responsible for the use and upkeep of its Portfolio Manager data. Also, ENERGY STAR periodically provides free user WebEx training for Portfolio Manager.

Beyond Northland The Regeneration Project and Interfaith Power and Light (IPL)6, spearheaded by the Reverend Sally Bingham, is an interfaith program encouraging participating

3 http://www.theexitstore.com/KITS.htm, or https://www.lightingsupply.com/lighting_related_products/led_exit_sign_conversion_kits.aspx, or http://www.businesslights.com/exit-sign-retrofit-kits-c-348_225.html 4 http://www.energystar.gov/congregations 5 www.energystar.gov/benchmark 6 http://www.interfaithpowerandlight.org/

ENERGY


congregations to be better stewards of His creation through the efficient use of energy and the development of renewable energy sources. The program provides opportunities for faith-based entities to support renewable energy development, obtain information on energy efficiency and conservation, be an advocate for public policies that support renewable energy, and obtain guidance on large-scale renewable installation projects. There are currently programs in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Unfortunately, there is not a Florida program.

Northland should consider leading the charge to establish a Florida Interfaith Power and Light program. The Regeneration Project’s Executive Director, Susan Stephenson, has indicated that there are a handful of people in Florida who have expressed an interest in developing a program in Florida. What is needed most is for a person or church to act as a coordinator and convener of this group, and begin developing a plan of action. This is a wonderful opportunity for Northland. This program would benefit thousands of congregations throughout the state, and help be an influence regarding renewable energy development in Florida.

Florida’s Governor, Charlie Crist, has made it clear that energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and green principles are priorities for his administration. The timing is ripe to keep the momentum moving regarding these initiatives, and Northland, as well as other churches in Florida, can play a significant roll. Establishing this program in Florida is one way Northland can provide leadership and opportunities for others in the state to be good stewards of His creation.


Section 3 SOLID WASTE

Why is it Important? The generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) is an increasing concern for many businesses and consumers. While there is no near-term shortage of landfill capacity in the United States, the perception is changing from MSW being an ugly but unavoidable byproduct of a consumer driven society to a waste of natural resources. MSW essentially equates to a loss of resources in the form of land use, raw materials used in the disposed material, and lost dollars. Many entities have begun to consider MSW a “double waste” since they pay for it twice – they pay for it in the price of a product, and they also pay for it to be disposed.

The US EPA estimates that nationally each person generated 4.5 pounds of waste per day in 2005. Although this metric has remained fairly stable since 1990, it is nearly twice the per capita generation rate in 1960 of 2.7 pounds per person per day.

The general composition of the national waste stream can be seen in the following chart.

2005 Total US Waste Generation245 Million Tons (before recycling)

Paper34.1%

Yard Trimmings13.1%Food Scraps

11.9%

Plastics11.8%

Metals7.6%

Rubber, Leather, and Textiles

7.3%

Glass5.2%

Wood5.7% Other

3.4%

Figure 3-1: 2005 Total U.S. Waste Generation7

The reduction of MSW not only conserves land and habitats, but it also reduces air pollution and disposal costs through reduced collection operations, and minimizes the

7 United States Department of Environmental Protection, Municipal Solid Waste Basic Facts, http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/facts.htm

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waste of products and natural resources that can be utilized in other processes. Many strategies can be used to minimize the amount of waste generated.

What We Found Task Force members met with Northland staff and toured the existing facilities to determine the waste generation locations, and the types of waste generated. MSW generated in an office area of Northland will likely be completely different than the MSW generated in the bathrooms or nursery rooms. Consequently, reduction and minimization strategies will differ between generation locations. The main MSW generation areas, defined by the function(s) served, were determined to be:

1. Offices 2. Restrooms 3. Sanctuary/common areas 4. Children’s Worship Wing 5. Early Childhood (Saturday through Monday) 6. Co-op (Monday – Friday).

The Task Force then arranged for all waste generated by Northland from April 21-28, 2007 to be labeled according to the generation location listed above and saved for future sorting. The chosen week was determined to be an average, representative week, and fairly indicative of normal waste generation patterns.

On April 28th, members of the Task Force, as well as other volunteers, met at Northland and organized all the waste according to generation location, and proceeded to sort each location’s waste into 34 different material categories. Each category’s waste was then weighed to determine the composition of that generation location’s waste.

Retrieving Waste for Sorting Sorting Waste into 34 Categories Table 3-1 summarizes the relative percent of total waste generated within each of these areas.

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Weighing Each Material Category

This is of interest because it helps identify where waste reduction efforts would have the greatest impact. From a program management standpoint, these areas of Northland represent functional programs that could be programmatically targeted. For example, all offices could be equipped with paper recycling bins; all classrooms could integrate recycling into the orientation portion of the curriculum; etc. Based on these results, it is of interest that classrooms (collectively) were found to generate almost 40 percent and offices were found to generate almost 35 percent of the disposed waste from Northland. For a church that attracts an approximately 7,000 to worship each weekend, it is of great interest that waste generation is much more the result of ongoing daily administrative and educational functions that can be targeted for reduction and recycling, and not of weekend worship services, which are much more like “special events.”

Table 3-2 shows the summary percent composition by weight of each generation location. More detailed information for each of these primary categories is available in the Appendix B to this report.

Generation Location Relative Percent of Waste

Offices 34.4% Restrooms 14.3% Sanctuary 11.1% Children’s Worship Wing 5.4% Early Childhood 16.0% Co-op 18.7% Total 100.0%

Table 3-1 Relative Percent of Total Waste for

Each Generation Location

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Table 3-2 Percent Composition of Each Generation Location

Offices Restrooms

Sanctuary / Common

Area


Wing Early


Paper 71.3% 80.0% 44.4% 47.2% 30.3% 36.1% 55.2% Plastic 12.1% 8.1% 17.3% 17.2% 21.6% 28.0% 16.9% Metal 2.0% 0.5% 2.8% 2.8% 5.5% 4.1% 2.8% Glass 1.1% 0.0% 0.0% 1.2% 1.3% 0.7% 0.8% Organics 12.6% 11.2% 32.6% 30.0% 41.3% 31.0% 23.6% Inorganics 0.0% 0.0% 0.5% 0.0% 0.0% 0.2% 0.1% Problem Materials 0.9% 0.1% 2.4% 1.6% 0.1% 0.0% 0.7% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Table 3-3 shows the estimated annual tonnage for each primary category for each generation location.

Table 3-3 Total Estimated Annual MSW Generation for Each Generation Location (Tons)

Offices Restrooms

Sanctuary / Common

Area


Wing Early


Paper 6.0 2.8 1.2 0.6 1.2 1.6 13.5 Plastic 1.0 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.8 1.3 4.1 Metal 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.7 Glass 0.1 - - 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 Organics 1.1 0.4 0.9 0.4 1.6 1.4 5.8 Inorganics - - 0.0 - - 0.0 0.0 Problem Materials 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 - 0.2 Total 8.4 3.5 2.7 1.3 3.9 4.6 24.4

Of potentially greater interest, Table 3-4 indicates the fraction of total disposed waste that was found to be comprised of recyclable fiber and containers (metal, glass and plastic bottles and cans) that are almost universally recycled within residential recycling programs in Central Florida. As shown in the table, nearly 30 percent of the waste stream is recyclable within the current local recycling infrastructure (more on this in the Recommendation section).

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Table 3-4 Relative Percent of Total Waste for Each Generation Location

Percent of Waste Stream Comprised of Commonly Recycled Material

Generation Location Fiber Commingled Containers Total

Offices 46.3% 4.9% 51.2% Restrooms 11.5% 2.7% 14.2% Sanctuary 25.2% 9.8% 35.0% Children’s Worship Wing 8.1% 7.5% 15.6% Early Childhood 7.3% 7.7% 15.0% Co-op 3.8% 4.1% 7.9% Total Waste Stream 22.8% 5.5% 28.3%

Recommendations Waste management strategies have traditionally been classified in terms of a “waste hierarchy” which identifies such strategies from the most desirable to the least desirable. Simply put, the three methods for averting disposal of wastes, in order or preference, are known as the “3 Rs:” specifically “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle8.” The recommendations in this section are therefore organized accordingly.

Reduce Reducing (or preventing) waste refers to the concept of generating less waste (or not generating it in the first place). There are several opportunities for waste reduction at Northland.

The primary type of waste in the office area is paper. There are two main strategies to reducing the amount of waste paper generated. First and foremost, utilize double-sided printing. This strategy not only saves paper and has all the upstream and downstream market impacts, but it also saves Northland money since less paper purchases will be required. This change can be a difficult, almost cultural, change for many as old habits die hard. But most organizations adjust, especially when they understand how their participation is one of many ways they can be a better steward of His creation. Additionally, many high-end computer printers and copiers can be set with a default setting of double-sided printing, so it can be implemented with little burden to the staff if such hardware is in use. Smaller churches may not have the resources to purchase printers with double-side printing, and as such would need to institute manual procedures to set aside pages that have one side of printing for later reuse. 8 The full waste management hierarchy, which has been summarized by a number of national and international waste management organizations including the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, progresses through the following waste management strategies, from most to least desirable: waste prevention; waste reduction; reuse; recycling; energy recovery; and disposal.

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Secondly, Northland can explore additional strategies to more heavily utilize electronic communication, thereby reducing the amount of paper required for normal operations. This can include the increased use of scanning/emailing to circulate important documents and reports. Utilizing the power and flexibility of the web and email as Northland has been doing more frequently is an important strategy in reducing the amount of waste paper generated. Also, as an example, the Campus Office of Campus Crusade for Christ has gone paperless. Each member is limited to one file drawer and has scanned in most of their files for electronic storage.

A common waste paper reduction strategy for any facility with restrooms includes installation of air driers as a replacement for paper towels. Non-recyclable paper from restrooms at Northland – almost entirely paper towels (although some tissue and miscellaneous items were mixed in) – was found to constitute approximately two-thirds of restroom wastes. If used properly, air driers have also been found to offer other benefits such as improved hygiene, lower maintenance and janitorial costs due to reduced litter in restrooms, and less upstream environmental impacts due to the use of trees and the water and energy-intensive pulping process required to produce paper towels.

There are two downsides to air dryers that should be carefully considered. First, upfront costs can be substantially more than a paper towel machine. Most estimates suggest a payback of six months to two or three years, depending on use. Secondly, instead of using the natural resource of trees, air dryers use electricity which generally requires the usage of other natural resources. However, the energy consumption of these machines is relatively small. Additionally, newer technologies are available that use ultra-high fan speeds, eliminating the need for the heat – the biggest draw of electricity in the machines.

“Single Serve” plates, cups, and silverware, both paper and plastic, were a large component of the volume of sorted waste, even though the total weight was small. While these items are usually utilized for short-term convenience, they are often more costly in the long run, require natural resources (paper, oil, etc.) and can take decades to decompose in a landfill. Some types of plastics have an estimated decomposition rate of a thousand years or more. Additionally, most of them are not recyclable in traditional curbside recycling programs. The most common approach to reducing the use of these is to utilize reusable items. One option is to purchase durable plates and containers that can be washed, stored and reused. Northland’s staff will need to determine if they have the space to store these supplies for large group functions, as well as the operational process for washing the items.

Alternatively, there are single-serve biodegradable items made from renewable resources such as corn, potatoes, and some with natural limestone. Most of these products are known as “PLA” containers, for Polylactic Acid. These containers are not yet at the point that they will decompose naturally in a landfill setting, but they do decompose in a compost environment. While Northland does not currently have an established compost operation, it generates enough food waste and compostable paper that it could consider establishing a compost operation, or contributing its compost to a local compost operation. (This concept is discussed further in the Recycle section.) Additionally, it is anticipated that the Nature’s Table operation in the new building

SOLID WASTE


will generate significant quantities of food, plastic and paper waste. Northland may wish to consider partnering with the operator in either a compost operation, and/or by helping subsidize the purchase of PLA containers instead of traditional plastic and Styrofoam containers, since the cost of PLA containers are currently more expensive than the traditional containers.

Closely related to the single-serve food service material is single-serve PET water bottles. There was a significant amount of these found in the office and sanctuary-related waste streams, in addition to the containers found in the other waste streams. While highly convenient, they are not currently being recycled, usually not made from recyclable material, and require significant amounts of natural resources to produce. One common alternative is to install traditional filtered water coolers that can be used by staff to refill personal mugs, water bottles, glasses, etc. These can either be plumbed in directly if there is a nearby water line, a refillable type can be used as long as a power outlet is nearby, or filters can be installed on existing faucets. (As a side consideration, Northland could have water bottles or mugs made with Northland’s logo, a creation care-related verse, and the www.creationicare.com web address. These could be distributed to staff as part of launching these initiatives, and promoted and sold in the bookstore or Nature’s Table.9 This is discussed further in the Operations section.) Eliminating the single-serve bottles along with an explanation of why Northland has done so sets a good example.

Additionally, for weekday operations, ceramic mugs should be placed near coffee services instead of polystyrene foam cups. Operations staff will need to determine the best method for the collection of the mugs from visitors and guests. Northland staff should be expected to wash and maintain their own mugs.

It is assumed to be impractical to utilize mugs for coffee service during worship times due to the quantity of worshipers in concise periods of times. Consequently, Northland may wish to consider using paper cups with finger holds or hand guards, similar to what is used at commercial coffee establishments. Although this still generates significant quantities of waste, paper is a renewable resource and will eventually decompose, unlike the polystyrene foam cups currently used. Costs for these cups are unfortunately higher than for polystyrene foam cups.

Although the new sanctuary will have a Nature’s Table nearby that will serve coffee to morning worshippers, other churches might explore the “out of the box” idea of partnering with a commercial coffee provider to set up a coffee service on Sunday mornings. There is likely more than one provider that would be interested in setting up a cart by which thousands of morning worshippers will parade before and after the service. This would reduce operating costs for Northland, and potentially be a source of revenue if a revenue sharing agreement is reached with the vendor. Additionally, congregants may be more likely to utilize the service if they know that part of the proceeds will be funding their friend’s or child’s mission trips, work projects, scholarships, community projects, etc.

9 For additional credibility, there are water bottles available that are made from 100% recycled materials, as opposed to virgin resins.

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Reuse Reusing waste is the quite simple concept of keeping a product usefully in circulation rather than disposing (or recycling) it.

The waste composition study found few examples of material that could be reused in its existing form. This is excellent! Consequently, the best way to “reuse” the majority of Northland’s waste is to convert it into other products as discussed in the “Recycle” section. There was, however, one item that is worth addressing.

Magazines The heaviest component of the office waste stream was magazines, generating nearly 23% of the waste from that generating location. Annually, it is estimated that the office area generates over 1.9 tons of magazine waste. It is unclear what circulation programs are in existence at Northland, or how often subscription lists are reviewed, but if none are in place, there are a few options to reuse the magazines before they are hopefully placed into a recycling program. First, if subscriptions are managed on an individual basis, an inquiry should be sent to all staff in order to generate a comprehensive list of all subscriptions received at Northland. Next, this list, or one already maintained if subscriptions are centrally managed, should be distributed to staff with the purpose of determining who is interested in which periodicals. Finally, a distribution list can be attached to each periodical when it arrives. This can be as simple as affixing a Post-it note on the cover with the names of the intended recipients. When a recipient is finished with the periodical, or does not have the time to read it, they pass it along to someone else on the list and cross their own name off if they are finished. Alternatively, many periodicals have begun to offer their customers online access to the content of each issue. Rather than a physical routing process, it may be feasible to assign one staff person the role of managing subscription accounts and passwords, and notifying all interested readers when the next issue is available online and how to access it.

After Northland has maximized the reuse concept internally, there are also opportunities to reuse the magazines externally. Northland could consider establishing an area or bin where congregants could peruse and collect magazines of interest to them. This might be placed near the book store. Additionally, Northland could consider donating the magazines to other churches that might not typically have the budgets to subscribe to many periodicals. These could then be used by their staff and congregants as well.

Food Waste The largest component in Northland’s waste stream was Food Waste, representing over 26% of the waste stream, and nearly 4.5 tons per year. Given the recently opened Nature’s Table in the new facility, the percentage and tonnage are both likely to increase. Additionally, it is anticipated that the remodeling efforts for the existing facility will include an expanded kitchen, which represents another potential increase in the food waste percentage and tonnage.

SOLID WASTE


Northland may wish to consider installing a “Liquid Waste Extractor” in the new kitchen. These dishwasher-sized units utilize a chopping and compaction process that removes 50 percent of the liquid in most food waste within a 90 to 120 second cycle. The liquid is discharged into the wastewater system, and the remaining pulp is collected for future use as a soil amendment or compost feedstock. Even if the pulp is still placed in the waste stream, the weight and volume of the waste is also reduced 50 percent thereby reducing tipping fees and compactor pull frequency. The units are extremely easy to operate and maintain.

Collection of food waste would be easiest in the new kitchen, but other food waste could be source-separated in the Nature’s Table area to increase the diversion rate. The units are expensive enough to not be justifiable from a strictly financial basis, but they can be at least considered if an aggressive “zero-waste” goal is targeted and proper logistics and policies are implemented to maximize diversion rates. More information and specifications can be found at the US distributor’s website.10

Computer Printer Cartridges Another item that can be reused is ink cartridges from computer printers. Some large retailers such as Walgreen’s are offering to refill the cartridges on-site in their photo labs for a nominal fee.

Recycle After operations have been modified to reduce the amount of waste generated, and items have been reused whenever possible, there will still remain waste to be disposed. Much of this waste is considered recyclable.

Recycling refers to the collection of products and materials that have reached the end of their useful life but that can be re-processed in such a way as to enable the manufacture of new products from their component raw materials. In the United States, most residential homeowners are familiar with a range of so-called “curbside” and “drop-off” recycling programs that target fibers (newspaper, cardboard, magazines, etc.) and commingled containers (plastic bottles, aluminum cans, steel cans, glass bottles). These recycling programs, as well as commercial recycling collection programs that target a subset of these materials, have been widespread since the mid to late 1990s.

