HomeMy WebLinkAboutCORRESPONDENCE - GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE - SUSTAINABLE PAPERCity of Portland Sustainable Paper Use Policy
Policy Statement
The City of Portland shall incorporate sustainable practices in its procurement, use, and disposal of all paper products.
Sustainable practices include, but are not limited to:
1. Reducing paper consumption.
2. Considering fiber source and type, paper processing methods, and recyclability in paper purchase decisions in
addition to price, performance quality, and end -use application.
3. Reusing and recycling paper products.
Back rg ound
Several existing City policies address the City's need to model sustainable business practices. These policies include, but are
not limited to The Global Warming Action Plan, the Sustainable Procurement Strategy, the Energy Policy, Beyond 60
Percent: Plan for Achieving the 2005 Solid Waste Recycling Goal, and the Sustainable City Principles. Paper's extensive use
and impact throughout the City prompted recommendations made by a City -Multnomah County joint task force to be
formalized into a City-wide Paper Use Policy.
Terminolor>y
Unless otherwise specified, the term "paper product" in this document refers to all consumer paper products, including but
not limited to: copy, printing, and writing papers, newsprint, commercial sanitary tissue products, paperboard and packaging
products, and other specialty consumer paper goods. Other definitions are listed in Attachment II of this policy.
Applicability
All paper products purchased both directly and indirectly by City bureaus are subject to the terms of this policy. Where
commercial paper products or printed materials are purchased from the private sector, it is the responsibility of the ordering
agency to specify the paper products according to the terms of this policy and to ensure compliance.
PAPER USE ACTION ITEM #1: REDUCE PAPER CONSUMPTION
Goal: The City shall reduce overall printing and writing paper consumption by 15% by 2008 from fiscal year 2001
levels, upon which time a new target will be established and all stated exceptions reviewed.
To achieve this goal and facilitate reduced consumption of paper products in general, the City shall incorporate "best
practices" in paper consumption reduction as listed in Attachment II and adhere to the following equipment guidelines:
LA As equipment is replaced or contracts expire, all printers, copiers, and fax machines shall, at minimum, have
duplex capability, while still meeting the City's energy efficiency requirements. Exception:
• Color printers that are used by a typical office for occasional color printouts are excluded from this
requirement, with the understanding that the use of color printers is more expensive and thus should
not be used for routine office printing or as an employee's default printer.
1.13 Increase the employee to printer ratio by eliminating the use of individual desktop printers and centralizing
printing stations among work areas (refer to Attachment II for further information). Exceptions to this include:
1. Situations where an individual desktop printer is necessary for confidentiality or disability accessibility.
2. Printers used exclusively for contract work performed by the Printing & Distribution Bureau and other
such "specialty" printers.
1.0 Set printers, copiers, and fax machines to duplex mode as the default setting wherever the equipment capability
exists.
City of Portland Sustainable Paper Use Policy Page
PAPER USE ACTION ITEM #2: PAPER CRITERIA
Goal: To procure paper products that at minimum meet the U.S. EPA standards for recycled content (as stated in
item 2.A), while continually expanding the use of paper products that go beyond the EPA standards with attributes
outlined in items 2.13 and 2.0 (also referred to as "alternative environmentally preferable paper").
Paper Product Criteria:
2.A Within one year of the adoption of this policy all paper products purchased by the City shall AT MINIMUM
meet the current U.S. Federal Procurement Standards, as outlined in the Environmental Protection Agency's
(EPA) Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) and Recovered Materials Advisory Notices (RMANs).
The CPG addresses a wide variety of paper products including copy paper, bathroom tissue, and packaging
products. As long as the CPG-RMANs continue to be revised to strengthen the requirements, the City shall
continue to place its MINIMUM paper standards against the CPG-RMANs. Exception:
• To support innovative applications of tree -free fiber, the use of tree -free paper for small quantity
specialty printing projects will not be subject to recycled content criteria until the tree -free fiber market
matures.
2.13 The City shall give strong preference to paper products that have been processed chlorine free (PCF) or totally
chlorine free (TCF), as applicable to recycled and virgin fiber content respectively, with the goal that all paper
products purchased by the City will be PCF/TCF by July 2006. Paper products that are processed elemental
chlorine free (ECF) DO NOT meet this criterion.
2.0 To further move the City towards the procurement of sustainable paper products, by July 2004 10% of all
paper product purchases will be directed to products that demonstrate one or more of the following fiber -
sourcing attributes. It is the City's intent that this percentage will increase and the following criteria will be
strengthened as the markets for paper products with these attributes mature.
