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Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing

Recommended Standards and Ecolabels

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The full list of recommendations is also available as a PDF (updated August 2020). Inclusion in the Recommendations is not an endorsement by EPA of the standards/ecolabels or of any of the products conformant to these standards/ecolabels, but rather a statement that the standard/ecolabel meets EPA’s Guidelines.

The Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels are a tool intended to help federal purchasers efficiently and effectively identify and procure environmentally sustainable products and services. The tool also helps the Federal government meet their agency’s sustainability goals, and comply with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA), the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 (PPA), policy directives from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Executive Order 13834, as described in the frequent questions section of this webpage. The federal government is the single largest purchaser in the U.S., spending more than $550 billion on products and services each year. The recommendations currently cover 25 key federal purchase categories and include over 40 private sector standards/ecolabels for use in federal procurement.

On this page:

Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels

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The recommendations are based on an independent assessment of private sector environmental performance standards and ecolabels against the EPA Guidelines for Environmental Performance Standards and Ecolabels. Where an independent assessment of a standard or ecolabel against the Guidelines does not exist, the recommendations are based on specifications, environmental performance standards and ecolabels selected and utilized by other agencies. Currently, the recommendations include standards and ecolabels from:

In general, the recommendations give preference to multi-attribute (i.e., life-cycle based) standards and ecolabels that address key product hotspots for which EPA has been able to confirm the availability of a competent certification body that is either:

  • Accredited by an accreditation body that is a signatory to the International Accreditation Forum Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (IAF MLA) and has the relevant standard in the scope of its accreditation, or
  • Otherwise meets Section III of EPA’s Guidelines.

Federal purchasers can visit GSA's Green Procurement Compilation to see all relevant federal green purchasing requirements for any product or service, including EPA’s Recommendations.

The assessment summaries provide detailed information regarding the standards and ecolabels in the recommendations. Please email epp@epa.gov to request a copy of a standard/ecolabel’s full Pilot Guidelines assessment. Note that these are only available for standards/ecolabels identified with footnote 1.

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Instructions for US Federal Government Employees on How to Access Standards for Free

The following links exit the site ExitIf you are a US federal government employee who would like access to one of the standards and ecolabels recommended by EPA, please follow the instructions below. The developers of these standards and ecolabels will make them available free of charge to federal government employees for reference and review purposes. Please email EPP@epa.gov if you have any difficulties accessing the below standards/ecolabels free of charge.

Federal agency representatives can contact their agency’s Standards Executive for further assistance.

Access Recommended Standards and Ecolabels Free of Charge:

Instructions: Click the following links to gain access to the following standards/ecolabels. Federal government employees should contact the organization directly to gain free access to the standard/ecolabel.

Access Recommended UL Standards Free of Charge:

Instructions: If you do not already have a registered account visit UL to create one. Anyone with a .gov email address will gain access to the standard free of charge. Once the account is created follow the instructions below:

  1. Click the desired standard below which will take you to the UL website.
  2. Click the red "Purchase Options" button. It will take you to a new page, select "Secure PDF" with no fee, then click the red "Add to Cart" button.
  3. On the next page click the red "Checkout" button.
  4. If not already logged in, you will be asked for your log in information here. Log in and proceed to the next page and click the red "Checkout" button.
  5. On the next page click the red "Go to Download PDF" button and follow the directions to download. You then should have full access to the following standards:

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Find Products Certified to the Recommended Standards and Ecolabels

To search for products that meet the recommended standards or ecolabels, browse the product registry links per product category listed below. Please note that this is not intended to be a comprehensive list.  There could be other Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) or other organizations that manage registries of certified products that may not be listed here.

Inclusion in the Recommendations is not an endorsement by EPA of the standards/ecolabels or of any of the products conformant to these standards/ecolabels, but rather a statement that the standard/ecolabel meets EPA’s Guidelines.

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Cafeteria


Take-Out Service: Containers, Cutlery, Dishware

Commercial Dishwasher Detergent

Construction

Adhesives

Carpet

Ceiling Tiles-Acoustical

Fiberboard, Gypsum Panels, and Wallboard

Flooring

Insulation

Interior Latex Paint

Custodial

Cleaners: Carpet, Glass, Multipurpose

Floor Care

Hand Soap

Toilet Tissue

Towels- Paper

Wastebasket Liners (24" x 33" or smaller)

Electronics

Computers: Desktops, Notebooks (including 2-in-1 notebooks), Displays, Integrated Desktop Computers, Workstation Desktops, Thin Clients, and Slates/Tablets

Electronics Recycling Services

Imaging Equipment: Printers, Copiers, Multi-Function Devices, Scanners, Fax Machines, Digital Duplicators, Mailing Machines

Mobile Phones

Servers

Televisions

Grounds/Landscaping

Deicer

Machine Shop Operations

Parts Wash Solution

Office/Furniture

Copy Paper

Furniture

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Frequent Questions

What are the Authorities that Guide the Recommendations?