Depending on the level of financial and operational commitment of Northland (or any church), recycling of fiber and containers can be pursued either directly from recycling collectors or indirectly through existing community recycling programs. These direct and indirect strategies are discussed below. 10 http://www.sustaininnovations.com

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Direct Recycling Opportunities “Single-stream” Commingled Recycling Many private companies, and some municipal entities, offer recycling collection services for non-residential customers. The most immediate opportunity for Northland, as well as for other churches contemplating a recycling program, is to research the recycling collection services that are offered by local private and public collectors. It may be pleasantly surprising to find that cost effective recycling is available for mid-size generators of recyclable material, especially if the recyclables can be kept largely free of contaminants through consistent education.

One such establishment that can service Northland is Orlando Waste Paper Company, Inc. (OWP)11 This company offers “single-stream” recycling services, meaning it will collect paper and cardboard, as well as glass, plastic, aluminum and steel containers – all from one dumpster. The advantage of this type of service is that the material does not have to be separated into various collection bins.

Table 3-5 shows the recyclable categories and specific materials that OWP will collect in a single-stream recycling program.

Table 3-5 Orlando Waste Paper Company Single-Stream Recycling Materials

Paper Products Cardboard Products

Glass Products Plastic Products

Cans

Computer Paper Cardboard Boxes Glass Bottles Plastic Bottles Aluminum Cans Office Paper Paper Tubes Beer & Wine Bottles Water Bottles Tin Cans Coated Paper File Folders Soft Drink Bottles Juice Bottles Steel Cans Envelopes Cereal Boxes Juice Bottles Soap Bottles Food Cans Newspapers Water Jugs Plastic Bags Telephone Books Polystyrene /

Styrofoam

Magazines Junk Mail

11 http://www.orlandowastepaper.com

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This collection service is relatively inexpensive. As shown in Table 3-6, annual service costs for this program would be approximately $1,200. (A copy of the price quote is contained in Appendix B.)

Table 3-6 Orlando Waste Paper Company Single-Stream Collection Costs12

Dumpster Size

Service Days/Week

Monthly Base Rental

Fuel Charge

Environmental Fee

Monthly Total Cost

Annual Total Cost

6 cubic yards 1 $60.00 $9.60 $3.00 $72.60 $871.20 8 cubic yards 1 $80.00 $12.80 $3.00 $95.80 $1,149.60

The collection container can be placed adjacent to the regular waste collection container behind Northland’s new building. Additionally, Northland may be able to reduce the collection frequency and tipping fees of its regular waste if enough materials are diverted in the recycling container. Although it is believed that most Northland congregants have access to a residential recycling program at home, Northland may even wish to consider allowing congregants to place their residentially generated recyclable materials in the designated Northland recycling bins if they do not have access to curbside collection programs in their community or apartment complex.

Clearly, removing the material from the church property can be easily addressed by private recyclers. The more difficult challenge is collecting the recyclable materials from within Northland’s campus and getting it to the exterior collection container. Purchasing the correct containers, developing effective education materials, and proper signage are critical components for a successful recycling program.

The first task is having the person generating the waste separate the recyclable material into a separate container. The strategy to accomplish this will likely vary in different parts of the church. Key to this task is the placement of the recycling container. A study showed that only 28% of recyclable material was actually recycled when a “central container” was utilized. But when a container was placed in close proximity to the person generating the waste, recycling rates ranged from 85% to 94%.13

In office areas, each office/desk should be given a recycling receptacle. These can vary in size and shape from a desk-side container, desk-top container, or under desk bin. Most of these containers range in price from $4-$8 depending on size, construction materials, and manufacturer. Ideally, each container should be marked to indicate the material(s) that can be placed in the container, as constant reinforcement has been shown to improve recycling and reduce contamination (i.e., placement in the recycling bins of materials that are not actually recyclable).

12 Orlando Waste Paper offers containers ranging in size from 4 cubic yards to 10 cubic yards, and collection frequencies up to 6 days per week. 13 Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Spring 1994, Kevin J. Brothers, Patricia J. Krantz, and Lynne E. McClannahan, Office Paper Recycling: A Function of Container Recycling

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Hanging Bin Desk-side Bin Under-desk Bin Common areas will likely need larger containers with more distinct markings.14 These can be designed to match existing waste containers size and shape, construction and decor, but will need a few modifications by the current vendor. The size and shape of the opening should be reduced to prohibit most non-recyclable materials. Additionally, the tri-arrow recycling symbol should be placed prominently near the opening, and if possible the targeted recyclable materials should be listed where congregants and staff can see it.

Further, it will be necessary for Northland to implement procedures within its custodial function to assure that recyclables separated by employees, students, and guests get collected and deposited in the appropriate recycling container (many institutional recycling programs have struggled in the absence of commitment from the janitorial staff, who frequently find it easier to dump recyclables in the trash and dispose of it all). However, assuming Northland’s leadership has the wherewithal to address these internal public education issues and establish a system of material separation and collection, there is no reason most legitimately recyclable materials cannot be diverted.

Materials from these containers can be collected by the same janitorial crew by using a separate wheeled collection container. This may need to be done at the same frequency as the regular waste collection, or a different collection schedule might be appropriate. Testing a few different collection schedules and containers will likely lead to improved efficiency.

As previously mentioned, effective education materials are critical to implementing a successful program that achieves a high capture rate. Appendix B also shows an example of a straightforward education piece from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is simple and self-explanatory, explaining only the required concepts.

Paper Only Recycling It should be noted that OWP also offers a free recycling program that just targets recyclable office paper. OWP will distribute 96-gallon bins to the church for free, and 14 Although there were not a significant amount of recyclable materials found in the common areas, the visible presence of these containers communicates credibility and action in the church’s stewardship efforts.

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will come empty them on an on-call basis. While the costs of this program, or lack thereof, are appealing, Northland generates enough other recyclable materials to warrant implementation of a full single-stream collection program at a nominal cost. However, a paper-only program may be appropriate or useful for other churches.

Indirect (Congregant Driven) Recycling Opportunities If a church is not able to subscribe to a program such as described above, there are other alternatives to implementing effect recycling programs. Perhaps the greatest opportunity for a church is to explore how best to source separate recyclable materials for disposition into the locally provided residential recycling collection system via volunteers.

As an example, and by way of background, Northland’s main campus is located in the City of Longwood. Longwood’s collection contractor collects the following recyclables from residential households: newspaper, cardboard, aluminum cans, steel cans, #1 and #2 plastic bottles, and glass bottles and jars. This means that at least once per week, a fleet of recycling collection trucks operate throughout the city limits and indubitably pass by Northland’s campus. Northland could potentially capitalize on this infrastructure in one of two ways:

1. Explore the potential to set out source-separated recyclables for pick up outside Northland’s facilities. This would entail contacting both the City of Longwood and also its local hauler, currently Waste Pro, to determine if such “tuck-in” service would be offered, and if so at what cost (if any). Northland would likely bear the cost of acquiring carts or bins that are specified by the hauler for use in the system. Provided material quality is good, it is speculated that recycling collection may be provided free of charge if it can indeed be integrated into the current route structure. With high recovered material prices, an incremental source of good quality fibers and commingled containers would be expected to be attractive to a local hauler.

2. Leverage the resources of the congregation. While this would represent an aggressive and challenging solution, the majority of Northland’s attendees likely live in a city or county unincorporated area that provides curbside recycling collection for some combination of fibers and containers. Seminole County, Orange County, and Volusia County all offer curbside recycling to unincorporated homeowners, as do Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, and virtually all of the cities surrounding Longwood. As simplistic as it sounds, if even a small fraction of the congregation could be convinced to take home 10 pounds of recyclable materials every week for placement in their residential curbside program, virtually all of Northland’s recyclables could be diverted for zero cost.

This solution no doubt places tremendous operational challenges on a church the size of Northland. For example, where will the recyclables be stored? How will volunteers carry the Northland-generated recyclables home? However, smaller churches elsewhere have achieved extremely high recycling rates simply because of the participation of members to get the church’s

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recyclables to their local curbside recycling programs. While this approach might be significantly easier for smaller churches, it is at least worth considering.

3. Finally, churches like Northland are much more likely to find a small number of members who might be willing to establish a composting program on the campus to manage food wastes and even non-recyclable paper like paper towels from restrooms. Conventional barriers to paper and food waste composting have to do with the need to quickly collect and remove putrescible wastes from interior containers (and potentially from outdoor refuse containers) so as to minimize odors that come from biodegradation of the food waste. Food waste was found to approach 20 percent campus-wide, and 25 percent in the classrooms.15 Non-recyclable paper was over two-thirds of restroom waste. Assuming brush, leaves, trimmings and prunings are generated in the upkeep of church grounds, it is hypothesized that a sufficient mix of materials would be available to create a static compost pile (at a minimum) and potentially a compost area that is managed more actively (i.e., turned). While this would represent an aggressive action, it could significantly reduce wastes from Northland and provide beneficial soil amendment for use on Northland’s landscaping and/or gardening projects. Alternatively, this material could be distributed to congregants for use in their gardens, to the City of Longwood for other uses, or be used on various community service efforts by other ministries of Northland..16

Also, if the church opts not to subscribe to a single-stream program mentioned previously, one option for newspapers, aluminum cans and potentially other recyclable containers would be for the youth program to manage the collection and return of the containers.

A few aluminum collection containers could be strategically placed near the soda machines, youth areas, kitchen and offices. During the sample week for the waste composition study, four 32-gallon trash cans were filled with discarded aluminum cans – nearly 1,000 pounds annually. Given the currently high market prices for aluminum, this could be a small on-going fundraiser for the youth group. (Materials can be taken directly to Orlando Waste Paper – the current rate for aluminum cans is $0.25/pound.) Additionally, certain leaders for LUGS and O2 have expressed an interest in heading this up, even assembling a youth recycling team, and using this as a practical tool to teach the students how to be good stewards. The other benefit of

15 It should be noted that the large percentage of food waste found in the classroom waste bags for the waste composition study was most likely from Fellowship Hall. Waste from Fellowship Hall was likely included in the classroom waste since there was not a separate generation location category. 16 The Task Force opted not to include extensive details about establishing small scale on-site composting programs within the body of this report. However, if there are any master gardeners, arborists, botanist, or other organically inclined congregants who are interested in pursuing this further, there are a number of online resources available to help start such a program. Examples include the Florida Online Compost Center sponsored by Sarasota County (http://www.compostinfo.com/), as well as websites published by the U.S. EPA (www.epa.gov), the U.S. Composting Council (www.compostingcouncil.org) and Biocycle magazine (www.jgpress.com/biocycle.htm).

SOLID WASTE


involving the students directly in this activity is that the practice will likely flow into their homes as well.

SP Newsprint, an Atlanta-based paper recycler, supports recycled newsprint drives at schools, churches, and other community institutions across Florida and the southeast. These programs typically involve placement of one or more dumpsters or roll-off boxes on the grounds of the establishment supporting the drive, and invites participants to drop off newspapers to be collected and recycled. The establishments earn a financial return based on the quantity of paper collected. The drives represent a potential fund-raising opportunity for the church, and a low cost means of directly acquiring recyclable feedstock for the paper company.

Lastly, Toner cartridges can be sent back to numerous places for recycling. A basic list of places can be seen on Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection’s website.17

Hazardous Waste Collectively, hazardous and problematic materials comprised 0.7% of Northland’s waste stream. This waste component is generated by the improper placement of commonly used items such as toner cartridges, paints, solvents and medical waste into the waste stream. As a goal, this number should be zero.

More than half of this Hazardous material was from household batteries, most of which were 9-volt batteries in the sanctuary waste stream. Northland should consider establishing a small collection bin in the worship/tech area in the sanctuary and Children’s Worship Wing for batteries. Options for disposal can be seen at www.earth911.org.

Another item, which was not high in terms of weight, should be briefly mentioned. Four hypodermic needles were found in the restroom waste stream, none of which were properly disposed. Some had protective caps while others were exposed18, but none were in a sealed, marked container. Over the course of the year, that is over 200 potential pricks to the janitorial staff, or even to other guests placing waste in the receptacles. It is not known whether the needles came from staff or a visitor, but at a minimum, a communication should be sent to the staff instructing them to dispose of needles properly. Northland might also consider posting a similar notice in the restrooms, or even placing a discrete, small, and approved receptacle in the restrooms. The liability risks to the church could be substantial if this is not addressed proactively.

The table in Appendix B details the materials that made up the Hazardous Waste stream for each generating location.

17 http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/recycling/pages/TonerCartridgeRecycling.htm 18 The protective caps may have come off during the process of sorting the material, but it illustrates that the caps can easily come off and still present a serious health hazard to the janitorial crew and local solid waste staff.

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Beyond Northland Since solid waste tends to be managed at a local level, Northland has a few opportunities to partner with, and be a blessing to, the local communities. First, Northland could evaluate establishing a Resource Center, a local recycling drop-off center somewhere on the property that seeks to extend centralized reuse and recycling services to various users. This would not only benefit Northland, but also serve as an outreach to a) congregants who live in rural areas and do not currently have access to curbside recycling; b) congregants who live in apartment buildings with no recycling program, and c) local businesses who do not currently participate in commercial recycling programs due to cost or hassle.

This concept could be expanded to include other recyclable or problem materials. Bins could be established for cell phones/electronics, hazardous batteries (e.g.: button, lithium-ion, nickel-cadmium), compact fluorescent lights (“CFLs”), etc.19 Northland essentially creates a “one-stop recycling” area for congregants to dispose or recycle various items properly. The phones can be donated to various charities like safe houses, or even sold to recycling programs as a fundraiser for various programs at Northland. Cartridges for Kids20 pays cash to non-profits like churches for the collection of cell phones, PDAs, iPods, laser and inkjet cartridges, etc. Tri Robinson’s Boise Vineyard Church raised thousands of dollars for Hurricane Katrina missions through aggressive use of a program like this. The batteries and CFLs could be periodically taken to the hazardous waste center. Alternatively, the CFLs could be recycled through LampRecycle.org.21 The Resource Center would not only be utilized by Northland’s staff and congregants, but local residents may even utilize the Center, and become more familiar with Northland, and consequently Christ. A local mailing could be sent to nearby residents announcing the new Resource Center, and explaining why Northland is offering this service to the local community.

It should be noted that establishment of a Resource Center that is actively seeking drop-off recyclables and/or items for reuse represents a potentially significant financial and operational commitment. First, there is a capital cost to construct the area, purchase the containers, just to name a few. Second, there is an ongoing cost of maintaining the Resource Center. If not carefully maintained and serviced, these can become eyesores and a horrible witness. Responsibility for the Resource Center can either be absorbed internally, or there may be congregants who would be willing to volunteer periodically to service and maintain the area. Undertaking such a Resource Center should not be taken lightly.

19 Further research needs to be done regarding safety and liability regarding the collection of the common hazardous materials such as batteries and CFLs. There may be certain issues such as liability, insurance requirements or licenses/permits that it may consequently not be feasible or realistic. 20 http://www.cartridgesforkids.com/ 21 http://www.lamprecycle.org/


Section 4 WATER

Why is it Important? Water has great spiritual significance in both Christianity and Judaism. Water throughout the Bible is used as a symbol of life, death, purification, and rebirth. Pharaoh ordered Hebrew boy babies to be thrown into the river, but Moses was saved by being hid among the reeds of the Nile. (Exodus 1:22-2:10). God commanded the Hebrews to purify their bodies (Exodus 17-21) and clothes (Leviticus 14, 16:26; Numbers 19) with water. John baptized people in the Jordan River as a sign of the repentance from sin (Matthew 3:11). Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as an example for them to serve others (John 13:1-17). Finally, the Apostle John describes “the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1).

Water is crucial to the existence of every living organism, from the simplest bacterium to people. Every cell needs water to perform biochemical reactions necessary for life. While people can survive several weeks without food, they can only live 2 to 3 days without water.

Water in the natural world continually cycles through various phases and locations. Water on Earth transitions from solid (ice), to liquid, and gas as it moves through the hydrologic cycle. Water evaporates from rivers, lakes, and the oceans, or transpires from plants, to form water vapor in the atmosphere. Water vapor in the atmosphere condenses and forms precipitation. Rain and snow either evaporate, runoff the surface into lakes, streams and oceans, or seep into the ground to replenish aquifers. The hydrologic cycle does not affect the overall mass of water on Earth. In general, the amount of available water has been relatively constant throughout Earth’s history.

Figure 4-1: Water Cycle

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In Florida, we appear to have an abundant supply of water. Central Florida receives, on average, about 50 – 53 inches of rain per year. However, the annual variation can be large, from a low of 30 inches in 2000 to a high of 68 inches in 1960. Furthermore, ground water, the source of most of our potable water, is replaced at a much slower rate than we are using it. For example, only about 5 percent of the rain in Orange County seeps into the ground to replenish the aquifers (Adamski and German, 2004).

Most of the water used in central Florida for domestic purposes (drinking and washing) is obtained from the Floridan aquifer system. Water withdrawn from the aquifer has increased along with the population growth of the region. From 1960 to 2000, the population of Orange County increased from 264,000 to 896,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2002). In addition, 744,000 tourists visit Orange County every week. Ground-water use has subsequently increased from 82 million gallons per day (mgd) in 1965 to 287 mgd in 2000.

As a result of increased use and slow replenishment, water levels in the Floridan aquifer system have declined 10 – 15 ft throughout most of central and western Orange County (Adamski and German, 2004), while the salt content of the aquifer has increased. Water use and the subsequent decline of the quantity and quality of ground water are similar in other urban counties, such as Seminole County.

What We Found In order to assess water use in a home or business, a water-use audit can be conducted. These audits simply account for all the water being used at a particular site. Some utilities in western states, such as Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (http://www.abcwua.org/waterconservation/auditformici.html) offer free water-use audits for their commercial customers.

