Aug 05, 2009

Offers Students a Direct Line to Developing Important Sustainability Standards
Sustainable development considers the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, according to ASTM E2114, Terminology for Sustainability Relative to the Performance of Buildings, a standard under the jurisdiction of ASTM International Committee E60 on Sustainability.

And that consideration of future generations — who have a vested interest in the world they will inherit — accounts for the decision to establish Subcommittee E60.95 on Student Liaison and Affairs within Committee E60.

“Our intent with the student subcommittee is to formalize a voice for future generations in the sustainability committee,” says Dru Meadows, principal of theGreenTeam Inc. and Committee E60 chair.

Now, the first chair of E60.95 has been appointed; Caitlin Augustin, an industrial engineering student at the University of Miami and the ASTM-sponsored participant in the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering for 2009, is leading the group.

Augustin comments that it is important for students to be part of the standards process. “We will be the next generation of engineers, scientists, and industry professionals, and it is essential to have a strong background and understanding of the standards that govern our areas of work,” she says.

Plans for Student Collaboration in Standards Development
While Subcommittee E60.95 serves as an administrative subcommittee, its members will be able to comment on proposed standards through the subcommittee chair, discuss sustainability topics and possibly share new draft standards.

An important early step for Subcommittee E60.95 will be establishing an online area where students can discuss current topics within the scope of E60 such as infrastructure and packaging or other subjects being discussed on college and university campuses. In addition, students would channel comments on proposed E60 standards and revisions through the E60.95 chair.

“Students are becoming increasingly green- and sustainability-minded, and have valuable insight,” Augustin says. E60.95 will provide a means for students to have input into E60 activities.

First Two Standards Proposed by Students
E60.95 members will also be able to originate proposed standards for consideration by the committee. Two proposed standards have already come from students at the Oklahoma State University Environmental Institute; these documents will be registered as work items and balloted before the fall E60 meeting.

The draft standards include the following:
A proposed standard that details requirements for establishing a verifiable chain of custody for use in marketing claims and extended producer responsibility. The practice, intended to apply to all types of claims, applies to two or more stages in a product’s life cycle from acquisition of raw materials, processing and manufacture, to use and end of life.

A proposed classification for extended producer responsibility that establishes the minimum environmental characteristics that should be considered when declaring a reclamation program for a product or a product-service system. The document would serve as a reference for analyzing and evaluating reclamation programs.

Online: Short Presentation
There is a 10 minute, voice-over slide presentation giving an overview of Subcommittee E60.95, Committee E60, ASTM International and student membership. Go to www.astm.org/studentmember and click on “View short video about E60.95” under Latest News, or contact Caitlin Augustin, E60.95 chair (c.augustin@umiami.edu). For more information about Committee E60, contact Dru Meadows (phone: 918-295-8326; dmeadows@thegreenteaminc.com) or Stephen Mawn, ASTM (phone: 610-832-9726; smawn@astm.org).

ASTM International welcomes and encourages participation in the development of its standards. ASTM’s open consensus process, using advance Internet-based standards development tools, ensures worldwide access for all interested individuals.

Release #8329