'Green the Capitol' initiatives save energy, set a good example

WASHINGTON -- Two years ago, the Capitol was full of trash — literally.

The House of Representatives alone used to dispose of 240,000 meal remains each month, all served on plastic plates or in Styrofoam containers. It was all thrown in the trash and taken to landfills, says Karissa Marcum, deputy press secretary for the chief administrative officer for the House of Representatives.

But in January 2007, the House committed to becoming a greener, more energy-efficient institution. It started with simple changes, such as switching to more eco-friendly products and finding better ways to dispose of waste products, says Marcum.

The goals of the "Green the Capitol" program, implemented by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, were threefold: to change to more environmentally friendly food service products; to shift to renewable energy sources; and to switch from using coal to natural gas.

Today, the House cafeteria is on its way to becoming a zero-waste facility. It sent 880 tons of food service waste in 2008 to commercial composting facilities that turn trash into soil, according to the program's year-end report.

To do this, the House switched all food service materials, such as bowls, plates and utensils, to a plastic substitute made from fermented corn starch, called polylactic acid, PLA for short. The materials are composted through a pulper, which grinds almost all waste to reduce its weight, says House chef Tom Green.

With the exception of potato-chip bags and a few other products, nearly all waste is now compostable.

While most PLA items are not cheaper in comparison with their counterparts, their cost is going down as other companies are competing for their business, says Green.

"(Twenty) months ago, we were the only show in town. We were driving it, and now we're competing with other places in town that are getting involved" in green initiatives.

In addition to switching to PLA products, the House also switched to healthier meal options. Marcum says the cafeteria had your "typical hamburgers, french fries, tater tots — cafeteria food."