The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 (PPA), section 6604(b)(11), directs EPA to identify opportunities to use Federal Procurement to encourage pollution prevention.  The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 48 CFR 23.703(b)(1) directs agencies to "Maximize the utilization of environmentally preferable products and services (based on EPA-issued guidance).” EPA’s Recommendations serve as this guidance. The Recommendations leverage private sector standards and federal purchasing power to prevent pollution in line with requirements for the Federal Government to give preference to private sector standards in federal procurement as described in the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) (Section 12d), and OMB Circular A-119: Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities.

Additionally, the Recommendations help meet goals set out in Executive Order 13834 on Efficient Federal Operations issued by President Trump on May 17, 2018. Section 2 of E.O. 13834, requires federal agencies to "Acquire, use, and dispose of products and services, including electronics, in accordance with statutory mandates for purchasing preference, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requirements, and other applicable Federal procurement policies". 

How did EPA develop the Recommendations?

The recommendations are based on either 1) an assessment per EPA’s Guidelines for Environmental Performance Standards and Ecolabels (via a Pilot that ran from March 2015 through December 2016); or 2) analysis and use by other federal agencies. For this second avenue, currently, the recommendations include standards and ecolabels from the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Priority Products List and the General Services Administration's (GSA's) Key Sustainable Products.  These were issued as Interim Recommendations on September 25, 2015.

The National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA, PL 104-113), Office of Management and Budget Circular A-119 (OMB A-119) (PDF) (43 pp, 505 K, About PDF) and Guidance on Federal Conformity Assessment (15 CFR Part 287) direct federal agencies to coordinate their conformity assessment activities (e.g., certification, testing, and other activities to assess conformance to procurement or other requirements) with those of the private sector to reduce unnecessary duplication. 15 CFR Part 287 and OMB A-119 provide guidance for each Federal agency to use in evaluating the efficacy and efficiency of its conformity assessment activities.  The information on availability of competent certification bodies contained in Section III is intended to assist Federal agencies in complying with these federal laws and policies relating to conformity assessment of ecolabels and standards.

In addition, EPA has noted where standards have followed the practices of the development of “Voluntary Consensus Standards” as defined by Office and Management Budget Circular A-119. Section 12(d) of The National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA, PL 103-114) calls federal agencies to use Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) in lieu of government‐unique standards in their procurement and regulatory activities, except where inconsistent with law or otherwise impractical. 

Federal agency representatives can contact their agency’s Standards Executive for further guidance on implementing the NTTAA, OMB A-119 and 15 CFR 287.

The 2015-2016 Guidelines Pilot
On March 19th, 2015, EPA issued a Federal Register Notice to launch a pilot to assess standards and ecolabels against draft guidelines in three product categories: furniture; flooring; and paints/coatings.

Pilot Timeline:
• March 2015: Pilot and draft guidelines announced in Federal Register; Panel and Governance Committee (GC) members solicited (see below). 
• September 2015: Panels and GC convened in Washington, DC by Resolve, Inc, contractor to EPA, to establish the charter and operating procedures (PDF) (6 pp, 160 K, About PDF) and begin developing criteria and example sources of evidence per the draft guidelines. 
• March 2016: Pilot criteria and Information Collection Request (ICR) posted in the Federal Register; applicant standards development organizations and ecolabels solicited to volunteer for the pilot assessment. 
• June/July 2016: Initial Independent Assessment Entity (IAE) assessment conducted, by Industrial Economics, contractor to EPA. 
• August 2016: Applicants responded with additional sources of evidence and comments on the initial assessment. 
• September 2016: Initial results, applicant comments, and lessons learned shared with pilot community (Panels, GC, and applicants). 
• October 2016: Panel and GC provided comments on final pilot Guidelines and post-pilot approaches. 
• November 2016: EPA made slight adjustments to and finalized the pilot Guidelines based on comments; IAE reassessed based on new evidence, applicant comments, and guidelines adjustments. 
• December 2016: EPA updated the recommendations of specifications, standards, and ecolabels per the pilot assessments.

Within the pilot, the product category panels and the service sector panel included a set of experts, with balanced participation from the following stakeholder groups: producers, users, environmental and public health/regulatory, and the standards and ecolabel community. The governance committee included representatives from the panels (one from each of the four panels), elected by the panels, as well as additional individuals who were not Panel members, but instead focused on the pilot’s broader objectives while adding balance and credibility to the GC. More information about who participated in the Pilot along with a list of involved stakeholders.

How will EPA update these recommendations?

EPA will review its recommendations periodically and update them based on assessments per the guidelines or other federal agency analyses/assessments if/when they become available or are updated. Assessments are prioritized by product and service categories which "represent the largest share of procurement spending across agencies and potential environmental impact."

Please send any suggestions on how to further improve the recommendations of specifications, standards, and ecolabels, or any other related comments to EPP@epa.gov.