The Church receives its water from the City of Longwood (City). Unfortunately, the City’s Public Utilities Division does not offer any type of water efficiency audit. The Task Force also conducted a general search for other commercial sources to provide guidance, but was unsuccessful.

There are, however, numerous web sites available that offer tips for conserving water. The following list contains links to Orlando Utilities Commission, St. Johns River Water Management District, and South Florida Water Management District:

http://www.ouc.com/green/water.htm

http://sjr.state.fl.us/programs/watersupply.html

http://www.sfwmd.gov/site/index.php?id=1

In general, these sites recommend three tasks for conserving water.

1. Repair leaks—a leaking toilet can waste as much as 90,000 gallons of water in a month (OUC, 2007).

2. Limit irrigation

3. Install water-efficient toilets and appliances in your home and business

WATER


Recommendations Northland should consider conducting a leak test and a simple audit to assess its water use. Testing for leaks is accomplished by monitoring the water meter during a period of no use. For example, the meter could be read at night, after staff and personnel have left, and again early in the morning prior to the arrival of the staff. A difference in the two readings indicates a leak, and requires further investigation. Leaks in sinks can sometimes be identified by stains or deposits on the basins. Leaks in toilets can be identified by adding food coloring to the tank, then monitoring the toilet to determine if the coloring is entering the bowl. Leaks in pipes can be more difficult to locate.

Northland’s original building does not have showers or laundry facilities, so the major use of water should be toilets and sinks. Northland also has an irrigation system, the source of water for which is either a well or the utility company. Hence,

Water use = toilets + sinks + irrigation

If the irrigation system is supplied by a well, then

Water use (from the utility bill) = toilets + sinks

The installation of low-flow toilets and sink aerators should help reduce the Church’s water use and utility bill. There are two recent technologies in toilets that are worth mentioning.

1. Dual Cycle toilets are available in commercial grade models and can significantly reduce the total water used in the flush cycle. These toilets provide an option of using one flush mode for liquid disposal, and a second flush mode for solid disposal. The cost of these toilets is quite comparable to standard toilets, and can provide a relatively quick payback.

2. Waterless urinals are growing in popularity. They apparently can be retrofitted to existing fittings, require very little maintenance, and cost about the same as a standard urinal. As with the dual cycle toilets, payback on these can be relatively quick.

Given that these two technologies are somewhat new, it might be wise for Northland to test these in one or two restrooms and obtain feedback. The restrooms could be designated as “green restrooms” and feedback obtained from patrons and maintenance staff. These should be coupled with the air hand-dryers mentioned in the Solid Waste section.

Lastly, the Church should use and install “WaterSense” water products whenever possible. WaterSense is the EPA’s water equivalent of ENERGY STAR. It can provide ratings on the efficiency of toilets, faucets, and irrigation technologies. Information can be found at www.epa.gov/WaterSense.

Conserving water has economic as well as environmental benefits. Repairing leaks and installing low-flow toilets will reduce water use and our monthly utility bill. Conserving water also will reduce our impact on the aquifer and other water supplies, and reduce the energy needed to pump the water from the ground and supply it to our

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facilities. In summary, conserving water is a crucial part of being good stewards of God’s creation.

Beyond Northland It was surprising to the Task Force that the local water utility did not provide water efficiency audits. Most water utilities are facing significant challenges to meet future demand, and consequently large capital improvement projects are looming. For a municipal utility, such as the City of Longwood, capital improvement projects can often result in rate increases to the rate payers. Northland should consider querying the congregation to see if there are engineers, plumbers or other water-related professionals who can act as a SWAT team to other local churches, non-profits, or even businesses. Ideally, this would be done in some type of partnership with the City where the City would advertise the service and Northland would provide the expertise. It would be an excellent way for those professionals to serve the Lord with their expertise by serving their community.

Reference Adamski, J.C., and German, E.R., 2004, Hydrogeology and Quality of Ground Water in Orange County, Florida: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 03-4257, 113 p.


Section 5 LANDSCAPING

Why is it Important? The landscaping at a church can subtly, or not so subtly, help to define who it is. If the landscape development is well maintained, it also provides an appropriate level of “curb appeal”. Is it appropriate to care about the curb appeal of Northland? Of course it is. The property should be safe and inviting to everyone from first time visitors, to members and regular attendees. The property should blend with the local neighborhood and not be an eyesore. Northland, and its congregants, want to be good stewards with the property the Lord has provided.

As Northland continues to share Creation Care and environmental stewardship with others, the property, and the way it is managed, provides excellent opportunities to set a good example. Yes, the image from the street is important.

One way to show good stewardship is in the design and care for the landscaping. As it relates to Creation Care, the landscape architecture of the Northland property is just as important as the building architecture. Attention should be drawn to Northland’s front door, and diverted from the “back of house” areas. The landscaping helps to present a warm and inviting environment at Northland.

What We Found Landscape design will always be a subjective art. The landscape at someone’s home may be their personal paradise, but others may only see a weed patch. Essentially, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The analysis of the landscape at Northland did not take any subjective design characteristics into account.

So in order to objectively study the landscape architecture and landscape maintenance of Northland, an inventory was taken of the plant materials found on the site of the original Church building. A more cursory analysis of the new building plantings was also taken. The primary goal of this analysis was to look at the types of plant materials on site and to determine if there are ways to be better stewards with our water resources. A secondary goal was to look at the selection of plant materials and their placement to determine if any energy saving methods could be implemented.

Existing Facility The main entrance to the original church building is planted with a variety of plant materials, both native and exotic, water loving and drought tolerant. The plantings are colorful and provide an inviting entry sequence. Some plants are more durable than others but the selection of plants is diverse and attractive. The large areas of paving are dotted with stand alone planters in an effort to provide color and texture to this

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expansive entry area. These planters also help to delineate auto from pedestrian uses. The south, east and north perimeter of the building is mostly shaded with large mature oak trees in good health. The east side of the building includes a nice, shaded garden area that is planted with many different native and exotic species common to Florida. The garden area provides a shady retreat.

The building’s north side is heavily shaded by existing live and laurel oak tree canopy. This is where an extensive play area is appropriately located. The trees are mostly in good health. There is limited other plant material in this fenced area.

Figure 5-1: High Tree Canopy

New Building Surrounding the new sanctuary building there is an interesting mix of plants. Plants that are native to Florida are grouped with plants that can be found on a list of plants that are exotic and invasive. (Every two years the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council22 produces a list of Category I and Category II invasives plants. Category I plants are plants that are known in Florida to invade and overrun native plant communities. A good example of this type of plant is the melaleuca trees and Australian pine trees that have invaded the Florida Everglades. The Category II plants are those plants that are not native to Florida that have the potential to overrun native plant communities. One example of a Category II tree is the very common Washington Palm. This is a palm

22 http://www.fleppc.org/list/list.htm

LANDSCAPING


specie that is used routinely in Central Florida that produces large amounts of viable seed. But since this tree is not native to Florida, and because it can spread rapidly, it finds itself on the list of plants “to be watched”.) The overall appearance of the plantings at the new building is good, providing a nice mix of color, texture and form. The plant groupings, however, combine some plants that require very little water once established with plants that will always need water to look vibrant. This blend of native and exotic plants can make water conservation and maintenance efforts problematic. Those plants not needing much water will suffer from too much water. The plants that require consistent water will not look their best in times of drought and water restrictions.

Figure 5-2: A Blend of Native and Non-native Plants

Irrigation system Much of Northland’s property is irrigated. In Florida, an irrigation system is all but a necessity on a property such as Northland if we expect to provide the curb appeal we discussed above with a minimum amount of labor. We found that the turf areas are irrigated, mostly using rotary spray heads. We found that shrub and groundcover areas were mostly irrigated with spray heads, some fixed sprays but most were pop-up spray heads. We found some evidence of the use of reclaimed, or grey, water. In the area of the main entrance to the existing church building, some purple PVC pipe was found, presumably serving the irrigation system. At the new building, only one spray

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head had a purple shrub riser collar. All irrigation systems that use reclaimed water are to have purple caps on spray and rotor heads. The use of reclaimed water is always encouraged if it is available to a site and if the water pressure and supply are consistent. This water is usually free or can be purchased at a rate much less than potable water.

The irrigation water at the new building is staining the building, sidewalks and curbs. Essentially everything that is sprayed with water is showing iron staining. This is most likely from a shallow well or extraordinarily high levels of iron in the aquifer.

Figure 5-3: Walkways Stained by Iron in the Irrigation Water

Recommendations The landscape at the church is well maintained. Plants that require higher levels of water are generally grouped together. Durable plants have been used mostly where conditions demand a tough plant. Florida native plants are present but are not the majority of the plantings. The property enjoys a wonderful canopy of trees that help with water and energy conservation as well as provides an enhanced level of curb appeal. There are a few items that can improve the landscape and irrigation at Northland:

1. Install a rain sensor (required by Florida Law) on the existing church building and set the irrigation controller to run only twice a week. Seminole County is currently under water restrictions which restricts watering to twice weekly and

LANDSCAPING


before 10 am and after 4 pm. New plantings may be watered each day for up to 30 days. The following link has more information:

http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/envsrvs/watercon/restrictions.asp

Figure 5-4: Programmable Irrigation Controller

2. Move the new building’s rain sensor. The new building’s irrigation water source appears to be a shallow well located in the northwest portion of the property. The rain sensor is found in an enclosure with the well, pump, pressure tank and controller. Planted nearby is a new live oak tree that, when more mature, will prevent rain from activating the sensor. This may cause more water to be used than is actually needed across the site.

Figure 5-5: Tree Canopy Near the Rain Sensor

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3. Once the new building is in full use and the pedestrian traffic patterns have shifted to the new facility, some of the large expanse of paving could be removed from the front of the existing church building. This will reduce the amount of impervious area and create planting space for more trees. More trees on the west side of the building will help keep the building cooler in the summer and will also provide additional shade for cars parking in that small parking area.

Figure 5-6: Candidate Area for Pavement Removal

4. Connect the irrigation system into a reclaimed water source if one is available. This can save money by using this water that is free or sold at a reduced rate, typically less than potable water. This water will also not stain like the iron-laden well water from the new well.

LANDSCAPING


5. Investigate the new well depth to determine if a deeper well could eliminate iron staining. Another option is to pump the well water into the retention pond to let the iron settle. The irrigation source would then become the water in the retention pond. Some further investigation will need to be done to determine if the pond on the north part of the site will hold water year-round. If so, the recharge well/retention pond irrigation concept is viable, providing a potential wetland habitat for native flora and fauna.

Figure 5-7: The Retention Pond Could Be an Irrigation Source and an Amenity

6. Replace some of the plants in the planters near the front of the new building with native plants. These planters could become a nice showplace for native Florida plant material. Ultimately remove all Category I invasive species from the property. While the species found in the analysis are indeed beautiful, it would be good to remove them from the planting areas around the new church building. The plant matrix found in Appendix C lists a few species that are on that list.

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Figure 5-8: Invasive Oyster Plant mixed with native Coontie

7. Remove some paving at the front of the new building to create planting space for canopy trees. The trees will provide shade to this area that can be hot and uninviting.

8. Replace some of the St. Augustine sod areas with Argentine Bahia sod. This will reduce amount of water needed to keep large turf areas green during the summer.

Guiding Principles In summary, there are a few guiding principles that can be used when implementing some of these recommendations:

1. Concentrate high water use plants in the same area. These plants include annuals (flowers) and other exotic species. It is good to have these areas of color near the entrances to create an inviting area.

2. Utilize drought tolerant plant and turf species in more remote areas of the site. Because the site is so large, it is helpful if the curb appeal is not dependent on site-wide irrigation.

3. Segregate irrigation types. When practical, separate turf irrigation zones from shrub and groundcover irrigation zones. This will allow Northland to apply water at different rates to plants that have different water needs.


Section 6 “GREEN” PURCHASING GUIDELINES

Why is it Important? Green Purchasing has been defined as “the practice of preventing waste and pollution by considering environmental impact along with price and performance.” Traditionally churches have evaluated purchasing decisions primarily through a cost filter, seeking the lowest cost option. While being a good steward of the church’s financial resources is an important obligation of the church, there is a growing realization that it is important to balance economic, social and environmental stewardship principles. Striving for, and achieving, this balance can be a challenging task, and requires a more rigorous analysis of many purchasing decisions previously made out of habit.

Given that purchasing decisions have primarily been based on cost, it is important to mention some of the additional issues worthy of deliberation in purchasing decisions. Following is an introductory, and certainly not exhaustive, list of other issues for consideration.

Use of recycled content. This criterion can apply to either the product itself, or also the packaging used to contain, transport and shelve the product. Purchasing products made with recycled content allows the consumer to participate in an important phase of a “closed loop” product cycle.

Use of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). VOCs are emitted as gases from thousands of products and may have various short or long-term health consequences. Products commonly found in churches could include cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids, glues and adhesives, permanent markers, paints, lacquers, and paint strippers.23

Use of harmful materials. Many products contain various chemicals and compounds that have been used for decades, but now have natural or more environmentally-friendly substitutes available. Examples include the use of organically produced foods and fibers, and products without VOCs.

Ability to recycle. While two products may appear similar, and may serve the same purpose, one may be recyclable, while the other must be disposed in the waste stream at the end of its life cycle. Examples of this could include various electronic equipment where one manufacturer offers a recycling option; printer and copier cartridges, or even cleaning products where one might be available in a recyclable container and another is only available in a non-recyclable container.

23 Environmental Protection Agency website, “An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality.”

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Adherence to “Fair Trade” principles. Some manufacturers that require the use of cheap labor from developing or third world nations have a history of exploiting laborers and natural resources. Due to pressure from various advocacy groups, consumers and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), many manufacturers have revised, or are attempting to revise, their internal labor practices. While many of the entities adhering to Fair Trade principles are small “mom and pop” companies, there are some large companies that are beginning to jump on board. For example, both Starbucks and Proctor and Gamble now offer coffee grown and processed in adherence to Fair Trade principles.

These additional issues are complex, and are not always readily apparent or determinable in product packaging or advertising. Additionally, product quality will continue to be an important criterion for consumers and churches. Consumers have traditionally only been willing to tolerate a certain price differential in order to obtain more sustainable products, and the price tolerance is even lower if the quality of product is sub-standard.

What We Found The Task Force had discussions with various Northland staff members and was informed that there has been very little focus on purchasing green products and services. This is quite understandable as the implementation of creation care principles is a relatively new priority for Northland. Consequently, while there may be examples of sustainable purchasing, they appear to be more sporadic since Northland has not formalized or centralized any sustainable purchasing guidelines.

Recommendations Having reviewed the green purchasing guidelines of a number of organizations (e.g. the City of Portland, Oregon, Rutgers University, the states of New Jersey, California, New Hampshire & Minnesota, etc) there is some risk in becoming totally obsessive about the topic. There is a tremendous amount of info available on the Internet pertaining to green purchasing. There is ample info on paper products, lighting, appliances, office furniture, cleaning fluids, etc. For example, the Congressional Record for 1/19/2000 has 13 pages devoted to the EPA’s recommendations for the federal government and contractors in the procurement of products containing recycled materials. Appendix D contains the paper and non-paper guidelines published by the EPA.

That being said, Northland’s first task on purchasing should be to develop an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program or policy. The EPP needs to take into consideration not only a product’s short and long term impact on the environment but also the short term cost, long term savings and practicality. Also, the guidelines should be brief enough to be easily understood or memorized, and consigned to the realm of “common sense.”

“GREEN” PURCHASING GUIDELINES


It appears that paper and paper products account for the bulk of Northland’s recyclable purchases. A general criterion in the reviewed guidelines is to aim for a post-consumer fiber content of 30% of more. Some products readily available at Office Depot are made of almost 100% post-consumer content (e.g., dark green standard hanging folders), while other products such as both yellow and white legal pads have none. However, there are smaller specialty companies that offer 30% or more recycled content for note pads, but they are not routinely carried by Office Depot.

Some comparative prices for 10 reams (5000 sheets) of Office Depot paper:

Superwhite $39

Bright $36

EnviroCopy $43 35% post-consumer recycled content

White $32 10% post consumer recycled content

Obviously, the EnviroCopy paper is the most ecologically responsible. Despite being the most expensive, the cost could be offset by a policy as simple as duplex printing. Is it worth the extra money? When the question is evaluated with the issues listed previously, it likely achieves an admirable balance between economic, environmental and social concerns: According to some estimates,

it requires 35% fewer trees to produce,

it is 15% more energy efficient,

it results in 13% fewer greenhouse gas emissions;

it produces 32% less hazardous air pollutants; and

it releases 17% less solid waste and water pollution.

The EnviroCopy, as well as the other grades, all appear to be chlorine free (chlorine is used to bleach some paper). It makes its way into the environment and creates dioxins which are believed to cause cancer and birth defects.

Both Office Depot and Staples have Environmental Stewardship programs with similar guidelines. Office Depot notes that they mandate the use of EnviroCopy 35% post-consumer recycled (PRC) paper in all black and white printing applications. This initiative has achieved an average 29.6% PRC in the paper used at corporate headquarters and 29.3% in their “Design.Print.Ship” centers across North America.

All paper products in Office Depot list PRC content. Examples include Document Wallets (10%), Expandable Document Packets (30%), Hanging Folders (95%), Manila Envelopes (10%), etc. Some have none, such as legal pads and 3x5 index cards. Consumers should note the small triangular logo of three recursive arrows that denotes a recycled content product.

There are some paper products with 100% post-consumer content. The guidelines for the state of New Jersey list smaller vendors handling paper products with high PRC content.24 According to some estimates, a ton of 100% recycled paper saves 7,000

24 http://www.nj.gov/dep/dshw/recycling/buy_recy/paper.htm

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gallons of water, 60 lbs. of air emissions, three cubic yards of landfill space and a tremendous amount of energy (4,100kW).

