Summary

Acting upon one of the most frequent suggestions from employees for improving government efficiency, new measures developed by King County Executive Dow Constantine and adopted by the Metropolitan King County Council call for reducing the County’s consumption of paper

Story

Acting upon one of the most frequent suggestions from employees for improving government efficiency, new measures developed by King County Executive Dow Constantine and adopted by the Metropolitan King County Council call for reducing the County's consumption of paper by 20 percent within two years, saving up to $100,000 a year in the cost of buying paper.

"This legislation builds on our shared goals of saving public dollars and reducing the environmental impact of County operations," said King County Executive Dow Constantine. "I thank the Council for working with us to pass this legislation, and I thank our employees for suggesting, and now enacting, this environmental efficiency."

The legislation adopted May 2 requires County agencies to purchase paper with 100 percent recycled content, rather than the 40 percent recycled-content paper now used; and requires agencies to reduce their printer and copy paper use by a further 20 percent by the end of 2013, through double-sided printing and copying whenever practical, employee outreach, and increased sharing of documents electronically.

The measures are estimated to save nearly 7,400 trees from harvest, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 375 tons, and avoid 3.4 million gallons of wastewater and 100 tons of solid waste that would otherwise be produced by paper manufacturers, according to estimating tools provided by the non-profit Environmental Paper Network.

"Based on the experience of other local and state governments, we feel that these targets are reasonable and achievable," said Councilmember Joe McDermott, who sponsored the legislation. "Paper produced today with 100 percent recycled content is more affordable, more available and compatible with county printers and copiers."

Based on the County's current purchasing of paper, a 20 percent reduction in the use of paper would save up to $100,000 a year. Printing and copying documents on both sides of the page, and other paper-saving measures, has consistently been one of the most frequent submissions to the Executive's Employee Suggestion Program.

"The cost of 100 percent recycled paper has come down over the years. It is still slightly more expensive, but the higher cost is offset by the actions our employees are taking to reduce paper use, ultimately saving the County money while also protecting the environment," said Councilmember Kathy Lambert, who launched a 90-day paperless pilot project on May 3 in the Council committee she chairs. "Manufacturing 100 percent recycled paper requires less energy and fewer resources and for that reason we expect that the price will continue to decrease relative to other types of paper."

"This is consistent with our ongoing efforts to encourage recycled material markets and help people and businesses see the value of keeping paper out of the waste stream," said Councilmember Larry Phillips, Chair of the Transportation, Economy, and Environment Committee. "Nearly 145,000 tons of recyclable paper was disposed in King County's landfill in 2008 alone. The more we can do to divert this material from our waste stream, the more we can help extend the life of our landfill and keep disposal costs low for ratepayers."

King County has already reduced printer and copy paper use by 10 percent since 2007 through such actions as the implementation by King County District Court of an electronic court record system.

Executive Constantine said the new ordinance furthers the goals and objectives of the King County Strategic Plan by helping to minimize King County's operational environmental footprint and reducing the cost of County operations. It also carries forward suggestions made by County employees for how changes in everyday operations can save money and protect the environment.