Materials Management

Recycling

An Authority-wide recycling program was implemented in 2014, which was made available to all employees at Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA)-controlled facilities. Prior to 2014, paper, cardboard and other recyclable items were being disposed of as part of regular trash collection. Following implementation of the recycling program, these items were collected in separate recycling containers. Recycled products are gathered as single-stream recycling and cardboard and picked up weekly. The recycling program has been extended to include the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla (JRTC). Solid waste and recycling containers can be found in high traffic areas such as the lobby and customer service areas. Additionally, solar-powered trash compactors can be found along the bus terminal. These receptacles can hold much more waste and can notify maintenance staff when they are nearing capacity.

Sustainable Procurement

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) implements sustainable procurement of cleaning and office materials. The Authority uses bio-based cleaning materials for general cleaning and for spill cleanups. A procurement solicitation was issued in Fiscal Year 2015 which included language for cleaning supplies to be in accordance with either the USDA BioPreferred Program, the EPA's Design for the Environment Program, or ECOLOGO Product Certification for Commercial and Institutional Cleaning Supplies. The changes in product selection have significantly reduced the use of harsh chemicals such as bleach. The procurement has also taken steps to make day-to-day operations more sustainable. The procurement team is streamlining their processes, making the work they do more efficient, and reducing resources utilized by going to digital bid submittals and digital evaluations.

Paperless Office

As the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) upgrades its technology and equipment, there is an organization-wide initiative to reduce paper use. Paper use contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and air and water pollution. Many organizations have been able to reduce these impacts by digitizing files and transitioning to a paperless office. In the process, they typically also realize cost avoidance savings. The JTA has already begun to do this by supplying board members with tablets, transitioning to a paperless process for solicitations, and eliminating paper from payroll processing.

Source Reduction

Green purchasing is a key component of a sustainability program. Source reduction through green purchasing has the greatest impact on waste minimization efforts and should be prioritized above other source reduction efforts. In addition, green purchasing allows the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) to choose products that are less toxic, less resource- and energy-intensive, locally sourced, or fairly traded, among other potential environmental and social benefits. Often, such products are available at little to no incremental cost. By prioritizing bulk buying and information technology products that save energy, green procurement programs can result in net savings to the JTA.

Many organizations have acted to reduce waste and pollution by reducing or eliminating the use of single-use plastic water bottles. The Earth Policy Institute estimates more than 30 billion water bottles end up as garbage or litter in the United States every year. Over 80% of empty water bottles are disposed of in landfills rather than being recycled, and water bottles contribute to the heavy toll that plastic pollution takes on wildlife, including fish, turtles, birds, and marine mammals. It takes three liters of water to produce one liter of bottled water. In addition, the cost of bottled water is typically between 300-500 times higher than tap water. The JTA is working to replace single-use water bottles used at internal and external meetings and events by installing water refilling stations at its facilities and providing reusable bottles to employees and guests.

Single-use plastics contribute to a growing litter and pollution problem in the Jacksonville area. Many of these materials end up in our local waterways, and ultimately in the oceans, where they harm wildlife. The United Nations Environmental Program estimates the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050 if current rates of pollution continue. The JTA is helping to address the local and global impacts of single-use plastics by enacting policies that discourage or prohibit the purchase of disposable plastic items for JTA events and routine business. These include expanded polystyrene (EPS) or Styrofoam products as well as disposable plastic items such as drinking straws, cups, cutlery, shopping bags, and beverage containers.