Some other guidelines about the use of paper:

Use less paper, reuse where appropriate and recycle.

All new copiers purchased should be capable of automatically printing on both sides of a sheet. Documents printed on only one side represents a tremendous waste of paper and higher than necessary purchasing costs.

Strenuously reduce the use of brightly colored paper – it uses chemicals harmful to the environment. Pastel colored paper is not only less expensive, but there are fewer chemicals used in its processing. Additionally, it is not recyclable in some recycling programs. This can be verified through the City of Longwood’s recycling coordinator.

Cut up wasted paper in quarters and reuse them as notepads

Documents printed on both sides means reduced postage. A single sided 10 page letter costs nearly 60 cents to mail; that same letter copied on to both sides of the paper uses only five sheets and 39 cents in postage.

Green Purchasing Guidelines for Products other than Paper The Commission for Environmental Cooperation, a joint effort by the United States, Canada and Mexico, has developed the North American Green Purchasing Initiative (NAGPI). The purpose of this initiative is to improve, promote, and facilitate the purchasing of green products, as well as create markets for environmentally friendly products. Their website, www.nagpi.net, contains excellent resources for purchasing managers, including ECO-S.A.T, a self assessment tool “designed to help professional purchasers evaluate their organization's environmental purchasing initiatives and identify opportunities for improvement.”25 Northland should delegate responsibility to a staff member who has access to the requested data and consider using the output from this tool as starting point for evaluating further purchasing decisions.

In addition to the information from NAGPI, there are other generally accepted purchasing guidelines that Northland can readily adopt.

Decisions to purchase appliances such as refrigerators, fax machines, laser printers and monitors should include an evaluation of the ENERGY STAR’s list of currently approved products. (The lists are updated each year as the ENERGY STAR criterion is revised and upgraded, so some products may contain the seal but do not meet the current standards). These products have built in energy saving features. As an example, fax machines, printers and laser printers may stay on constantly but when there have been no print commands received for a preset period of time, they automatically switch to a low-power standby mode. In standby mode they use less power, plus they generate less heat and thereby save on air conditioning costs.

25 The self assessment tool can be found at http://www.cec.org/eco-sat/english/index.html.



Northland should purchase only printers that have refillable cartridges. Most HP printers are refillable, whereas most Brother and Epson printers are not. Only printers that have the print head on the cartridge can be refilled. But not only should Northland purchase printers that have refillable cartridges – they also need to actually refill them instead of discarding them. Refilling cartridges, of course, decreases waste generation and purchasing expense. Office Depot, Staples and others give a discount off the price of a new cartridge when returning a used cartridge. Walgreens and small independent companies will also refill cartridges.

Regarding copiers, Northland should only purchase copiers and printers that can be preset to print on both sides of a sheet of paper.

Lastly, Northland should specify environmentally friendly and non-toxic cleaning products. They will likely cost a bit more but in the long run will result in fewer adverse health effects and less toxins in the waste stream.

Utilize ShopIPL.org Interfaith Power and Light and Energy Federation Incorporated have partnered to provide IPL congregations and non-affiliated individuals an opportunity to purchase energy efficient-related products in bulk26. The site allows users to purchase controls and switches, bulbs, thermostats, and HVAC supplies, among other items. While selection is limited, it is growing, and proceeds will help benefit the IPL organization. Additionally, IPL churches and congregants receive an additional 10% discount on all prices.

Centralized Purchasing One of the observations by some Northland staff is that there is no centralized purchasing function for common supplies. Staff members frequently order or purchase products from their favorite vendor, or by their favorite manufacturer, but the purchasing is not completed according to a specified criteria (other than possibly price) or through the same vendors. While this can have the outer appearance of increasing efficiency, it can actually result in duplicative efforts by staff members, and missed quantity discounts. Additionally, it is more challenging to purchase products that meet certain criteria, such as the criteria listed at the beginning of this section.

Consequently, it would be advantageous to consider developing a preferred product list in the EPP from which staff can routinely order products. There are a number of methods to implement this, each with their own pros and cons.

One option is to require products on Buy Green sites like Office Depot to at least be evaluated in the purchasing decision by the individual staff. This at least requires staff to become aware of alternative and more sustainable products, and still leaves the ultimate decision in the hands of the individual staff purchaser for perceived efficiency. The disadvantage to this is the potential for missed bulk discounts, or savings on shipping-related costs.

26 http://www.ShopIPL.org

Section 6


A preferred product list can be developed from which a vendor has a standing order. This ensures that products in high demand are in stock and minimizes the need for staff to make emergency, off-list purchases. The downside to this is that some products may not fit everybody’s needs, and consequently the list can become quite large, often resulting in the purchasing of more products and stock over time than are truly needed.

Purchasing requests and needs can be forwarded to a centralized purchasing agent (a staff member) who will regularly assimilate purchasing requests in order to obtain any bulk discounts, and evaluate the purchasing options in light of the EPP and sustainable product lists and principles. This person can also become Northland’s expert on the availability of sustainable products and alternatives that the person or department in need may not have considered. Exceptions will clearly have to be permitted when emergency purchases are necessary, or when the availability of alternative products does not exist.

Beyond Northland Purchasing Cooperative When it comes to purchasing green products, buyers are commonly left with two options. They can either purchase the non-green but cheaper product, or they can purchase a green but more expensive product. Given the budget constraints that most churches face, the first option has traditionally been the chosen option in an effort to be good stewards with the church’s finances. However, Northland has a few opportunities to help expand not only its options, but the options of other churches as well.

Purchasing Cooperatives provide buyers of similar products or with similar interests the ability to harness and leverage their purchasing power. This allows the buyers to not only obtain the desired goods at reduced prices, but also help shape the market and send signals to suppliers of both green and non-green products. One example is the ShopIPL cooperative discussed previously.

Northland has the option to join existing green purchasing cooperatives, such as the Recycled Products Cooperative27 which specializes in recycled paper and office supplies. Organizations like these would help Northland find suppliers of green products at prices that it most likely wouldn’t find on its own.

Another option is for Northland to work with other progressive churches across the country to develop a green purchasing cooperative that focuses on the needs of churches. Besides the common paper needs, one example for this co-op would be to find communion cup manufacturers who begin to use recycled plastic – or better yet, take back the used cups for recycling into new cups. How many plastic cups are used each weekend across the country for a few minutes, and then go directly into the landfill?

27 www.recycledproducts.org



The nice part of the purchasing cooperative concept is that the tools already exist to make this a mostly e-business model. Since orders can be placed via the Internet directly to the suppliers, orders could be drop-shipped directly from manufacturers and no church(s) would need to store or redistribute supplies. Additionally, automatic reminders can be emailed to church purchasers reminding them to place their next bulk order by a certain date if necessary.


Section 7 OPERATIONS

Why is it Important? All of the areas previously discussed in this report fall either directly or indirectly under the umbrella of Church Operations. That is where policies and procedures are established that dictate energy usage, solid waste generation and recycling, water usage, landscaping, and purchasing. Consequently, in order to implement effective changes that result in the Church being a good steward of His creation, it is important to implement many of these changes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. That responsibility will likely fall under the direction of Church Operations.

For example, it doesn’t make sense to sign a contract with Orlando Waste Paper for placement and collection of a commingled recycling container unless staff members have desk-side recycling bins, know what to place in the bins, and janitorial staff or youth group members know how, when and where to collect the materials. Likewise, it doesn’t make sense to implement a policy requiring double-sided printing when the majority of the printers and copiers do not have the capability to print double-sided. So implementing a robust efficiency program will require a coordinated effort that incorporates purchasing decisions, policy changes, education materials and training programs.

What We Found The majority of what the Task Force found has been reviewed in the prior sections, and will consequently not be repeated here. However, there a few additional issues and ideas that do not neatly fall into the other sections, and will consequently be discussed in this section.

Recommendations Attend Worship Facilities Conference & Expo Now in its third year, the Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX)28 brings together ~5,000 church leaders and staff involved in the design and management of worship facilities. The conference covers a variety of topics including construction planning, capital planning, audio/video/lighting design, grounds and landscaping, security, and best practices. Of particular interest are the opportunities to learn about improving building efficiency and green building concepts. Case studies from

28 http://www.wfxweb.com

Section 7


churches around the world are presented as an opportunity to share lessons learned and best practices. The conference has sessions useful to churches of all sizes.

Northland should consider sending a diverse team to the conference and explore opportunities to improve our own facility and operations, as well as share our experiences with others. This is a wonderful opportunity for a few Northland staff members to stay current on efficiency technologies specific to a worship facility environment. The next WFX is October 24-26, 2007, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Incorporate LEED and/or Florida Green Building Coalition Standards Northland has numerous construction and remodeling projects in its long-term plan. Many of those projects will provide tremendous opportunities to incorporate green concepts. There are two main organizations in Florida that provide guidance in this area. First, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC)29 has developed a nationally recognized standard called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The standard covers sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Property owners can certify their construction/remodeling projects with the USGBC and attain various LEED certification levels – Basic, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The USGBC has separate certifications for new construction projects and existing buildings.

The Florida Green Building Coalition30 is a newer organization and it has a similar program geared towards the specifics of the building industry and environment in Florida. Their Green Building Standard is currently based primarily on the LEED rating system, with some issues that address regional issues. This appears to be a less robust or cumbersome process, and not as well recognized as LEED, but it could still be a valuable resource for ideas and suggestions in future building projects.

It is not necessary to become officially certified and registered to incorporate LEED principals. Entities can implement the necessary technologies and products regardless of whether they choose to be certified. Implementing these concepts can still lead to reductions in long-term operating costs, improvements in indoor environmental quality, and increases in staff satisfaction, health and productivity.

Many companies pursue the official certification ratings as part of their competitive strategy, and many municipal buildings are being certified as a result of City/County/State legislation. However, neither of those reasons really apply to the Church. The main consideration for the Church in becoming officially certified is if it helps the Church set a visible and recognizable example to others regarding its efforts to be a good steward.

There are opportunities for staff members to take various courses on these standards, and there are numerous consulting firms that can work with Northland’s engineers, designers and architects to help evaluate the possibilities of incorporating these

29 http://www.usgbc.org 30 http://www.floridagreenbuilding.org

OPERATIONS


concepts into future building plans. Northland should begin exploring these standards and concepts, and incorporating them into building projects whenever prudently possible.

Bookstore Support One important aspect of implementing a comprehensive plan is to make sure that the staff and/or congregants are equipped with both knowledge and tools necessary to make the desired changes. Northland’s bookstore has done a tremendous job offering and promoting books on Creation Care.

There are a few practical things that could also be considered. First, the bookstore could sell reusable canvas tote bags, possibly even made from organic and/or natural fibers. The bag could be customized by printing the Northland logo, a Creation Care verse, and the Creation, I Care website. These bags would also be used outside of Northland and be a visible witness to others, and a good conversation starter. Eliminating plastic bags gets folks used to the idea of perhaps using them at the grocery store instead of plastic. Two possible vendors for these bags are EnviroTote31 and Green Bag Company32.

Also, if Northland is going to encourage its staff (and congregants) to use refillable containers for daily water/beverage use, instead of using new single-serve bottles every time, the bookstore or Nature’s Table might be able to stock and sell custom durable water bottles imprinted with same logo, verse and website mentioned for the canvas bag. Additionally, in an effort to encourage less generation of Styrofoam from Nature’s Table, the operator of Nature’s Table might offer a profitable and incentivizing “refill rate” for these bottles. Or, Nature’s Table might offer a refill rate for any refillable container similar to Starbuck’s operation. Sample vendors for these bottles are ImprintItems.com33 and Absorbent, Ink.34

Church Garden Consider planting a large garden back of the children’s wing as a hands-on learning tool about environmental stewardship. It could put to use all the pizza, fried chicken and other organic matter that could be composted. The Task Force was struck by how much food waste existed when they sorted the garbage. As Matthew Sleeth points out in his book Serve God, Save the Planet Jesus frequently used metaphors about growing things. Many of our kids today are very far removed from growing anything other than St. Augustine grass or ornamental plants. Please, no sheep, however.

31 http://www.enviro-tote.com/ 32 http://www.greenbag.info/ 33 http://www.imprintitems.com/drinkware/watersportsbottle?page=2 34 http://www.absorbentprinting.com/drinkware/sport-bottles/nalgene-and-polycarbonate-bottles

Master Report August 2007 8-1

Section 8 CONCLUSION

So now what? There are plenty of opportunities and steps that can be taken to be better stewards of His creation. But are they all prudent? Are they all prudent today? As mentioned in the Introduction, some of the steps Northland can take to be a better steward of our natural resources may be in conflict with financial stewardship principles, may not be possible given space or staffing limitations, or may conflict with other goals or plans. These are difficult issues to balance.

First of all, the leadership of the Church needs to pray about these opportunities and seek wisdom in how to balance these recommendations with the other goals, plans, ministries, resources and limitations of the church. We know the scriptures tell us that if anyone lacks wisdom, God will supply it. Take Him up on that offer regarding these issues.

If the church leadership believes God is leading them to be more responsible in this type of stewardship, there are a few initial steps that should be taken when implementing these changes.35

Short-term Action Plan In order to successfully implement a comprehensive and coordinated plan regarding these opportunities, a foundation needs to be poured that will support the programs and changes being evaluated. Following are suggestions that should likely be completed within the next three to six months.

Appoint a “Green Champion” Given the complexity and extensiveness of the majority of the issues reviewed in this report, combined with the size and breadth of Northland’s campus and ministries, Northland should consider appointing a staff person to be directly responsible for systemically championing, coordinating and implementing these changes. (While the Task Force is capable of initiating partnerships, education and outreach opportunities related to Creation Care, the volunteer group does not have the ability to initiate policy/operational changes, make purchasing decisions, enter into contractual obligations, etc.) To be successful, responsibility for this transition in operational practices will need to fall under the authority of Northland’s leadership, and be infused into all aspects of how Northland operates. This person would likely need to recruit a stakeholder from each operational area of the church to help generate buy-in and a shared vision within the church.

35 Some of these suggestions have been adapted from Green to Gold, Daniel Esty and Andrew Winston, 2006.

Section 8

8-2 Master Report August 2007

There is a challenge with this recommendation that should be carefully addressed. There is the potential for the initiatives to be associated solely with the specific individual or his/her department, rather than being absorbed into the mindset of the entire staff. When this happens, the initiatives will likely become marginalized and ineffective. Fortunately for Northland, the passion for these internal and external efforts at the Church has already been sparked by the Senior Pastor. In churches where that is not the case, it will potentially be a challenge for the initiatives to take root, become part of the general church mindset, and become a part of normal operations, if there is not support from the church leadership. Selecting the right stakeholders as part of an implementation team will help increase the likelihood of success.

Seek Input from Northland Staff Northland is filled with bright, creative and passionate people. They also have an intimate knowledge of how the church operates, potential challenges or obstacles for improving efficiency, and areas ripe for improvement. A query needs to be conducted of the staff asking for suggestions and ideas on reducing energy and water usage, solid waste generation, or other ideas to be a better steward of natural resources. There are countless examples of organizations that have made significant improvements in efficiency simply by listening to their staff. It is important to document these ideas and any implementation results so that they can be shared with other churches.

Set Clear, Measurable and Aggressive Goals For all of the areas discussed in this report, clear, measurable and aggressive goals should be established and communicated to the staff and congregants.

Clear: The goals should be unambiguous and communicated in such a way that each staff member and congregant knows what their role is in achieving that goal. Included in this component is a timeframe by which Northland wants to accomplish the goal.

Measurable: Baseline metrics should be established against which progress will be measured, and timelines established for achieving the goals. Northland already has data on energy consumption and demand, water usage and solid waste generation for example, and it will not be difficult to compare future metrics against historical data. Tracking progress with tools such as ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager will allow Northland to attribute progress to various changes in policies, equipment or operations.

Aggressive: The goals need to be audacious enough to cause some to wonder if they can be achieved. These might include reducing peak energy demand or water usage by X percent; reducing solid waste generation by X percent; diverting all food waste into a composting program; eliminating the use of Styrofoam, including at Nature’s Table; or reducing Northland’s carbon footprint by X percent.

OPERATIONS

Master Report August 2007 8-3

Exactly how the goal will be achieved should be somewhat of a mystery to the group. If it is easy to establish a plan to achieve the goal based on current knowledge, skill sets and budgets, then the goal is not aggressive enough. There should be some amount of ambiguity regarding exactly how Northland will accomplish these goals. This ambiguity forces people to seek out new knowledge, stretch their perspective on how things work, and think outside of their comfort zones.

Develop Pilot Projects Many of the ideas covered in this report may be difficult to implement throughout the entire church all at once. This might be due to financial commitments for full conversion, concerns with acceptance by staff or congregants, space limitations or staffing limitations. Therefore it may be wise to develop various pilot projects to test logistical, operational, educational or cost issues. Examples of pilot projects could include the use of various energy saving devices in certain parts of the church; the development of a “green restroom” using water efficient aerators, waterless urinals and air hand-dryers; recycling programs in one part of the church, etc.

Costs and benefits should be carefully documented to help in the evaluation process, and feedback from users or stakeholders should be sought whenever possible so that the project(s) can be fine tuned for future implementations.

Involve Partner Sites Northland has never really been defined by its physical building or campus. Consequently, it utilizes a Distributed Church model and concurrently worships in facilities throughout the Central Florida area. Therefore, in order to be obedient in regards to environmental stewardship, and also have credibility in this area, it is important for Northland to evaluate practices at its distributed sites. These evaluations should not only include Northland’s specific operations at these facilities, but should also include, whenever feasible, assisting the host facility to be better stewards in their general or normal operations. While the ideal implementation of this may differ at each facility, and also be difficult to determine, it still provides an opportunity for Northland to be a good steward and witness.

Long-term Action Plan Assuming a sufficient foundation has been developed for implementing programs and changes throughout Northland, the following ideas are presented for consideration for a long-term action plan.

