EPA adds waste and materials tracker to Energy Star Portfolio Manager

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released a new feature for its Energy Star Portfolio Manager, which allows building owners and managers to track waste and materials.

The feature, offered free of charge like all features in the Energy Star Portfolio Manager, will help reduce waste and increase the reuse of material in building, creating a more sustainable building management approach that conserves resources, supports the maintenance of a healthy environment and boosts the economic competitiveness of local communities.

Of the 150 million tons of American waste that annually ends up at incinerators or landfills, commercial buildings and manufacturing activities account for up to 45 percent, or 67.5 million tons. This waste contributes to climate change through the greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants generated when it is transported to the waste facilities and when it decomposes or is burned.

The EPA’s newest Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool came about through an industry stakeholder and EPA collaboration, with input from both the EPA Energy Star and Sustainable Materials Management programs. The portfolios has been put to use in more than 450,000 U.S. buildings, accounting for more than 40 percent of the country’s commercial spaces, and more than 10,000 buildings in Canada.