Environment Risk Reduction
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Green PurchasingThe federal government is probably the single largest consumer in the world, spending over $200 billion annually on a wide variety of products and services. Government purchases, therefore, have significant environmental consequences. Through its purchasing decisions, the federal government can minimize its environmental impact while simultaneously supporting manufacturers that produce environmentally preferable - green - products and services. Green PurchasingWhat is Green Purchasing?Green purchasing at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and other federal facilities means considering environmental factors in purchasing decisions in addition to traditional factors such as performance, price, health, and safety. Green purchasing, also known as affirmative procurement, is procurement of products or services considered to be environmentally preferable, meaning those products that have a comparatively smaller negative effect on human health and the environment. The aim is to eliminate waste, prevent pollution, and improve the quality of the environment. Green ProductsWhat are Green Products?Green products are ideally:
Environmental PreferabilityEnvironmental PreferabilityEnvironmental preferability of a product can be demonstrated at any stage of the product's life cycle (design, raw material acquisition, manufacturing, packaging, transportation, distribution, maintenance, and disposal). Preferability is also a function of the local conditions in which the product is being used. Environmental preferability is comparative among products for the same function, and this means that there is almost always room for improvement in any product choice. EO 13101Executive Order 13101Green purchasing is not optional — it is required by Executive Order 13101: The Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition. Executive Order 13101 and section 23.704 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation require agencies to identify and purchase green products and services. DOEDOE and Green Purchasing at LANLThe Department of Energy's (DOE) goal for green purchasing at LANL is to have 100% of the purchases of items in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-designated categories contain recycled content except when the items are not available at a reasonable price or do not meet performance standards. This goal is an Appendix F performance measure included in LANL's contract with the Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
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