Establish Data-tracking Systems In order to help quantify the costs and benefits of the changes undertaken by Northland, systems should be established that track costs associated with the changes, and improvements in the corresponding area (energy, water, solid waste, purchasing

Section 8

8-4 Master Report August 2007

costs, etc.) This data should be tracked over time and shared with other churches in an effort to develop baseline and benchmark metrics.

ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager is an excellent example of this concept. Not only does proper use of this tool benefit Northland by helping Northland characterize the benefits of its efforts, but the data can also be a benefit to other churches that are beginning to consider their options in this arena.

Continue Stakeholder Engagement and Education Even after changes have been made, it will be important to provide ongoing education reminders and opportunities. These will help to increase participation rates and effectiveness, as well as help staff and congregants continually incorporate these concepts into their daily practices and decisions.


Section 9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A special and hearty thank you goes out to the staff at Northland who provided information and data to the Task Force, gave tours and access to consulting professionals, provided access to the building at inconvenient times for Task Force meetings, and helped facilitate this endeavor. We realize it is a hectic time at the Church and we greatly appreciate your assistance. Specific individuals who were extremely helpful include Gary Moss, Bud Abt, Rick Bradshaw, Steve Eklin, Bob Jordan, Rob Andrescik, Nathan Clark and Ruth Sapp. Thank you also to Dr. Hunter for his leadership in this arena, and for his patience in completing this task.

This endeavor and corresponding report was conducted, compiled and written by numerous contributors. God did an amazing job providing people with the necessary expertise to complete this endeavor. They contributed their time and expertise out of a love for Him and a passion for this topic, and would gladly do it without the recognition. However, their efforts deserve to be recognized.

James Adamski, Professional Geologist

Carl Austin, Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Daniel Hardaway, Campus Crusade for Christ

Denise Kirsop, Realty Executives Orlando

Willson S. McBurney, Registered Landscape Architect, PBS&J

Raymond D. Randall, R. W. Beck, Inc.

A hearty thanks to the brave team who donned Tyvek suits and conducted the waste composition study: Jim Adamski, Carl Austin, Peter Boivin, Tim Buwalda, Steve Eklin, Andy Ingram, Greg Kerr, Denise Kirsop, Blair McGarvey, and Raymond Randall.

Thank you to Ronald Shelton, Kara Purdy, Jean Belyeu and Chuck Krivickas from Progress Energy for their assistance with the Energy Audit report.

Thank you to Jerry Lawson with ENERGY STAR’s Congregations program for his review and encouragement.

Thank you to John Culbertson with MSW Consultants for his creative input and time regarding solid waste issues.

Thank you to Vince Briones with TLC Engineering for Architecture for his efforts regarding LEED construction opportunities, and for bringing Northland staff up to speed regarding LEED concepts and strategies.

Special thanks to R. W. Beck for providing expert input, assistance with graphics, editing and document preparation, and supplies for the waste composition study.

Appendix A ENERGY

Northland, A Church Distributed 530 Dog Track Road

Longwood, Florida 32750-6546

Report on Walk-thru & follow-up Energy Audit of the older facility called “Fellowship Hall” (to be remodeled)

July 12, 2007

Progress Energy Florida, Inc.

Northland, A Church Distributed

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ACCOUNT INFORMATION Account Name: Northland, A Church Distributed Location: 530 Dog Track Road / Fellowship Hall Building Contact: Gary Moss, Facility Manager Phone: 407 949-4000

Contact: Raymond Randall, Project Consultant / Creation Care Task Force Phone: 407 617-0369

Billing Address: 530 Dog Track Road Longwood, FL. 32750-6546 Progress Energy Account Executive: Kara Purdy Buildings Account Number: 34756-24397 (Primary Account for Fellowship Building) Facility Square Feet: 3 total buildings on property with several account numbers. The focus of this report is on the Fellowship Hall located on the East side of the property. Recent Activity: Church & School Facility. FACILITY DESCRIPTION The Fellowship Hall facility, located on the East side of the property, most of which was originally constructed in 1960. The property consists of the original 30,352 sqft building and then an additional 576 Sq feet added in 1971 and another 10,950 added in 1994. The total for this property is 41,878 square feet according to the base foundation (property appraisers). Since then there were additional renovations completed which added second floor offices and making the total conditioned area around 60,000 sq ft.

Fellowship Hall New Sanctuary Facility Property Overview


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The facility has three major buildings on the property. 1. The West side has the Grade School Ministry building which has it own media center using several projectors, screens including many fascinating murals and stage like designs. This particular area has been recently redesigned to include new stage and media capabilities.

2. The newest and largest building is in final construction with an opening planned for 8/8/07.

3. The oldest of the three buildings (Fellowship Hall) is the focus for this audit.

The Fellowship Hall is going to be part of the new Creation Care Task Force program that will be remodeled and upgraded with energy saving products as much as possible. Current plans will start after the move out of this building after August. The current facility has roughly 49 tons of separate small electric straight cool split system electric HVAC units controlling the office and class areas and another 50 tons of similar cooling type to the sanctuary. Most are older units operating around 9-10 SEER but a few have been upgraded to 13 SEER


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The lighting majority has incandescent or standard magnetic ballast florescent lighting fixtures with some areas using recessed compact florescent in hall ways.

This facility operates almost every day with classes during the evening hours from 5pm to 9:30 pm on average. They normally have services on Saturday Evening and all day Sunday. The class rooms all have independent HVAC thermostat controls and they try to turn them all down at night as much as possible. Normally, no one occupies the space after 9:30 pm at night. The kitchen area is to be expanded to occupy a larger space under the new renovation plan.

The roofing structure is all a medium grey asphalt shingle type roof with limited insulation. The current plan is to remodel using higher efficiency products (and replace the roof). The plan will include products that can save on energy and make use of the rebate programs available. The roof currently has many different angles and slope types. . ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING ENERGY CONSUMPTION Looking at the most recent 12 months of electric billing histories, this single facility spent $87,000 on electric utilities just for this facility. The electric utility expenditures resulted in an energy cost index (ECI) of $1.45 /sqft. assuming 60,000 sqft of building space. The Seminole County Property Appraiser’s office shows approximately 42,000 square foot of space for this building and if this is the case, the ECI would be over $2.00 / Sq ft. *Charts and graphs of the electric billing history for the last 12 months for this building meter and the annual summary are included with this report. (See attachment “A” for all data) ENERGY EFFICIENCY RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Review remodeling plans with Progress Energy. Many contractors and builders are using standard efficiency or low cost products for lighting, HVAC, thermostats and control switches. This is mainly to reduce building costs once a bid has been accepted. Small changes in products used (especially for new construction or remodel projects) can dramatically reduce the cost of the amount of energy required. Many of these changes can have enough of an impact to reduce your bill and offset the energy costs with a cost recovery pay-back within a year or two. We suggest letting Progress Energy meet with your architect or facility engineer when prints are completed for the remodel. Some ideas to think about are listed below. 2. Consider COOL ROOF Products or ceiling insulation. Cool roof materials reflect or reject the sun's radiant energy before it penetrates the interior of the building. We recommend this measure provided you use an Energy Star rated product which is


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available for steep slope roofs and asphalt shingles. There are numerous products such as elastomerics that can be installed over asphalt type roofs and shingles. Examples of manufacturers for these products are GAF, Neogard and Karnak. While all of these products do save energy because of their high reflectivity, some may not qualify for the Progress Energy Cool Roof Rebate. You may check with us before installation for questions on any credits that will apply. Also check with the manufacturer as far as how this will look against the white building exterior. Another good resource for this product information is;

http://www.epa.gov/heatisld/strategies/coolroofs.html (See attachment “B” for Cool Roof Data Sheet) 3. Consider a change to High Efficiency HVAC Heat Pump Systems.

SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is a rating provided to HVAC units which are typically used in residential applications no more than 5.5 tons in size. The higher the SEER, the more energy efficient the unit is. The existing split-system A/C units you have now are mostly 10 SEER or less. When the existing A/C units require replacement, they should be replaced with these high efficiency systems. Progress energy rebate programs apply to all heat pump systems 14 SEER and higher that are installed. You do have a newer Trane unit which has a 13 SEER condenser base rating but it is unknown if the air handler matches it for to obtain the base 13.0 SEER rating. Higher SEER systems can save 40% on cooling and heating costs depending on the size and efficiency of the unit. Changing the straight cool (Resistant heat) type units you have now and switching to heat pumps will save in the heating bill (cooler weather) the most. Changing to heat pumps offer a $ 250 rebate for each 14 SEER (5 ton or less) heat pump system you install and $350 for 15 SEER or higher. This can help offset the cost with the biggest payback in energy savings year after year.

EER (energy efficiency ratio) is a measure of how efficiently a cooling system will operate when the outdoor temperature is at a specific level (usually 95° F). A higher EER means the system is more efficient. The term EER is most commonly used when referring to window and unitary air conditioners or heat pumps over 5.5 tons.

You currently have 10 straight cool AC units (5 tons or less) and one 10 ton unit on the office areas. There are two 20 ton and one more 10 ton unit supplying the large hall and stage area in the sanctuary. Most of these units are older and are very inefficient. To reduce the energy usage, replace the 10 ton units with an 11.2 EER (or higher) and the 20 ton units with a 10.6 EER or higher which would also be eligible for Progress Energy rebates. (See attachment “C” for small and large ac system rebate information)


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4. Consider Programmable or night set back thermostats. Standard thermostats maintain the temperature of your building within a single fixed range. It's a temperature-sensitive switch that controls a space conditioning unit or system, such as a furnace, air conditioner, or both. When the indoor temperature drops below or rises above the thermostat setting, the switch moves to the "on" position, and your furnace or air conditioner runs to warm or cool the building air to the setting you selected for comfort. A thermostat, in its simplest form, must be manually adjusted to change the indoor air temperature.

Programmable Thermostats can change the space temperature setting to accommodate your building's use. By setting back the temperature with a programmable thermostat during unoccupied periods in the winter, one can save on heating bills. Likewise, during the summer, one can set-up the temperature during unoccupied periods to save on cooling bills. Many units are available with lock-out features. This will enable you to set the program and not allow just anyone to easily change the temperature. Types of Automatic and Programmable Thermostats There are five basic types of automatic and programmable thermostats, most ranging in price from $30 to $100, except for occupancy and light sensing thermostats, which cost around $200.

Occupancy thermostats maintain the setback temperature until someone presses a button to call for heating or cooling. The ensuing preset "comfort period" lasts from 30 minutes to 12 hours, depending on how the thermostat is set. Then, the temperature returns to the set-back level. These units offer the ultimate in simplicity, but lack flexibility. Occupancy thermostats are best suited for spaces that remain unoccupied for long periods of time.

Light sensing heat thermostats rely on the lighting level preset by the owner to activate heating systems. When lighting is reduced, a photocell inside the thermostat senses unoccupied conditions and allows space temperatures to fall to the unoccupied temperature setting. When lighting levels increase to normal, temperatures automatically adjust to comfort conditions. Light sensing thermostats are designed primarily for stores and offices where occupancy determines lighting requirements and, therefore, heating requirements.

Energy Management System (EMS) should be considered for larger buildings with many individually controlled areas and more sophisticated systems. There control strategies incorporate more than just set-up and set-back temperature control. Depending on their complexity, an EMS can optimize when equipment should start, stop, and provide humidity control among many available strategies

Determining Your Benefits with energy savings will vary from one application to the next. Savings depend on your present equipment and the way it's used. Your savings also depend on how well the new equipment is selected, configured, operated and maintained.

Typical savings are about one-percent per degree set-back for each eight hour period. So a five degree set-back from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM would reduce your fuel costs five-percent.


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5. Consider more Energy Efficient Lighting & Lighting Controls

Energy Efficiency with Lighting Saving lighting energy requires either reducing electricity consumed by the light bulbs and light fixtures or reducing the length of time that the lights are on. Most lighting can be upgraded to a more efficient type without sacrificing brightness or color.

This can be accomplished by:

• Reducing the amount of time that lights are on. • Lowering wattage, which involves replacing bulbs or entire fixtures with bulbs and

fixtures that provide the same amount or greater amounts of light with but with reduced electricity usage. Today, this can be accomplished most easily by replacing inefficient incandescent bulbs with incandescent/halogen bulbs or compact fluorescent bulbs.

Energy-Efficiency with Lighting Controls Lighting controls are devices for turning lights on and off or for dimming them. The most useful controls for increasing lighting energy-efficiency in an office or business are occupancy sensors.

• Photocells turn lights on and off in response to natural light levels. Photocells switch outdoor lights on at dusk and off at dawn, for example.

• Occupancy sensors activate lights when a person is in the area and then turn off the lights after the person has left. They are popular for areas such as school and recreation rooms.

Benefits The lights currently being used were estimated with upgrades along with adding some occupancy sensors. As well as having rebate possibilities, changes in lighting and adding sensors were estimated to have over a $ 4,000.00 per year savings in energy. For more details, contact us when you are specifying the remodel project. (See attachment “D” for lighting & sensor savings)

6. Consider demand control ventilation for common areas Ventilation systems like what may be used in the Fellowship Hall are normally not controlled and allow a substantial amount of outside air into the AC system because of code regulations. This situation wastes a high amount of energy to cool the otherwise higher temperature outside air. Ventilation systems can be used in conjunction with carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors. With this design, only the minimum required air is supplied to the space, minimizing energy use. As room occupancy increases and CO2, levels become too high, an alarm is triggered and the system automatically adjusts air damper positions to increase outside air levels, Life Energy Associates, is a proponent of CO2, sensors, particularly because of their diagnostic abilities. For example, monitoring CO2 levels is one way to identify localized ventilation deficiencies. If minimum ventilation levels are set too low, the space may lack adequate ventilation. CO2 sensors, when used to control outdoor air quantity, can match the ventilation provided and the energy used to the number of people in a space. This reduces the amount of energy needed directly from the fan motors and indirectly from the HVAC system cooling capacity.


Page 8

CO2 Sensors CO2 is a very stable trace gas. When exhaled by the occupants, CO2 can then be used to control ventilation systems. Many codes/standards require either a minimum ventilation rate of 15 - 20 cfm per person, intake and exhaust, continuous ventilation during occupied times, or a maximum CO2 of 1000 parts per million (ppm) (ASHRAE) as the set point.

CO2 sensors can open the ventilation device and turn on the blower motor independent of the heating and cooling function in most HVAC units with the addition of some optional relays. The objective of using CO2 sensors is to limit ventilation (energy use) to the times when the room requires it. If only one occupant is in the room, chances are no ventilation will be required. Add 20-30 more occupants, and the CO2 level will raise quickly beyond the 1000 ppm set point. Pre-ventilation does not occur with this method. Post occupancy ventilation will occur above the CO2 sensor set point. (See attachment “D”)

7. Rebate Discussion This completed audit will now make you eligible for all rebates that apply to your remodel project. We recommend contacting our office when you are specifying the equipment and building materials for your remodel project. For a complete list of energy saving ideas and rebate programs available, go to the Progress Energy web site at; http://www.progress-energy.com/custservice/flacig/efficiency/index.asp

Thank you again for your time and interest in saving energy.

8. Links

Agency Product / Information Links

Franklin Energy

Services

Programmable Thermostats

http://www.energymatch.com/factsthermostats.html

US Dept of

Energy

Thermostats

Heat Pumps

http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12720 http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12610

GAF Cool Roofs http://www.gaf.com/General/GafMain.asp?Silo=COMM&WS=GAF

NEOGAR Cool Roofs http://www.neogard.com/NEWLeed.htm US EPA Cool Roofs http://www.epa.gov/heatisld/strategies/coolroofs.html

California Building

Association

Cool Roofs

http://www.cabec.org/vendorgaf.php


Page 9

Progress Energy

Commercial rebate programs

http://www.progress-energy.com/custservice/flacig/efficiency/index.asp

Federal Energy

Management Program

Lighting

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/new_technology/techdemo_comp5.html

9. References;

ENERGY STAR Website from U.S. Department of Energy This site is an excellent resource for information about energy efficient equipment. It also identifies new products that carry the ENERGY STAR label. http://www.energystar.gov/ U.S. DOE EERE Building Technologies Program This site offers tools, information, and resources for builders, building owners, and managers. It categorizes information by business type--such as office, retail, hospitals, and schools. http://www.eere.energy.gov/ U.S. DOE Federal Energy Management Program: Technologies This site offers information by technology as well as provides information about operations and maintenance best practices. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/new_technology/techdemo_comp5.html Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) This non-profit organization promotes energy-efficient products and services for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. http://www.cee1.org/com/bldgs/bldgs-main.php3


Page 10

Attachment A Usage Data

Last 12 Months

Month Days Billed Total kWh

Normalized Total kWh

On Peak kWh

Off Peak kWh

Base KW

On Peak KW Total $

Jul-07 35 79,800 70,680 0 79,800 236 0 $7,879Jun-07 28 61,280 65,657 0 61,280 228 0 $6,229

May-07 29 63,080 67,430 0 63,080 237 0 $6,421

Apr-07 33 71,880 65,345 0 71,880 231 0 $7,167Mar-07 28 59,720 66,119 0 59,720 230 0 $6,101Feb-07 30 63,720 59,472 0 63,720 226 0 $6,435Jan-07 33 70,080 65,833 0 70,080 241 0 $7,048Dec-06 30 62,120 64,191 0 62,120 239 0 $6,416Nov-06 32 80,480 75,450 0 80,480 284 0 $8,213Oct-06 28 77,520 85,826 0 77,520 264 0 $7,875Sep-06 31 87,400 84,581 0 87,400 274 0 $8,788Aug-06 32 88,440 85,676 0 88,440 268 0 $8,857

Totals: 369

865,520

856,260

-

865,520

2,958 - $87,428

Previous 13 to 24 Months

Month Days Billed Total kWh

Normalized Total kWh

On Peak kWh

Off Peak kWh

Base KW

On Peak KW Total $

Jul-06 30 75,160 75,160 0 75,160 246 0 $7,598Jun-06 28 73,360 81,220 0 73,360 261 0 $7,495

May-06 33 87,560 74,293 0 87,560 254 0 $8,726

Apr-06 29 66,440 71,022 0 66,440 241 0 $6,807Mar-06 29 60,040 64,181 0 60,040 214 0 $6,138Feb-06 31 59,600 57,677 0 59,600 227 0 $6,148Jan-06 31 57,280 57,280 0 57,280 216 0 $5,901Dec-05 34 72,520 63,988 0 72,520 232 0 $6,142Nov-05 28 66,280 73,381 0 66,280 244 0 $5,736Oct-05 29 83,240 88,981 0 83,240 262 0 $7,032Sep-05 33 101,320 92,109 0 101,320 262 0 $8,295Aug-05 60 88,400 45,673 0 88,400 260 0 $7,357

Totals: 395

891,200

844,966

-

891,200

2,919 - $83,374


Page 11

Average Daily kWh Used Per Month

0500

1,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,500

Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul

kWh

Last 12 Months Past 13-24 Months

Average Daily Cost Per Month

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul

Cos

t

Last 12 Months Past 13-24 Months

Effective Date: April 19, 2007 Rev. 0

Better Business (Retrofit) & New Construction Programs DEMAND CONTROL VENTILATION (DCV)

INCENTIVE:

$50 per ton controlled with properly designed and installed DCV controls and programming

The incentive rebate will not exceed 50% of the total project or service cost. CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS

Completed a Progress Energy Florida (PEF) energy audit in the past two years [Better Business - Retrofit Program] or has contacted PEF for a consultation [New Construction Program].