1. The post -consumer recycled content goes beyond the EPA CPG-RMAN standard.
2. A definable portion of the non -post -consumer fiber content originates from forests certified by the
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or equivalent in that it comes from independent, third -party certified
forest managers that employ the most environmentally and socially responsible forest management and
restoration practices (refer to Attachment II for further information).
3. A definable portion of the non -post -consumer content is free of fiber originating from
• endangered forests, or
• the conversion of diverse natural forest ecosystems into plantations, or
• genetically modified organisms.
(refer to Attachment II for further information on the above)
2.1) Where paper containing non -tree fibers is purchased, it is desirable that suppliers establish and submit in
writing that the fiber source crops were grown and harvested using sustainable farming practices (refer to
Attachment II for further information).
2.E As part of the criteria listed in items 2.A-2.D, it is desirable that suppliers submit a credible Chain of Custody
certificate or documents verifying the origin of all paper fibers, as well as the manufacturing process utilized to
make the paper.
PAPER USE ACTION ITEM #3: PERFORMANCE TRACKING
To facilitate and improve the City's performance as it relates to the previous two Action Items the City shall:
3.A Require all bureaus to develop and document their strategy for reducing their consumption of paper products
and incorporating the paper criteria listed under Action Item Two. Each strategy shall include a specified
paper reduction goal, a timeframe and strategy for achieving it, and a method for documenting results in each
of the following areas:
■ External/contract services
■ Internal procurement and use
3.13 Require all bureaus to track copy, printing, and writing paper consumption (refer to Attachment I, Item 3 for
further information).
City of Portland Sustainable Paper Use Policy Page 2
ATTACHMENT I: ACTION PLAN
To facilitate the initial implementation and continual compliance with this Sustainable Paper Use Policy the City shall meet
and improve upon the following action items.
1. The Purchases Bureau in coordination with the Printing and Distribution Bureau will work to centralize the
City's procurement of paper products to the maximum extent possible and explore joint bid opportunities with
other regional government entities. Centralizing paper purchasing will allow the City to reduce paper costs by
buying large quantities from a consolidated number of suppliers. While this primarily applies to general -use
copy and printing paper, this can extend to other large quantity paper products the City uses across the majority
of bureaus.
2. The Purchases Bureau will revise the City's purchasing code as needed to incorporate the criteria in this Paper
Policy for paper products and related equipment.
3. The Purchases Bureau and the Office of Sustainable Development will develop a paper consumption tracking
process for City Bureau use and report to Council on a yearly basis beginning July 2004. Progress on the stated
printing and writing paper consumption reduction goal should be calculated to take into account
reductions/increases in consumption due to external factors (such as the decline or growth of the economy and
City programs).
4. The Purchases Bureau, the Printing and Distribution Bureau, and the Office of Sustainable Development will
educate employees regarding this Paper Use Policy.
5. As guided by the Purchases Bureau, all Bureaus will participate in educating City contractors regarding this
Paper Use Policy.
6. As guided by the Purchases Bureau and the Office of Sustainable Development, all Bureaus will contribute to
developing public awareness of the City's Paper Use Policy.
City of Portland Sustainable Paper Use Policy — Attachment I Page A4 1
ATTACHMENT II: DEFINITIONS AND RESOURCES
DEFINITIONS
Alternative Environmentally Preferable Paper is paper with environmental attributes beyond those of the EPA CPG
(http://www.epa.gov/cpg/products.htm). These attributes include paper that is unbleached or is bleached without the use of
chlorine compounds, goes beyond the EPA CPG post -consumer recycled content, is not derived from genetically modified
organisms, or is made with fibers that come from certified, well managed forests, agricultural residues, sustainably-produced
tree -free crops, or recycled non -tree fibers.
Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) bleaching utilizes no elemental chlorine gas and instead substitutes compounds such as
chlorine dioxide. Almost all U.S. paper mills use ECF bleaching processes. This process reduces organochlorine discharges
(such as dioxin), but does not eliminate them.
Genetically Modified Organism (GMO): The modification of the genetic characteristics of a microorganism, plant or
animal by inserting a modified gene or a gene from another variety or species.
Processed Chlorine Free (PCF): is a term reserved for recycled content papers. All recycled fibers used as a feedstock are
unbleached or have not been re -bleached with chlorine containing compounds. If a paper contains any virgin fiber that fiber
is Totally Chlorine Free (TCF).
Totally Chlorine Free (TCF): is a term reserved for virgin fiber papers. TCF papers are unbleached or do not use pulp
produced with chlorine or chlorine containing compounds as bleaching agents.
