United States Environmental Protection Agency
Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5306W)
EPA530-N-01-002
July 2001
www.epa.gov/wastewise

WasteWise Update 


INSIDE 

Developing Your EPP Program
Implementing Your EPP Program
Assessing Your EPP Program


            ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING

Although the United States comprises less than 5 percent of
the world's population, it consumes more than 25 percent of
the world's resources. To minimize the environmental burden
posed by this staggering consumption rate, an increasing
number of agencies, businesses, and institutions are
changing the way they shop. By choosing sustainably
produced, environmentally sensitive products and services,
organizations adopting environmental (green) purchasing
programs are making their money work for the environment. As
a result, more and more Americans are taking actions to
conserve natural resources, reduce air and water pollution,
decrease toxic and hazardous wastes, and conserve energy.


What is EPP?^1

^1[In this issue, we use the terms "environmentally
preferable purchasing" and "green" purchasing synonymously.
However, within the federal government, EPP has a very
specific definition, as defined by Executive Order 13101 and
further elaborated by EPA's Final Guidance on
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing for Executive Agencies
(64 FR 45810). Regardless which terms are used, they all
share the simple concept of incorporating environmental
considerations in purchasing decisions along with price and
performance.]

     The mention of any company, product, or process in
     this publication does not constitute or imply
     endorsement by the U.S. Environmental Protection
     Agency


     Environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP), a concept
that melds procurement and environmental sustainability into
an environmentally conscious purchasing strategy, advocates
multifaceted environmental purchasing decisions. In short,
EPP encourages government agencies, businesses, and
institutions to consider multiple environmental attributes
of both products and services prior to purchase. EPP
includes a wide spectrum of activities, from purchasing
recycled-content supplies to reducing the number of toxic
chemicals purchased to minimizing energy consumption through
energy-efficient technologies.

     Hundreds of WasteWise partners already recognize the
economic and environmental benefits of waste prevention and
recycling. Environmentally preferable purchasing moves
beyond the scope of WasteWise by encouraging organizations
to consider not only the durability, recyclability, and
recycled-content of products purchased, but also the impact
of their purchases on biodiversity, air and water pollution
levels, and worker and consumer safety. By examining the
characteristics of a product across its life cycle,
organizations have the information they need to begin to
reduce the environmental impacts of their purchasing
decisions. For example, products with reduced environmental
impacts include:

*    Chlorine-free or tree-free paper

*    Recycled-content office supplies

*    Paint with low volatile organic compound (VOC) content

*    Cellulose insulation 

*    ENERGY STAR-labeled electronic equipment

*    Recycled-content or organic clothing


Economic Benefits of EPP

     Businesses and organizations engaging in green
purchasing practices contribute to environmental
sustainability while demonstrating business savvy.
Implementing EPP strategies can help organizations save
money by decreasing purchasing and disposal costs.
Organizations can work with suppliers to alter many
characteristics of the products they purchase. For example,
organizations can avoid disposal costs while improving their
recycling and reuse rates by purchasing or requesting that
suppliers use uniformly sized wooden pallets. Many
organizations also find that purchasing lightweight
packaging for their products leads to economic and
environmental benefits. Lighter packaging uses fewer
materials during manufacturing and reduces the amount of
energy required to produce and transport it. Organizations
can request that suppliers use a greater percentage of
recycled material in packaging and other products, including
office supplies, furniture, electronics equipment, and
carpet. By purchasing recycled-content products,
organizations help fuel the recycling market.

     Organizations can also improve their public image by
publicizing their commitment to conserving natural
resources. Believing that a cleaner, healthier environment
goes hand in hand with a strong economy, New Jersey-based
utility company, Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG),
strives to demonstrate environmental stewardship and
corporate social responsibility. Strong working
relationships with its vendors play a key role in enabling
PSEG to meet environmental purchasing goals. In addition to
an extensive buy-recycled program (the company spent more
than $3.5 million on recycled-content products in 1999),
PSEG has established a take back program with its paint
vendor, allowing the company to receive credit for unused
paint. The partnerships PSEG has formed with its vendors
over several years have paid off for PSEG, allowing the
company to save money, reduce waste, and conserve natural
resources. WasteWise distinguished PSEG as a 1999 Program
Champion and a 1998 Partner of the Year for its achievements
in solid waste reduction.


************************************************************
            Benefits of Environmental Purchasing 

     From conserving natural resources to reducing the
     use of toxic substances, green purchasing can
     offer numerous environmental benefits. Evaluating
     products on a case-by-case basis will help you
     assess the environmental impact of your purchases.
     Environmental benefits include, but are not
     limited to:

     *    Reducing materials consumption
     *    Providing a useful outlet for recycled material
     *    Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
     *    Conserving energy
     *    Conserving water
     *    Increasing the use of renewable products
     *    Reducing the presence of toxic materials in the
          environment Such benefits in turn:
     *    Improve public and occupational health and safety
     *    Improve wildlife habitats
     *    Decrease air, water, and soil contamination
     *    Improve compliance with environmental regulations
     *    Decrease costs associated with waste management,
          disposal, and cleanup
     *    Promote a sustainable economy
     *    Develop markets for environmentally preferable
          goods and services.
************************************************************


