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BRIEF

Policy Summary

This policy identifies sustainability standards for facility operations at Berkeley Lab.

Who Should Read This Policy

This policy applies to the Berkeley Lab community in general and is implemented by members of the Lab community, including persons involved with Berkeley Lab operations such as building managers, staff in Facilities (plumbers, landscapers, etc.) and Sustainable Berkeley Lab, and subcontractors.

To Read the Full Policy, Go To:

The POLICY tab on this wiki page

Contact Information

Chief Sustainability Officer
DirectorateOperations
sbl@lbl.gov

POLICY

A. Purpose

This policy identifies sustainability standards for facility operations at Berkeley Lab.

B. Persons Affected

This policy applies to the Berkeley Lab community in general and is implemented by members of the Lab community, including persons involved with Berkeley Lab operations such as building managers, staff in Facilities (plumbers, landscapers, etc.) and Sustainable Berkeley Lab, and subcontractors.

C. Exceptions

Not applicable.

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D. Policy Statement

1. Energy and Water Management
   1. Commitment. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (Berkeley Lab), a major scientific research institution supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through its Office of Science, is committed to:
      1. Achieving continual improvement in facility energy and water management and performance.
      2. Setting and reviewing objectives and targets consistent with this policy statement.
      3. Making information and resources available to achieve energy and water objectives and targets.
      4. Complying with applicable requirements related to energy and water performance.
      5. Maintaining processes to procure energy- and water-efficient products and services.
      6. Demonstrating leadership in design activities that impact energy and water consumption.
   2. Goals. Berkeley Lab maintains a list of its current sustainability targets and requirements (see Berkeley Lab Sustainability Targets and Requirements under "Source Requirements Documents"). This document includes a summary of key quantitative targets and an inventory of all targets including those arising from federal, University of California, and State of California sources.
   3. Management Practice. To ensure that energy and water management activities are strategic, effective, and persistent, energy and water management practices at Berkeley Lab are described and managed according to a manual that follows ISO 50001, an international energy management standard. See the Energy and Water Management System Manual under the "Other References" section of this policy. ISO 50001 activities are coordinated with the Lab's Environmental Management System, which is based on ISO 14001. See the Berkeley Lab Policy on the Environmental Management System.
   4. Building Operations. Operational practices and building control are a primary source of energy and water savings at Berkeley Lab.
      1. Building HVAC systems should be operated with temperature setbacks for evenings, weekends, and holidays; or when unoccupied. Setbacks shall take into account the temperature requirements of demonstrated mission needs. Please see specific requirements in the Implementation Guide to the Berkeley Lab Sustainability Standards for New Construction and Major Renovations.
   5. Lighting.  Light-emitting diode (LED) technologies with controls are the current standard for lighting at the Lab. Any lighting maintenance activities, such as re-lamping, should follow the guidance at lightingprojects.lbl.gov to select appropriate lighting solutions that:
      1. Consider the lifecycle and purpose of the location or building.
      2. Conform to existing safety, occupant, energy, environmental, and lighting standards, as applicable.
      3. Provide the lowest overall cost (capital and maintenance) while meeting multiple performance objectives.
      4. Establish appropriate controls based on occupancy, vacancy, or schedules.
   6. Landscape Irrigation Watering. Ongoing, automated irrigation watering at Berkeley Lab is prohibited. Three limited exceptions are provided:
      1. The Lab may do automated drip irrigation watering, or watering by hand, for a period up to 18 months to establish new landscaping.
      2. The Lab may designate very limited portions of some sites (for example, less than a quarter of the landscaped area) in which drought-tolerant landscaping receives drip irrigation that is controlled to provide the minimum amount of water needed to sustain plantings for limited periods of extreme drought.
      3. The Lab may do occasional watering by hand as necessary to prevent loss of landscaping.
         
