2Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.
Environmentally Preferable

Purchasing Program

Environmentally preferable purchasing ensures that

environmental considerations are included in purchasing

decisions, along with traditional factors, such as product

price and performance. The EPP program provides guidance for federal agencies to facilitate purchases of goods

and services that pose fewer burdens on the environment. 

For more information contact:

Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse (PPIC)

202 260-1023

E-mail: ppic@epamail.epa.gov
Purchasing in Perspective

• The federal government purchases more than $200 billion worth of goods

and services each year.

• State and local governments combined purchase more than $1 trillion

worth of goods and services per year, according to Governing magazine’s

Sourcebook 1997.

• In fiscal year ’96/’97 the city of Santa Monica purchased more than $32.5

million worth of goods and services. 

Foreword ◆ 
Contents ◆ ii
Introduction ◆ 1

• Citywide, Santa Monica replaced its traditional cleaning products with less toxic or

nontoxic alternatives in 15 of 17 cleaning product categories, which reduced

spending on custodial products by approximately 5 percent.

• Santa Monica switched to an integrated pest management approach at all city facilities, a method that costs up to 30 percent less than the traditional method of regular pesticide application.

• Santa Monica purchases a wide range of recycled products including office paper,

recycled paint, and trash can liners.

• Of all city vehicles, 67.5 percent use re-refined motor oil and antifreeze made with

propylene glycol (deemed by the city to be less toxic than ethylene-glycol

antifreeze).

• Approximately 20 percent of the city’s vehicles are powered by alternative fuels

including compressed natural gas, electricity, and propane. 

Santa Monica uses existing purchasing procedures to implement new environmental purchasing policies. The city also looks for ways to improve, expand, and simplify

the environmental purchasing process. Among the chief reasons for the city’s success

(discussed in more detail on pages 12 and 13) are the following:

• Having support from the top

• Including the end-users in the decision-making process

• Conducting up-front research
2 ◆ Introduction

tal purchasing efforts, the citys pragmatic, flexible

approach and the lessons it learned along the way

are helpful guides for any agency or organization

seeking to meet environmental purchasing goals.
Environmental Purchasing Policies ◆ 3

safeguarding the local environment and public health. As

part of the Sustainable City Program, Santa Monica has

set purchasing goals for products such as recycled paper

and alternative-fuel vehicles. 

In addition, the city adopted the Toxics Use Reduction

(TUR) Program, a set of policies implemented by the

city’s Environmental Programs Division that are part of the broader Sustainable City

Program. With the goal of reducing the city’s use of toxics, the TUR Program governs

the purchasing of all products that contain chemicals. The Environmental Programs

Division’s implementation of this program involves overseeing the purchasing of

cleaning products, fleet maintenance products, and pest management services.

Before deciding which products to focus on, the city asked students working on

their master theses for the Pollution Prevention Research Center of the Department

of Urban Planning at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) to study

citywide purchasing of hazardous products. UCLA’s study listed all the chemicals the

city purchased by departments and by subject groupings in the following categories:

custodial products, pesticides, fleet maintenance and automotive repair, and other

(e.g., streets division, parks, and paints). This baseline research laid the groundwork

for the TUR Program and Santa Monica’s environmental purchasing strategy. 

consumption, reducing the use of hazardous materials, reducing waste generation and pollution, and safeguarding the

local environment and public health.
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Furniture polish

Glass and window cleaner

Graffiti remover

Liquid hand soap

Solvent spotter

Fleet Maintenance

Antifreeze

Alternative-fuel vehicles

Aggregate for street resurfacing

Business cards

Janitorial paper products

Laser printer cartridges

Office paper (e.g., stationery, 

envelopes, computer, and 

photocopier)

Recycled paint

Plastic semiautomated refuse carts

Trash can liners

4 ◆ Environmental Purchasing Policies
es in the same way they would traditional products. Diane Howell, one of the two

main buyers for the city and the only buyer for the city’s warehouse, confirmed that

the purchasing of alternative products does not take more time than purchasing traditional products. The specifications she uses have changed, but the procedure is the

same. 

Implementing the TUR Program effectively added a layer of environmental 

decision-making to the purchase of many products, since all decisions about what

chemicals the city will buy are now made by the Environmental Programs Division.

The city’s two main buyers know that if the product contains a chemical, they need to

contact the Environmental Programs Division before they make the purchase.

Environmental Programs Division staff will then provide them with specifications for

the alternative product the city now uses. In this way, the buyers help the

Environmental Programs Division screen all purchases over $1,000 before they are

made to ensure that they are in keeping with the city’s policies. For purchases under

$1,000, individuals in various city departments act independently, and the

Environmental Programs Division can only review these purchases after they are made.

