Green Procurement at Fort Bragg

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The Right Way…The Green Way…All the Way!The Right Way…The Green Way…All the Way!

Green Procurement at Fort Bragg

• To eliminate this…

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• And this….

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Start at the source!

But first, a little background

information…

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Sustainable Fort Bragg

• Initiated in 2001, stakeholders from installation met and hammered out a vision for a sustainable installation by 2025

• Formed teams (air, land use, water, materials, waste, and energy) to develop objectives to meet sustainability goal

• Environmental procurement position was created to work materials issues from cradle to grave

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Sustainable Sandhills

• In 2003, a regional sustainability initiative was begun by Fort Bragg and NC DENR to include the six counties surrounding the installation

• Similar teams were formed to address sustainability objectives

• Ft Bragg provided team liaisons and the interim director

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Sustainable Fort Bragg

• Materials Team used process mapping to discern what FB purchased in great quantity

• Compared it to landfill violations

• The decision is made to immediately work on carpet and office furniture

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• Process Improvement Issues:– Carpet and serviceable furniture ending up in

the C&D landfill– No central management of office furniture– Multiple sources of purchase for furniture

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• Solution:– Tackle carpet first, then furniture– Walk the walk! Environmental Management

Branch renovates offices. We find out if this process will really work…

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Carpet

CARPET

Issue: Carpet ends up in landfills

Solution: Require the carpet contractor to take back existing carpet and make new carpet

recyclable

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Carpet

CARPET

Process: Write it into Installation Design Guide (IDG)

for all new carpets purchased

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Carpet

• Our research indicated carpet tiles were more sustainable than 6’ or 12’ carpet

• Shaw Carpet carried tiles made from recycled content and would be recycled at the end of their useful life cycle

• Negotiated with the Corps of Engineers to install Shaw tiles in lieu of 12’ roll in our office

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An Installation Solution

• We have a working relationship with COE that most installation customers will not have

• Make it easy for everyone to choose tile: Insert it in the Installation Design Guide (IDG)!

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Process

• Team formed with installation architect and environmental procurement specialist

• Hosted a forum with four manufacturers: J&J, Mannington, C&A, Shaw

• Used EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) as foundation for specs

• Relayed what Fort Bragg wanted in carpet

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Carpet Qualities Desired

• Recycled content

• Recyclable

• Product take-back

• Take existing carpet (regardless of manufacturer) and recycle

• Make the transition to carpet tiles

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Feasibility

• Did the carpet industry see our specs as feasible?

• Feed back from manufacturers was added to specs to create a living document for environmentally preferable carpet

• Created more stringent specs for 6’ and 12’, less stringent for tile

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Next Step: Furniture

• Compared to furniture, carpet looks easy!

• Using the same process, we are inviting office furniture manufacturers to Fort Bragg for a forum in June to begin writing furniture specs for the IDG: Knoll, Kimball, Steelcase, Adden and GF

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Furniture Specs

• Basic Specs:– Incorporate EPA CPGs (like carpet)– Product take-back– Repair not replace

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Other Furniture Issues

• Refurbished vs. new– EMB office furniture purchase: refurbished

Knoll furniture– Contracting difficulties? Uh, yeah….– Refurbish our own furniture? Ask me about our

EPA grant!

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Next Project

• Interior Environmental Showcase, similar to the Fort Lewis model

• Will include sustainable carpet, furniture and paint selections

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Contact Information

• Julia Love, Environmental Procurement Specialist, Directorate of Public Works, (910) 432-8865, [email protected]

Green Procurement at Fort Bragg

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