Equipment and measures must be installed in facilities that are located in the PEF service territory and served by a metered PEF account.

Allow PEF to inspect the installation of all measures and equipment prior to issuing incentive payments.

HVAC equipment must be all electric.

Commercial multi-family: Commercially master metered accounts (“Domestic/Commercial”) of multi-family residential apartments, condominiums, or assisted living residential apartment units (with a minimum of 500 square feet of conditioned space) shall be eligible to participate in this program.

The DCV must include sensors that measure CO2 levels and adjusts the ventilation rate in spaces with varying occupancy through integrating sensor CO2 readings to control the outside air dampers. Commissioning the DCV system is recommended to ensure the ventilation system is working properly with the HVAC computer and CO2 sensors.

Installation of DCV system and sensors shall be in accordance with the manufacturers’ recommendations and specifications.

Sensors should be placed in locations so they are not affected by building occupants.

The customer shall provide: (1) completed and signed incentive form; (2) documentation of project costs (copy of invoice); (3) an engineering report that documents DCV system performance; and (4) what HVAC tonnage reduction is projected.

CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS

All contractors shall comply with the procedures specific to the program component. Failure to do so may result in termination of participation in any or all PEF programs.

The contractor is responsible for the work performed and supervision of their employees and equipment to meet the work specifications and completion date. The contractor must comply with all federal, state, and local codes and regulations, and shall follow manufacturers' specifications and procedures.

The contractor must have all appropriate license(s) and insurance. Proof of insurances must be made available to PEF and contractor must maintain state required insurance minimums.

The contractor must correct any deficiency found in the installation or product when advised by a PEF representative and notify PEF of compliance within thirty days.

The contractor shall notify PEF of any incident occurring during installation of a conservation measure or any follow-up procedure within five working days of incident.

The contractor shall indemnify and hold PEF harmless against any and all injuries, damages, claims or costs, whatsoever, caused by items furnished or services rendered. PEF reserves the right to perform background checks on contractors.

Must be a licensed Mechanical Contractor, Class A, B, or C Air Conditioning Contractor in the jurisdiction having authority.

AUDITOR’S SERVICES PROVIDED TO CUSTOMER Will have performed a PEF Energy Audit in the past two years [Better Business - Retrofit Program] or have had a consultation

with customer [New Construction Program].

Will have collected all product information from the customer and attach to rebate form.

Will have collected proof of work completed (copy of invoice).

Will indicate on incentive form customer’s Tax ID #, type of incentive (credit or check) and where incentive should be sent.

Will have inspected the completion of work and/or collected the appropriate paperwork including any load calculations performed.

Will ensure rebate form is filled out completely and accurately, and signed by customer.

DEMAND CONTROLVENTILATION

BUSINESS New Construction

With Demand Control Ventilation, you’ll earn a $50/ton incentive and

savings range from 5 percent to 20 percent of your ventilation costs.

Incentive requirements:

1. HVAC equipment must be electric.

2. Progress Energy Florida, Inc. (PEF) auditors must recommend your business for DCV during a PEF energy audit or a consultation for new construction.

3. Customer must provide an engineering report documenting DCV system and projected HVAC tonnage reduction.

4. DCV installation must include CO2 measuring sensors that adjust ventilation rate based on varying occupancy by integrating CO2 sensor readings to control outside air dampers.

5. DCV installation must be in accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations, building codes, and ASHRAE air exchange standards.

Other requirements do apply.Visit savethewatts.com for more details.

Incentive and savings example:A 10,000 SF facility could earn a $1,900 rebate and save over $500 per year.HVAC is SEER 9 at 76˚ F with 38 tons of HVAC.

Your Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) system can determine how much ventilation a room requires by measuring C02 levels in the air. You’ll save energy and it can be installed on existing HVAC systems.

When you keep an empty room cool, no one benefits. With DCV, your entire facility

can be cooled based on the number of people using a particular room. The HVAC

system adjusts ventilation based on the presence of CO2 produced by occupants in

a space – when there is low occupancy there is less CO2 present, which allows the

ventilation to be reduced.

The following building types are likely to show the quickest payback if a DCV system

is installed:

• Auditoriums • Convention centers • Hotels

• Malls • Movie theaters • Schools

• Retail stores • Office buildings

Here’s what to expect when you install DCV: • Improved comfort, fewer complaints

• Reduced need to heat or cool excessive amounts of outside air

• Lower operating costs and energy usage

• Easy installation and maintenance

• Low investment

• Can be used on existing, fully operational electric HVAC

Beyond the fact that DCV makes a lot of sense, it’s actually a low-cost energy saver

and – while lowering operating costs – also improves the air quality in your building.

1.877.372.8477SAVETHEWATTS.COM

Retrofit

SAVE THE WATTS Programs at a glanceBUSINESS

1.877.372.8477SAVETHEWATTS.COM

Progress Energy Florida energy-efficiency programs

Progress Energy Florida (PEF) has a dedicated team of energy-efficiency experts ready to help businesses integrate energy-saving systems into both

existing and new construction. A comprehensive list of our energy-saving programs is below. Please contact your PEF auditor to see if you qualify for

these money- and energy-saving programs.

Building envelope improvements

• Cool roof

• Ceiling insulation upgrade

• Green roof

• Roof insulation upgrade

• Window film or screen

HVAC equipment improvement

• Air-cooled and water-cooled

electric chillers

• Heat pumps

• Packaged terminal heat pumps

• Unitary AC and heat pumps

• Thermal energy storage

HVAC-system-related improvements

• Demand control ventilation (DCV)

• Duct test

• Duct repair

• Energy recovery ventilation (ERV)

• PTAC steam cleaning

• Rooftop unit recommissioning

Indoor lighting improvements

• Efficient indoor lighting

• Occupancy sensors

Industrial energy improvements

• Efficient compressed air system

• Efficient motors

Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled stock. ©2007 Progress Energy Florida, Inc. DFL-015-07 961252 04/07

Appendix B SOLID WASTE


Waste Composition Study Results

Grp Mat. # Material Pounds Percent Pounds Percent Pounds Percent Pounds Percent

1 Newspaper 17.2 5.3% 1.1 0.8% 22.8 21.9% 3.1 6.1%

2 Magazines 74.4 22.9% - 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0%

3 High Grade Paper 18.2 5.6% 0.2 0.1% 3.8 3.6% 6.1 12.1%

4 Uncoated OCC and Kraft 58.6 18.1% 14.4 10.7% 3.5 3.4% 1.0 2.0%

5 Single Use Paper Plates, Cups 2.6 0.8% 0.1 0.1% 1.7 1.6% 1.2 2.4%

6 Mixed Recyclable Paper 30.2 9.3% 2.7 2.0% 1.0 1.0% 2.9 5.7%

7 Non-recyclable Paper 30.2 9.3% 89.3 66.3% 13.5 13.0% 9.6 19.0%

8 PET Bottles and Jars 9.1 2.8% 1.4 1.0% 7.4 7.1% 1.1 2.2%

9 HDPE Bottles and Jars - 0.0% 1.8 1.3% 0.1 0.1% 0.9 1.8%

10 #3-#7 Other Plastic Bottles 0.3 0.1% (0.1) -0.1% - 0.0% - 0.0%

11 Film 16.8 5.2% 2.7 2.0% 6.3 6.0% 2.9 5.7%

12 Plastic food service (, single use plastic plates, cups, cutlery, EPS, etc.) 6.2 1.9% 0.9 0.7% 3.6 3.5% 2.6 5.1%

13 Other: Plastic 6.9 2.1% 4.2 3.1% 0.6 0.6% 1.2 2.4%

14 Aluminum Cans 4.5 1.4% 0.4 0.3% 2.5 2.4% 1.1 2.2%

15 Tin Food Cans 0.9 0.3% - 0.0% 0.2 0.2% 0.1 0.2%

16 Ferrous Metals 0.7 0.2% - 0.0% - 0.0% 0.1 0.2%

17 Non-Ferrous Metals 0.3 0.1% 0.3 0.2% 0.2 0.2% 0.1 0.2%

18 Glass bottles and Jars 1.4 0.4% - 0.0% - 0.0% 0.6 1.2%

19 Other Glass 2.1 0.6% - 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0%

20 Dimensionable lumber - 0.0% - 0.0% 0.1 0.1% - 0.0%

21 Food 32.1 9.9% 12.2 9.1% 27.7 26.6% 13.2 26.1%

22 Diapers 0.3 0.1% 2.5 1.9% - 0.0% - 0.0%

23 Leather, Rubber, Textiles 4.0 1.2% 0.4 0.3% 0.7 0.7% 0.1 0.2%

24 Bottom Fines/Dirt 3.6 1.1% - 0.0% 0.8 0.8% 0.4 0.8%

25 Other Organics 0.9 0.3% - 0.0% 4.7 4.5% 1.5 3.0%

Inor

gani

cs

26 Other Inorganics - 0.0% - 0.0% 0.5 0.5% - 0.0%

27 Household Batteries 0.2 0.1% - 0.0% 2.5 2.4% 0.8 1.6%

28 Bulky Items - 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0%

29 Fluorescent Lights - 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0%

30 Paints - 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0%

31 Sharps - 0.0% 0.2 0.1% - 0.0% - 0.0%

32 Appliances 1.5 0.5% - 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0%

33 Toner Cartridges 1.2 0.4% - 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0%

34 Other Hazardous Materials - 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0%Total 324.3 134.7 104.2 50.6

Offices Sanctuary

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Pape

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Orga

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Restrooms, all facilities Children’s Worship Wing

1 of 4


Waste Composition Study Results

Grp Mat. # Material

1 Newspaper

2 Magazines

3 High Grade Paper

4 Uncoated OCC and Kraft

5 Single Use Paper Plates, Cups

6 Mixed Recyclable Paper

7 Non-recyclable Paper

8 PET Bottles and Jars

9 HDPE Bottles and Jars

10 #3-#7 Other Plastic Bottles

11 Film

12 Plastic food service (, single use plastic plates, cups, cutlery, EPS, etc.)

13 Other: Plastic

14 Aluminum Cans

15 Tin Food Cans

16 Ferrous Metals

17 Non-Ferrous Metals

18 Glass bottles and Jars

19 Other Glass

20 Dimensionable lumber

21 Food

22 Diapers

23 Leather, Rubber, Textiles

24 Bottom Fines/Dirt

25 Other Organics

Inor

gani

cs

26 Other Inorganics

27 Household Batteries

28 Bulky Items

29 Fluorescent Lights

30 Paints

31 Sharps

32 Appliances

33 Toner Cartridges

34 Other Hazardous MaterialsTotal

Prob

lem M

ater

ials

Pape

rPl

astic

Orga

nics

Meta

lGl

ass

Pounds Percent Pounds Percent Pounds Percent

0.5 0.3% 0.7 0.4% 45.4 4.8%

- 0.0% - 0.0% 74.4 7.9%

3.1 2.1% 6.9 3.9% 38.3 4.1%

10.5 7.0% 6.1 3.5% 94.0 10.0%

0.1 0.1% 2.9 1.6% 8.6 0.9%

3.4 2.3% 4.5 2.6% 44.8 4.8%

28.0 18.6% 42.3 24.1% 212.9 22.7%

3.0 2.0% 2.5 1.4% 24.5 2.6%

0.9 0.6% 0.1 0.1% 3.8 0.4%

0.1 0.1% 0.1 0.1% 0.5 0.1%

12.6 8.4% 15.3 8.7% 56.6 6.0%

12.0 8.0% 27.7 15.8% 52.9 5.6%

3.8 2.5% 3.3 1.9% 20.0 2.1%

5.3 3.5% 2.9 1.6% 16.7 1.8%

0.4 0.3% 0.4 0.2% 2.0 0.2%

- 0.0% - 0.0% 0.8 0.1%

2.5 1.7% 3.9 2.2% 7.3 0.8%

1.9 1.3% 1.2 0.7% 5.1 0.5%

- 0.0% - 0.0% 2.1 0.2%

- 0.0% - 0.0% 0.1 0.0%

39.4 26.2% 43.2 24.7% 167.8 17.9%

16.2 10.8% 9.6 5.5% 28.7 3.1%

- 0.0% (0.1) -0.1% 5.0 0.5%

1.5 1.0% 1.2 0.7% 7.5 0.8%

4.9 3.3% 0.3 0.2% 12.2 1.3%

- 0.0% 0.3 0.2% 0.8 0.1%

0.2 0.1% - 0.0% 3.7 0.4%

- 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0%

- 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0%

- 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0%

- 0.0% - 0.0% 0.2 0.0%

- 0.0% - 0.0% 1.5 0.2%

- 0.0% - 0.0% 1.2 0.1%

- 0.0% - 0.0% - 0.0%150.3 175.2 939.3

Co-op, Tue thru Fri Total

Early Childhood Classrooms, Sat thru

Mon

2 of 4

Northland, A Church DistributedWASTE COMPOSITION STUDY

MATERIAL CATEGORIES

Source: Sample Number: __________Children’s Worship Wing (Pink)Sanctuary (Yellow) Time Started: _______________Offices (Blue)Early Childhood Classrooms, Sat thru Mon (Green) Time Complete: _______________Co-op, Tue thru Fri (Orange)Restrooms, all facilities (Black)

Grp Mat. # Material Description

1 Newspaper

2 Magazines

3 High Grade Paper

4 Uncoated OCC and Kraft

5 Single Use Paper Plates, Cups

6 Mixed Recyclable Paper


8 PET Bottles and Jars

9 HDPE Bottles and Jars

10 #3-#7 Other Plastic Bottles

11 Film

12 Plastic food service (, single use plastic plates, cups, cutlery, EPS, etc.)

13 Other: Plastic

14 Aluminum Cans

15 Tin Food Cans

16 Ferrous Metals

17 Non-Ferrous Metals

18 Glass bottles and Jars

19 Other Glass

20 Dimensionable lumber

21 Food

22 Diapers

23 Leather, Rubber, Textiles

24 Bottom Fines/Dirt

25 Other Organics

Inor

gani

cs

26 Other Inorganics

27 Household Batteries

28 Bulky Items

29 Fluorescent Lights

30 Paints

31 Sharps

32 Appliances

33 Toner Cartridges

34 Other Hazardous Materials

Prob

lem M

ater

ials

Pape

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Orga

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ass

3 of 4

Northland, A Church DistributedWASTE COMPOSITION STUDY

MATERIAL CATEGORIESGrp

Mat. # Material Description

1 Newspaper Printed ground wood newsprint (Advertising "slicks"-glossy paper - if found mixed with newspaper; otherwise, ad slicks are included with Magazines)

2 Magazines Magazines, catalogs, and promotional materials printed on glossy paper

3 High Grade PaperWhite and lightly colored bond, rag, or stationary grade paper. This includes white or lightly colored sulfite/sulfate bond, copy papers, notebook paper, envelopes, Continuous-feed sulfite/sulfate computer printouts and forms of all types.

4 Uncoated OCC and Kraft Old unwaxed/uncoated corrugated container boxes, 'Kraft paper other than paper bags5 Single Use Paper Plates, Cups Paper plates, platters, cups, and bowls.

6 Mixed Recyclable Paper Paper that would be included in residential "mixed mail" or commercial "office pack" recycling programs, not including the grades identified above.


Polycoated frozen food and ice cream containers/packaging and other polycoated papers (excluding cups, plates, bowls and platters; milk/juice cartons, and aseptic packaging); paper with other materials attached (e.g. orange juice cans, nut cans, Ajax/comet containers); 'Waxed papers and cardboards; other papers that were soiled with food during use (e.g., pizza box inserts); paper towels, wipes and napkins. Excludes paper plates, platters, cups, and bowls.

8 PET Bottles and Jars #1 Polyethylene terephthalate beverage containers.

9 HDPE Bottles and Jars High-density polyethylene (#2) milk, juice, beverage, oil, vinegar, distilled water bottles with necks and jars

10 #3-#7 Other Plastic Bottles Plastic bottles displaying a #3-#7

11 Film Film packaging contains multiple layers of film or other materials that have been fused together. Also includes shipping wrap and plastic bags.

12Plastic food service (, single use plastic plates, cups, cutlery, EPS, Etc.)

