Environmental Benefits of Reuse

Environmental Benefits of Reuse Environmental Benefits of Reuse Kenya A. CrossonArea Property OfficerPersonal Property Management DivisionMay 2012

Reuse is Recycling…

re⋅cy⋅cle riˈsaɪkəl/ [ree-sahy-kuh l] verb, -cled, -cling,noun –verb (used with object) 1.to treat or process (used or waste materials) so as to make suitable for reuse: recycling paper to save trees. 2.to alter or adapt for new use without changing the essential form or nature of: The old factory is being recycled as a theater. 3.to use again in the original form or with minimal alteration: The governor recycled some speeches from his early days. 4.to cause to pass through a cycle again: to recycle laundry through a washing machine. –verb (used without object) 5.to pass through a cycle again; repeat a process from the beginning. 6.to undergo reuseor renewal; be subject to or suitable for further use, activity, etc.: The industry will recycle and become profitable once more. –noun 7.the act or process of recycling. From Dictionary.com

Reuse is Recycling... Utilization is Reuse… Donation is Reuse… Computers for Learning is Reuse… Sales offers property for Reuse…

FMR 102-36.220 requires that…generally, all excess property is to be reported to GSA FMR 102-36.35 requires that… “all executive agenciesmust,to the maximum extent practicable, fill requirements for personal property by using existing agency property or by obtaining excess property from other Federal agencies in lieu of new procurements” Reuse is Recycling... Key Requirements FAR 8.102 requires…”When practicable, agencies mustuse excess personal property as the first source of supply for agency and cost-reimbursement contractor requirements…mustmake positive efforts to satisfy agency requirements by obtaining and using excess personal property

Executive Order 13514Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance • Sec 2. Goals for Agencies: • Promote pollution prevention and eliminate waste by: • (i) minimizing the generation of waste and pollutants through source reduction; • (ii) diverting at least 50 percent of non-hazardous solid waste, excluding construction and demolition debris, by end of fiscal year of 2015

Reuse • A means to prevent solid waste from entering the landfill by taking useful products discarded by those who no longer want them and providing them to those who do • Requires fewer resources, less energy, and less labor, compared to recycling, disposal, or the manufacture of new products from virgin materials • Provides an excellent, environmentally-preferred alternative to other waste management methods, because it reduces air, water and land pollution • Limits the need for new natural resources

Reuse • Reusing an item means that it continues to be a valuable, useful, productive item, and replaces new items that would utilize more water, energy, timber, petroleum, and other limited natural resources in their manufacture. • Buying and using items that are reusable supports a method of waste management that has been identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and others, as a priority method of handling materials. • Recyclers have successfully kept materials out of the landfill by collecting, segregating, processing and manufacturing their collected goods into new products. Reusers, with little or no processing, keep materials out of the waste stream by passing the goods they collect on to others…

Role of Government and Industry • The U.S. government is one of the largest purveyors of used goods in the United States. • Government regulations largely prevent the purchase of used items by the U.S. government and require the labeling of products containing used parts in a way that may discourage the use of used parts by industry. • There are both incentives and disincentives for reuse by industry. • Reuse, remanufacturing, repair, and refurbishment of products and parts can be economically beneficial for industry. • Firms in some cases have an incentive to discourage reuse of their products, in order to maintain and increase production of new goods.

Advantages of Reuse • Reuse has certain potential advantages: • Energy and raw materials savings as replacing many single use products with one reusable one reduces the number that need to be manufactured. • Reduced disposal needs and costs. • Cost savings for business and consumers as a reusable product is often cheaper than the many single use products it replaces. • Some older items were better handcrafted and appreciate in value.

Disadvantages of Reuse • Disadvantages are also apparent: • Reuse often requires cleaning or transport, which have environmental costs. • Some items could be hazardous or less energy efficient as they continue to be used. • Reusable products need to be more durable than single-use products, and hence require more material per item. • Sorting and preparing items for reuse takes time, which is inconvenient for consumers and costs money for businesses.

