Green Initiatives

The National Press Club continuously works to improve the sustainability of its operations.

Beginning September 2009 the club began a new program to compost much of our waste. Working with EnviRelation, based in Washington, DC, we began to compost all of our food waste along with other appropriate materials such as paper that cannot be otherwise recycled due to food contamination. This is expected to reduce our un-recycled waste by up to 75%. This is in addition to our already strong recycling program where we capture all paper, glass, aluminum and plastic.

Click here for the press release. (PDF Format)

We took on this effort, like our efforts to source wind-based electricity, in order to reduce greenhouse gasses related to our operations. Food waste in landfills gives off methane and in some cases nitrogen oxide. According to the EPA methane is 21 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Additional new efforts in 2009 include a switch to a 50% recycled content office paper and a switch to a Naturally-raised Certified Angus Beef product for our hamburgers. We switched our primary food vendor to Sysco Foodservice. Sysco has an active sustainability program, recognizing that what's good for the environment is what's good for the bottom line. Savings realized here include simple things like the use of cleaning products delivered in block form - eliminating the cost of transporting the water base, adding water at the point of use. They also work with suppliers to reduce chemical use in the field through integrated pest management. Through changes in their distribution system they decreased the distance driven by their trucks by almost 10 million miles from 2007 to 2008.

We began our program in 2001 by working to reduce our electrical demand by replacing incandescent bulbs with standard and dimmable compact fluorescent bulbs. In 2003 and 2004 we replaced old linear fluorescent bulbs and magnetic ballasts with high efficiency bulbs and electronic ballasts. In Fall 2009 we will retrofit wireless occupancy sensors to some of our spaces and install our first LED bulbs. The result of these changes has resulted in decrease in annual kWh demand by 22% as of the end of 2008, all while increasing our level of business. These increased efficiencies affect not just our carbon footprint, but, importantly, our bottom line.

Significantly in October 2007 we began purchasing through Good Energy LP, and Sterling Planet, renewable energy credits equal to 100% of our electric load. This, on top of our efforts to reduce our demand, makes complete the clubs commitment to clean electrical energy. The club purchases annually 1,200,000 kWh of clean, emissions-free wind energy, avoiding 5,428,800 pounds of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere over the course of the 39 month contract. This commitment, in terms of percentage of annual demand and in terms of raw volume, earns the club membership in EPA's Green Power Leadership Club.

Click here for the press release. (PDF Format)

Click here to view a webcast of the announcement.

The longest-running initiative is the use of locally-grown organic produce, which we have used to the fullest extent possible for over 12 years. We purchase through the Tuscarora Organic Cooperative, which works with farmers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This has two environmental benefits. The first is local sourcing, which reduces the carbon load of moving the goods from point of origin to point of use. The second is that organic farming eliminates the negative impact of chemical runoff that pollutes the Chesapeake Bay.

When we needed to replace a badly damaged oak parquet floor in 2005 we chose to replace it with bamboo. Bamboo has not only a beautiful grain, but is essentially a weed, and therefore an endlessly renewable resource. We also would have had to refinish the floor each year if it was an oak floor but we have not had to refinish it as of 2009.

Dyson AirBlade hand dryers were installed in August 2007 to reduce our dependence on approximately 250,000 paper towels each year and to reduce the environmental impacts of use the raw material and the output of solid waste. While we do keep roll-type paper towels in the rest rooms we use 100% recycled product and recycle the waste.

And here we are, proud of what we've accomplished and looking forward to the possibilities of the future!