Plastic spoons, forks, knives, plates, cups, bowls, and platters of various resins,

13 Other: Plastic All plastic that does not fit into the categories specified above and items that are primarily plastic but include other materials such as paper or metal.

14 Aluminum Cans Aluminum beverage cans and bi-metal cans made mostly of aluminum. 15 Tin Food Cans Tinned steel food containers, including bi-metal cans mostly of steel.

16 Ferrous Metals Ferrous and alloyed ferrous scrap metals to which a magnet adheres and which are not significantly contaminated with other metals or materials.

17 Non-Ferrous Metals Non-aluminum metals not derived from iron, to which a magnet will not adhere.18 Glass bottles and Jars Manually sortable glass that is greater than 3" x 3"

19 Other Glass Window glass, mirrors, light bulbs (except fluorescent tubes), glassware, glass ash trays, etc.20 Dimensionable lumber Clean, unpainted wood that can be chipped or reused

21 Food Food wastes and scraps, including bone, rinds, etc. Excludes the weight of food containers, except when container weight is not appreciable compared to the food inside.

22 Diapers Diapers and sanitary napkins

23 Leather, Rubber, Textiles Leather products such as wallets, purses, belts and scrap leather; Rubber tubing, mats, hose, tires and some shoes; 'Clothing and apparel, shop rags, blankets, shoes

24 Bottom Fines/Dirt Fines smaller than 1/2 inch screen

25 Other Organics Wax, bar soap, cigarette butts, briquettes, vacuum cleaner bags and contents, and fireplace, burn barrel and fire pit ash, and other organic materials not classified elsewhere.

26 Other Inorganics Other inorganic materials not classified elsewhere.

27 Fines

28 Household Batteries All household batteries (rechargeable, non-rechargeable and button)29 Bulky Items Furniture and mattresses30 Fluorescent Lights Fluorescent light tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL).

31 PaintsWater or Solvent-based paints, varnishes, glues and similar products. Various solvents, including chlorinated and flammable solvents, paint strippers, solvents contaminated with other products such as paints, degreasers and some other cleaners if the primary ingredient.

32 Sharps Hypodermic needles and any "red bag" material

33 Appliances Electric appliances such as toasters, microwave ovens, power tools, curling irons, light fixtures, etc.

33 Toner Cartridges Used in industrial printers, scanners, facsimile business machines

34 Other Hazardous MaterialsOil Filters, lead-acid batteries, explosives, smoke detectors, asbestos, caustic acids and bases whose primary purpose is to clean surfaces, unclog drains, or perform other actions; photography chemicals, chemistry sets, household disinfectants, pool chemicals.

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Appendix C LANDSCAPING

Northland, A Church DistributedPlant Inventory and Analysis

Plant Draught Tolerant?

Florida Native

Invasive (Cat I/II) North South West East New Building

TreesLive Oak Y Y X X X X XLaurel Oak Y Y X X XCrape Myrtle N N X XRiver Birch N N XWeeping Yaupon Holly Y Y X XMagnolia Y Y XFicus N N XSabal Palm Y Y XBismarck Palm N N XQueen Palm Y N X XWashington Palm Y N X X XPindo Palm Y Y X

ShrubsShefflera N N X XLorapetalum N N XChinese Holly Y N X X XFormosa Azalea N N X XDwf. Yaupon holly Y Y XPodocarpus Y N X X XLigustrum N N X XSandankwa viburnum N N XPhilodendron N N X XGreen fountain grass N N X XFakahatchee grass Y Y XMuhly Grass Y Y X

GroundcoversVariegated Liriope N N X X XLantana Y N X XPlumbago Y N XAsian jasmine N N X X XCoontie Y Y XShore juniper Y N XDwf. Oyster plant Y N X

AccentsKnockout Rose N N XAfrican iris N N X X XEuropean fan palm N N X XCroton N N X X X

Turfgrass/MulchSt. Augustine N N X X XArgentine Bahia Y N X XPine Bark mulch X X X X X

This plant list is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but an indication of the types of plants, their locations and some of their characteristics.

Appendix D PURCHASING

Ten years ago, very little recy-cled-content printing and writ-ing paper existed. Now, it’s

readily available, along with recycled-content newsprint, paper towels, andcorrugated packaging—and at higherquality and more competitive pricesthan ever before. That’s in part due to

government initiatives since1988, when the U.S.Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) issued theProcurement Guideline forPaper and Paper ProductsContaining RecoveredMaterials. The 1988 paperguideline’s buy-recycledrequirements are now part ofEPA’s ComprehensiveProcurement Guidelines(CPG).

To make it easier to buyrecycled, the EPA updatesthe CPG every 2 years.Through the CPG, EPA des-ignates items that must con-tain recycled materials whenpurchased with appropriatedfederal funds by federal,state, and local agencies, orby government contractors.

Among these items, EPA has desig-nated 5 types of paper products madefrom recovered materials. EPA’sresearch shows that the items desig-

nated in the CPG are of high quality,widely available, and cost-competi-tive with virgin products. EPA alsoissues nonregulatory companionguidance—the Recovered MaterialsAdvisory Notice (RMAN)—that rec-ommends levels of recycled contentfor these items.

WWhhyy BBuuyy RReeccyycclleedd??Recycling is more than just droppingoff your cans, bottles, and newspapersat the curb or at a local collectionfacility. Diverting recyclables fromthe waste stream is only the first ofthree steps in the recycling process.The second step occurs when compa-nies use these recyclables to manu-facture new products. The third stepcomes when you purchase productsmade from recovered materials.That’s how we close the loop.

Buying recycled products results inmany environmental benefits. It sup-ports local recycling programs by cre-ating markets for the collectedmaterials that are processed and usedto manufacture new products. Thiscreates jobs and helps strengthen theeconomy; conserves naturalresources; saves energy; and reducessolid waste, air and water pollutants,and greenhouse gases that contributeto global warming.

BBuuyy--RReeccyycclleedd SSeerriieessPPAAPPEERR PPRR OODDUUCCTTSS

22000044

BBuuyyiinngg rreeccyycclleedd pprroodduuccttss......

...conserves natural resources

...saves energy

...reduces solid waste

...reduces air and water pollutants

...reduces greenhouse gases

...creates new jobs

CC PP GGCCOOMMPPRREEHHEENNSSIIVVEE

PPRROOCCUURREEMMEENNTTGGUUIIDDEELLIINNEESS

Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5305W)Washington, DC 20460EPA-530-F-04-015www.epa.gov/oswMay 2004

The Resource Conservation and RecoveryAct requires procuring agencies to buyrecycled-content products designated by

EPA in the CPG. Issued in May 1995, the firstCPG designated 19 new products and incorpo-rated five previously designated items (includ-ing paper and paper products) in eight productcategories. Paper RMAN I was published inMay 1996. Paper RMAN II,which supercededthe previous Paper RMAN, was published inJune 1998. The first CPG update (CPG II) waspublished in November 1997. The second CPGupdate (CPG III) was published in January2000, and the third CPG update (CPG IV) waspublished in April 2004. No new paper prod-ucts were designated in any of the updates.

Procuring agencies include all federal agencies,and any state or local government agencies orgovernment contractors that use appropriatedfederal funds to purchase the designated items.If your agency spends more than $10,000 peryear on a product designated in the CPG, youare required to purchase it with the highestrecycled-content level practicable. The CPGalso applies to lease contracts covering desig-nated items. Executive Order 13101 and theFederal Acquisition Regulation also call for anincrease in the federal government’s use of

recycled-content and environmentally prefer-able products.

Once any new items are designated in a pub-lished CPG update, an agency has 1 year todevelop an affirmative procurement program(or revise an existing one) to include these newitems. By June 22, 1989, agencies wererequired to develop affirmative procurementprograms to incorporate buy-recycled require-ments for paper and paper products. SinceCPG IV designates no new paper products,agencies are not required to revise this portionof their affirmative procurement program.

The CPG acknowledges that specific circum-stances might arise that preclude the purchaseof products made with recovered materials.Your agency may purchase designated itemsthat do not contain recovered materials if itdetermines that: 1) the price of a given desig-nated item made with recovered materials isunreasonably high, 2) there is inadequate com-petition (not enough sources of supply), 3)unusual and unreasonable delays would resultfrom obtaining the item, or 4) the recycled-content item does not meet the agency’s rea-sonable performance specifications.

P A P E R P R O D U C T SP A G E 2

WWhhaatt iiss CCPPGG??


KKeeyy TTeerrmmss

Before buying recycled-content paper products meeting EPA’s recommendations, you’ll need to under-stand some important terms.

Postconsumer fiber:• Is the paper recovered in our homes and offices.• Does not include newsstand returns and printers’ overruns.

Recovered fiber:• Includes scrap generated at mills after the end of the papermaking process; converting and printing

scrap; newsstand returns and printers’ overruns; obsolete inventory of mills, printers, and others;damaged stock; and postconsumer fiber.

• Is not waste. EPA has replaced the term waste paper used in the 1988 guidelines with recovered fiber,to acknowledge that this material is a valuable resource.

• Must be repulped. Paper cannot simply be re-cut or repackaged to count as recovered-content paper• Does not include forest residues such as sawdust and wood chips from forestry operations.

Mill broke:• Is scrap generated in a mill prior to the completion of the papermaking process.• EPA recommends that you allow mills to count the recycled-content portion of mill broke. You

should not count the nonrecycled-content portion, however.

The Paper Products RMAN II recommends recy-cled-content levels that you can look for whenpurchasing paper products, as shown in the

table on the following pages. Use EPA’s RMAN recom-mendations as a starting point. The recommendationsare based on market research used to identify recycled-content products that are commercially available. TheRMANs also provide other purchasing guidance. Pleaserefer to <www.epa.gov/cpg/products.htm> for moreinformation on individual products.

Rather than specifying just one level of recycledcontent, the RMAN recommends ranges for manypaper products, which reflect what is currentlyavailable in the United States. The recycled contentof paper products varies; therefore, you should con-tact local paper mills or merchants to determineproduct availability. Try to purchase paper contain-ing the highest content that is available to you.

When buying paper other than printing and writingpaper, specify that you want paper “containing Xpercent recovered fiber, including Y percent post-consumer fiber.” (For most printing and writingpapers, you can simply say you’re looking for 30percent postconsumer content.)

In addition, make sure you measure recovered andpostconsumer fiber content as a percentage of theweight of all fiber in the paper, not as a percentageof the total weight of the sheet. (The total weightalso includes the weight of dyes, fillers, and waterused in the manufacturing process.)

Access EPA’s online recycled-content productsdatabase by going to <www.epa.gov/cpg> and select-ing “Supplier Database.” See the last section of thisfact sheet for other helpful resources.

HHooww DDoo II PPuurrcchhaassee RReeccyycclleedd--CCoonntteenntt PPaappeerr PPrroodduuccttss??


EEPPAA’’ss RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCoonntteenntt LLeevveellss ffoorr PPaappeerr PPrroodduuccttss

IITTEEMM NNOOTTEESS PPOOSSTTCCOONNSSUUMMEERR TTOOTTAALLRREECCOOVVEERREEDD RREECCOOVVEERREEDD

FFIIBBEERR FFIIBBEERR

Printing and Writing Papers

Reprographic Business papers such as bond, electrostatic, 30% 30%copy, mimeo, duplicator, and reproduction

Offset Used for book publishing, commercial printing 30% 30%direct mail, technical documents, and manuals

Tablet Office paper such as note pads and notebooks 30% 30%

Forms Bond Bond type papers used for business forms such 30% 30%as continuous, cash register, sales book, unitsets, and computer printout, excludingcarbonless

Envelope Wove 30% 30%Kraft, white, and colored (including manilla) 10-20% 10-20%Kraft, unbleached 10% 10%Excludes custom envelopes

Cotton Fiber High-quality papers used for stationary, 30% 30%invitations, currency, ledgers, maps, andother specialty items

Text and Premium papers used for cover stock, books 30% 30%Cover and stationary and matching envelopes

Supercalendered Groundwood paper used for advertising and 10% 10%mail order inserts, catalogs, and some magazines

Machine Groundwood paper used in magazines 10% 10%Finished and catalogsGroundwood

Papeteries Used for invitations and greeting cards 30% 30%

Check Safety Used in the manufacture of commercial 10% 10%and government checks

Coated Used for annual reports, posters, brochures, and 10% 10%magazines. Have gloss, dull, or matte finishes

Carbonless Used for multiple-impact copy forms 30% 30%

File Folders Manilla or colored 30% 30%

Dyed Filing Used for multicolored hanging folders and 20% 20-50%Products wallet files

Index and Card Used for index cards and postcards 20% 50%Stock


IITTEEMM NNOOTTEESS PPOOSSTTCCOONNSSUUMMEERR TTOOTTAALLRREECCOOVVEERREEDD RREECCOOVVEERREEDD

FFIIBBEERR FFIIBBEERR

Pressboard High-strength paperboard used in binders and 50% 20%report covers

Tags and Used for toll and lottery tickets, licences, 20% 20-50%Tickets and identification and tabulating cards

Newsprint

Newsprint Groundwood paper used in newspapers 20-85% 20-100%

Commercial Sanitary Tissue Products

Bathroom Tissue Used in rolls or sheets 20-60% 20-100%

Paper Towels Used rolls or sheets 40-60% 40-100%

Paper Napkins Used in food service applications 30-60% 30-100%

Facial Tissue Used for personal care 10-15% 10-100%

General-purpose Used in cleaning and wiping applications 40% 40-100%Industrial Wipers

Paperboard and Packaging Products

Corrugated Used for packaging and shipping a variety Containers of goods

(<300 psi) 25-50% 25-50%(300 psi) 25-30% 25-30%

Solid Fiber Used for specialized packaging needs such 40% 40%Boxes dynamite packaging and army ration boxes

Folding Cartons Used to package a wide variety of foods, 40-80% 100%household products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, detergent, and hardware

Industrial Used to create tubes, cores, cans, and drums 45-100% 100%Paperboard

Miscellaneous Includes “chipboard” pad backings, book covers 75-100% 90-100%covered binders, mailing tubes, game boards,and puzzles

Padded Mailers Made from Kraft paper that is usually brown 5-15% 5-15%but can be bleached white

Carrierboard A type of folding carton designed for multipack 10-15% 10-100%beverage cartons

Brown Papers Used for bags and wrapping paper 5-20% 5-40%

Miscellaneous Paper Products

Tray Liners Used to line food service trays. Often contain 50-75% 100%printed information


PPaappeerr BBuuyyiinngg TTiippss

To make it even easier to buy recycled-content paperproducts, EPA offers the following purchasing tips for thevarious paper product categories outlined in the RMAN.

Printing and writing papers comprise one of the largestcategories of paper and paper products. Examples includestationery, computer printout paper, note pads, copierpaper, and offset paper. Printing and writing papers canbe uncoated or coated.

When buying printing and writing paper, remember to:

■ Work with your printer. Different papers exhibit dif-ferences in performance and printability. Some print-ers might first want to test certain papers with aparticular ink. Printers also can help you select papersbased on how they will be used (i.e., whether they willbe folded, die-cut, or made into self-mailers).

■ Work with your graphic designer. Some papers arebetter than others for certain design needs. Makesure both the designer and printer agree that thepaper you choose will meet your expectations.

■ Consider the environmental ramifications of yourpurchasing decisions. Papers with certain character-istics, such as deep colors, coatings, or groundwoodcontent, might not be recyclable in your existingoffice paper recycling program or might requirechanges to the program. Consider the effects of yourpaper purchases before deciding to purchase a specif-ic paper.

Newsprint is a type of groundwood paper generally usedto print newspapers. Recycled-content newsprint isusually manufactured from fiber recovered from oldnewspapers and magazines. The federal governmentuses newsprint for printing the Federal Register,Congressional Record, and other publications.

When purchasing newsprint, consider these helpfulhints:

• Pay attention to newsprint’s basis weight. Basisweight is the weight in pounds of a ream of papercut to a specified size. Different weights hold upbetter in different presses. Recycled-contentnewsprint ranging from 25 to 32 pounds generallyperforms well. The U.S. Government Printing Officespecifies 28 pound recycled-content newsprint.

• Consider your requirements for the newsprint you’rebuying. Recycled-content newsprint manufacturersare making products that meet their clients’ perfor-

mance requirements (e.g., print-ability, brightness,cleanliness, and opacity).

• Determine whether newsprint is recyclable in yourexisting recycling program. Some office paper recy-cling programs do not accept groundwood paperssuch as newsprint; find out whether yours doesbefore you buy newsprint.

Sanitary tissue products include bathroom and facial tis-sue, paper towels, napkins, and general-purpose industri-al wipers. When purchasing these products rememberthese tips:

• Avoid misconceptions about softness, absorbency,and strength. Some recycled-content sanitary tissueproducts are softer, stronger, and more absorbentthan others. Consider your aesthetic and functionalrequirements for tissue products before purchasing aspecific product.

• Remember to review your janitorial supply contractsbecause commercial tissue products are often pur-chased through contractors. Make sure your supplycontracts specify recycled-content, not virgin, prod-ucts.

• When changing brands, consider other factors thatcould influence your purchasing decision. Whenswitching from sheet to roll paper towels, for exam-ple, you might incur costs to replace dispensers orfixtures if such costs are not borne by the supplier.

Paperboard and packaging is a broad category of paperproducts that includes corrugated containers, folding car-tons, book and report covers, mailing tubes, video cas-sette boxes, paper bags, and wrapping paper. They can bemanufactured with a wide variety of recovered fibersincluding old newspapers, old corrugated containers,mixed papers, and sorted white office paper. In fact,paperboard mills use more recovered fiber than any othersegment of the paper industry.

When purchasing recycled-content paperboard and pack-aging consider these tips:

• Remember, you can print on recycled boxes, not juston virgin, bleached boxes.

• Be aware that you can use recycled boxes in foodapplications and still meet Food and DrugAdministration requirements.


IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn AAvvaaiillaabbllee FFrroomm EEPPAA

This fact sheet and the following publications onbuying recycled-content products can be accessedin electronic format on the Internet.

