SAN DIEGO―Mayor Jerry Sanders announced the start of San Diego's new Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program (EP3).
With the program in place as of April 4th, all City departments are now required to assess environmental criteria, along with the normal price and performance criteria whenever they purchase a product or service.
"EP3 is important for several reasons; it's an enhancement to the city's current commitment to the environment, it will allow cost and energy savings, it will reduce San Diego's contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, and it will allow the city to leverage our purchasing power to help make environmentally preferable products even more available and affordable in the region," Sanders said.
Each City department will need to use 12 Environmentally Preferable characteristics to evaluate any purchases.
The characteristics include assessment of pollution reduction, recycled content, and alternative energy sources, among others. They will not only help the environment, but are often times more efficient, and will save San Diego millions of dollars.
Currently the City already saves $3.5 million annually through retrofits and solar panels at City facilities; $126,000 annually by using recapped tires on certain city vehicles, and more on other recycled and eco-friendly products.
The program was developed by the City's Environmental Services Department, along with the Purchasing and Contracting Department.
"The important thing is that there is a change in the attitude and the way the city is looking at this. In our Department of Environmental Services, it's engraved in us and part of our culture. Purchasing has taken that on also, it's very important to them. So the two of us are working together, and now we're going to be working with all the other departments of the city," said Garth Sturdevan, the Deputy Director of Environmental Services.
San Diego will see a wide range of these products in the coming years, from solar-powered street lights to re-processed paint and automotive products.
One example of this is the slurry seal made from recycled tires which is now being used by the City Streets Division.
The slurry seal makes better quality pavement, diverts 400 tires from landfills for every mile of pavement treated, and will save the city around $850,000 over a 10 year period.
Stephen Grealy, the City's Recycling Program Manager said, "We want to be conscious of the impact that the city has on the environment. Our water resources are lacking, the energy costs are gong through the roof and there's a lot of sustainability issues associated with doing this."
"It ties back in with having an ongoing, healthy quality of life in San Diego. The City alone is not going to make all the difference in the world, but the City is stepping out and pointing the way," said Grealy.
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