Kansas Agencies Forming Green Teams

Kansas Agencies Forming Green Teams



March 2008

In response to an executive 
directive issued by Governor Kathleen Sebelius early in 2007, all 101 
Kansas state agencies and their satellite offices are now recycling. 
They have formed Green Teams as the governor directed, although many of 
them are just getting started as recyclers. Others have been recycling for 
years. 
In all, there are 138 registered locations, and each now has a registered 
profile page on the Kansas Green Team website. 
The governor directed all state offices to implement recycling programs by 
December 2007. 
"Kansas is leading the way in protecting our natural resources and being 
good stewards of our environment," said Governor Sebelius. "I'm proud of 
our Kansas Green Teams who have turned a simple idea into an extraordinary 
accomplishment." 
"Concern for the environment is at a all time high. Here is your chance to 
make a difference. This website will provide you with the tools you need 
to get started," announces the new Kansas State Green Teams 2008 website. 
Green Teams implement waste reduction, recycling and green purchasing in 
their places of work, school or community with guidelines, ideas, and 
information from the state Green Teams program. 
Some state offices are just getting started, but some, such as the 
Department of Revenue, have had recycling programs in place for years. The 
department continues to recycle large amounts of shredded documents daily. 

The Department of Administration has provided large recycling bins on 
every floor located next to the freight elevator. Enhancements made 
recently by Kansas Department of Health and Environment and green team 
efforts provided more options for recycling by placement of bins for 
aluminum cans, plastic bottles, magazines and catalogs. 
The Hutchinson Correction Facility is recycling clothing - making 
discarded denim and linens into quilts that are donated to the Salvation 
Army. The shirts, pants and blanket-lined jean jackets worn by inmates are 
already made within the state's prisons. Now, when the clothes wear out, 
they'll get a second life, said Hutchinson Warden Sam Cline. 
At the Kansas Wildlife & Parks' Great Plains Nature Center, all employees 
have white paper recycling containers in their offices. The breakroom has 
bins for bottles and aluminum cans, and there are bins for newspapers, 
phone books and magazines, styrofoam, printer cartridges, and cell phones. 
Outside is the cardboard dumpster and three white paper dumpsters set 
aside for recycling. 
Some state offices are taking their Green Teams a step further and 
implementing other green practices besides recycling. For example, the 
Landon State Office Building now uses only green cleaning products. Other 
agencies say they will purchase more products that contain recycled 
content. 
The next step for state agencies will be to begin formally tracking the 
results of recycling and waste reduction efforts. An electronic form will 
be available on the Kansas Green Team website by early spring for 
reporting yearly recycling amounts. For now, state offices are being 
encouraged to track estimates for materials being recycled. 
Visit the Kansas Green Teams at: http://www.kansasgreenteams.org

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