Buildings
Buildings Environmental Programs

GSA strives to embody the spirit of public service in everything it does. Efforts such as reducing energy consumption, implementing creative and innovative recycling programs, and promoting sustainable design in building construction and renovation projects have become a hallmark of how GSA operates. These environmental efforts make government more efficient, and help GSA to be a responsible steward of our nation’s resources.  In addition, these programs ensure GSA is carrying out social, environmental and other responsibilities as a federal agency.

GSA’s Public Buildings Service (PBS) is building an Environmental Management System to be a cornerstone for its environmental programs. This system will allow PBS to analyze, control, and reduce the environmental impact of its activities, products and services. 

GSA’s Sustainable Design program has been the catalyst for the agency’s success in green building design and construction. Five GSA buildings have achieved the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification. This recognition is a significant accomplishment for GSA. It shows that GSA is among the nation’s best in innovative building design and construction, while constantly keeping environmental considerations at the fore.

In its ongoing pursuit to minimize construction waste from building projects, GSA created the Demolition Derby Awards. The winning projects are those that aggressively work to reduce construction waste by showing impressive reuse rates, recycling rates, and educational opportunities.

GSA has established recycling programs in almost 1,300 government-owned and leased buildings that serve over a half-million federal tenants. In calendar year 2002, those recycling programs recovered 40,250 tons of materials that would have otherwise been deposited in landfills. Most impressive in GSA’s Federal Recycling Program is the $304,000 that was collected from private recycling and reprocessing firms in 2002.  Other than a small administrative fee that is held by GSA to keep the program working, almost all of this money is returned to GSA’s federal agency partners who participate in the recycling program.

GSA offers a variety of environmental products and services to its federal tenants in order to assist them in complying with procurement responsibilities in federal environmental laws and regulations, as well as Energy and Water Management services.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is instrumental in ensuring that GSA's construction program is mindful of the environment.  NEPA ensures that we are integrating environmental considerations into the decisionmaking process. All federal agencies are required to abide by NEPA anytime an agency action/management plan affects the human environment.

ADD To MyGSA PRINTER FRIENDLY
Last Modified 10/18/2004