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Hands-On Tools
A number of general environmentally preferable purchasing tools have been developed by EPA and other federal agencies to assist federal purchasers with putting environmentally preferable purchasing into practice.
There are also many product-specific tools that have been developed by EPA and other government and private organizations, including tools for:
General Tools
Database of Environmental Information for Products and Services
Searchable database of product-specific information developed by public and private organizations, both domestically and internationally, including:
- Contract language, specifications, and policies
- Environmental standards and guidelines
- Lists of vendors that meet these standards
- Other information
Promoting Green Purchasing: Tools and Resources to Quantify the Benefits of EPP (PDF) (15 pp, 593 KB, About PDF)
Guide outlining existing tools and resources that can help develop quantitative estimates of the projected benefits of making new environmentally preferable purchasing choices and to document the estimated benefits of past actions.
Green Purchasing Training
The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive has information about online and classroom green purchasing training, as well as contact information for both public and private sector training sources.
General Services Administration's SmartPay® Purchase Card Training
Training tool developed by GSA to help federal purchasers properly design and carry out a purchasing plan.
EPP Assistant 
Purchasing prioritization tool that allows users to quantify and prioritize their green purchasing efforts through life cycle assessment. The EPP Assistant was developed by the University of New Hampshire and Sylvatica, through a grant from the EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Product Specific Tools
Building & Construction
Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers
Comprehensive guide to procuring green building products and construction services within the Federal government. EPA partnered with the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive and the Whole Building Design Guide to develop the Guide for Specifiers.
Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES)
The BEES 3.0 software allows users to compare environmental and economic costs of competing products to assist in the selection of building materials.
Building Energy Software Tools Directory
Directory of over 340 building software tools for evaluating energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability in buildings.
Whole Building Design Guide Tools Index
Internet-based portal with information on a variety of desktop or Web-based tools used in the building industry.
Indoor Air Quality Education and Analysis Model (I-BEAM)
Computer model for building professionals and others interested in assessing and maintaining indoor air quality in commercial buildings.
San Francisco's Green Building Project Reporting and Information Tool (GreenPRINT)
Web-based application for city professionals who are working on all phases of the design and construction of municipal green building projects in San Francisco. The tool is easily adapted for use in other cities.
Pharos
Pharos is a project of Healthy Building Network, in partnership with Center for Clean Products and Clean Technologies at the University of Tennessee and other organizations. The Pharos framework proposes categories of environmental concern for analysis of green building. These categories cover health, resource sustainability, and social justice (e.g., occupant exposure, renewable materials, and corporate responsibility).
Cleaning
Green Cleaning Pollution Prevention CalculatorCalculator that quantifies the projected environmental benefits of purchasing and using green janitorial services and products.
Electronics
Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)
Procurement tool to help institutional purchasers evaluate, compare, and select electronic equipment based on their environmental attributes.
Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator (EEBC)
Calculator that estimates the environmental benefits of greening the purchase, use and disposal of electronics. The EEBC was developed by the University of Tennessee, with support from Abt Associates and Dillon Environmental Associates, under a cooperative agreement with EPA.
ENERGY STAR® Product Savings Calculators
Series of calculators that quantify the cost savings associated with using ENERGY STAR certified products over traditional models.
Fleets
Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center
Database of fueling stations for compressed natural gas, 85% ethanol, liquefied petroleum gas/propane, biodiesel, electric, hydrogen, and liquefied natural gas. Also includes a route mapper, station counts and customizable database queries.
Federal Automotive Statistical Tool (FAST)
Online system developed to assist federal agencies in meeting the data reporting requirements related to fleet purchase and management. Use is limited to specified federal officials.
Freight Logistics Environmental and Energy Tracking Performance Model (FLEET Performance Model)
Model that quantifies the environmental performance of fleet operations.
Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Cost Calculator Tool
Flex Fuel Vehicle (FFV) Cost Calculator Tool
Calculators that allow an organization to compare the costs, benefits, and emissions of HEVs and FFVs to those of conventional vehicles. It can be used to compare single vehicles or full fleets.
Paper
Paper Calculator
Calculator that allows an organization to compare the environmental impacts of different paper choices across the entire life cycle of five major grades of paper.