Look around you. Have you ever wondered about the materials used in your surroundings? Oftentimes we take for granted the decision-making process for those everyday objects that keep our University buildings functioning, such as our lighting, air conditioning and cleaning products. For the many individuals who make up the University Facilities and Services team, keeping our buildings maintained and performing to meet our daily needs, is just another day’s work. The Facilities Materials Management department, headed by manager Jim Chodak, is responsible for purchasing and supplying the products for all University Facilities and Services, both at the Medical Center and River Campus. Thanks to the green choices made by Materials Management, sustainability is routinely part of our daily lives, whether we realize it or not.
Choices both small and large made by the department have a great impact on how sustainable the University is as a whole. Facilities Materials Management has focused on sustainability from the inside out. The group began its sustainability efforts by looking at its own paper consumption. Until recent years, there was a paper record to account for each equipment rental, requisition, order, quote, and log. The department took a detailed look at its paper consumption; they switched to keeping electronic records whenever possible and using double sided printing only when it is necessary to print. The result was an overall 20% reduction in paper consumption!
In looking at the materials that they order, Materials Management department works hand-in-hand with its provider, Wesco, in keeping with the University’s commitment to going green. Together decisions are made on what products are cost effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly. Staying true to the “three R’s”, cardboard boxes used for shipping products to and from Wesco, are sent back to be reused as many times as possible before being recycled.
Materials Management makes smart choices purchasing green products for the entire University. Lighting products are chosen for highest quality, long life, energy efficiency and low cost. All fluorescent light bulbs are low wattage, typically using Extra Long Life Advantage T-8 bulbs, which have a longer life, use less energy, and give off brighter light. Recently, 14-watt LED lights have replaced 75-watt incandescent bulbs! As the cost for LED lighting decreases the number of LED bulbs and lighting fixtures you will see on campus will continue to increase. The department only purchases energy efficient motors, often using variable speed drives, to further increase efficiency in machinery used by Facilities. All of these products result in reduced emissions as well as lower fuel costs. Efforts have been made in the University’s plumbing area as well. In 2004, Facilities began using a snaking process in lieu of using a highly toxic chemical to clean pipes.
Green cleaning is another focus of University Facilities and Services. Materials Management purchases water-based cleaner Envirox, replacing aerosol spray cleaners which are more hazardous. Envirox is also concentrated and diluted when used, meaning fewer shipments, and less plastic wasted. In addition, Wesco supplies rags used by facilities made of recycled materials such as old hospital blankets or tee shirts, avoiding using new materials to manufacture rags.
As you travel around our campus, you can be comforted by the excellent choices that are being made by University Facilities and Services and the Materials Management group. If you would like to contact Materials Management and ask them about the products they use, call the Facilities Customer Service Center at 273-4567.
