Buy Green to Save Green
The City has adopted an Environmental Purchasing Policy that stipulates departments should purchase and use materials, products and services that are economically-responsible and reduce resource consumption and waste. Factors considered include the following:
Environmental
- Pollutant releases
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- Energy consumption
- Depletion of natural resources
- Waste generation
- Recycled, recyclable products
- General impact on the environment
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Social
- Use of locally or regionally-produced products to minimize transportation
- Health and safety
- End-of-life disposal
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Economic
- Best value
- Leveraging our buying power
- Staff time and labor
- Technological advances
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Commercial Recycling Focuses on Apartment Living
The City's Commercial Recycling Team is having great success with multi-family recycling at area apartment complexes. Three multi-family locations, which comprise over 800 units, have begun single-stream recycling programs in the last two months. Three additional complexes are slated to start their recycling programs over the next few weeks, while eight others are waiting for management approval. One-third of all Plano residents live in apartments, so with everyone's involvement we can minimize our impact on the environment by reducing landfill use and increasing recycling.
LED Lamps
Over the last three years, the City of Plano Public Works Department replaced 6,747 incandescent signal lamps (all color, arrows and pedestrian signals) to light emitting diode (LED) lamps. This involved 137 intersections. The LED technology uses 78% less energy than the 135 watt incandescent lamp, lowering the City’s energy use by 1,908,234 kilowatt hours. In addition, the LED lamps can last up to 10 years compared to less than two years for conventional traffic signals, resulting in lower maintenance costs and less risk of failing. The LED lamps also provide better lighting for the motoring public to see at night and during the daylight hours.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
The City of Plano recently adopted a new policy on all future construction and major remodels. All City buildings will meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards to attain the highest level of LEED Certification possible. Buildings will conform to performance benchmarks identified by the U.S. Green Building Council that address the following human and environmental health issues:
» Sustainable site development
» Water savings
» Energy efficiency
» Materials selection
» Indoor environmental quality
Plano is one of the first cities in Texas to adopt LEED certification as a standard for future government buildings.
Mobile Source Pollution Reduction
The City of Plano implemented a policy to establish a uniform idle-reduction, fuel conservation and mobile source pollution reduction program.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated the North Central Texas region as a nonattainment area for the pollutant ozone. Vehicle emissions are a major contributor to ozone formation due to the presence of two key “precursors,” or ingredients, to ozone formation in automobile emissions: nitrous oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Controlling emissions from mobile sources such as cars, light- and heavy-duty trucks, buses, motorcycles, and other vehicles is critical to the success of the region.