Greening Mass Transit & Metro Regions: The Final Report - MTA

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• Develop a form for requesting “end-of-cycle” plans from MTA suppliers and contractors.
• Develop an extension or adaptation of the LCA plan for rating MTA facilities, as recommended in the Facilities chapter
of this report.
• Develop special guidelines based on materials analysis used by the MTA Smart Fleets Task Force to reduce car weights
and traction power, as described in the Energy/Carbon chapter of this report. Such analysis of vehicle materials and
components can eventually be integrated into the overall materials flow plan.
Lifecycle Analysis Process
Design
Supply Manuf.
Environ.
Information flow
Environ.
Sell Use Reuse
Environ.
Material flow Interactive with environment
Recommendation 4. Seek More Revenue and Energy Potential from MTA Waste
As it develops a unified materials baseline, the MTA should identify more opportunities to turn parts of its waste stream
from a liability into an asset. The MTA should enhance its efforts to expand markets for its waste and pursue the potential
for generating revenue from customer and industrial waste. The Commission also recommends that the MTA explore
opportunities to turn its non-recyclable organic waste into energy by using Anaerobic Digester Gas (ADG) or other
systems to generate electricity on a renewable basis, possibly in partnership with NYSERDA or other partners.
Recommendation 5. Flex Market Power to Promote Green Goods
The MTA should flex its market power to spur the creation of green goods and services in New York State, Connecticut,
and the mid-Atlantic states. The MTA should procure fleets, equipment, and materials with energy-efficient technologies
to aid in the reduction of CO2 emissions and hazardous materials and to fuel innovation in the development of sustainable
technologies. This would extend to rail, bus, and car fleets, as well as to lighting fixtures, water appliances, and other equipment.
The MTA should also use its market power to demand the reduction of
Green Ideas from MTA Employees unnecessary packaging in the products and materials it purchases. As a large
"We've done a lot of interest- regional consumer, the MTA’s procurement criteria can help drive green production
ing work on investigating throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
new products and materials
to make rolling stock into
more sustainable, smart
“What Gets Measured Gets Managed“ – The MTA Green Action Plan
fleets. The trick is light-
The MTA’s recently conceived Green Procurement Action Plan will identify material cycles with the greatest
weighting subway cars to reduce traction power
measurable impact on the MTA’s ecological and carbon footprints. To be launched by the end of 2009, the
without compromising safety. The MTA needs to
initial plan will aim to reduce consumption of office paper, toner, plastics, and ink and identify recycled and
stay out front on this kind of materials research
other green products. The Plan will also provide guidance for standardizing and managing green office policies
that will allow us to reduce our energy usage
across all MTA agencies. It will help procurement departments define terms, evaluate products, and justify price
and carbon emissions."
premiums for greener products.
– Gene Sansone, New York City Transit
Dispos.
Source: http://www.congrex.nl/08c13/presentations%5Cpde2008-30-vanExel.ppt.