Karl Bruskotter has over 18 years of experience in issues related to environmental and occupational health, and has helped lead the City of Santa Monica’s effort to go green since 2001.  With so many other cities and municipalities starting Green initiatives, DestinationGreen interviewed Bruskotter to learn how Santa Monica has done it:  

Ashkin:  When did the city of Santa Monica go Green?

Bruskotter:  Back in 1992, UCLA conducted a study that determined that many of the cleaning products used by the city were harmful to users, public health and the environment.  Over the next several years, the city responded by setting up one of the first  municipal toxic use reduction programs in the nation and establishing specifications for purchasing “greener” cleaning products.

Ashkin:  What was the process for choosing the Green products?

Bruskotter:   I was not here when the program was first started, but I know that it went out to competitive bid, which proved to be quite challenging since cleaning product distributors were unfamiliar with green cleaning products.  A stakeholder group was facilitated to define the various health and environmental criteria for a green cleaning product since a clear definition  was not available at the time.  Products were tested by custodians throughout the city to evaluate performance of the products.  In 2002-2003, we went out to bid again, using GS-37 as our standard.  Our vendors are also evaluated on the quality of service, the ability to troubleshoot problems, the effectiveness of their product delivery system, labeling and training.

Ashkin:  What were the main obstacles in changing over to environmentally friendly products and procedures?  

Bruskotter:  The perception that green products are not as effective as conventional products is a huge issue to overcome when a program such as this is introduced.  The city currently has 12 – 14 separate groups that buy green cleaning products.  We tried product testing in the past, but differences in opinion made it harder to come to agreement, although it ultimately worked out. Another barrier is the fact that green products aren’t available for all of the needed applications, so we are constantly keeping our eyes open for new products to add to our program. The fact is that any organization with competent staff can implement a successful green cleaning program.

Ashkin:  What else does Santa Monica include in its environmental efforts?

Bruskotter:  We have a Sustainable City Plan that was adopted on September 20, 1994, and was most recently updated in October of 2006 to establish sustainability targets to meet for the year 2010.  This plan includes a set of nine guiding principles we use to address issues related to our city and lists the eight goal areas  for each that we hope to attain in the future. (To see a complete copy of the Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan click here.)  We also run “Be Green” spots on our local cable channel and publish articles in local media and city newsletters to help educate the community and encourage citizens to adopt green practices in their own homes and businesses.  In addition, we have recycling programs and use recycled content paper products in all of our facilities. We have dozens of sustainability programs and the best way to learn about them is to visit our website.

Ashkin:  What advice would you give another city considering undertaking a green initiative?

Bruskotter:  Any city can implement a program like ours.  Since most people are adverse to change, so making the case for the change will be the biggest challenge.  To minimize resistance, end-users should be involved in the process so they can see first-hand what the benefits from the change will be.  By switching to green alternatives, we have reduced spending on custodial products by 5%, improved air quality in city buildings, and our custodians have experienced fewer illnesses.  Local issues should also be addressed in the planning process to help prevent the destruction of surrounding areas.  An example would be how special consideration was given to the preservation of the Santa Monica Bay when programs and practices were being discussed.  You have to start somewhere, so take simple steps to start your program and the rest will follow as different issues are considered.

 

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