BEST PRACTICES
"Best Practices" for Reducing Paper Consumption and Associated Costs and Waste
In addition to the required equipment guidelines listed under Action Item One of this Paper Use Policy the following are
items to consider when developing a strategy for reducing paper consumption:
• Increasing the Employee to Printer Ratio: Currently a typical employee to printer ratio using standard laser
multi -function black & white printers is 12:1. This can easily increase as printers are upgraded to high-speed, high-
performance machines. Color printers should be used minimally with at most one per office. Also, ensure all
computers are networked to all applicable printers. Increasing the employee to printer ratio will minimize "reflex"
printing and reduce costs and waste associated with printer supplies and maintenance.
• Reuse Printing/Writing Paper: Reuse one-sided printed paper for internal draft documents. An old non -duplex
capable printer makes a great "draft printer."
■ Modify Your Printing Preferences: Besides setting your printer preferences to default duplex mode, when
printing draft documents you can also change the layout to print more than one document page per side.
• Reduce Use of Paper Hand Towels: Reduce paper towel use by promoting conservation in bathrooms and kitchen
areas. Also, select towel dispensers that feed only one sheet at a time, preferably with a feed delay between sheets
to deter intentional or accidental excessive use of towels. Consider incorporating the use of hand dryers where
applicable.
• Reuse Other Paper Products: Other office paper products easily reused include, but are not limited to: packaging
materials, cardboard boxes, and mailing envelopes.
■ Recycle! After an office paper product has been reused or where the product is not reusable, make sure to recycle
it. Ensure all employees are aware of the "dos and don'ts" of your recycling program. Also, procure only those
office paper products that are recyclable according to your office recycling program.
■ Suppliers: In addition to informing all contractors/suppliers about this City Paper Policy, require routine paper
product (namely copy/printer/writing paper) suppliers to submit periodic reports on quantities ordered by
product/type.
• Packaging: Identify and encourage suppliers within ALL commodity areas to reduce their packaging materials
while maintaining product quality.
• Mailing Lists: Manage internal and external mailing lists by removing outdated, unnecessary, and duplicate
addresses.
City of Portland Sustainable Paper Use Policy — Attachment 11 Page A-lt I
Electronic Communications: Increase the use of internal and external electronic communications, distributions,
and transactions in lieu of paper to the extent that in doing so, the City does not undermine the ability of all
stakeholders to be informed of City actions.
Files and Archives: Where possible, minimize or eliminate the use of hard -copy files/filing systems. Check with
the City Records and Archives program (the Stanley Parr Archives and Records Center, SPARC) for further
information on legal requirements for hard copy versus electronic records.
RESOURCES FOR PAPER FIBER SOURCING
Determining Endangered Forest Criteria
At this time there is no single resource for defining and identifying "endangered forests;" yet there are positive movements in
that direction. The "draft" discussion document "Endangered Forests: Priority High Conservation Value Forests for
Protection — Guidance for Corporate Commitments" developed by the Wye River Coalition is a significant step towards
definition consensus; and it is a valuable resource in that it outlines why certain types of forests are of concern and provides
information resources and tools to help identify candidate endangered forests. While the Wye River document is a good
starting point for research purposes, it will continue to be essential to seek assistance from external organizations when
exploring products that do not originate from endangered forests. The following organizations are currently associated with
the sustainable forestry movement and may be of assistance:
■ Wye River Coalition Members: ForestEthics, Natural Resources Defense Council, Rainforest Action Network,
Greenpeace, World Resources Institute, and the World Wildlife Fund — US.
• Metafore (formally known as the Certified Forest Products Council).
• Forest Stewardship Council.
Thus, although the tern "endangered forest" may undergo refinement over time, it is utilized in this policy to reflect the
City's desire to purchase paper products where the fiber comes from sustainably-managed forests while conserving areas of
ecological, biological, and/or social significance.
Defining the "conversion of diverse natural forest ecosystems into plantations"
Check with the Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) criteria regarding forest ecosystem conversion. For example, one of the
FSC criteria states November 1994 as the cut off date for no more conversion of natural forests to plantations. Wood from
forests converted to plantations after November 1994 is unacceptable unless the plantations are being restored to natural
forests.
Third -Party Certification of Tree Fiber and Well -Managed Forests
Currently the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the only widely accepted international certification program for forest
products. At this time, FSC certified paper is not widely available, but it will become increasingly available over time if
requested.
Tree Free Fiber
Where tree -free paper is produced from agricultural crops, the fiber should be subject to similar criteria as wood -fiber origins
in that they are sustainably-managed without compromising areas of ecological, biological, and social significance.
City of Portland Sustainable Paper Use Policy — Attachment 11 _ - Page A-112
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