************************************************************
             Federal Agencies Go Green with EPP 

     The federal government is the single largest
     purchaser in the United States, spending more than
     $275 billion annually on products and services.
     Associated with this purchasing power is the
     government's tremendous environmental footprint.
     Executive Order (E.O.) 13101, Greening the
     Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling,
     and Federal Acquisition, and recent changes to the
     Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) aim to
     minimize the environmental impact associated with
     the federal government's purchase of everything
     from paper to computers to buildings, as well as a
     wide range of services such as custodial and
     construction services. The E.O. and FAR mandate
     that all federal agencies purchase environmentally
     preferable products and services, i.e., those that
     have a lesser or reduced effect on human health
     and the environment when compared to products and
     services that serve the same purpose. EPA's
     Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP)
     Program was established to provide guidance,
     tools, and information to assist agencies
     implement this requirement. Many of the EPP
     Program's activities are derived from the
     following five Guiding Principles, established to
     help Executive agencies identify and purchase
     environmentally preferable products and services:

          1. Include environmental considerations
          as part of the normal purchasing
          process. 

          2. Emphasize pollution prevention early
          in the purchasing process. 

          3. Examine multiple environmental
          attributes throughout the product and
          services life cycle. 

          4. Compare environmental impacts when
          selecting products and services. 

          5. Collect accurate and meaningful
          information about performance of
          products and services. EPA's EPP Program
          provides a wealth of information about
          establishing individual EPP programs and
          determining environmental standards. The
          program also conducts case studies,
          publishes fact sheets, and offers an
          online environmental information
          database, all of which are available on
          the EPP Web site
          <www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp>. 
************************************************************

     Businesses gain a competitive edge by promoting the
environmental attributes of their products and services. In
markets where price competition is intense, environmental 
performance can be the differentiating factor that
influences consumers' purchasing decisions. Increasingly,
buyers want to know what went into making a product as well
as how the product performs. For example, furniture
manufacturer Herman Miller conducts lifecycle analyses
(LCAs) on the products it manufactures in order to better
assess the environmental impacts of various material choices
and production processes. Furthermore, the results of LCAs
provide a basis from which Herman Miller can reassure its
customers that the products they purchase are
environmentally sustainable. The company regularly responds
to inquiries about the environmental attributes of its
products and actively promotes its commitment to
environmental sustainability. Herman Miller established a
goal to complete a lifecycle analysis on all of its new
products by 2001. 

     Whether you are starting from scratch or building upon
an existing environmental program, such as a waste reduction
or buy-recycled program, you can design an environmental
purchasing program to fit your organization's goals, needs,
and resources. This Update provides an overview of the EPP
concept and offers guidance for establishing your own
program. Snapshots of successful activities of WasteWise
partners provide suggestions for developing, implementing,
and assessing an environmental purchasing program. For
further information about EPP, please refer to a
comprehensive list of resources provided at the end of this
document.


                 DEVELOPING YOUR EPP PROGRAM

An effective EPP program depends on thorough planning and
participation from numerous individuals. To design and
implement an effective program, organizations need to
outline achievable goals and develop a plan for attaining
them. Successful environmental purchasing programs often
contain the following elements:

*    A green team to guide and promote the program.

*    Measurable goals by which success can be evaluated.

*    An organization-wide EPP policy highlighting philosophy
     and objectives.

*    Support and involvement from all levels within your
     organization. 


Establish an EPP Team 

     With few exceptions, purchasing is not a single
person's responsibility many different individuals within
various departments request products or services, while
others are responsible for obtaining them and negotiating
contracts. The most successful way to incorporate
environmental aspects into this process is to establish a
team of individuals with purchasing and environmental
expertise. For a small organization, a team might consist of
just two or three people, while larger organizations might
opt to create a team of employees from several different
departments. A diverse team with different institutional
perspectives ensures that all opportunities to incorporate
environmental considerations will be explored. 

     In the early stages, your team might need to meet
frequently to kick off the program, but eventually might
need to meet only periodically to monitor progress and
re-evaluate goals and purchasing practices. As your
environmental purchasing process evolves, some of the issues
your team may need to address include:

*    Developing a written policy stating your organization's
     commitment to environmental purchasing.

*    Obtaining support for the policy from both management
     and staff.

*    Reviewing purchases and researching new products.

*    Educating employees about purchasing procedures.

*    Monitoring and publicizing the success of the program.

*    Re-evaluating goals and policies. 

     It is important to keep team members enthusiastic about
the program so they will commit time and energy to the
effort. To increase motivation and provide incentives, it
may help to recognize team members at meetings or in company
newsletters. The EPP team should also consider appointing a
team leader to act as a liaison between management and the
team.