In general, Santa Monica’s environmental purchasing decisions are based on three

main criteria: environment and human health, performance, and cost. For products

purchased under the TUR Program, Santa Monica ranks these criteria in a distinct

hierarchy. A product is judged first and foremost on whether it meets the city’s specific environmental and human health criteria for that product. Santa Monica bases this

criteria on up-front research, feedback from end-users, and pilot programs. If a product meets established criteria, it is then tested for performance. Finally, products that

pass both these tests are evaluated based on cost. At this point, Santa Monica chooses

the lowest bid. 

Environmental Purchasing Policies ◆ 5
“Responsible Bid”—City Municipal Code

Language to Support Environmental Purchasing

Santa Monica’s city municipal code contains a clause that opens the door for environmental purchasing. Instead of requiring purchasers to choose the lowest bid, Santa

Monica’s city charter requires that they choose the “lowest and most responsible bid.”

The municipal code states, “In evaluating whether a person is the lowest responsible

bidder pursuant to this Chapter, City staff may utilize some or all of the following criteria, in addition to price: 

1. The quality of the material or services offered.

2. The ability, capacity, and skill of the bidder to perform the contract or provide the

material or services.

3. The capacity of the bidder to perform the contract or provide the service promptly,

within the time specified, and without delay or interference.

4. The sufficiency of the bidder’s financial resources.

5. The character, integrity, reputation, judgment, training, experience, and efficiency

of the bidder.

6. The ability of the bidder to provide such future maintenance or service as may be

needed.”

6 ◆ Environmental Purchasing Policies
Environmental Purchasing Policies ◆ 7
8 ◆ Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action

Cleaning Products

Santa Monica’s purchase of alternative cleaning products under the TUR Program provides an in-depth

look at how the city’s environmental purchasing process

works in practice.

Research

Santa Monica’s pragmatic approach to environmental

purchasing includes implementing its purchasing policies one product category at a time. The city chose to

start with custodial products because of the amount of

research previously done on these products. Before

drafting specifications for alternative products, the city

compiled information from Green Seal, the

Washington Toxics Coalition, and a local independent

consultant. It also reviewed the work of Canada’s

Environmental Choice program and Germany’s Blue

Angel program in the area of custodial products. In

addition, the custodial staff’s insights and concerns

were taken into consideration before drafting specifications. 

Environmentally Preferable

Paperwork

In addition to requiring vendors to provide

information about the environmental and

human health attributes of their products,

Santa Monica also requires that the actual bids

be consistent with the city’s environmental

goals. All of the city’s Requests for Proposals

require vendors to comply with the following

documentation guidelines:

• All copies shall be printed on recycled

and/or tree-free paper.

• All copies shall be double-sided.

• Report covers or binders shall be recyclable;

use of plastic covers or dividers should be

avoided.

• Unnecessary attachments or documents not

specifically asked for should not be submitted. Avoid superfluous use of paper (e.g.,

separate title sheets or chapter dividers).
Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action ◆ 9

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city's priorities and local concerns. Deborah Raphael, Environmental Analyst and

manager of the TUR Program, noted that it was “a real challenge to assign point values [and] decide threshold levels.” When established standards existed, such as federal

definitions of a primary irritant versus a slight irritant, Santa

Monica used those standards to set threshold levels. When no

established standards were available, the city relied on its research

and the professional judgment of a technical advisory group.

Santa Monica assigned relative point values for each of the environmental attributes based on its needs as an ocean community

near Los Angeles. Two of its top priorities were biodegradability

and aquatic toxicity. Since cleaning products are used in and

around city buildings and parks that are in close proximity to the

ocean, and there is the potential for runoff, it was important to

the city that products biodegrade quickly and be less toxic to

marine life. Given Santa Monica’s location in the southern

California region, which has high levels of air pollutants, the city

also was particularly concerned about air quality issues such as

volatile organic compound (VOC) levels. Other environmental

attributes considered by the city, such as whether the product was

tested on animals, were considered important but did not receive

the same emphasis in the selection process as those attributes that

were tied to the city’s top priorities. 

Obtaining Vendor Information

Santa Monica received information from a number of vendors

interested in providing alternative cleaning products and created

hard copy files for each vendor. When it came time for the forCriteria Evaluated by Santa

Monica for Alternative

Cleaning Products:

• Acute toxicity.

• Chronic toxicity.

• Biodegradability.

• Skin irritants.

• Flammability.

• VOC levels.

• Corrosiveness.

• Presence of petroleum or 

hydrocarbons.

• Presence of ozone-depleting 

chlorinated compounds.

• Presence of artificial dyes or 

fragrances.
10 ◆ Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action

, , p, , y 

ers’ claims about products. The city investigated third-party certification but has not

found an organization that performs the comprehensive product evaluations it is seeking. Deborah Raphael noted that the city’s environmental purchasing efforts would be

aided by an objective, comprehensive, third-party certification program run by a government agency, university, or nonprofit organization.

