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Federal Green Challenge

2020 Federal Green Challenge Awards

Congratulations to the Federal Green Challenge Award Winners!

Graphic that celebrates 2020 FGC participantsRecognition is a key element of the EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Program and the Federal Green Challenge (FGC). FGC awards this year are data driven awards, given in the five target areas of Waste, Electronics, Purchasing, Water and Transportation, are based on the greatest percentage of change over the previous year.

The 2020 FGC awards recognize the achievements of participating facilities in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. In FY19, 260 federal facilities took steps to improve efficiency, save resources and reduce costs as part of the Challenge. Participants saved over $36 million across natural gas, fuel oil, paper purchasing, water and municipal solid waste (MSW) categories.

Across five of the main target areas, we are pleased to recognize the following FGC participants for their significant efforts in improving the sustainability of their facilities and for their leadership in reducing the environmental footprint of federal government activities, which saves taxpayer dollars and conserves energy.

2020 National and Regional Awardees

2020 National Award Winners

Improvement by Target Area – Highest Increased Percentage Over Previous Year

Waste:

  • Department of Veterans Affairs, James E Van Zandt VA Medical Center, Altoona, Penn., composted over 338 tons of materials relating to a stormwater retention swale and Victory Garden renovation.

Electronics:

  • Drug Enforcement Administration, Western Laboratory, Pleasanton, Calif., increased electronics recycled through a 3rd party certified recycler or donated to colleges/universities by 92.9 percent.
  • Department of Defense, Massachusetts (Barnes) Air National Guard, 104th Fighter Wing, Westfield, Mass., purchased 336 units of EPEAT certified Gold Level registered equipment, a 34 percent increase while diverting 2,619 lbs. of electronic waste from municipal solid waste.

Purchasing:

  • Department of Veterans Affairs, Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minn., purchased 31 percent less paper FY19.
  • Department of Veterans Affairs, Manchester Medical Center, Manchester, N.H., achieved a 6.6 percent (1,980 pound) reduction in copy paper use through default duplexing and enabling electronic meeting capabilities.

Water:

  • Department of Veterans Affairs, Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minn., reduced its landscaping irrigation water usage by over one million gallons in FY19.

Transportation:

  • Department of Veterans Affairs, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, North Little Rock, Ark., reduced its internal combustion engine vehicles from 100 in 2018 to 11 in 2019, resulting in an 89 percent improvement.
  • Department of Energy, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Ill., instituted a telework policy that decreased the number of commuting miles not traveled by 69 percent.

Learn more about our 2020 National Awardees

2020 Regional Award Winners

Northeast (Region 2)

  • Waste Diversion and Electronics:
    • Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Caribbean Healthcare System, San Juan, Puerto Rico
    • Department of Energy, Princeton Plasma Physics Lab (PPPL), Princeton, N.J.
  • Electronics:
    • Department of Energy, Brookhaven National Laboratories, Upton, N.Y.
  • Waste:
    • Department of Defense, US Army Reserve 99th Regional Support Command, Fort Dix, N.J.
    • Department of Defense, Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico
    • General Services Administration, Daniel Patrick Moynihan Court House, New York City, N.Y.
    • General Services Administration, Peter Rodino Federal Building Newark, N.J.
    • General Services Administration, Hanley FB Syracuse, N.Y.
    • General Services Administration, 20 Washington Place, New York City, N.Y.
    • General Services Administration, Leo O’Brien Federal Building, Albany, N.Y.
    • General Services Administration, Brient Court House, White Plains, N.Y.
    • General Services Administration, Keating FB Rochester, N.Y.
  • Waste and Water:
    • General Services Administration, Ronald H. Brown US Mission (United Nation Plaza), New York City, N.Y.
    • General Services Administration, 26 Federal Plaza New York City, N.Y.
    • General Services Administration, Martin Luther King, Jr, US Court House, Newark, N.J.
    • General Services Administration, 201 Varick St. New York City, N.Y.
    • General Services Administration, Foley Court House, Albany, N.Y.
  • Learn more!

Great Lakes (Region 5)

  • Energy: Department of Veterans Affairs, Minneapolis Veterans Administration, Minneapolis, Minn.
  • Electronics, Innovation, Waste, and Water: Department of Energy, Argonne National Lab, Lemont, Ill.
  • Learn more!

South Central (Region 6)

  • Innovation, Electronics, Transportation and Education and Outreach: Department of Veterans Affairs, Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center, Bonham, Texas
  • Waste: General Services Administration A. Maceo Smith Federal Building, Dallas, Texas
  • Water: General Services Administration, OKC Federal Bldg, Oklahoma City, Okla.
  • Water: General Services Administration, The Centre Phase 5, Texas
  • Learn more!

Pacific Southwest (Region 9)

  • Leadership: Drug Enforcement Administration, Western Laboratory, Pleasanton, Calif.
  • Innovation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Region 5, Vallejo, Calif.
  • Energy: General Services Administration, 1st Street Federal Courthouse, Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Water: Department of Defense, US Army Reserve 63rd Regional Support Command, Mountain View, Calif.
  • Learn more!

Pacific Northwest & Alaska (Region 10)

  • Waste, Innovation and Water: Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, Ore.
  • Energy: Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, Seattle Base Support Unit, Seattle, Wash.
  • Learn more!

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