Establish Goals for the EPP Program

     Depending on the size of your organization and EPP
team, the program might need to begin on a small scale.
Consider focusing the program's goals on a single attribute,
such as recycled-content percentages, and then eventually
expand your goals to include multiple environmental
attributes or even decreasing the environmental impact of a
product throughout its entire life cycle, from its
manufacture to its disposal. In the beginning of what is
currently an extensive EPP program, the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts focused on purchasing recycled-content paper
and envelopes. Building upon experience gained in this area,
the commonwealth expanded its program to consider additional
environmental attributes, including low-toxicity cleaning
products, biobased lubricants, and energy-efficient lamps
and office equipment, just to name a few.

     The goals your EPP team develops should be based on the
environmental attributes that your organization can
effectively address without adversely affecting the
performance and cost of products and services. Although it
is important to remember that not all attributes will be
applicable to every organization, some that you may want to
consider are:

*    Recycled-content percentages

*    Energy- and water-efficiency ratings

*    Toxic materials content

*    Use of renewable resources

*    Occupational health and safety impacts

*    Non-renewable resource consumption

*    Bioaccumulative pollutants

*    Chemical releases

*    Waste generation (solid, hazardous, air emissions,
     etc.)

     To establish program goals, the EPP team should review
current purchasing practices, including the procurement of
services, invoices, and resource consumption records (e.g.,
water and electric bills). Examining these records will help
you identify areas and materials where policies will be most
effective. Whenever possible, the team should establish
measurable goals and a time period by which they can be met
(e.g., reduce solid waste generation by 20 percent in 12
months; increase spending on green products and services 30
percent by the next fiscal year; and increase number of
environmentally enhanced contracts over next 24 months). The
method used for tracking your progress will depend
upon the size of your organization and the level of your
commitment to environmental purchasing. For example, a small
business may choose to simply replace specific office
products with those made with recycled materials. On the
other hand, larger organizations may want to conduct an
audit and establish a baseline for measuring future
progress.

     Next, the EPP team will need to determine how
the organization will meet the established goals.

     This might include creating lists of approved or
unacceptable products, establishing approved supplier lists,
and negotiating performance-based contracts requiring
vendors to demonstrate their ability to meet environmental
goals. The team should assess and identify commonly used
products and services that could be replaced with green
alternatives. Contact current vendors to discuss alternative
products that meet the new purchasing criteria and check
with other suppliers to see what they can offer. A number of
state and local environmental or natural resource offices
have programs that can provide you with additional resources
on how to meet your environmental goals through green
purchasing. Additionally, consulting with other businesses
and organizations in your industry may prove helpful in
identifying opportunities for environmental purchasing and
waste reduction.

                             
************************************************************
                      Sample EPP Policy

     The purchase and use of products and services can
     profoundly impact the environment. [NAME OF
     ORGANIZATION] recognizes the positive impact that
     it can make on the environment through the
     purchasing decisions that its employees make. It
     is the intent of [NAME OF ORGANIZATION] to
     integrate environmental considerations into every
     aspect of acquisition. Although the environment
     might not be the core of our professional mission,
     the integration of these factors will result in
     economic, health, and environmental gains that
     will further our goals.

     Overall Statement of Policy

          *    Personnel should seek to reduce the
               environmental damages associated
               with their purchases by increasing
               their acquisition of
               environmentally preferable products
               and services to the extent
               feasible, consistent with price,
               performance, availability, and
               safety considerations.

          *    Environmental factors should be
               taken into account as early as
               possible in the acquisition
               planning and decision-making
               process.

          *    Responsibility for environmentally
               preferable purchasing should be
               shared among the program,
               acquisition, and procurement
               personnel.

          *    Environmentally preferable
               purchasing represents one important
               component of this organization's
               commitment to pollution prevention.

     [NAME OF ORGANIZATION] is committed to the following:

          *    Increasing the acquisition of
               environmentally preferable products
               and services.

          *    Identifying and implementing pilot
               projects to test the best ways to
               incorporate environmental
               preferability into acquisition.

          *    Establishing incentive and award
               programs to recognize those people,
               teams, and workgroups that are most
               successful at promoting the
               purchase of environmentally
               preferable products.

     Adapted from U.S. EPA's EPP Web site:
     <www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp/finalguidanceappx.htm>.

     King County, Washington's environmental purchasing
     policy is also available to view online at:
     <www.metrokc.gov/procure/green/mdpolicy.htm>.
************************************************************


Write an EPP Policy

     Developing an organization-wide EPP policy helps
generate greater momentum for your efforts and makes it
clear to all staff that green purchasing principles are to
be incorporated into routine operations. An environmental
purchasing policy should highlight the environmental
attributes and goals most important to the organization and
include a requirement that employees maximize one or more of
the attributes when making purchasing decisions. The policy
might briefly address the "who, what, and why" of
environmental purchasing and include the organization's
general EPP philosophy, a statement of commitment, the scope
of the program, objectives, and benefits. The policy should
receive endorsement from upper management and, if
applicable, be incorporated into a company's overall
environmental management system.


Obtain Support from All Levels

     Upper management support is important to making
environmental purchasing a priority and facilitating the
development of the program. To "sell" the concept to
management, the EPP team should stress the advantages of
implementing environmentally preferable purchasing, such as
health and safety benefits, regulatory compliance, cost
savings, and improved public relations.

