Transcript Particle Board, MDF: Life Cycle Research Findings

Kaiser Permanente Case Study
Alternatives Assessment Meeting
December 2, 2004
Lynn Garske
Environmental Stewardship Manager
Overview
Kaiser Permanente is the nation’s largest
nonprofit health plan
8.2 million members
431 medical office buildings
30 medical centers
•$25 billion annual revenue
•136,500 employees
•12,300 physicians
•9 states and Wash DC
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Environmental Stewardship at KP
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Environmental Stewardship Vision:
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We aspire to provide health care services in a
manner that protects and enhances the
environment and health of communities now
and for future generations.
Focus areas:
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Green Buildings, Environmentally Responsible
Purchasing, Sustainable Operations
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Why Sustainability
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Alignment with corporate mission: improve the
health of the communities we serve.
Industry practices generate waste, pollution and
consume natural resources
Recognized link between building design and
health outcomes
Impact of building materials on indoor air quality
and environmental health
Planned growth 2004-2013:
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25 new hospitals, replacements or significant additions
100 new medical office buildings (MOBs)
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Alternatives Assessments
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Medical Products:
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Safer chemicals:
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PVC/DEHP-free products for neonatal units;
latex-free and PVC-free exam gloves; mercuryfree measurement devices
Replacing mercury-based fixatives; selecting
greener cleaners; recyclable solvents
Green Buildings:
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carpet
hard surface/resilient flooring
casework
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Evolution of Effort
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Clinical (with formal protocols) to nonclinical (we invented protocols)
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Initial work on building materials required
consultants; today we’re able to conduct
most of the activities internally
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Key component is objective, independent,
transparent verification of vendor claims
and test results
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Framework for Assessing Building Materials
Sourcing
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free of PVC; free of PBTs and carcinogens; post
consumer; security of supply
waste; energy; water; TRI
Use
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Post-Use
Sustainable manufacturing
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Use
Sourcing (product content)
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Mfg
CHPS 1350; Green Seal; our own air sampling
performance; aesthetics
Post use
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recyclability; reuse; take back
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Overview – Casework Project
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Project context
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Results
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Details – limited
LCA – 7 vendors
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Sourcing
Manufacturing
Use
Post-Use
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Project Context
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Goal:
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Scope:
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To improve indoor air quality of the
built environment by reducing harmful
emissions.
Particleboard (PB) and Medium-Density
Fiberboard (MDF) that are the foundations of
finishings and furnishings.
Project:
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To identify alternative materials to traditional
PB and MDF bound with urea formaldehyde
binders using LCA criteria.
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Review Team
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Environmental Stewardship – Research,
vendor contact
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Cabinet Shops – Performance testing,
expertise
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Contracting – Pricing and acquisition
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NFS Green Buildings Liaison
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Early Research Results – PB/MDF
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Binders
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Urea Formaldehyde –
traditional
Lignin – not yet viable for
desired applications
Phenol Formaldehyde –
not subject to Form. Reg.
due to low emissions
Polymeric
diphenylmethane
diisocyanate - pMDI –
low exposure limits for
raw product, no
detectable emissions after
curing
Content
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Recovered/recycled
wood
Forest Certified
Wood –
recovered/not
Wheat residuals
Rice residuals –
local plants don’t
mfg. product
Sugarcane bagasse
– not in production
Paper – Mfg. out of
business
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Vendors
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Did not undergo LCA
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Enviroboard - rice, wrong
product – thick board
Weyerhauser – recovered
wood, no response
Temple-Inland, FSC –
formaldehyde binder
Acadiaboard Duracane,
sugarcane bagasse – out of
business
CanFibre – AllGreen,
recovered wood, unable to
contact
DuraGreen, sugarcane
bagasse, out of business
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Underwent LCA
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Sonoco – paper/lignin, out
of business
Phenix Bioply –
newspaper, pMDI
SierraPine Medite –
recovered wood, pMDI
Collins Companies – FSC
wood, urea form.
Dow BioProducts
Woodstalk – wheat, pMDI
Rodman Industries
Resincore – recovered
wood, phenol
formaldehyde
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Sorm, Inc. – wheat, pMDI
Life Cycle Analysis - Sourcing
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PBT’s, carcinogens – binders, pesticides
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Rapidly renewable – wheat, rec. wood
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Security of supply – capacity available
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Packaging – minimal, strapping
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Transportation – rail, truck
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FSC, SCS certified – recovered wood/not
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Free of added formaldehyde - binder
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Sustainable agricultural practices - wheat
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LCA – Sustainable Manufacturing
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Waste minimization
Water minimization
Non-renewable energy minimization
Reduced emissions during manufacturing
Environmental data:
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US EPA - Toxics Release Inventory http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer/
Scorecard - http://www.scorecard.org/
Environment Canada http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/npri/npri_home_e.cfm
Worker injury data
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LCA – Use: IAQ and Performance
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Indoor Air Quality
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California High
Performance School
(CHPS) 1350 emissions –
whole unit testing –
http://www.chps.net/
CHPS Carcinogen
standards
Green Seal
http://www.greenseal.org
/recommendations.htm
Building Green Inc.
http://www.buildinggreen.
com/menus/subtopics.cfm
?TopicID=5
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Performance
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Machinability
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Aesthetics
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Durability
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Strength
Water resistance
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Maintenance/IAQ
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Cabinet Shop findings
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Wheat PB
Recovered wood MDF
Finishes
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LCA – Post Use
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Closed loop recyclable
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Readily down-cycled
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Supplier facilitates end of life disposition
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LCA – General Criteria
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Environmental Statement, Mission
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Facility locations
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Dimensions
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Quality assurance
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Resources – Fiberboard, Isocyanates
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Green Seal Choose Green
Report
http://www.greenseal.org/cgrs
/CGR_PB&MDF.pdf
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ISOCYANATES by Eric
LeBreton
http://www.tc.gc.ca/canutec/e
n/articles/documents/isocy.htm
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Isocyanates - Risk Assessment
and Preventive measures,
Nordic supervisory authorities,
- Copenhagen 2000
http://www.arbeidstilsynet.no/
publikasjoner/rapporter/rapport
1eng.html
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OSHA info http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/isoc
yanates/
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Preventing Asthma and Death
from Diisocyanate Exposure
NIOSH ALERT: 1996
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication
No. 96-111
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ast
hma.html
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report on particleboard/mdf
http://www.fiberfutures.org/p
ages/fiberlinks.html
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KP Decision on Casework
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Pursuing RFP on 3 most promising products
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all are free of added formaldehyde
2 wheat-based products
1 post industrial wood product
all are less expensive than current product!
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For contracted casework, develop specs and
pursue through our GPO
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Overall effort considered big win by the KP
Green Building Committee
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Questions/Comments