   7. Water-Conserving Restroom Fixtures.As equipment wears out or needs replacement, Berkeley Lab shall provide fixtures with a WaterSense Label, where applicable, that meet the flow specifications listed in the Plumbing Fixture Flow Requirements. These requirements should be included in subcontracts where the subcontractor is responsible for the replacement. Manual equipment in restrooms shall not be replaced with automated or battery-operated equipment.
   8. No Single-Pass Cooling. Single-pass cooling refers to the use of a cold-water supply as a source of cooling in which water is run through a piece of laboratory or building cooling system equipment to a drain. This policy is intended to eliminate water waste associated with single-pass cooling at Berkeley Lab and fulfill the requirements of similar policy in the  Sustainable Water Systems portion of the University of California Policy on Sustainable Practices.
      1. Laboratory Equipment. New and existing equipment requiring liquid cooling shall be connected as available to a building treated water (TRW) system, low conductivity water (LCW) system, or other campus chilled water system through an intervening heat exchange system.
      2. Building Cooling Systems. Berkeley Lab will not rely on single-pass cooling as an ongoing or primary cooling strategy for building cooling systems. 
2. Greenhouse Gas Reduction
   1. Electrification of Facilities: The Lab will replace all natural-gas consuming space and water heating equipment at the end of its useful service life with electrically-driven equipment. Facilities Engineering can provide support to users in selecting electrically-driven equipment when installing or replacing programmatic equipment.
   2. Electrification of Fleet: New fleet vehicle acquisitions will be fully electric or zero emissions, if such vehicles are available and sufficient infrastructure exists to meet programmatic requirements. This requirement includes all motor equipment, such as forklifts.
   3. Landscaping Equipment: The Lab does not use gasoline-powered leaf blowers and line trimmers. The Lab is exploring use of other battery-powered landscaping equipment.
3. Environmentally Preferred Products
   1. All acquisitions must, to the maximum extent practicable, be: 
      1. Energy-efficient - with applicable products certified by ENERGY STAR® or designated by the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)
      2. Water-efficient - with applicable products being WaterSense® labeled or designated by the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)
      3. Biobased - with applicable products designated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred® program
      4. Environmentally preferable - with applicable technology products registered under the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT®), and applicable products certified by US EPA Safer-Choice
      5. Non-ozone depleting - meeting rules under the US EPA Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program for acceptable and unacceptable substitutes for ozone-depleting substances, including refrigerants, and California SNAP
      6. Made with recovered materials - meeting the US EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) related to use of recycled materials
      7. Free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - with EPA recommendations forthcoming. 

         The Green Procurement Compilation within SFTool acts as a comprehensive guide to applicable federal requirements by product type. SFTool (sftool.gov) is a General Services Administration online tool that provides sustainability resources including, but not limited to, federal requirements for acquisition of categorized goods and services. 

         Sustainable acquisition requirements are practicable unless the following can be documented: (1) a product is not available meeting functional requirements, (2) the product is not available within a reasonable timeline, or (3) the price of the product is unreasonable. A price is unreasonable only when the total life-cycle costs, including measurable costs of any associated environmental impacts, are significantly higher for the sustainable product or service than for the non-sustainable product or service.