     After establishing an EPP policy and goals and gaining
management's approval, the program should be presented to
the entire organization. Consider a kickoff event at which a
senior member of the organization presents the program's
goals and policy. Let employees know that this is an
evolving program and that their participation and
suggestions for improvement are the key to its success.
Employee participation may be encouraged through the use of
incentives offer prizes or awards to departments that
implement the most environmental purchasing initiatives or
recognize individual employees who actively participate in
your environmental purchasing program in newsletters or at
staff meetings.

     The EPP team should periodically promote the program
after the kickoff meeting by publicizing achievements and
changes in goals or policy. Sharing information and program
updates through staff meetings, company newsletters, or
e-mail announcements helps keep employees in the EPP loop.


                IMPLEMENTING YOUR EPP PROGRAM

     Organizations that have established successful EPP
programs take a comprehensive approach to procurement by
encouraging purchasers to examine an array of product
attributes in addition to cost and performance factors. Many
commonly used products and services, including office
supplies, cleaning products, electronics, and building
materials, can be replaced with more environmentally
preferable alternatives.


"Closing the Loop" with Office Supplies

     Office supplies manufacturers are increasingly offering
a wide range of products made from recycled materials.
Taking advantage of the ready availability of
recycled-content products and the steady need for supplies,
many organizations find purchasing office supplies to be a
natural starting point. These products generally compare
favorably in both quality and price to similar items made
from virgin materials, and they divert material from the
waste stream into productive use. By purchasing
recycled-content office products, your organization can
help close the recycling loop and strengthen market
demand for recycled goods.

     Commonly available recycled-content office supplies
include:

*    Paper products, such as notebooks, calendars, file
     folders, copier and printer paper, envelopes, and
     self-adhesive notes.

*    Computer supplies, such as diskettes, CDs, toner
     cartridges, and mouse pads.

*    Plastic items, including desktop accessories, binders,
     transparencies, bubble wrap, wastebaskets, recycling
     receptacles, and report covers.

*    Pens, pencils, and art supplies.

     Modern manufacturing techniques have closed the
performance gap between recycled-content and virgin office
supplies. Most organizations find that experimentation with
content percentages and brand names can yield a
competitively priced, recycled-content office product. Some
organizations also augment green purchasing efforts by
giving preference to manufacturers that offer recyclable or
reusable office supplies. A simple way to encourage
employees to purchase recycled office supplies is to
highlight products' recycled-content percentages in internal
supply listings or catalogs.

     An increasing number of office supplies can be selected
for environmental attributes in addition to recycled
content. One example is paper products manufactured using a
combination of kenaf and tree pulp. Kenaf is an annual crop
that can be cultivated on existing farmland, where its life
cycle encourages farmers to practice beneficial crop
rotation methods. Kenaf paper, which has been used for
printing catalogs and books, requires less energy and fewer
chemical additives to process than traditional wood pulp.
Your organization also can switch from liquid correction
fluid to less toxic correction tape and use refillable pens
and tape dispensers to reduce the environmental impacts of
your purchases.


Cleaning "Green"

     Certain chemicals and cleaning products can pose a
serious threat to workers' health, causing respiratory
distress and irritating the eyes and skin. They also can
include ozone-depleting substances, toxic materials that
adversely affect plant and animal life, and chemicals that
can accumulate in the environment with potentially harmful
consequences. Using these substances can be expensive to
store and dispose of, and can lead to decreased worker
productivity through illness. In 1999, Yellowstone National
Park began purchasing environmentally preferable cleaning
products when an initial assessment revealed that many
cleaning agents used in its facilities contained potentially
harmful chemicals. Adopting 12 environmental criteria for
cleaning product procurement developed by the City of Santa
Monica, the park reduced the number of cleaning products
used from more than 130 to 9, all of which were
significantly less harmful but just as effective as the
traditional products they replaced.


************************************************************
                        Eco-labeling

          How can you verify manufacturers' claims
          that their products are environmentally
          preferable? Although there is no
          standard "official" designation process,
          a number of third-party organizations
          benchmark various products for their
          environmental attributes and certify a
          product or service as preferable
          compared to similar products. For
          example, Green Seal <www.greenseal.org>
          sets standards and awards a "Green Seal
          of Approval" to products that cause less
          harm to the environment than other
          similar products. In its Environmental
          Partners Program, organizations such as
          colleges, businesses, and governments
          agree to buy green products. Green Seal
          provides partners with the 110 page
          Office Green Buying Guide and the Choose
          Green Reports, a monthly series that
          examines environmentally preferable
          products and services and provides a
          comparative list of manufacturers and
          sources. Scientific Certification
          Systems (SCS) <www.scs1.com> certifies
          specific environmental claims (e.g.,
          percent of recycled content) made by
          manufacturers. SCS also produces an
          environmental "report card" for key
          lifecycle aspects of products. The
          Global Ecolabeling Network (GEN)
          <www.gen.gr.jp> is a non-profit
          association of ecolabeling organizations
          from around the world. GEN promotes and
          develops the ecolabeling of products and
          services by fostering information
          exchange among its members and
          disseminating information to the public.
************************************************************


