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Purchasing
Choosing products and services that reduce our environmental impact
The United States has 5% of the world's population, yet we consume approximately 25% of its resources (EPA, About EPP). We can reduce our use of resources and the negative impacts of our choices through Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP). With EPP, purchasing decisions include a product or service's performance, safety, price, and environmental factors such as:
-
Recycled
content - Toxic constituents
- Reusability and recyclability
- Energy and water efficiency
By purchasing products and services – at work and at home – that reduce pollution, improve energy efficiency, and conserve natural resources, we can lower costs, improve health and safety, and help protect the environment.
The U.S. federal government is the single largest consumer of goods and services in the U.S., spending more than $200 billion annually (EPA, About EPP). At EPA New England, our Green Team has led the development of an EPP program to help us reduce the environmental burdens of our purchases while ensuring we comply with the laws and Executive Orders that govern what we buy. Our program also helps create a market demand for preferable products while setting a positive example for the private sector, consumers and other government entities. A few examples of our EPP successes include:
Recycled Content Paper – We purchase 100% post-consumer recycled content copy paper for our computer printers and copy machines. This change in our purchasing practices proceeded with few operational problems and well exceeds the 30% post-consumer standard established by the EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines for recycled content products. Purchasing recycled content paper improves the end market for paper collected in recycling programs and encourages market development for products made from recycled content. Because each printer and copier operates differently, some research might be needed to find the best brand of recycled paper to fit your machine. Learn more about recycled paper and EPP.
Use the Paper Calculator
to compare the environmental impacts of papers made with different levels of recycled content, ranging from 0% (virgin paper) to 100%. See how using less paper or changing other specifications can reduce environmental impacts.
Remanufactured Toner Cartridges – We use remanufactured toner cartridges in our laser printers. Remanufactured cartridges are used at least once, and then disassembled, cleaned and refilled. High quality remanufactured cartridges are equivalent in performance, print quality and page yield to new models. The recovery and reuse of toner cartridges diverts non-biodegradable material from landfills. Learn more about remanufactured toner cartridges.
Re-refined Motor Oil – Our vehicle fleet is maintained with re-refined oil, that has been refined to remove the contaminants from use and blended with additives to ensure performance. It is subject to the same refining, compounding and performance standards as virgin oil. Learn more about re-refined oil.
Janitorial Products – Many cleaning products contain hazardous and toxic materials that present risks to janitorial staff, building occupants, and the environment. We have replaced certain janitorial cleaning products with those that are Green Seal certified .
EPA New England also hosts an annual Green Expo. Scheduled to
coincide with Earth Day, the event provides an opportunity for
vendors to display environmentally
preferable products and services. Learn
more about the Green Expo.
Resources are available to help you locate sustainable products, market a product, or develop an EPP program for your home or organization. Use the links below to learn more.
Product CategoriesENERGY STAR® Program
Find
energy savings calculators, purchasing specifications, vendor
locator, and a database of energy efficient products for consumers,
businesses and government.
Federal Buy Recycled Products
Through the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG), EPA designates
over 50 recycled content product categories and suggests recycled
content ranges based on studies of market availability and product
performance. Find a database of suppliers searchable by
state.
EPA Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program
Designed for institutional purchasers but useful for everyone,
this EPA site features a database of "green" procurement
language, EPP publications, case studies, policy documents, tip
sheets, and EPP links.
Center for a New American Dream
Nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing North America's
pattern of over-consumption. A wide range of tools, documents,
and databases assists consumers as well as state and local governments
with "green" purchasing efforts.
Selling Environmental Products to
the Government, Your Map to the Federal Marketplace, US EPA, Office
of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, October 2000 (PDF) (26 pp., 1.01 MB, about
PDF)
Many companies manufacture or distribute products that present
fewer potential risks to human health and the environment. This
booklet provides information to vendors to help them enter the
federal marketplace and increase the availability of green products.
EPP
Updates
EPA publishes this newsletter each year to announce and describe
new EPP initiatives, policies, tools and resources.
EPPnet
Established by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC) in 1998, the EPPnet links federal, state, and local environmental officials with private procurement specialists charged with purchasing green products and services and developing policies for the procurement of these products. EPPnet is intended to provide subscribers with quick access to information, such as: availability of product specifications, vendors of particular products, pricing information, and strategies to achieve recycled product procurement goals and federal procurement policies. Private vendors are precluded from joining the listserv.
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