U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - www.epa.gov EPA is a government agency that leads the nation's environmental science, research, education and assessment efforts. The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is to protect human health and environment.
	Design for the Environment (DfE) Program, U.S. EPA - www.epa.gov/dfe The Design for the Environment (DfE) Program works in partnership with a broad range of stakeholders to reduce risk to people and the environment by preventing pollution.
	U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) - www.usgbc.org A non-profit organization devoted to creating standards intended to shift the building industry towards improved sustainability by targeting how buildings are designed, built and operated.
	Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) - www.usgbc.org Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
	LEED-EBOM (Existing Building Operations & Maintenance) - www.usgbc.org The LEED for Existing Buildings Rating System helps building owners and operators measure operations, improvements and maintenance on a consistent scale, with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts.
	EcoLogo - www.terrachoice-certified.com EcoLogo offers third party certification of environmentally preferable products comparing products/services with others in the same category, devlops rigorous and scientifically relevant criteria that reflect the entire lifecycle of the product, and awards the EcoLogo to those that are verified by an independent third party as complying with the criteria.
	Green Seal - www.greenseal.org Green Seal provides science-based environmental certification standards that are credible, transparent, and essential in an increasingly educated and competitive marketplace with an environmental standard as demonstrated by rigorous evaluation, testing and plant visit.
	The Chlorine Free Products Association (CFPA) - www.chlorinefreeproducts.org The CFPA is an independent not-for-profit accreditation and standard setting organization, promoting sustainable manufacturing practices, implementing advanced technologies free of chlorine chemistry.
	Green-e - www.green-e.org Green-e is a leading independent consumer protection program for the sale of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions in the retail market, offering certification of renewable energy and greenhouse gas mitigation products.
	The Carpet & Rug Institute - www.carpet-rug.org Carpet, carpet pads and carpet adhesives contribute to green building in two important ways: helping reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and emissions and contributing to the growing use of recycle content for building materials.
	GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) - www.greenguard.org The mission of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) is to improve public health and quality of life through programs that improve indoor air. GREENGUARD Certified Products have been tested for their chemical emissions performance.
	Back to Top

Sustainability	Generally referring to processes that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The term includes critical aspects of corporate responsibility including environmental, social and economic responsibilities.
Biodegradable/Compostable	Materials that are capable of undergoing biological degradation when oxygen is present. Process requires bacteria, heat, moisture and time. Composting is a type of biodegration in which materials will biodegrade over periods of several weeks to several months.
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP)	Environment + Price + Performance = Environmentally Preferable Purchasing The term used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to define products or services that reduce a company’s impact on human health and the environment, when compared to competing products or services that serve the same purpose. Examples of EPP include, but are not limited to, those which minimize waste, contain recycled content, conserve energy or water, conserve raw materials, etc. Specific standards for EPP vary among EPA and Non Governmental Organizations, though EPA’s primary directive is support of source reduction. Environmental considerations should become part of normal purchasing practice, consistent with such traditional factors as product safety, price, performance, and availability.
Post Consumer Fiber	A fiber that has served its intended use, having completed its life as a consumer item, and has been diverted or recovered from the solid waste stream. Paper recovered from curbside collections is considered to be pos- consumer.
Recovered Fiber	Includes scrap generated at mills after the end of the papermaking process which includes converting and printing scrap, newsstand returns and printer’s overruns, obsolete inventory of mills, damaged stock and in some cases post consumer fiber.
Elemental Chlorine Free – ECF	A process where paper is bleached with a chlorine compound, such as chlorine dioxide. This manufacturing process meets all the regulatory requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding effluent discharges for protection of the environment.
Process Chlorine Free – PCF	A process where recycled content paper is bleached without the use of any chlorine or chlorine derivatives. The term is used only with recycled manufacturing facilities.
Total Chlorine Free – TCF	A process where virgin paper is manufactured and bleached without the use of any chlorine or chlorine compounds. The term is used only with virgin pulp and paper manufacturing facilities.
Renewable Material	A natural resource that can replenish over time. It is normally considered to be a material that is replenished by natural processes at a rate comparable to its rate of consumption. For example, wood fiber (trees) is a renewable resource.
Greenwashing	The act of a company, government or other organization focused on the perception of being green rather than on actual sustainable business practices.
Recycle	The reprocessing of recovered materials into new products.
Carbon Footprint	A carbon footprint is "the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product.
	Back to Top

The LEED for Existing Buildings Rating System helps building owners and operators measure operations, improvements and maintenance on a consistent scale, with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. LEED for Existing Buildings addresses whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues (including chemical use), recycling programs, exterior maintenance programs, and systems upgrades. It can be applied both to existing buildings seeking LEED certification for the first time and to projects previously certified under LEED for New Construction, Schools, or Core & Shell.

LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (100 Base Points)

Certified	40-49 points
Silver	50-59 points
Gold	60-79 points
Platinum	80 points +

Western Paper Distributors guides our clients seeking certification, maximizing point capture in the following key areas:

1. Materials & Resources (10 Possible Points)
2. Indoor Environmental Quality (15 Possible Points)
3. Innovation (6 Possible Points)

Materials & Resources (MR) - 10 Points

To reduce the environmental impacts of materials acquired for use in the operations, maintenance and upgrades of buildings.

Requirements (for certification):

1. Sustainable Purchasing Policy
2. Solid Waste Management Policy

Key Credits/Requirements which Western Paper can address for clients:

1. Assist in the development of a Sustainable Purchasing Policy
2. Credit 1 Sustainable Purchasing – Ongoing Consumables (1 point). Items that are regularly used and replaced through the course of business.

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) – 15 Points

To establish a minimum indoor air quality (IAQ) performance to enhance indoor air quality in buildings, thus contributing to the health and well-being of the occupants.

Requirements (for certification):

1. Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance
2. Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
3. Green Cleaning Policy

Key Credits which Western Paper can address for clients:

1. Develop/ Adopt a Green Cleaning Policy
2. Credit 3.1 Green Cleaning: High Performance Cleaning Program (1 point)
3. Credit 3.2 Green Cleaning – Custodial Effectiveness Assessment (1 point)
4. Credit 3.3 Green Cleaning – Purchase of Sustainable Cleaning products and materials (1 point)
5. Credit 3.4 Green Cleaning – Sustainable Cleaning Equipment (1 point)
6. Credit 3.5 Green Cleaning – Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source Control (1 point)
7. Credit 3.6 Green Cleaning – Indoor Integrated Pest Management (1 point)

Innovation In Operations (IO) – 6 Points

To provide building operations, maintenance and upgrade teams with the opportunity to achieve additional environmental benefits achieved beyond those already addressed by the LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance Rating System.

Key Credits which Western Paper can address for clients:

1. Innovation in Operations (1-4 points)

      Back to Top