************************************************************
                    Working with Vendors

          Organizations implementing an EPP
          program inevitably realize the
          importance of working with
          manufacturers, distributors, and
          contractors to achieve environmental
          goals. Consult with vendors for
          information on the environmental
          attributes of their products. Reviewing
          vendors' environmental performance,
          sharing your environmental philosophy
          with vendors, and requesting products
          that contain attributes set forth by
          your EPP policy will help establish
          clear lines of communication about your
          purchasing goals. For example, Canon
          USA, environmental procurement
          guidelines include an index for
          evaluating the potential environmental
          impacts of both products and suppliers.
          The index evaluates product
          manufacturers using 35 criteria in 7
          categories, including corporate
          environmental philosophy, environmental
          management systems, and corporate
          environmental reporting. Additionally, a
          number of WasteWise partners, including
          Herman Miller and Anheuser-Busch
          Companies, have integrated environmental
          criteria into their supplier selection
          process. For more ideas and case studies
          on working with vendors, see the
          WasteWise Update: Building Supplier
          Partnerships.
************************************************************


     Environmentally preferable cleaning supplies help
protect human health by limiting exposure to potentially
harmful chemicals. Some organizations experience fewer
serious job-related accidents and worker compensation claims
after switching to alternative cleaning products. Generally,
products that are less harmful to human health also minimize
environmental impact. For example, low-toxicity cleaning
products reduce air and water pollution. Switching to
environmentally friendly cleaning products that are
available in recyclable, recycled-content, or bulk packaging
also can reduce solid waste generation. Combined, these
factors have persuaded many organizations to search out
green substitutes.

     In addition to price and performance, organizations may
choose cleaning products according to product content,
overall environmental impact of manufacturing process (if
known), product packaging, or product use and disposal.
EPA's April 2000 EPP Update includes an article highlighting
"green" cleaners and provides an extensive list of resources
about cleaners at
<www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp/cleaners/resource.htm>.


Expanding EPP to Electronics

     Most businesses and organizations use personal
computers, photocopiers, and other electronic equipment as
an integral part of their daily operations. However, these
appliances typically consume large quantities of energy,
draining resources and costing organizations thousands of
dollars each year. Much of this energy is wasted when unused
computers are left on. ENERGY STAR , a voluntary labeling
program jointly established by EPA and the U.S. Department
of Energy, addresses this problem by identifying computers
and photocopiers (in addition to numerous household
appliances) designed to automatically power down after a
period of inactivity. Typical ENERGY STAR-labeled computers
or imaging devices can reduce energy use by 50 percent,
although they cost no more than their traditional
counterparts. This energy savings can add up to significant
dollar savings for businesses over the lifetime of these
products. For more information about savings associated with
these and other ENERGY STAR-labeled products or to find out
where to purchase specific items, please consult the ENERGY
STAR  Web site at <www.energystar.gov>.

     Due to rapid advances in technology, many organizations
frequently replace computers and peripherals. Organizations
can lengthen the lifespan of computers by requesting that
vendors provide easily upgradable systems with modular
components and easily expandable memory. Leasing equipment
or requiring the vendor to take back used equipment are
additional options your organization may wish to explore.
Organizations purchasing new computers and peripherals may
also request that manufacturers use recycled and/or
recyclable materials, or less packaging. For example,
bidders on computer contracts with the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts receive points on the commonwealth's product
evaluation scorecard for meeting desirable environmental
criteria in their computers and computer packaging.
Packaging criteria include recycled-content packaging,
packaging return programs, and minimal polystyrene use.
Other computer criteria include reduced toxics use and
design for recycling. 

     To help close the recycling loop and save money,
organizations can also purchase remanufactured or
refurbished computers. For information on alternative and
disposal options for your organization's end-of-life
electronics equipment, please consult the WasteWise Update:
Electronics Reuse and Recycling. 


Greening Buildings 

     Construction and renovation projects offer
organizations an excellent opportunity to incorporate a
range of environmentally sustainable features into their
buildings. Many traditional construction materials are
manufactured using non-renewable resources. Paints,
adhesives, and sealants may contain highly volatile
compounds that can pose threats to human health. By using
environmentally preferable alternatives for these products,
organizations constructing new facilities or renovating
existing sites can implement goals to conserve limited
natural resources. 

     Most green building materials perform comparably to
their traditional counterparts and all are subjected to the
same government safety standards. Many organizations have
incorporated environmentally sensitive features into
building design, construction, and renovation by using:

*    Less toxic adhesives, cements, and sealants.

*    Flooring made from renewable resources, including
     bamboo, cork, wool, linoleum, and sisal or carpeting
     made from recycled plastic bottles.

*    Recycled-content lumber, wallboard, drywall, and
     insulation.

*    Energy-efficient lighting and natural light.

*    Alternative fuel sources.

*    Low-flow bathroom fixtures.

*    Recycled-content traffic control products and
     playground equipment.

*    Recycled or less toxic paint.

