City of Seattle PaperCuts Campaign

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City of Seattle PaperCuts Campaign

• National Recycling Congress
• Atlanta, Georgia
• October 25, 2006

Presented by Jetta Antonakos Seattle Public
Utilities, Waste Prevention Lead
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Is this you?
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Seattles PaperCuts Campaign

• There is nothing more powerful than an idea
  whose time has come."
• Victor Hugo

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The City of Seattle PaperCuts Campaign!

• Adopted the Three-Step Approach
• modeled by Federal Network for Sustainability
• Buy greener paper
• Buy and use less paper
• Increase recycling and reuse of paper

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As we move towards sustainability, paper is on
the radar screen

• Portland Executive Order 15 Reduction by 2008
• WA State Executive Order 30 Reduction by 2009
• EPA Region 10 reduced paper use by 30, between
  2004 and 2005.
• City of Seattle Executive Order 30 Reduction by
  end of 2006

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WHY PAPER?

• Resource Intensive
• About one third of the wood harvested in U.S. is
  used for paper products. In addition, the pulp
  and paper industry is the third largest consumer
  of energy and uses more water to produce a ton of
  product than any other industry.
• SourceEnvironmental Defense
• High Volume of Use
• An average office worker uses about 10,000 sheets
  of copier paper per year!
• Source Federal Network for
  Sustainability

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Why City of Seattle?

• In 2003, City of Seattle employees used 73.9
  million sheets of office paper.
• Thats 10,000 feet higher than Mt. Rainier and
  the equivalent of 40 Space Needles!
• www.seattle.gov/papercuts

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WHY Printer/Copy PAPER?

• High Use! Most of the paper the City of Seattle
  buys is white office paper.
• High Cost! Office paper is the fastest growing
  use of paper.
• Hidden Costs! Printing, copying, mailing, storing
  and disposing can exceed the initial price by as
  much as 10 times!
• Source Federal Network for Sustainability

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Why 100 Recycled?

• A ton of paper made from 100 recycled paper, as
  compared to virgin paper, saves the equivalent of
  4,100 kilowatt hours of energy, 7,000 gallons of
  water, 60 lbs. of air emissions, and 3 cubic
  yards of landfill space.
• Source Choose Green Report, Green Seal Inc.
  Washington, D.C. 2002

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Why Process Chlorine-Free?

• To prioritize human health over short-term
  economics.
• To demonstrate to others that its safe and
  financially feasible to purchase EPP products.
• To prevent pollution and associated health and
  environmental impacts from chlorine processes
  used in conventional paper manufacturing.
• To comply with and promote awareness of
  Seattles Sustainable Purchasing policy.

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HOW MANY TREES ARE USED TO MAKE PAPER?
In 2003, the City of Seattle used 369.4 tons
14,780.4 cartons 73,902,000 sheets of Office
Paper
8,856 trees
6,200 trees
0 trees
VIRGIN CONTENT
30 Post Consumer
100 Post Consumer
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ITS NOT JUST ABOUT THE TREESOTHER
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
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Budget Implications for Paper Switch Reduction
Options (for 2005)
410,895
369,806
349,261
288,218
287,627
288,218

Note Budget calculations reflect 2003 prices for
paper. 1 ream of 30 1.95 1 ream of 100
2.78 Assumptions 1) The cost of 30 and 100
paper is assumed to remain constant, even though
buying larger quantities of 100 paper may bring
down the costs. 2) Calculations do not quantify
the environmental benefits of these options.
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So, can we do it ?!
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Elements for Success

• Built-in centralized purchasing structure
• Executive leadership - Mayor and
  Department Directors
• Existing policy and legislation
• Champions People like it!

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Leadership Role

• Mayor Nickels issued an Executive Order
  directing all City employees.
• Reduce use by 30 by 2006
• Default all equipment to duplex
• Purchase 100 recycled as standard
• Require outside print/copy vendors to comply
• Employ technology to save paper
• Made all department heads accountable to meet
  goal.

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Steering Committees Role

• Develop campaign roadmap
• Identify opportunities
• Report results to track progress and
  accountability
• Share best practices
• Promote and educate
• Recruit champions

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Buy Greener Paper Strategies

• Test paper
• Purchase all paper via centralized purchasing
• Choose 100 post consumer, processed
  chlorine-free
• Educate users to depose recycled-paper myth.

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Buy Greener Paper Effects
By switching from 30 to 100 Recycled, PCF
Paper, estimated savings

• Annually
• 6,199 Trees
• 4,315,000 BTUs of Energy enough to power 47
  homes/year.
• 2 million gallons of Water Pollutants 3
  swimming pools
• 145 tons of Solid Wastes
• Plus 40 less greenhouse gases and No Chlorine!!
• Source Environmental Defense Paper Calculator

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Buy and Use Less Paper Strategies

• Institutional Change
• Standardize default all equipment to duplex
• Revise policy
• Work with IT
• Mail more efficiently
• Behavior Change
• Educate staff to use
• technology more
• effectively
• Green Meetings

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• Buy and Use Less Paper Effects
• Savings For every 1 we reduce our paper use

• 3,794.
• No trees used
• 35,208 Gallons of Water (Effluent flow)
• 138 lbs of Water Pollutants
• Source Environmental Defense Paper Calculator

• 3,938 lbs of Solid Wastes
• 123,831 lbs of Air Pollutants
• 73,852 BTUs of Energy

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Measurements

• Used 2004 as our baseline year
• Generate monthly reports for each City department
• Post information on Internet for easy access

Many City departments had already started
duplexing prior to 04
City of Seattle PaperCuts Campaign
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2005 Results

• 100 recycled, pcf paper is Citys standard
• City reduced paper use 12 in 9 months
• Policy changes towards sustainability vendors
  must meet EPA standards or better
• Duplex capable printers and copiers now default
  to duplex.
• Improved employee recycling program

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Promoting PaperCuts
City of Seattle PaperCuts Campaign
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Ongoing Challenges

• Need for education- training on paper saving tips
  and technology
• Infrastructure costs to invest in
  technical/operational improvements that modernize
  business processes and create institutional
  change
• Myth Busting - perception of inferior paper
  performance

City of Seattle PaperCuts Campaign
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2006 Where Do We Go from Here?

• Meet Mayors 30 paper reduction goal!
• Continue to expand purchase of 100 recycled, pcf
  paper to other types (forms, envelopes, etc).
• Network with other government agencies to promote
  green purchasing practices.
• Educate City workforce about Seattles
  Sustainable Purchasing Policies

City of Seattle PaperCuts Campaign
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City of Seattle PaperCuts Campaign
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For more information

• PaperCuts websitehttp//www.seattle.gov/papercuts
  
• Paper Calculator
• http//www.environmentaldefense.org/papercalculat
  or/
• Federal Network for Sustainability Greening
  Federal Paper Campaign http//www.federalsustaina
  bility.org/initiatives.gfcp.htm
• White paper on Minnesota paper reduction
  http//www.swncb.org/files/officepaperreport.pdf
• Resource Venture Paper Smart Office
  http//www.resourceventure.org/rv/issues/waste/get
  -started/waste-prev/paper/index.php

City of Seattle PaperCuts Campaign
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City of Seattle PaperCuts Campaign

• National Recycling Congress
• Atlanta, Georgia
• October 25, 2006

Presented by Jetta Antonakos Seattle Public
Utilities, Waste Prevention Lead