Cradle to Cradle‚ Much More Than Recycling

Submitted by Sean Fahey, Sustainability Intern‚ Aquinas College

In today's society, many people are trying to be eco-friendly- reducing consumption, reusing materials, and recycling what they can. However, even people with this mindset still generate tons of waste each year. Americans currently add about 300 million tons of waste to municipal solid waste landfills per year. That's about 600,000,000,000 (600 billion) pounds! Our landfills have been filling up much faster than new ones can be opened and we are running out of space. If everyone in the world consumed as much as Americans, we would need at least 4 planets the size of Earth to sustain ourselves.

To help reduce this impact, some manufacturers are taking lifecycle assessment into consideration. The lifecycle assessment of a product is observing the impact the product has from the raw materials extracted to make the product, until it ends up in a landfill. Most products currently manufactured fit into a cradle-to-grave lifecycle. This means that raw materials are extracted and used to make the product, it is sold to a consumer who uses it for a short time, and then it gets "thrown away" and is sent to a landfill where it will usually sit for thousands of years because it isn't made to breakdown into soil.

In 1995, American architect William McDonough and German chemist Michael Braungart teamed up to create a company which promotes "eco-effectiveness". MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry) approaches product design in a new way called "Cradle-to-Cradle" This design strategy greatly reduces waste sent to landfills by making products out of high quality materials and designing them to be taken back, reprocessed, and reused to make the same kind of product. Sound like recycling? It's much more than that.

In their book "Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things", McDonough and Braungart point out that today's "recycling" is actually down-cycling. A soda bottle may be "recycled" after use which is then made into carpet. When the carpet needs to be replaced, it can't be recycled, so it ends up in a landfill. Cradle to Cradle is a concept of up-cycling where a product can be remade into the same or a better-quality product. The authors separate products into one of two closed-loop nutrient cycles. They decide whether it will be a Product of Service (Technical Nutrient) or a Product of Consumption (Biological Nutrient).

A Product of Service is made to be indefinitely recyclable through a product take-back system set up by individual companies. Once the product is damaged or through with its useful life to the consumer, they send it back and receive a new one- similar to a leasing system. The company then utilizes the product's easy disassembly and separates the product into its raw components. These materials are reworked and used to make the same kind of product and sold again. When set up properly, this greatly reduces raw material cost for companies and virtually eliminates waste sent to a landfill.

A Product of Consumption is designed to be fully biodegradable or compostable. When a consumer is finished using a Product of Consumption, instead of sending it to a landfill, they could simply give it back to nature and it would break down into soil. If it were compostable, it could be left on a farm and would add nutrients to the soil, allowing for a natural fertilizer to replace chemical applications. You could even incorporate a plant seed in the product itself so when it was disposed of, a plant would grow, adding value to the outdoor environment.

Both Products of Service and Products of Consumption are also designed to eliminate toxins in their materials and production processes. Many products that we use everyday contain carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxins, or heavy metals. Prolonged exposure to these substances, even in low doses, can lead to serious diseases or even death. By eliminating these materials, people are healthier and safer and the manufacturer doesn't have to worry about regulation expenses.

Cradle to Cradle design is a revolutionary way to approach manufacturing. It saves significant amounts of money, it greatly reduces materials sent to landfills, and it keeps consumers safe and healthy. For more information, visit www.mbdc.com or pick up a copy of "Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things"

Struggling with Answers to Any of These Questions In Regards Your Custodial Operations?

• How many custodians do I need to clean a new building coming on board or existing buildings that I am responsible for?
• What is the cleanable square footage of space we are responsible for?
• What cleaning level can we expect with our current staff and budget?
• Are my custodians equally work loaded?
• Are the days of the week equally work loaded?
• When is the best time to schedule project work?
• Can I reduce the cost of my cleaning operation?

Use Clean Ops Management Software and APPA standards to generate reports and tools to assist in important management decisions in regards to your custodial operations. This APPA (Association of Physical Plant Administrators) tool has been around for sometime now and approximately one year ago the software package was introduced to help support the standard. Not only will it help you answer the above questions you may have this standard has these additional benefits:

• Not tied to any chemical manufacturer
• LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) recognizes this as a cleaning standard and measurement tool. It will calculate a green cleaning score for you if used to its fullest
• Reasonable cost commitment
• Was designed for educational institutions but can be used in most other facilities as well

To answer more questions you may have here is a link to the APPA website:

We encourage you to take a look at this tool. Nichols has some experience implementing this program and would be more than willing to help answer further questions, provide sample reports and share the results we have experienced with implementing this. Please contact us at info@enichols.com