*    Furniture made from recycled-content or environmentally
     sustainable components. 


     The Department of Natural Resources in King County,
Washington, considered environmental quality, resource
efficiency, and indoor air quality when it began
construction of its eight-story King Street Center in
Seattle, Washington, in 1998. Through assistance from the
Seattle Light and Design Lab, the county installed a
lighting system that used only 66 percent of the energy
allowed under building code. In an example of alternative
power sources, the EPA Region 9 laboratory in Richmond,
California, is powered using energy obtained from a local
landfill gas plant. EPA is buying wind energy for its
Golden, Colorado, laboratory and has contracted for green
electricity purchases in Washington State, Massachusetts,
and Ohio. 

     If your organization is interested in pursuing specific
green construction or renovation goals, the next issue of
the WasteWise Update will focus on green buildings.
Additional guidance is available online using King County,
Washington's green construction page at <www.metrokc.gov/
procure/green/const.htm>.


                 ASSESSING YOUR EPP PROGRAM 

     After implementing your EPP program, you need a way to
measure your success. Start by reviewing the goals and
objectives outlined in your EPP policy. What were some of
the goals that your organization hoped to accomplish? You
might have very specific goals, such as reduced spending on
hazardous materials, or more general goals, such as amount
of recycled products purchased. The following guidelines are
designed to help you think about ways to assess your
program, but the list is not comprehensive. It is more
likely that you will discover alternative metrics that work
better for you and your organization. Tracking your progress
before and after you implement your program is an important
part of the assessment process and the key to measuring your
success. Assessing your program will enable you to provide
documented results to staff members and management about the
benefits of your EPP program, and it will give you
opportunities to revise and strengthen your goals.


Cost Savings

     Savings can be found by looking beyond the initial cost
of a product or procedural change and examining the savings
that will result from reduced material handling, pollution
abatement, avoided disposal costs, or energy and water
conservation measures. PSEG saved more than $2 million by
streamlining its purchasing process and reducing the number
of its chemical suppliers from more than 270 to only 9. The
new system allows PSEG to avoid excess inventory and
drastically reduces disposal costs for outdated or
unnecessary chemicals. Likewise, DaimlerChrysler saved
almost $45 million by tracking and screening all chemical
purchases, reducing the number of plastic resins purchased,
substituting less hazardous chemicals when possible, and
investing in energy-saving measures.


Improved Worker Health and Safety

     Minimizing employee contact with hazardous products,
such as chemicals or cleaning supplies, not only creates a
safer working environment, but also improves employee
health. Tracking sick leave records, worker compensation
claims, accident rates, and changes in employee productivity
are possible evaluation measures. Since implementing an
environmentally preferable cleaning products program,
Yellowstone National Park has noticed a significant increase
in the morale of custodial workers exposed to the products
on a daily basis. Using new cleaners, the employees no
longer report the dizziness, nausea, and watery eyes that
they frequently experienced in the past. Since the project
was initiated, 22 other National Parks have followed
Yellowstone's lead.


Product Attributes

     Assessing the environmental attributes of your
purchases will depend on the goals of your organization. For
example, if your organization decides to concentrate on a
single attribute such as recycled-content purchases, a
simple database or spreadsheet will work for tracking your
purchases. PSEG works with its vendors to track the
attributes, quantities, and amount spent on its purchases.
Through an agreement with its primary office products
supplier, Boise Cascade, PSEG receives customized catalogs
that provide information on the recycled content and
postconsumer content of all products. Each year, Boise
Cascade increases the number of recycled-content products it
offers. Additionally, the vendor maintains records of the
products PSEG purchases, the quantities it purchases, and
the total amount it spends, allowing PSEG to track its
annual usage of recycled-content products.

     As your program grows and your goals expand into
multiple attributes or lifecycle analysis, your method of
measurement is likely to change. You will need to quantify
the environmental benefits of your products based on the
goals that your EPP team established during the development
phase. For example, you could measure reductions in natural
gas consumption as a result of energy-efficiency projects or
the decreased purchases of products containing VOCs.
DaimlerChrysler evaluates its purchases on multiple
environmental attributes including toxicity, chemical
exposure, and release and recyclability, in addition to cost
and performance factors. The company conducts a lifecycle
cost analysis of the products it purchases, maintaining
databases with information on more than 800,000 components
and products. When a product has been identified as
preferable based on the lifecycle analysis, the database
ensures that the preferred product is purchased.


Resource Conservation

     If you are focusing on conserving water or energy,
compare your water, sewer, fuel, or electricity bills from
before you implemented conservation practices with those
after. Not only will this demonstrate whether your efforts
are successful, the information can be used to increase
awareness of the need to conserve water and energy
throughout the company.


Reduced Consumption of Chemicals

     One possible way to measure your consumption of
chemicals is to keep a database that tracks your
organization's use of hazardous chemicals. In its Green
Procurement Standards, Canon USA, Inc., includes lists of
more than 300 chemicals that are used in routine facility
operations or that remain in its products. Canon has
prohibited the use of many of the chemicals and strives to
reduce the use of all chemicals on the lists. You can build
your own database by obtaining copies of the material safety
data sheets (MSDSs) for the chemical products you purchase.
MSDSs provide information about the manufacturer, hazardous
substance content, first aid emergency procedures, personal
protection, and special precautions.


