Sustainable Facilities Tool

Environmental Programs

Environmental programs help buyers identify products and services with positive environmental attributes.  Below are brief program descriptions for the environmental programs covered in the Green Products Compilation.  Some are mandatory for federal buyers, while others support the achievement of E.O. 13514 and agency sustainability goals.

Learn More About These Programs Below

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BioPreferred

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) manages the BioPreferred program. BioPreferred includes both a preferential procurement program for Federal agencies and their contractors and a voluntary labeling program for the broad scale consumer.  Under the Federal procurement preference program, USDA designates biobased products (e.g., glass cleaners). Federal agencies and their contractors are then required to give preferential consideration to biobased products in the designated BioPreferred product categories when making purchases.  As a part of the designation process, USDA establishes the minimum biobased content for the category. The technical, health, and environmental characteristics of these products are also considered. 

Visit Program Site: BioPreferred

Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) Program

Under the Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG) program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designates products that are or can be made with recovered materials, and recommends practices for buying these products.  Once a product is designated, procuring federal agencies are required to purchase it with the highest recovered material content level practicable.  Buying recycled content products helps to ensure that the materials collected in home and office recycling programs will be used again in the manufacturing of new products.

Visit Program Site: CPG

Design for the Environment (DfE)

The Design for the Environment (DfE) Safer Product Labeling Program, managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), empowers consumers and commercial purchasers to select safer chemical products that do not sacrifice quality or performance.  DfE labels a variety of chemical-based products, such as all-purpose cleaners, laundry detergents, and carpet and floor care products.  The DfE logo indicates that the DfE scientific review team has screened each ingredient for potential human health and environmental effects and that — based on currently available information, EPA predictive models, and expert judgment — the product contains only those ingredients that pose the least concern among chemicals in their class.

Visit Program Site: DfE

Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)

EPEAT® is a comprehensive environmental rating system that makes it easy for purchasers to select environmentally preferable electronic products, and, in doing so, reward manufacturers for their environmental design efforts and create environmental benefits.  Under the EPEAT system, products are measured against both required and optional criteria that cover the full life cycle of electronic products.  A product must meet all of the required criteria in its category to be added to the registry.  It is then rated Bronze, Silver or Gold depending on how many of the optional criteria it meets.  EPEAT is staffed and managed by the Green Electronics Council (GEC), a program of the International Sustainable Development Foundation (ISDF).  Federal agencies must ensure that they meet at least 95 percent of their annual acquisition requirement for electronic products with EPEAT-registered electronic products, unless there is no EPEAT standard for such products.

Visit Program Site: EPEAT

ENERGY STAR Products

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).  The ENERGY STAR label helps consumers identify energy efficient products and practices in over 60 product categories for the home and office.  Products earn the ENERGY STAR label by meeting the energy efficiency requirements set forth in ENERGY STAR product specifications.  These products deliver the same or better performance as comparable models while using less energy and saving money.  Federal agencies are required by law to purchase Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)-designated or ENERGY STAR®-qualified products.

Visit Program Site: ENERGY STAR

Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) sets minimum energy efficiency requirements for product categories that have the potential to generate significant Federal energy savings.  FEMP does not purchase, recognize, endorse, or otherwise identify specific energy-efficient products for Federal procurement.  Instead, FEMP identifies energy efficiency requirements for a category of products, which is typically an energy consumption level within the upper 25% of the product category.  Products that meet FEMP-designated efficiency requirements are in the upper 25% of their class in energy efficiency and may be assumed to be life cycle cost effective.  Federal agencies are required by law to purchase FEMP-designated or ENERGY STAR®-qualified products.  FEMP also maintains a list of products that meet FEMP-designated standby power requirements. 

Visit Program Site: FEMP

Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Low-Standby Power

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) maintains a list of products that meet FEMP-designated standby power requirements.  These are electronic products that consume electricity even when they appear to be turned off.  For many product categories, the ENERGY STAR® program considers standby energy use.  However, for certain product categories identified by FEMP, Federal buyers must ensure that purchases meet both ENERGY STAR and low standby power requirements.  Electronic products not listed by FEMP must meet a standby power level of 1 watt or less unless such a product is not available or is not cost effective in the intended application. In that case, the buyer should seek a product with the lowest standby power level available.

Visit Program Site: FEMP Low-Standby Power

Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP)

The Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA's) program to evaluate and regulate substitutes for the ozone-depleting chemicals that are being phased out under the stratospheric ozone protection provisions of the Clean Air Act.  Under the SNAP Program, EPA publishes a list of acceptable and unacceptable substitutes for ozone-depleting substances based on a specific product end-use.  Substitutes are reviewed on the basis of ozone depletion potential, flammability, toxicity, occupational health and safety, as well as contributions to global warming and other environmental factors.  Acceptable substitutes have been determined to reduce overall risk to human health and the environment.  The SNAP Program does not endorse specific products manufactured by specific companies.

Visit Program Site: SNAP

WaterSense

WaterSense, a partnership program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), seeks to help consumers make smart water choices that save money and maintain high environmental standards without compromising performance.  Independent, third-party licensed certifying bodies certify that products meet EPA criteria for water-efficiency and performance by following testing and certification protocols specific to each product category.  Products and services that have earned the WaterSense label have been certified to be at least 20% more efficient without sacrificing performance.

Visit Program Site: WaterSense