NEWS SPECIFIC FOR SCHOOLS

• The 2009 Green Cleaning Award for Schools and Universities, sponsored by American School & University Magazine, the Green Cleaning Network, and the Healthy Schools Campaign is now open for nominations. Applications are available for download from the American School & University Magazine website.  Deadline approaching: September 11, 2009
  
  The award recognizes the best in Green Cleaning programs within educational institutions across the nation. To see if your learning institution qualifies as a potential winning Green Cleaning program, one can look to The Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools, published by the Healthy Schools Campaign, for a roadmap of judging criteria.
  
  http://asumag.com/green_cleaning_award/
  
• Another great resource to keep informed of what is happening with the Recovery Act dollars for schools: National Clearing House for Educational Facilities www.ncef.org
• Federal Stimulus Information for Schools on MSBO website at http://www.msbo.org/services/biz/2009/arra2009.shtml
• National Energy Education Development Project (NEED Project) - The mission of the National Energy Education Development Project is to promote an energy conscious and educated society by creating effective networks of students, educators, businesses, government and community leaders to design and deliver objective, multi-sided energy education programs. They have some great curriculum for educating on many topics around energy - something you can bring to your school leaders: http://www.need.org/
• Michigan Senate Bill No. 46 - A bill has been introduced to the State Senate that would authorize zero-interest loans for schools to install renewable energy systems. The language of the bill requires solar PV or wind generation of electricity. A copy of the proposed bill is located here.
  
  Please contact your elected State representatives to encourage them to expand the provision to also include geothermal heat pump systems, as the new Federal incentives do. Sample language for a letter is included below for you to cut and paste any applicable ideas. Find your state representative's contact information: http://www.house.mi.gov/find_a_rep.asp
  
• House Approves Green School Modernization Act read more...

NEWS SPECIFIC FOR HEALTHCARE

Five Steps for Hospitals to Become Energy Star Rated: For hospitals considering how to become Energy Star-rated, the Environmental Protection Agency has a technical five-stage approach.

The steps, which mirror those for other commercial buildings, should be performed chronologically to maximize energy savings, said Clark Reed, Director, Healthcare Facilities Division, Energy Star.

The first three steps are about reducing heat gain in the building, Reed said. After a building minimizes its heat gain, it can then most efficiently address the cooling process.

http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/07/31/five-steps-for-hospitals-to-become-energy-star-rated/

Healthcare Research Collaborative: Health Care Without Harm has initiated a research collaborative coordinated by faculty of the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, with support from the Pioneer Portfolio of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, aimed at stimulating collaborative research around health and safety improvements in health care. This collaborative is designed to increase the evidence base concerning the human health and environmental impacts of materials, products and practices within health care. In partnership with the Global Health and Safety Initiative (GHSI), the Research Collaborative is engaged in research directed at the intersection of environmental, patient, and worker safety issues related to building and operating health care institutions.

This paper is part of a series in which the Collaborative will provide research and analysis of the health and environmental impacts of select groups of this new generation of materials and facilitate sharing of experiences on installation, maintenance and performance.  Cleaning In Healthcare Facilities  download the document here http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document&ID=2220

RECYCLING OPPORTUNITY

Nichols Stretch Film Recycling Program: Objective: Provide a service to customers to 1) help them with environmental goals 2) cost savings by reducing waste hauler fees 3) maximize our fleet of trucks. This service needs to make sense for both the customer and Nichols. Contact Renae Hesselink for more details.

MUST READ

Green And The Economy
A leading authority in green cleaning assesses how financial hardships impact the movement.

CM / Spotlight: Sustainability
by: Stephen Ashkin

Read more:  http://www.cmmonline.com/article.asp?IndexID=6637084

Creating good hand hygiene habits: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that:

You should wash your hands...

• Before preparing or eating food
• After going to the restroom
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has gone to the restroom
• Before and after tending to someone who is sick
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After handling an animal or animal waste
• After handling garbage
• Before and after treating a cut or wound

How you should wash your hands...

• Wet your hands with warm water
• Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces (don't forget the fingernails)
• Continue to rub for 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing the birthday song twice)
• Rinse hands well under running water
• Use a paper towel to completely dry your hands
• Use the paper towel to turn off the faucet to prevent re-contaminating your hands

The Nichols Healthy Hands program not only includes a skincare cleansing and sanitizer program but an educational program about germ transmission and good hand hygiene. Signing up for the Nichols Healthy Hands program is the first step in creating a cleaner environment for students and co-workers. Sign up here

Nic News Podcast: Understanding Microfiber Technology

Microfiber is a synthetic fiber that consists of a very fine blend of polyester and polyamide (nylon) threads. A revolutionary invention for the cleaning industry, this technology paves the way to better cleaning. This episode of Nic News features an interview with John Schneider with Rubbermaid Commercial Care Products about Microfiber Technology. Listen here...

