Recycling is only part of the solution, says survey

What is the best way to achieve environmental sustainability? It isn't simply to recycle or to use recycled products, according to a survey of attendees at the Greenbuild Conference and Expo.

Instead, respondents favored a more comprehensive approach to the environment that includes reducing overall consumption of both products and resources.

The survey, conducted by Kimberly-Clark Professional in November 2009, asked 169 Greenbuild attendees what their organizations were doing to be more environmentally responsible. Three-quarters selected "reducing consumption of resources -- such as water and energy" from a list of choices. In response to a similar question about which building practices would be most beneficial to the environment, 63 percent picked "finding more ways to reduce overall consumption." Only 25 percent chose "increasing recycling or the use of recycled materials."

"The survey results underscore the importance of taking a bigger-picture approach to environmental sustainability," said Lisa Morden, global sustainability leader for Kimberly-Clark Professional. "It's good to think about recycling, but it's time to think about reducing."

Source-Reduction Scores High
Underscoring the interest in reducing the consumption of resources, the survey uncovered strong support for source-reduced tissue and towel products. These can be products that not only help users consume less overall, but that are also made using more efficient manufacturing technologies, more efficient use of water and energy, and less total packaging.

When asked to select the number one factor for choosing bath tissue and paper towels, 42 percent of respondents picked: "Products designed with source reduction in mind, which reduce environmental impact at every stage in a product's life cycle, so people consume less and waste less." A product's overall quality came in second (32 percent). Products with 100 percent recycled fiber content came in third (15 percent), while those with EPA minimum recycled fiber content were fourth (5 percent).

The survey also polled attendees about a broad range of other topics related to sustainability.

  Among the findings:

  --  78 percent believed trees were a renewable resource that can be used
      responsibly for production of towel, tissue and other paper products.

  --  Two-thirds of respondents expect to pay a little more when purchasing
      environmentally responsible products. (31 percent expect to pay the
      same amount.)

  --  64 percent said they had either achieved green building certification
      or were in the processing of applying for it. Twenty-one percent said
      they had not done so but were considering it.

Not surprisingly, Greenbuild attendees reported high levels of recycling at their organizations with office paper, aluminum cans, plastic bottles and cardboard the most commonly recycled items. Next were toner cartridges and glass. Paper towels were last.

Future Focus
When asked about their organizations' future environmental concerns, 32 percent of respondents said they expected to be most focused on water availability and water quality. This was followed by climate change (26 percent), landfill availability or waste disposal concerns (23 percent), and air quality/pollution (14 percent).

Greenbuild attendees were also asked to select the statement that best described the importance of environmentally responsible products for commercial facilities today as compared to a few years ago. The top choice was: "Environmental responsibility is a crucial component of all purchasing decisions today," according to 41 percent of respondents. A close second, at 36 percent, was: "Buying environmentally responsible products is becoming more important each year." Twenty-two percent said environmentally responsible products were important, but "can't break the bank. It has to be balanced against costs."

Survey Methodology
The survey was conducted at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Phoenix, Ariz., on November 11, 2009. The survey questionnaires were filled out by 169 professionals responsible for the specification or purchase of products for commercial or institutional properties, such as office buildings, schools, hospitals or other facilities. Respondents described themselves as being from the following job categories: building owner/manager, purchasing, interior design, maintenance/engineering, architect and construction.

SOURCE: Kimberly-Clark Professional


.