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Update History

July 2020​

  • Aligned with updates to the FY2021 DOE GreenBuy Award Program, Priority Products list by adding the following recommended standards and ecolabels:
    • UL 2795 (Standard for Sustainability for Carpet and Upholstery Care Products) to the “Cleaners: Carpet, Glass and Multipurpose” category.
    • Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), Certified Compostable to the “Wastebasket Liners” category.
    • Green SealTM 34 (Standard for Cleaning and Degreasing Agents) and Ecologo/UL 2792 (Standard for Cleaning and Degreasing Compounds: Biologically-based) to a new category “Machine Shop Operations,” sub-category “Parts Wash Solution”.
    • e-Stewards® Standard for Responsible Reuse and Recycling of Electronics Equipment© (e-Stewards®) and Responsible Recycling (R2) standard to a new category under “Electronics” for “Electronics Recycling Services”.
    • EPEAT (highest rating available) to a new “Servers” subcategory under “Electronics”.
  • Aligned with updates to GSA’s Public Building Service, Key Sustainable Products list by adding the following standard/ecolabel:
    • Ecologo/UL 175 (Standard for Sustainability for Sanitary Paper Products) to the “toilet tissue” and “towels- paper” categories.

January 2020

  • Removed Floorscore from the "Carpet" category. In consultation with SCS, it was confirmed that this ecolabel is not applicable in this category and it had been added in error.

July 2019

To align with the Implementing Instructions for Executive Order 13834 on Efficient Federal Operations (issued April 2019), the following updates were made:

  • Added logos for each recommended private sector standard/ecolabel to provide some visual clarity.
  • Added links to lists of products certified under each standard/ecolabel to help federal purchasers quickly and easily find products that meet the sustainability recommendations for each category.
  • Added links to directions on how to access the standards/ecolabel criteria under each product category to help federal purchasers more easily find this information.
  • Updated language to indicate that the Recommendations are a tool for helping federal purchasers identify environmentally preferable products - including products that meet statutory requirements - but are no longer mandatory guidance for federal purchasers.

June 2018

  • Removed the Lumber/Wood product category. 

February 2018

  • Updated the format of the Recommendations to increase clarity and respond to stakeholder feedback.
  • Mobile Phones has been added to the "Electronics" product category.

December 2017

  • As had been communicated on the website since early 2017, the indoor air quality/VOC specification for furniture was changed from ANSI/BIFMA X7.1 Standard for Formaldehyde and TVOC Emissions, or equivalent to BIFMA e3 criterion 7.6.2, or equivalent. 

June 14, 2017

  • Edited the recommendation of UL standards to also reference UL’s Ecologo certification in the following product categories (cafeteria, construction, custodial, and office/furniture) to better align with DOE’s GreenBuy Program and GSA’s Key Sustainable Products.

March 7, 2017

  • Updated format of recommendations to further clarify differences between applicable statutory requirements and applicable EPA programs.
  • Added a specification regarding indoor air quality/emissions in the furniture product category to address a potential gap in the recommended multi-attribute standards.
  • Updated recommendations to reflect the outcome of new assessments in the carpet & interior latex paints product categories. 

December 19, 2016

  • Updated recommendations to reflect EPA’s assessment of standards and ecolabels submitted for review in these categories: furniture, flooring, and paints/coatings.
  • Improved the format of the recommendations for all product categories.
  • Responded to stakeholder input and technical input from EPA’s Office of Indoor Air regarding appropriate VOC emissions criteria and available conformity assessment bodies providing assessment against this criteria in the following product categories:
    • Adhesives;
    • Carpet;
    • Ceiling Tiles-Acoustical;
    • Fiberboard, Gypsum Panels, and Wallboard;
    • Flooring- Tile, Resilient, and other Non-Carpet;
    • Insulation;
    • Interior Latex Paint;
    • Furniture.
  • Aligned with updates to the FY2017 DOE Priority Products List by adding Commercial Dishwashing Detergent and by removing two product categories: Toner Cartridges and Parts Wash Solution for Machine Shop Operations.

August 1, 2016

  • Added contact information on how to send suggestions about the EPA Interim Recommendations. Please contact EPP@epa.gov.

June 27, 2016

  • Added a tab titled "Accessing Standards" with detailed instructions for US federal government employees on how to access the recommended standards free of charge.

November 10, 2015
Updated the webpage and the PDF version of the recommendations to correctly indicate CPG and BioPreferred requirements in the following product categories:

  • Adhesives (removed reference to BioPreferred – no current BioPreferred requirement for this product category)
  • Carpet (added reference to BioPreferred, deleted reference to "nylon" in first column and added reference to "commercial" in fourth column)
  • Fiberboard (added reference to CPG requirements)
  • Flooring (added reference to BioPreferred requirements for non-carpet floor coverings)
  • Insulation (added reference to CPG on the webpage to align with information in the PDF version)
  • Paint (added reference to CPG on the webpage to align with information in the PDF version)
  • Wastebasket Liners (added reference to BioPreferred requirements)

September 25, 2015

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Sustainable Marketplace: Greener Products and Services