Educational Opportunities

Workshop: APPA Custodial Staffing Guidelines and CleanOpsStaff: An Effective Weapon in Today's Budget Battle

Managers responsible for cleaning services have been asked to reduce the cost of operations or justify budgets and staffing levels with no efficient and effective analytical tools to assist. Competing in today's budget battle is about having the ability to collect and verify space inventory data, determine required staffing levels, create efficient schedules, determine cost and budget requirements, and identify the actual level of cleanliness achieved by the cleaning organization. Such tools should also support your organizations sustainability goals by assisting in measuring green building and LEED standards for cleaning. This workshop will introduce tools available to confidently reduce costs and optimize all aspects of your custodial operations.

For more details click here:  http://www.enichols.com/seminars_info.php?id=42

Green Building Operations & Maintenance: The LEED Implementation Process on September 25, 2009.  This workshop is intended for building owners, operators and suppliers who are familiar with the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance Rating System, but new to implementing it on projects or looking to brush up on implementation best practices. It is also useful for design professionals, investors and others seeking to enhance their existing buildings with green operations. It is appropriate for new LEED APs, as well as those pursuing GBCI's LEED AP Building Operations + Maintenance credential.  Nichols is a co-sponsor of this workshop.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
    After completing this course, you will be able to:
        • Communicate the purpose and benefits of the LEED for Existing Buildings:
          Operations & Maintenance rating system
        • Facilitate the LEED process with all stakeholders
        • Utilize the tools available to support LEED implementation and documentation
        • Successfully develop and implement a plan for LEED certification and recertification

For More Details click here: http://usgbcwm.org/calendar/details/148-green-building-operations-and-maintenance-the-leed-implementation-process-workshop

Implementing a Recycling Program, November 6, 2009. For more details click here https://www.enichols.com/seminars_info.php?id=39

Mark Your Calendars for Nichols next Green Facilities Conference, March 23, 2010

Incentives to Implement Sustainable Practices

Federal Incentives:  These include a 30 percent investment tax credit (or production tax credit or grant) for renewable-energy systems, including micro wind turbines and solar and fuel cells.  There's a tax deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot for buildings that meet a 50 percent energy savings target in HVAC, hot water, and interior lighting systems.  In addition, there's accelerated depreciation for smart meters and grid equipment, as well as for renewable technologies.  For more information go to http://www.energy.gov/additionaltaxbreaks.htm and http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index

State and Local incentives:  These vary widely by state and include tax credits, rebates, grants, and loans.  Some programs are far more generous than their federal counterparts.  For a listing of offerings by state, see the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency   http://www.dsireusa.org/   Specific to Michigan http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=1&ee=1&spv=0&st=0&srp=1&state=MI

Utility Incentives:  There are rebates for installing renewable-energy and energy-efficient systems; low-interest loans and grants to finance energy efficiency and renewable projects; and production incentives that purchase renewable energy, particularly electricity from rooftop solar panels.  Utilities offer incentives in 42 states.  http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=MI19F&re=1&ee=1

DTE Energy Looking to save money and energy at your facility? The Your Energy SavingsSM Program offers several opportunities.

You can take advantage of incentives for energy-efficient upgrades and improvements tailored to reduce energy used in your business, resulting positively to your bottom line.

Read More http://www.dteenergy.com/businessCustomers/saveEnergy/rebates/prescriptive.html

Consumers Energy Saving Solutions Program Rebate Application

This is the information that highlights what we know at this time:

All Michigan Utilities will be offering similar rebate programs. Consumers Energy has $6 Million allotted for 2009 and $10 Million for 2010. The program will go through 2011 and may even be extended into 2014.

The Consumers Energy program offers great rebates for replacing some of the most common lamp types with new energy efficient products, like the 4 foot T12 fluorescent lamps with T8 fluorescent lamps. One other great rebate would be the incentive you can receive for switching from the standard 32W T8 to the low energy 25W T8 lamp. You can review the attached sheet for the details.

Since the funds are limited, you would need to forecast what you intend to implement and then have your plan pre-approved by Consumers in order for the funds to be reserved for you (the pre-approval is not necessary in most cases but ensures that the funds are available and reserved). You'll need to react fast on this if you want to do anything this year.

Visit Nichols Blog for more information, contact information for help and the application details.

In the News

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