C&D News

The U.S. EPA has announced its effort to promote the GreenScapes Alliance, with one of its aims being to influence government and corporate purchasing patterns to include more grounds maintenance recycled-content products and materials, including mulch and wood chips made from scrap wood.

An EPA news release touts GreenScapes as a way to "combine government and industry into a powerful, unified influence over the reduction, reuse and recycling of waste materials in large land-use applications."

The EPA will target land-use activities that include 4 million miles of roadside landscaping, "brownfields" land redevelopment sites and the beautification and maintenance of office complexes, golf courses and parks.

GreenScapes is a component of the EPA’s Resource Conservation Challenge, an initiative that identifies non-mandated ways to conserve natural resources and energy.

The alliance will provide information about the cost savings that can be achieved from reducing material use and waste, resource conservation and the performance and durability of environmentally preferable products; promote market expansion and growth of recycled-content and bio-based products; publicize case studies, success stories and technical assistance; and award organizations that achieve environmental excellence in reduction, reuse, recycling and "re-buying."

For more information on or to become a participant in the GreenScapes Alliance, visit www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/green.