4. Zero Waste and Waste Reduction
   1. Goals. Berkeley Lab will reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost all discarded materials to the maximum extent feasible before disposing of material through landfilling or a destructive disposal method (for example, incineration). Materials shall be processed to promote their highest and best use. These approaches enable the Lab to fulfill zero waste and waste reduction requirements of the University of California Policy on Sustainable Practices. Zero waste is defined as diverting at least 90% of municipal solid waste material from the landfill through recycling and composting. Policies on regulated waste can be found at the Environment Health and Safety Division website. 
   2. Sorting of Discarded Material. Achieving zero waste and waste reduction goals requires all Lab occupants to take responsibility for initial sorting of discarded material. Custodians are not obligated to service waste containers in personal work spaces where contents in landfill bins are compostable or recyclable. Guidance on how to sort materials can be found at WasteGuide.lbl.gov. 
   3. Non-Hazardous Waste Audits. To inform progress against zero waste goals, Sustainable Berkeley Lab may audit the waste coming from individual buildings on a regular basis and measure the diversion and contamination of waste streams. The audit results will be made publicly available. Audit results will include the portion of items placed in the landfill that could be composted or recycled.
   4. Building Managers. Sustainable Berkeley Lab will rely on building managers to assist Sustainable Berkeley Lab in making continual improvement toward a minimum of 90% waste diversion. This may include: 
      1. Providing adequate space for central waste diversion stations, foam peanut bins, plastic film bins, and any other diversion bins identified through waste audit results.
      2. Alerting Sustainable Berkeley Lab to the need for additional central waste stations, removal of single waste containers, and improved signage.
      3. Working with Sustainable Berkeley Lab to create and implement an action plan to reduce contamination rates.
      4. Reporting on the suitability (size and number) of outside bins to accommodate waste streams. 
   5. Division Leadership. The Division Business Manager or Deputy for Operations will work with Sustainable Berkeley Lab to:
      1. Issue communications to people in the division about everyone's responsibility to sort their own waste.
      2. Communicate audit results and the measures identified in action plans to meet the waste goals. Where (under desk) waste bins are a significant ongoing source of contamination to the waste stream that prevents meeting diversion goals, Sustainable Berkeley Lab will partner with leadership to remove them.  
      3. Request that employees in the division take voluntary waste diversion training as available in the Lab's learning management system.
   6. Procurement. The Procurement department will work collaboratively with Divisions and Sustainable Berkeley Lab to flow down requirements identified by technical personnel to subcontractors to implement operational methods and process improvements to minimize waste generation.
   7. Events. Laboratory-sponsored events shall strive to minimize the generation of all waste, divert at least 90% of waste from landfill, and strive to reduce the amount of overall waste generated. Event planners shall follow the guidelines in the Berkeley Lab Zero Waste Events Toolkit for specifics on how to plan for and host zero-waste events. Caterers must comply with the Zero Waste Catering Guidelines. 
   8. Food Services. The following are standard requirements that must be specified in requirements documents for subcontracts and solicitations (for example, Statements of Work) for food service vendors or cafeteria and food truck services.   
      1. Food Service Ware
         1. The food service vendor shall minimize reliance on single-use food service ware in favor of reusable items. Food service ware refers to eating utensils, plates, cups, and similar items used by customers for dining and takeout.
         2. In cases where disposable food service ware is used, items must be compostable by the Lab's current waste hauler. The Lab will approve items based on verification by its current waste hauler.
         3. In cases where disposable food service ware is used, it must meet the requirements listed in Acceptable Food Service Ware at Berkeley Lab.
         4. Where sanitation regulations permit, food service vendors shall provide customers a discount for using their own food service ware.
         5. Food service vendors may and are encouraged to implement a charge for disposable food service ware where reusable options exist and post it visibly. They must also follow the City of Berkeley's Single Use Disposable Foodware and Litter Reduction Ordinance as well as applicable requirements from the State of California and the University of California.
         6. A food service vendor that uses the Lab's cafeteria dishwashing facility must provide a service to wash reusable plates, cups, and utensils.
      2. Food Waste
         1. The food service vendor shall divert all food waste from landfill in accordance with the Lab's waste diversion system.
         2. The food service vendor must have a food waste prevention plan that outlines recovery and recycling solutions, consistent with the principles outlined in the Restaurant Food Waste Action Guide, distributed by Rethink Food Waste.
         3. The food service vendor must track food waste (by weight) and report metrics to the Lab quarterly.
         4. The cafeteria vendor must establish a regular mechanism to donate edible food.
         5. Cafeteria vendors are encouraged to recycle used cooking oil.
   9. Material Handling Services. The Lab relies on subcontractors for material handling services related to recycling, compost, and solid waste collection and processing. Requirements documents for subcontracts and solicitations (for example, Statements of Work) for material handling services must: 
      1. Give preference to vendors that (1) demonstrate transparency with respect to the final disposition of collected materials, (2) follow a hierarchy of processing materials for their highest and best use over the entire material lifecycle, and (3) are able to pick up waste materials on demand using the best available technology for waste hauling.
      2. Consider using multiple vendors for different streams to optimize materials management.
      3. Indicate Berkeley Lab’s intention to collect waste diversion data from its subcontractors on a minimum of a quarterly basis. Preference shall be given to haulers who can provide this data more frequently. 
   10. Electronic Waste. Requirements documents for subcontracts and solicitations (for example, Statements of Work) for electronic waste recycling vendors must indicate that vendors be e-Steward certified by the Basel Action Network (BAN).
5. Green Cleaning
   1. Berkeley Lab will follow EPA's Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing (EPA-Recommended Standards) for custodial products, including cleaners (carpet, glass, multipurpose), floor care products, hand soap, toilet tissue, paper towels, and waste basket liners. The same requirements are also accessible through sftool.gov. Berkeley Lab intends that 100% of cleaning products, 100% of paper products, and 100% of waste bin liners meet the EPA-Recommended Standards. Performance will be measured based on the amount of spend used for each product service category.
   2. In order to minimize Berkeley Lab's environmental impact, custodial staff should make every effort to: 
      
