Developing a Buy Recycled Program and Building Green: Government Facilities

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California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)

Developing a Buy Recycled Program

Buying recycled-content products (RCP) completes the recycling loop by creating markets for recycled materials to be used as feedstock in the manufacturing of recycled-content products. It is the demand side of the recycling equation. Governmental agencies play two critical roles in RCP procurement:

Governmental purchases (including local, State and federal agencies) can help develop markets for recycled materials. State government is the single largest purchasing entity in California.

Government entities can serve as an example for the private sector. If the private sector believes that the State is committed to buying RCPs, it too will respond by manufacturing more RCPs and increasing its own RCP purchases.

State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign

The State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign (SABRC) is a joint effort between DGS and the CalRecycle to implement State law requiring State agencies and the Legislature to purchase products with recycled content. The State’s procurement requirements are the result of Chapter 1094, Statutes of 1989 (AB 4, Eastin), Chapter 960, Statutes of 1993 (AB 11, Eastin), and Chapter 816, Statutes of 1999 (SB 827, Sher). The current laws require State agencies to perform the following tasks:

Purchase RCPs in sufficient quantities to attain annual targets for specified product categories.

Report annual purchases of RCPs and nonrecycled products in specified product categories.

Submit plans identifying how the annual goals for RCPs will be attained.

Require contractors to certify, under penalty of perjury, the recycled content of the products they offer to the State.

Purchase all RCPs instead of nonrecycled products whenever they are available at no more than the total cost of nonrecycled products, and where fitness and quality are comparable.

Attain mandated RCP procurement goals regardless of the price differences between recycled- and nonrecycled-content products.

The SABRC offers a variety of helpful ways to buy recycled products, including the SABRC manual that includes frequently asked questions, all required forms, and definitions of terms. The manual is available online or as a downloadable file (see the referenced Web sites).

Although some of the SABRC requirements have been in statute for 10 years, the results indicate that the State has fallen far short. In FY 1997–98 the State purchased $24.5 million in recycled content products, but it should have purchased $600 million to be in compliance with the mandated goals.

Elements Of a Successful Campaign. Several elements are required to ensure a successful buy recycled campaign in any agency. Depending on the size of the agency, the way it is organized, the extent to which purchasing is centralized, and the commitment made to waste diversion mandates, each agency’s results can vary considerably. The access to computers and software dedicated to purchasing and accounting--and the individual staff working on these issues--will affect the amount of RCP purchases and the ability of that agency to accurately report those purchases.

The following items have been identified as key elements of a successful buy recycled campaign:

Commitment from the top. Because of the need for multiple offices to be involved in identifying, purchasing, tracking, and reporting RCPs for an agency, a high-level manager must often oversee these activities. An important factor in a successful campaign is support throughout the levels of management.

Dedicated personnel. Those responsible for the campaign mandates must purchase RCPs rather than non-RCPs whenever possible. Without personal dedication by the agency coordinator, increased RCP procurement will be very difficult.

Internal communication/coordination. For most agencies, meeting procurement goals will require a coordinated effort among multiple branches or offices within an agency. The individual responsible for generating the report may not work in the procurement office. At the very least, a close relationship must exist between the buyers, the users, and those generating the report.

External information sharing. Some people have had bad experiences with RCPs in the past or have heard of such experiences from others. RCPs have improved a great deal in recent years. The new generation of RCPs compares very favorably to non-RCPs with respect to price, quality, and availability. Some products are simply better than nonrecycled-content products.

Evaluation and improvement. Analyze past purchases with respect to product performance, price, delivery, and vendor satisfaction. This will result in the best RCP purchasing practices, and it will prevent some mistakes. The results will provide feedback for the RCP suppliers on how to improve the RCPs that were not purchased.

Building Green

A “green” or sustainable building is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. Green buildings are designed to meet certain objectives, such as protecting occupant health; improving employee productivity; using energy, water, and other resources more efficiently; and reducing environmental impacts associated with the production of raw materials and building construction.

Green buildings include sufficient space for recycling collection containers and trucks. Green building design incorporates construction materials that minimize waste, uses RCPs wherever possible, and reuses and recycles construction and demolition debris.

Green buildings provide significant savings in energy and operating costs over the life of the building. Cost savings are fully realized when they are incorporated at the conceptual design phase through construction, with the assistance of an integrated team of professionals.

When planning and constructing new State buildings, the State could realize significant operating cost savings while providing environmental leadership. The CalRecycle is actively working to incorporate sustainable building measures into several developing State building projects to demonstrate the performance and economic success of sustainable construction in the state.