NIMH Greening Guidelines
Protecting the Environment from the Grassroots Level
Purpose
Through grassroots input, the NIMH Green Committee (GC) developed the following easy-to-follow guidelines for promoting environmental protections at NIMH headquarters and at sites on campus.
We encourage all staff to ACT NOW on behalf of present and future generations:
Assume responsibility for learning about the environmental impacts of your work practices
Conserve use of paper products, electricity, fossil fuels, water, and toxic chemicals
Teach others about the NIMH 4Rs (Reduce Use, Reuse, Recycle, and Re-buy)
Notify the Office of Research Facilities (58000.nih.gov) of water leaks and electrical problems
Obey local environmental laws and regulations
Weatherize to conserve cooling/heating (e.g., lower office shades in summer, raise in winter)
Through grassroots input, the NIMH Green Committee (GC) developed the following easy-to-follow guidelines for promoting environmental protections at NIMH headquarters and at sites on campus.
We encourage all staff to ACT NOW on behalf of present and future generations:
I. Greening Practice Guidelines
A.
Reduce Use and Reuse
B.
Recycle
C.
Re-buy (or Green Purchasing)
II. NIH Environmental Training
III. References and Resources
IV. Appendices – Recyclables
I.
Greening Practice Guidelines
A. Reduce Use and Reuse
Paper:
Printers:
Batteries:
Office Supplies:
Reuse office supplies (e.g., rubber bands, paper clips, binder clips).
If damaged rubber bands cannot be reused or repurposed, place them in the trash.
Broken clips may be placed in commingled recycle bins at NIH.
Food/Drink Containers:
Consider using reusable beverage and food containers, utensils, and napkins in place of disposable products, while still applying basic hygiene principles.
Some building cafeterias permit customers to purchase drinks and food using their own beverage containers and plates.
Energy:
Turn off computer peripherals (e.g., monitor, printer, etc) and lab equipment when not in use, including when leaving the office for meetings and at the end of each work day
Use surge-protecting power strips for low-power loads (e.g., computers, monitors, a/v equipment) to prevent the energy waste of “vampire” electronics (radios, televisions, etc); turn the strip off when not using plugged-in items, unless crucial memory settings would be lost
NOTE: For safety reasons, power strips and extension cords should not be used for microwave ovens or refrigerators; use power strips with the UL label only and never use extension cords with power strips, per
Know How to Spot Common Fire Safety Hazards in the Workplace); to prevent electrical fires, inspect the wattage of items to be plugged into a power strip—add up the total wattage to determine if the power strip is rated to handle that level.
Fossil-Fuel Consumption:
Water:
Turn faucets off immediately after use and when performing tasks requiring only intermittent water flow (e.g.,
brushing teeth, wiping counters, etc)
Toxins and Hazardous Waste:
Mercury: NIH prohibits the unnecessary acquisition of mercury, mercury-added products, and use of mercury and mercury compounds on its facilities, per the
NIH Mercury Policy, which address the procurement, use, and disposal of mercury
B. Recycle
Montgomery County regulations require businesses and employees to recycle paper-based products (including cardboard), and products made of plastic, glass, aluminum, tin, scrap metal, and related items.
The NIH Bethesda campus and Executive Boulevard generally share the same recycling rules, but there are a few differences.
See Appendices 1-3 to determine what may be submitted for recycling at both locations.
C. Re-buy (or Green Purchasing)
Green purchasing is the selection of services and acquisition of products that minimize negative environmental impacts over their life cycle of manufacturing, transportation, use and recycling, or disposal. For example, the use of phosphate-free soap in labs and to clean animal cages can reduce phosphate emissions by roughly 10-12 tons* per year and help protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed in the process. Green purchasing also refers to the purchase and use of materials that have been recycled or recaptured.
The NIMH GC urges colleagues to take the online NIH Environmental Management System (NEMS) training as a means of conveniently learning about our responsibilities for reducing the environmental impact of our work.
The training can be accessed at
NEMS Training.
The NEMS was developed as part of the NIH commitment to the environment.
It was implemented in accordance with Executive Order (EO) 13423, and conforms to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001:2004 standard for environmental management.
This is intended to serve as a living document.
To suggest additions for inclusion in the NIMH Greening Guidelines,
Appendix 1 – Mixed-Paper Bins
Except where noted, paper-based products going into Mixed-Paper bins are generally the same on the NIH campus and Executive Blvd. Items that contained food or drinks should be empty and rinsed. The following are examples:
books (paperback and hard-cover)
cardboard* cartons (e.g., milk and juice cartons); plastic or metal lids go in commingled bins
catalogs/journals
document binders/3-ring binders—paper-based only at NSC,
but all types on Campus
envelopes
file folders
journals/catalogs
magazines
meal boxes, snack-food boxes (aka paperboard)
sticky notes
telephone directories
empty tissue-, toilet-, and paper-towel rolls
wax-coated paper (e.g., drink boxes, ice cream containers, wrappings boxes)
newspaper
paper (white/colored; place shredded paper in a clear plastic bag near the paper bins)
postal boxes (e.g., small overnight or 2-day boxes); on campus, place with the cardboard
*At NIMH locations both on the NIH Campus and Executive Boulevard, large cardboard boxes (without packing materials) must first be flattened and then placed near recycling bins or on the loading docks.
Appendix 2 – Commingled Bins
Except where noted, items going into Commingled bins are generally the same on the NIH Campus and Executive Blvd. They include glass, aluminum, tin, plastic, and container lids (separated from their containers). Those that contained food or drinks should be empty and rinsed. The following are examples:
aerosol cans (non-hazardous only)
cans and their separated caps (aluminum, tin, steel)
foil (aluminum, tin)
empty food-grade containers (e.g., yogurt, butter, cottage cheese), and lids (separated)
food-storage containers (plastic and glass, but no Pyrex), and lids (separated)
glass bottles, jars (no Pyrex), and lids/caps (separated)
plastic bags (e.g., retail, sandwich, other miscellaneous (NIH Campus Only)
plastic bottles, cups, containers, prescription bottles, and lids (separated)
plastic food trays (e.g., from frozen meals)
plastic utensils (rinsed) (NIH Campus Only)
Bottles that contained buffer and saline solution must be placed in the Empty Chemical Bottle Containers for pick-up by Chemical Waste (NIH Campus Only).
Do not recycle anything contaminated with infectious, hazardous, or radioactive waste. Visit
NIH Waste Disposal to access
The NIH Waste Disposal Guide.
Appendix 3 – NIH Campus Only: Additional Recyclable Items
Batteries – Call 301-496-4710 for collection on campus
Construction Debris – Call 301-496-7990 to request a dumpster at least 5 days in advance
Electronics – Call 301-496-4247 for collection and reuse on campus
Pallets (wooden) – Place on loading dock
Pipette Tip Racks – Place in Pipette Tip Rack bins (generally located in buildings with labs)
Scrap Metal – Must be recycled on campus. Place scrap metal in labeled, 30-yard open-containers at theBldg 10, B2 Loading Dock; behind Bldg 11; the Bldg 25 scrap yard; or the Bldg 13 Loading Dock
Tyvek® Garments – Put in clear plastic bags, place on loading docks, and then call 301-402-6349 to notify appropriate staff that items are available on the loading dock for collection
For more information about on-campus recycling, please visit NEMS Recycling.
NIMH Green Team Contact:
Liz Bivins-Smith
NIMH Green Committee Chair