|
Many
thanks to the
image shoppe for creating a beautiful logo that
visually captures the origins of the consortium as a group that sprang
into action out of concern over the ecosystem impairments in the Lower
Grand River Watershed.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WMSPC
Update
news and information from the West Michigan
Sustainable Purchasing Consortium
4 September 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Dear
WMSPC member,
Thank you for joining WMSPC. We now have over 90 members and continue to
grow!
We are pleased to announce that WMSPC now has an additional product
category to offer you at discount pricing: deicing chemicals. With winter
approaching, we hope you will consider purchasing products -- such as
EcoSalt and Calcium Magnesium Acetate -- that reduce the release of
chlorides into the environment.
Remember, by taking advantage of WMSPC Master Services Agreements, you
add to the purchasing power of the group, help drive the market for
environmentally preferable products, and thereby help reduce negative
environmental impacts in West Michigan. Please take a look at the
Purchasing Power section to see how our purchases translate into
environmental terms.
WMSPC recognizes that garnering maximum financial and environmental
benefits from your purchasing decisions often involves a training
component. For that reason, WMSPC is teaming up with the Responsible
Purchasing Network to provide members with a workshop about procuring,
using, and managing office electronics -- including metrics.
Lastly, please email plevin@delta-institute.org to share relevant events
or other newsworthy items that should be added to wmspc.org and the next
e-update.
Best,
Paula Levin
WMSPC Administrator
Delta Institute
plevin @
delta-institute.org
T: 312.554.0900x17 W: www.wmspc.org
Transforming the Great Lakes region into the
vital center of an emerging green economy.
|
|
|
Green Office Electronics Workshop & Recycling Event
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please
join the West Michigan Sustainable Purchasing Consortium
and the Responsible Purchasing Network for a
GREEN OFFICE ELECTRONICS WORKSHOP:
When: Wednesday, Sept. 16 8:30-11:30 am
Where: Cascade Engineering Learning Community
3400
Innovation Court
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
Tel #616-975-4800
Parking
is on the West side of the building.
All visitors must use the main entrance on the North side of the
building.
Show I.D. -- Business cards will suffice.
Target Audience: Facility managers, office managers, maintenance
personnel, IT staff
What: Learn about energy efficiency standards, technical
specifications, best practices, policy implications, staff engagement,
measuring progress, and recycling electronic waste. Comprenew will be on site to collect your acceptable e-waste (PDF).
RSVP:Capacity is limited, so please reserve your place by
contacting Vanessa at vroanhorse@delta-institute.org or 312-554-0900 x 10.
Be sure to indicate the number of people attending, including first name,
last name, title, organization, telephone number and email address.
|
|
NEW
PRODUCTS - Environmentally preferable deciers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WMSPC is proud to announce that it has awarded two vendors with Master
Services Agreements for environmentally preferable granular deicing
products.
Next week's website updates will include more detailed information about
the products. In addition, members will be able to view consortium pricing
by visiting www.wmspc.org and logging into their WMSPC account.
Cryotech's
CMA (Calcium Magnesium Acetate) is a chloride-free product used
in large part to reduce the corrosive effects of chlorides on bridges,
parking decks, and other capital-intensive infrastructure, as well as the
'burning' effects of chlorides on vegetation.
Wellspring
Management's EcoSalt, GeoSalt,
and Ice Ax are sodium chloride products blended with GEOMELT -- a sugar
beet-based accelerator that improves the melting capabilities of salt,
and thereby results in an overall salt usage reduction of 20-30%.
-----
Currently, all orders are priced for delivery direct from the vendors to
WMSPC members. Because there may be smaller-volume purchasers that wish
to take advantage of these environmentally preferable products, WMSPC is
working with the vendors to find local re-sellers and distribution
points.
So that WMSPC can gauge interest and aggregate potential small
purchases, please email plevin@delta-institute.org
if you are interested in procuring less than a pallet of these
products. (Bags are 50 lbs each, and a pallet contains 48 bags.)
|
|
PURCHASING
POWER - WMSPC'S Environmental Impacts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Between October 1, 2008 and August 12, 2009, WMSPC members have purchased
over 138,000 lbs. of recycled content paper.
When compared to this quantity of virgin paper (using the Neenah
Paper calculator), this translates to saving:
- 229,772
lbs. wood.
A total of 734 trees that supply enough oxygen for 367
people annually
- 335,530
gallons of water. Enough water to take 19,508
eight-minute showers.
- 233
million BTUs energy. Enough energy to power an
average American household for 931 days.
- 69,667
lbs emissions. Carbon sequestered by 808 tree seedlings
grown for 10 years.
- 20,372
lbs solid waste. Trash thrown away by 4,428 people in a
single day.
Be sure to check out the variety of 30% PCW colored paper
offered by Quimby Walstrom to WMSPC members at discounted prices.
To view all your options, Log In at www.wmspc.org
and click on "complete list of Quimby products."
|
|
WMSPC
in the News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Case
Study - The
Responsible Purchasing Network has highlighted WMSPC's
work of getting its members high quality, environmentally superior paper
at competitive prices. To download the article, please visit WMSPC
in the news.
|
|
|
|
Contact
Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paula
Levin
WMSPC Administrator
plevin@delta-institute.org
312-554-0900 x17
www.wmspc.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
|
The
West Michigan Sustainable Purchasing Consortium (WMSPC) is committed to
developing and providing access to professional procurement contracts
that support sustainable purchasing in the West Michigan community. Key
goals of the WMSPC, particularly for the lower Grand River watershed
area, include improving regional environmental quality and stewardship,
growing local economies, and increasing social responsibility.
www.wmspc.org
|
|
|