************************************************************
                        Promoting EPP

          It is important for your organization to
          promote its EPP programs both internally
          and externally. Internal promotion will
          educate staff and management about the
          benefits of EPP and foster
          organizational support for your program.
          External promotion publicly demonstrates
          your organization's commitment to the
          environment and advertises its actions.
          Herman Miller publishes its
          environmental goals in its Environmental
          Report, highlights them on the Web site,
          and distributes them to customers. As
          well as informing the public of the
          company's initiatives, this publicity
          allows employees to take pride in the
          company's environmental stewardship.

          External Promotion

          *    Display the environmental
               attributes of the products you buy
               and sell.

          *    Circulate a letter to each supplier
               about your environmental goals and
               objectives.

          *    Organize vendor fairs for
               environmentally friendly products.

          *    Donate environmentally preferable
               products to local charities and
               nonprofit organizations.

          *    Provide information about your EPP
               program on your Web site.

          Internal Promotion

          *    Host green purchasing
               workshops/training sessions for
               employees.

          *    Invite vendors to demonstrate
               environmentally friendly products.

          *    Include environmental performance
               as part of the annual reviews.

          *    Offer staff bonuses.

          *    Sponsor competitions between
               departments.

          *    Disseminate information through
               e-mails and newsletters.

          It is important that vendors making
          environmental claims take heed of the
          Federal Trade Commission's "Green
          Guides," located at
          <www.ftc.gov/opa/predawn/F93/greenguid3.htm>
************************************************************


                          RESOURCES
         for Environmentally Preferable Purchasing 


ONLINE RESOURCES

EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program Web Site
<www.epa.gov/oppt/epp>

     Includes EPA's guidance on EPP, descriptions of federal
pilot projects, and tools and resources including the EPP
database, collections of case studies, and electronic copies
of the EPP Update.

EPP Update
<www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp/ docupdates.htm>
EPA's semi-annual newsletter on EPP program activities.
Issues of this publication are available online.

EPP Database

Contains information on more than 600 products and services.
It provides links to contract language and specifications
created and used by federal and state governments and others
to buy environmentally preferable products and services.

EPPNET
<www.nerc.org/eppnet.html>

The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) established the
EPPNET list server to link federal, state, local, and
private procurement and environmental officials. Potential
participants must first register for approval.

Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) Environmentally
Preferable Purchasing Guide
<www.geocities.com/ EPP_how_to_guide/>
While aimed at hospitals, the principles and steps in this
EPP guide are applicable to any type of organization. This
Web site is a cooperative project of the U.S. EPA and the
American Hospital Association.

National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) EPP
Discussion Group
<www.p2.org/workgroup/epp/>
The EPP Discussion Group was formed in 1999 to promote
networking and communication among people practicing EPP and
people interested in learning about EPP; minimize
duplication of effort on EPP issues through increased
communication; and serve as a resource to NPPR members
interested in EPP.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory EPP Training Slide
Presentation
<www.pnl.gov/esp/greenguide/ tutorial/sld001.htm>
Though focusing on purchasing requirements set forth by E.O.
13101 for federal agencies, this site provides an online,
printable slide presentation on EPP that can be used by any
organization.

The Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guide
<www.swmcb.org/EPPG/ 1_1.htm>
Published by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board,
a group consisting of six metropolitan counties in
Minnesota, this online EPP guide is aimed at government and
school purchasers. The guide reviews more than 30 product
areas, providing information on cost, performance,
specifications, and availability.

King County, Washington Environmental Purchasing Program
<www.metrokc.gov/procure/ green/>
King County's Web site provides a history of the county's
EPP policies, descriptions of its experience with various
environmentally preferable products, bid and contract
specifications, and local vendor information.

Massachusetts Environmentally Preferable Products
Procurement
<www.state.ma.us/osd/ enviro/enviro.htm>
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is one of the first states
in the country to initiate an EPP program. Its Web site
includes state EPP policies and regulations, bid and
contract specifications, and product information and
experience.

Minnesota Materials Management Division Environmentally
Responsible Purchasing
<www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/ envir.htm>
Provides new updates on various products available to state
agencies, lists environmentally responsible products and
services available, highlights state legislative and
executive order requirements, and includes an electronic
version of the state's biennial report on EPP.

City of Santa Monica's Purchasing Policy
<http://www.ci.santa-monica. ca.us/environment/policy/
purchasing/>
Provides criteria for procuring products and services,
negotiating contracts and bid specifications, and complying
with city ordinances through environmentally preferable
purchasing.

Office of the Federal Environmental Executive
<www.ofee.gov>
The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive serves to
implement E.O. 13101, which is designed to further expand
and strengthen the federal government's commitment to
recycling and buying recycled-content and environmentally
preferable products. The Web site contains various reports
and resources.