Not just in the United States • Triple Bottom Line Benefits of Reuse • Reusing technology has even greater benefits than recycling: • Environmental Benefits • Social Benefits • Economic Benefits From Renewed Computer Technology http://www.rcto.ca/Reuse/default.aspx

Environmental Contribution • Product reuse contributes significantly to the fight against global warming in two crucial ways: • Avoids emissions today by displacing the production of new goods into the future when the manufacturing of products will likely be less carbon intensive • Displaces the purchase of a new product into the future, where manufacturing and production will be more efficient and have a smaller global warming impact

More and more we are recycling things we would otherwise throw away— This is great, but could be much better if those things were reused! • The environmental cost to produce a computer and monitor • Requires 530 pounds of fossil fuels, 50 pounds of chemicals, and 3,330 pounds of water.* Extending the life of computers is a win for our environment and a win for our community. • US EPA Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator shows environmental savings for computer recycling and reuse in terms of energy, materials, CO2, toxic emissions, and more. • It is roughly 25 times more beneficial environmentally to reuse computers than to recycle them at three to five years of age.

Recycling 100 Computers: • Saves enough electricity to power 2.75 U.S. households in a year; compared to 68 if those computers were reused. • Is the same as removing 1.95 passenger cars from the road per year, compared to 48 if those computers were reused. • Reduces air emissions by 142.2 tons, compared to 3,508.7 tons if those computers were reused.

Cooler • A for-profit social venture whose mission is to connect every purchase to a solution for global warming • Methods for calculating the emissions avoided by reusing a product: • Net zero method: Reused products are considered to displace new products on a one-to-one basis. (best for durable goods) • Time value of avoided emissions: Reduces overall greenhouse gas emissions in two critical ways: • Purchase of a used product delays emissions that would be generated by the production and consumption of new products. • Net effect of delaying the production of new goods is to ensure that those goods are produced with less overall impact as well, since the production of goods is becoming more carbon-efficient with time.

Example • Cooler estimates that buying a used golf driver saves 95% of the emissions associated with buying a new golf driver. • The sale of used golf clubs, in a two year period, has reduced the amount of GHGs equivalent to • Taking 22,000 cars off the road for a year, • Reducing gasoline consumption by 13,600,000 gallons, • Planting 3,000,000 trees, or • Providing 100% renewable energy to 16,000 homes.

Example • Buying a used Coach handbag on can save up to 90% of the emissions associated with buying a new one. • The total emissions savings from selling 1.6 million used handbags is nearly 94,000 tons of CO2e. That’s the equivalent of: • Taking 17,000 cars off the road for a year • Reducing gasoline consumption by 10,600,000 gallons • Planting 2,400,000 trees • Providing renewable electricity to 12,400 homes

Reusing just one computer with a Cathode Ray Terminal monitor saves: • -30 pounds of hazardous waste • -77 pounds of solid waste • -1333 pounds of carbon dioxide from being emitted • -7719 kilowatts of energy • Buying a used HP Pavilion laptop saves over half the emissions associated with a new one. • The sale of used laptops instead of new ones in 2007 • Reduction of over 69,000 tons of GHG emissions • The sale of used laptops in a two year period • Reduction of over 66,400 tons of GHG emissions • Equivalent of saving 462 acres of forest

Zero Environmental Footprint (ZEF) • ZEF is GSA’s moon shot goal. • Working towards sustainability and ZEF means working and living in ways that do not jeopardize our precious environmental resources. • ZEF supports EO 13514.

Carbon Footprint Savings Tool • Will document the global warming reduction benefits that come with reuse. • GSAXcess® and GSA Auctions® will have the tool on their websites providing carbon saved and equivalencies. • Also, Computers for Learning and Agency Asset Management System

Carbon Footprint Savings Tool • Documentation of global warming reduction benefits will: • Quantify the environmental value of reuse • Encourage federal and state agencies and the general public to turn to reuse as a preferred, environmentally-friendly solution to the disposal of federal assets at the end of life • Measure the degree to which federal and state agencies and the general public achieve global warming benefits through reuse

GSA Access

Equivalencies

GSA Auctions

Reuse is Recycling... Utilization is Reuse… Donation is Reuse… Computers for Learning is Reuse… Sales offers property for Reuse…

Questions/Contact Kenya A. Crosson Area Property Officer Personal Property Management Division Email: kenya.crosson@gsa.gov Phone: (404) 331-0529

Environmental Benefits of Reuse