      1. Specify or purchase products identified as Environmental Protection Agency Safer Choice-certified products (products that contain safer chemical ingredients).
      2. Specify or purchase products in concentrated form when available.
      3. Dilute and use products at the minimum strength necessary to be effective and according to product recommendations.
      4. Minimize the use of products with volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
      5. Eliminate the use of aerosol products and products containing phosphates.
      6. Specify or purchase products that are in packaging that is minimized and is made of post-consumer recycled and/or recyclable materials or be packaged in this manner.
   3. The Berkeley Lab Green Cleaning Guide includes additional information to assist custodial supervisors in implementing this policy.
6. Pest Control Services
   1. Pest control at Berkeley Lab is performed through subcontracts with licensed pest-control vendors in accordance with integrated pest management practices. Pests are a safety and health hazard, and require prompt control.
   2. To avoid poisoning of non-target organisms, Berkeley Lab must specify in requirements documents for subcontracts and solicitations (for example, Statements of Work) for pest control services as follows:  
      1. Prohibit the use of anticoagulant rodenticides (non-anticoagulant rodenticides are identified at the Safe Rodent Control Resource Center).
      2. Outline steps to avoid the use of rodenticides, including eliminating habitat (such as removing ivy), eliminating rodent food and water sources, and using enclosed snap traps or electric traps.
      3. Allow for deployment of rodenticides only after other means of control have failed.
   3. Berkeley Lab shall specify in requirements documents for subcontracts and solicitations that the use of humane practices (for example, no sticky or glue traps to be used for smaller pests) are preferred. If larger pests (such as raccoons or skunks) require removal for control, they must be trapped and released unless they are diseased or there is no humane alternative.

E. Roles and Responsibilities

F. Definitions/Acronyms

G. Recordkeeping Requirements

None

H. Implementing Documents

Acceptable Food Service Ware at Berkeley Lab
Plumbing Fixture Flow Requirements
Green Cleaning Guide
EPA's Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing
Lighting Projects Guidance
Restaurant Food Waste Action Guide
Zero Waste Catering Guidelines
Zero Waste Events Toolkit

I. Contact Information

Chief Sustainability Officer
DirectorateOperations
sbl@lbl.gov

J. Revision History

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

Source Requirements Documents

• DOE Order 436.1, Departmental Sustainability
• DOE Order 413.3B Chg 7 (LtdChg), Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital Assets
• Contract 31, Clause I.133, DEAR 970.5223-7, Sustainable Acquisition Program (OCT 2010) (prev. I.140)
• Contract 31, Clause I.114, DEAR 952.223-78, Sustainable Acquisition Program (OCT 2010) (prev. I.138)
• For a summary of all sustainability requirements at Berkeley Lab, including those included in the Source Requirements Documents above, See Berkeley Lab Sustainability Goals and Requirements.

Other References

Energy and Water Management System Manual
Environment Health and Safety Division
Safe Rodent Control Resource Center

Implementing Documents

Acceptable Food Service Ware at Berkeley Lab
Plumbing Fixture Flow Requirements
Green Cleaning Guide
EPA's Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing
Lighting Projects Guidance
Restaurant Food Waste Action Guide
Zero Waste Catering Guidelines
Zero Waste Events Toolkit