■ EPA Expands Comprehensive ProcurementGuideline (CPG). This fact sheet provides generalinformation about the CPG and the development ofaffirmative procurement programs. See<www.epa.gov/cpg/pdf/cpg-fs.pdf>.

■ Federal Register (FR) notices promulgating CPG I (60FR 21370/EPA530-Z-95-006) and RMAN I (60 FR21386/EPA530-Z-95-007), May 1, 1995, and PaperProducts RMAN I (60 FR 26986/EPA530-Z-96-005),May 29, 1996. FR notices promulgating CPG II (62FR 60961/EPA530-Z-97-009) and RMAN II (62 FR60975/EPA530-Z-97-010), November 13, 1997, andthe Paper Products RMAN II (63 FR 31214), June 8,1998. FR notices promulgating CPG III (65 FR 3070)and RMAN III (65 FR 3082), January 19, 2000. FRnotices promulgating CPG IV (69 FR 24028) andRMAN IV (69 FR 24039), April 30, 2004. See<www.epa.gov/cpg/backgrnd.htm>.

OOtthheerr SSoouurrcceess ooffIInnffoorrmmaattiioonn

■ U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). GSA’sEnvironmental Products Guide contains more than1,500 paper and paper products containing recoveredmaterials. To view an electronic version of theguide, visit <www.gsa.gov/attachments/GSA_PUBLI-CATIONS/pub/epsg2002_3_1.pdf>.

■ U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). GPO pro-vides a variety of recycled-content printing papers tofederal agencies. To view federal government paperspecification standards see the GPO Web site at<www.access.gpo.gov/qualitycontrol/paperspecs/index.html>. For more information about papersavailable from GPO, contact the Superintendent ofDocuments, U.S. Government Printing Office,Washington, DC 20402. Phone: 202 512-1800 or 866512-1800 (toll free). Fax: 202 512-2250 or 877 471-3258.

■ The Official Recycled Products Guide. This directo-ry lists more than 5,000 manufacturers and distribu-tors of recycled-content products. For moreinformation, contact the Recycling DataManagement Corp., P.O. Box 577, Ogdensburg, NY13669. Phone: 800 267-0707.

HHooww DDoo II GGeett MMoorree IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn??

The soda bottle you recycledafter lunch might end up backon your desk as a recycled

binder or pencil holder. Used tonercartridges and printer ribbons onceconsidered “trash” are now remanu-factured and returned, providing your

office with high-performanceproducts at considerable sav-ings.

To make it easier to buyrecycled, the U.S.Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) updates theComprehensiveProcurement Guidelines(CPG) every 2 years.Through the CPG, EPA des-ignates items that mustcontain recycled materialswhen purchased withappropriated federal fundsby federal, state, and localagencies, or by governmentcontractors. Several nonpa-per office products areamong these items. EPA’sresearch shows that theitems designated in the

CPG are of high quality, widelyavailable, and cost-competitivewith virgin products. EPA alsoissues nonregulatory companion

guidance—the Recovered MaterialsAdvisory Notice (RMAN)—thatrecommends levels of recycled con-tent for those items.

WWhhyy BBuuyy RReeccyycclleedd??Recycling is more than just drop-ping off your cans, bottles, andnewspapers at the curb or at a localcollection facility. Diverting recy-clables from the waste stream isonly the first of three steps in therecycling process. The second stepoccurs when companies use theserecyclables to manufacture newproducts. The third step comeswhen you purchase products madefrom recovered materials. That’show we close the loop.

Buying recycled products results inmany environmental benefits. Itsupports local recycling programsby creating markets for the collect-ed materials that are processed andused to manufacture new products.This creates jobs and helpsstrengthen the economy; conservesnatural resources; saves energy; andreduces solid waste, air and waterpollutants, and greenhouse gasesthat contribute to global warming.

BBuuyy--RReeccyycclleedd SSeerriieessNNOONNPPAAPPEERR OOFFFFIICCEE PPRROODDUUCCTTSS

22000044

BBuuyyiinngg rreeccyycclleedd pprroodduuccttss......

...conserves natural resources

...saves energy

...reduces solid waste

...reduces air and water pollutants

...reduces greenhouse gases

...creates new jobs

CC PP GGCCOOMMPPRREEHHEENNSSIIVVEE

PPRROOCCUURREEMMEENNTTGGUUIIDDEELLIINNEESS

Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5305W)Washington, DC 20460EPA-530-F-04-014www.epa.gov/oswMay 2004

The Resource Conservation and RecoveryAct requires procuring agencies to buyrecycled-content products designated by

EPA in the CPG. Issued in May 1995, the firstCPG designated 19 new products (includingbinders, office recycling containers, office wastereceptacles, plastic desktop accessories, plastictrash bags, and toner cartridges) and incorporat-ed five previously designated items in eightproduct categories. The first CPG update (CPGII) was published in November 1997 and desig-nated an additional 12 items, including plasticenvelopes and printer ribbons. A second CPGupdate (CPG III) was published in January 2000and designated an additional 18 items, includ-ing plastic binders, plastic clipboards, plasticfile folders, plastic clip portfolios, and plasticpresentation folders. The third CPG update(CPG IV), published in April 2004, designatedseven new products, including office furniture.

Procuring agencies include all federal agencies,and any state or local government agencies orgovernment contractor that use appropriatedfederal funds to purchase the designated items.If your agency spends more than $10,000 peryear on a product designated in the CPG, youare required to purchase it with the highestrecycled-content level practicable. The CPGalso applies to lease contracts covering designat-ed items. Executive Order 13101 and the FederalAcquisition Regulation also call for an increasein the federal government’s use of recycled-con-tent and environmentally preferable products.

Once any new items are designated in a pub-lished CPG update, an agency has 1 year todevelop an affirmative procurement program (orrevise an existing one) to include these new

items. In previous years, agencies have had torevise their affirmative procurement programsto incorporate buy-recycled requirements foritems such as recycling containers; waste recep-tacles; plastic desktop accessories; plastic cov-ered, paper covered, and pressboard binders;trash bags; toner cartridges; printer ribbons;plastic envelopes; plastic binders; plastic clip-boards; plastic file folders; plastic clip portfo-lios; and plastic presentation folders. Agenciesmust revise their affirmative procurement pro-grams to add the items designated under CPGIV by April 30, 2005. This effort might involvereviewing specifications for this product andeliminating provisions that pose barriers toprocuring it with recycled content (such as aes-thetic requirements unrelated to product perfor-mance). Also, be aware that paper envelopeswere designated in CPG I. Recommended recy-cled-content ranges for paper envelopes areaddressed in the RMAN for paper products andcan also be found in the Buy-Recycled SeriesPaper Products fact sheet.

The CPG acknowledges that specific circum-stances might arise that preclude the purchaseof products made with recovered materials.Your agency may purchase designated itemsthat do not contain recovered materials if itdetermines that: 1) the price of a given desig-nated item made with recovered materials isunreasonably high, 2) there is inadequate com-petition (not enough sources of supply), 3)unusual and unreasonable delays would resultfrom obtaining the item, or 4) the recycled-con-tent item does not meet the agency’s reasonableperformance specifications.

N O N P A P E R O F F I C E P R O D U C T SP A G E 2

WWhhaatt iiss CCPPGG??

EPA issues guidance in RMANs, which aredesigned to make it as easy as possible tobuy the designated items. The RMANs

recommend recycled-content levels to look forwhen purchasing office products, as shown inthe table below. Following the RMANs’ recom-mended levels will help ensure your affirmativeprocurement program and standards meet thebuy-recycled requirements. The RMANs alsoprovide other purchasing guidance. Please referto <www.epa.gov/cpg/products.htm> for moreinformation on individual products.

Rather than specifying just one level of recy-cled content, the RMANs recommend rangesthat reflect actual market conditions. The rec-ommendations are based on market researchidentifying recycled-content products that arecommercially available, are competitivelypriced, and meet buyers’ quality standards.

Access EPA’s online recycled-content productsdatabase by going to <www.epa.gov/cpg> andselecting “Supplier Database.” See the last sec-tion of this fact sheet for other helpful resources.


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Recycling Containers Plastic 20-100% —and Waste Receptacles1

Steel2 16% 25-30%

Paper– Corrugated 25-50% 25-50%

– Solid Fiber Boxes 40% —

– Industrial Paperboard 40-80% 100%

Desktop Accessories Plastic (polystyrene) 25-80% —including desk organizers,sorters, trays and memo,note, and pencil holders1

Binders1 Plastic-Covered — 25-50%

Paper-Covered 75-100% 90-100%

Pressboard 20% 50%

Solid Plastic– HDPE 90% 90%– PE 30-50% 30-50%– PET 100% 100%– Misc. Plastics 80% 80%


1 EPA’s recommendations do not preclude procuring agencies from purchasing nonpaper office products made from the materials manufacturedusing other materials, such as wood or cloth. EPA simply recommends that procuring agencies, when purchasing nonpaper office products madefrom the materials designated in the procurement guidelines, purchase these products containing recovered materials.

2 The recommended recovered materials content levels for steel in this table reflect the fact that the designated item is generally made from steelmanufactured in a Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF). Steel from the BOF process contains 25-30% total recovered materials, of which 16% is postcon-sumer steel.

3 EPA recommends the return of used toner cartridges for remanufacturing and reuse or purchase a remanufactured or recycled-content replacementcartridge.

4 EPA recommends the procurement of printer ribbon reinking or reloading services, or of reinked or reloaded printer ribbons.5 Particleboard and fiberboard used in the wood components of office furniture may also contain other recovered cellulosic materials, including,

but not limited to, paper, wheat straw, and bagasse. The percentages of these materials contained in the product would also count toward therecovered materials content level of the item. In addition, while EPA has no evidence or indication that wood treated with chromated copperarsenate (CCA) is currently used in office furniture, EPA is not recommending the use of CCA-treated wood as a recovered material in office fur-niture. The arsenic in CCA is a known human carcinogen and EPA is currently conducting a thorough and comprehensive risk assessment ofCCA as a part of the pesticide reregistration process for CCA. In addition, EPA is conducting a risk assessment for children who contact CCA-treated wood playsets and decks.

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Trash Bags1 Plastic 10-100% —

Toner Cartridges1, 3 See Endnote 3 See Endnote 3 See Endnote 3

Printer Ribbons1, 4 See Endnote 4 See Endnote 4 See Endnote 4

Plastic Envelopes1 Plastic 25% 25-30%

Plastic Clipboards1 HDPE 90% 90%

PS 50% 50%

Miscellaneous Plastic 15% 15-80%

Plastic File Folders1 HDPE 90% 90%

Plastic Clip Portfolios1 HDPE 90% 90%

Plastic Presentation HDPE 90% 90%Folders1

Office Furniture Furniture Structure– Steel2 16% 25-30%– Aluminum — 75-100%

Particleboard/Fiberboard Component5

– Wood or Wood Greater than 0% 80-100%Composite

– Agricultural Fiber — 100%

Fabric– PET 100% 100%

Plastic FurnitureComponent– HDPE 70-75% 95%

Remanufactured orRefurbished Furniture– Various 25-75% 25-75%


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This fact sheet and the following publications onbuying recycled-content products can be accessedon the Internet.

■ EPA Amends Comprehensive ProcurementGuidelines (CPG). This fact sheet provides generalinformation about the CPG and the development ofaffirmative procurement programs. See<www.epa.gov/cpg/pdf/cpg-fs.pdf>.

■ Federal Register (FR) notices promulgating CPG I (60FR 21370/EPA530-Z-95-006) and RMAN I (60 FR21386/EPA530-Z-95-007), May 1, 1995. FR noticespromulgating CPG II (62 FR 60961/EPA530-Z-97-009) and RMAN II (62 FR 60975/EPA530-Z-97-010),November 13, 1997. FR notices promulgating CPGIII (65 FR 3070) and RMAN III (65 FR 3082), January19, 2000. FR notices promulgating CPG IV (69 FR24028) and RMAN IV (69 FR 24039), April 30, 2004.See <www.epg.gov/cpg/backgrnd.htm>.

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■ Buy Recycled Business Alliance. The Allianceincludes over 3,200 companies and organizationscommitted to increasing their use of recycled-con-tent products and materials in their day-to-day oper-ations. The Alliance offers educational materials, aquarterly newsletter, and product-specific guides.Public purchasing entities can join for free. For moreinformation, contact the National RecyclingCoalition, 1325 G Street, NW., Suite 1025,Washington, DC 20005-3104. Phone: 202 347-0450.Fax: 202 347-0449. Web site: <www.nrc-recycle.org/brba/index.htm> E-mail: [email protected].

■ Javits-Wagner-O’Day (JWOD). The JWOD Programcreates jobs and training opportunities for peoplewho are blind or who have other severe disabilities.JWOD’s online “environmentally friendly productsstore” provides office supplies, including severalCPG-designated items such as recycled-content clip-boards. This store can be accessed at<www.jwod.com>.

■ U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). GSApublishes various supply catalogs, guides, and sched-ules for recycled-content products available throughthe Federal Supply Service. For copies of the follow-ing documents and other information, contact GSA,Centralized Mailing List Service (7CAFL), 4900Hemphill Street, P.O. Box 6477, Fort Worth, TX76115-9939. Phone: 817 334-5215. Fax: 817 334-5527. You can also access GSA Advantage!, GSA’sInternet-based online ordering system, to order anyGSA product at <www.gsaadvantage.gov>.

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– Recycling Collection Containers and SpecialtyWaste Receptacles, Federal Supply ScheduleGroup 72, Part 7, Schedule B. Lists a variety ofcontainers and receptacles available for purchase.

– Environmental Products Guide. This guide isdesigned to help procurement officials identifyenvironmentally preferable products and services.It contains nearly 3,000 items, including manyrecycled-content products.

■ Greening the Government: A Guide toImplementing Executive Order 13101. This guideprovides detailed information on the requirementsof Executive Order 13101, and the benefits ofachieving compliance. Updated in February 2001, itis available from the Office of the FederalEnvironmental Executive. Phone: 202 564-1297.Fax: 202 564-1393. Web site: <www.ofee.gov>.Email: [email protected]. An electronic version ofthe document can be accessed at<www.ofee.gov/eo/greening.pdf>.

■ National Association of State Purchasing Officials(NASPO): <www.naspo.org> . NASPO’s Internet-based Database of Recycled Commodities (DRC)includes information from states on their recycledproduct procurement. Data include product distribu-tors, manufacturers, brand names, recycled and post-consumer content, ENERGY STAR® rating, unitspurchased, unit of measurement, unit price, andtype of procurement. The database was developed,and is maintained, by the Florida Department ofManagement Services. To use the database, visit<http://www.state.fl.us/bpsr/drc_notice.html>.

■ Official Recycled Products Guide. This directorylists more than 5,000 manufacturers and distributorsof recycled-content products. Contact: RecyclingData Management Corporation, P.O. Box 577,Ogdensburg, NY 13669. Phone: 800 267-0707. Fax:877 471-3258.

■ Recycled Plastic Products Source Book. This bookletlists more than 1,400 plastic products from approxi-mately 300 manufacturers, including nonpaper officeproducts. For more information, contact theAmerican Plastics Council (APC), 1300 WilsonBlvd., 13th Floor, Arlington, VA 22209. Phone: 8002-HELP-90. Outside of U.S.: 703 253-0710. Web site:<www.americanplasticscouncil.org>.

IInntteerrnneett SSiitteess—ProductInformation

■ Recycling Data Network Information Services:<www.recyclingdata.com/contents.htm>. This com-mercial Web site provides access, on a subscriptionbasis, to a recycled-content products database ofover 4,500 listings in 700 product classifications. It also provides a reference guide and a newsletter.Managed by the publisher of the Official RecycledProducts Guide, the product database is consideredto be the largest of its kind.

IInntteerrnneett SSiitteess—Government

■ The Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines:<www.epa.gov/cpg>. This site describes EPA’s effortto facilitate the procurement of products containingrecovered materials, including information on CPG,RMANs, and an online database of manufacturersand suppliers of designated items.

■ Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP):<www.epa.gov/epp>. EPA’s EPP program encouragesand assists federal agencies in purchasing environ-mentally preferable products and services. The siteexplains EPA’s proposed guiding principles for includ-ing environmental performance in purchasing deci-sion-making, and posts case studies of successfulpilot projects in both the public and private sectors.

■ Federal Trade Commission: <www.ftc.gov/bcp/grnrule/guides980427.htm>. The Federal TradeCommission issued Guides for the Use ofEnvironmental Marketing Claims in May 1998.

■ Jobs Through Recycling: <www.epa.gov/jtr>. EPA’sJobs Through Recycling program stimulates eco-nomic growth and recycling market development byassisting businesses and supporting a network ofstate and regional recycling contacts. This Web siteprovides information on financing and technicalassistance for recycling businesses, as well as othermarket development tools.

■ King County Recycled Product ProcurementProgram: <www.metrokc.gov/procure/green/index.html>. This site describes the tools and tech-niques developed by King County, Washington,agencies for purchasing recycled products.


■ California Recycled-Content Product Database:<www.ciwmb.ca.gov/RCP>. This site contains infor-mation on why to buy recycled-content products,how to procure them, and provides access to adatabase with information on products, as well asmanufacturers, distributors, reprocessors, mills, andconvertors across the country who procure or pro-duce these products.

■ Municipal Solid Waste: <www.epa.gov/msw>. Thissite includes information on recycling, source reduc-tion, and reuse. Contains state municipal solidwaste data and the latest facts and figures on wastegeneration and disposal.

■ WasteWise: <www.epa.gov/wastewise>. WasteWiseis a free, voluntary EPA program through whichorganizations eliminate costly municipal solidwaste, benefitting their bottom line and the environ-ment. The program provides hands-on assistance tomembers to help them purchase or manufacturerecycled-content products, prevent waste, and recy-cle solid waste materials.