U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management
Program (FEMP)
<www.eren.doe.gov/femp/>
FEMP seeks to help government agencies reduce energy and
water use, manage utility costs, and promote renewable
energy. This Web site provides information about the
program's mission, technical assistance resources, and
documents highlighting program success stories. 


ARTICLES & PUBLICATIONS

     To order hard copies of these publications (except
WasteWise Updates), contact The Pollution Prevention
Information Clearinghouse at 202 260-1023 or by e-mail:
ppic@epa.gov. The following documents also are available
online at <www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp/ doccase.htm>

Federal Pioneers: Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
Stories from the Federal Government.
EPA 742-F-00-008. September 2000.
Includes case studies on 27 successful applications of EPP
in the federal government. The examples include everything
from photocopiers to custodial services. They are from a
diverse group of agencies from the Department of Interior to
the Navy  demonstrating the different ways EPP can be
applied and providing models for other federal purchasers.

Private Sector Pioneers Report.
EPA742-R-99/001. June 1999.
Highlights the EPP efforts of 18 private companies. Besides
expanding the market of green products, many of the
companies in the report are preventing pollution and saving
millions of dollars through EPP.

State and Local Government Pioneers: How State and Local
Governments Are Implementing Environmentally Preferable
Purchasing Practices.
EPA742-R-00/004. November 2000.
Illustrates how more than 40 state and local governments are
implementing EPP. The study shows that green purchasing is
expanding beyond recycled content products to include many
other environmental attributes such as chlorine-free,
reduced volatile organic compounds (VOC) content, use of
alternative fuels, and reduced product packaging.

Green Spending: A Case Study of Massachusetts' Environmental
Purchasing Program.
EPA742-R-98/002. August 1998.
Highlights the unique approach taken by the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts in its environmental purchasing program. The
commonwealth's proactive decisions regarding environmental
purchasing have made the state a leader among state
governments in EPP.

The City of Santa Monica's Environmentally Preferable
Purchasing Efforts.
EPA742-R-98/001. January 1998.
Examines how the City of Santa Monica, California, adapted
its purchasing policies to begin buying environmentally
preferable products and services.

Cleaning Products Pilot Project.
EPA/742/R-97/002. February 1997.
Documents the collaborative effort between the U.S. General
Services Administration (GSA) and the EPA to develop a
framework for identifying and comparing environmentally
preferable commercial cleaning products.

Leading by Example: How EPA Incorporated Environmental
Features into New Buildings.
EPA742-R-98/001. January 1998.
Provides two case studies to demonstrate how large building
projects can cost-effectively incorporate environmental
features, while also addressing the concerns unique to each
site. The case studies describe how EPA balanced function,
cost, and environmental impact while designing and
constructing two new EPA facilities.

Defending the Environment at the Department of Defense.
EPA742-R-99/002. July 1999.
Documents how the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
introduced EPP into routine renovations of the Pentagon and
several other DOD facilities. In the
WasteWise Update 16 course of this project, DOD assessed the
environmental performance of more than 300 construction
products.

Painting the Town Green: The Aberdeen Proving Ground Paint
Pilot Project.
EPA742-R-99/005. November 1999.
Documents a pilot project to reduce the number, volume, and
environmental effects of the paints used at Aberdeen Proving
Ground. Aberdeen contracted with Green Seal to help identify
the environmental attributes relevant to paint and then
established environmentally preferable paint standards.

Paving the Road to Success: The Department of Defense's
Parking Lot Repair and Maintenance Contract: An
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Case Study.
EPA742-R-96/007. December 1997.
Describes in detail how the Department of Defense evaluated
and purchased environmentally preferable products to repair
and maintain parking lots. The EPP pilot project involved
specifying baseline environmental attributes of paving
products and developing innovative contract language to
encourage the contractor to go beyond those baselines.

WasteWise Updates
All past issues of the WasteWise Update can be downloaded
from the publications page of the WasteWise Web site
<www.epa.gov/wastewise>. Some topics most relevant to EPP
are Remanufactures Products, Closing the Loop, Building
Supplier Relationships, Extended Product Responsibility, and
Electronics Reuse and Recycling.

GreenSeal Choose Green Reports
<www.doi.gov/oepc/gseal.html>
These monthly reports closely examine environmentally
responsible products and services and compares their
attributes among manufacturers and sources.

EPA and DOE's ENERGYSTAR  Program
<www.energystar.gov>
EPA and DOE's voluntary labeling program is designed to
identify and promote energy-efficient products.

EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG)
<www.epa.gov/cpg>
EPA's CPG Web site contains information on buying
recycled-content products in categories including office
products, paper products, construction products, and
transportation products. Fact sheets provide information on
EPA-designated recycled-content products; recycled-content
recommendations; case studies from around the country; and
key resources, associations, and Web sites.

Chlorine Free Products Association
<www.chlorinefreeproducts.org>
This trade association represents companies dedicated to
implementing advanced technologies and groups supporting
products free of chlorine.

Oikos Green Buildings Source
<http://oikos.com/index.lasso>
A database of green building products that features special
"products of the month."