Products meeting the established environmental and human health criteria were

then tested for efficacy by the city’s custodial staff. This hands-on testing, and the corresponding feedback from staff members, was a crucial step in the process of evaluating competing bids. For example, when the city tested a line of products from one

vendor, all of the products performed well with the exception of the all-purpose

cleaner. Based on this performance testing, the city chose to purchase an all-purpose

cleaner from a different vendor whose product was approved by custodial staff. 

After the city tested products for performance, it evaluated them for cost. Cost was

not the primary consideration used in evaluating products. Instead, the goal of the

program was “to achieve a cost savings while maintaining or improving the level of

service.” In its first 2 years, Santa Monica estimates that it saved approximately 5 percent by purchasing alternative cleaning products rather than traditional products.

This cost savings resulted in part from the reduced packaging and shipping costs associated with concentrated products. In addition, improved custodial training led to

more efficient use of products, which also contributed to cost savings.
Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action ◆ 11

emphasizing the criterion. Deborah Raphael noted that factors that caused the city to

lean in this direction included the following:

• Pragmatism and environmental priorities clashed in this instance. The city recognized that it needed cleaning products for its custodians. 

• Smaller companies were unable to provide the data, but Santa Monica did not want

to put smaller companies at a disadvantage. 

• The city hoped that other criteria, including biodegradability and the requirement

that additives used be “food-grade,” would mitigate the fact that aquatic toxicity

was not included. 

Pilot Program

Before switching to alternative cleaners citywide, Santa Monica ran a 10-month

pilot program. Santa Monica’s independent consultants recommended a line of products, as well as specific products and quantities for particular applications, in each city

department. The Environmental Programs Division then held an initial meeting with

custodial managers and supervisors to create awareness of the program. Custodial

staff then received training and began using the alternative products. Their feedback

about the products was solicited at a series of meetings with the consultants and

Environmental Programs Division staff. A focus group of “stakeholders” was formed

to provide more in-depth input. These stakeholders were custodial staff who had an

increased awareness of or interest in the alternative products and/or had achieved the

respect of their peers. Santa Monica recognized that these stakeholders had expertise

in specific areas of custodial care and made use of this expertise in the evaluation

process. For example, one custodial staff member was recognized by his peers as being

an expert in floor care. Santa Monica asked him to test the floor care products

because of his expertise and credibility with other staff. 
12 ◆ Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action

citywide bid, while fleet maintenance and recycled products are purchased on a

product-by-product basis. Customizing environmental purchasing based on

product category helps the city achieve its goals. 

◆ Creating Partnerships Between Environmental and Procurement Staff. In

Santa Monica, Environmental Programs Division staff conduct product research

and draft specifications that the city’s Purchasing Division staff use to procure

products. Purchasing Division staff also contact Environmental Programs

Division staff with questions about requests for products that contain chemicals.

This teamwork approach helps the city achieve its environmental purchasing

goals without increasing the workload of procurement officers. 

◆ Implementing Pilot Programs. Testing alternative products on a limited basis

through pilot programs allows Santa Monica to test products for efficacy,

include end-users in the decision-making process, and overcome end-user

skepticism about alternative products. The information gathered during these

pilot tests helps the city draft comprehensive, usable specifications for the bid

process.
Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action ◆ 13

continuously evaluate the success of the program and products with an eye

toward improvement.

Two years after the inception of the

Sustainable City Program, Santa Monica

prepared a comprehensive report detailing program successes, obstacles, and

plans for the future. For copies of The

Sustainable City Progress Report, contact

Dean Kubani, Environmental Analyst:

phone: 310 458-2227, e-mail: <deankubani@ci.santa-monica.ca.us>, or visit

the web site <www.ci.santamonica.ca.us/environment/policy>.
ppppyg p

instrumental in their effectiveness. Based on this information, the city decided to

expand its training program for custodial staff and to purchase a different kind of rag

for applications. The type of rag traditionally used, a treated T-shirt knit fabric, was

not very effective at removing dirt and required the use of more cleaning product.

The new terry-cloth type rag actually makes it possible to reduce the amount of

cleaning products used, which helps the city achieve its goal of reducing toxics. The

city used the experience and information obtained in the cleaning products pilot

phase to draft its specifications for the formal bid process and plan the implementation of the citywide switch to alternative cleaners. 

The city recognized that it could not take a “one size fits all” approach to implementing its program because of the different kinds of arrangements for the custodial

care of different city buildings. Whether a particular building is city owned or city

leased affects the arrangements for custodial care. About 50 percent of the city’s custodial staff are city employees, while the other 50 percent are contractors. Of these

independent contractors, most have contracts directly with the city, but some have

contracts with the owners of city-leased buildings. One of the challenges the city

faced was how best to tailor the implementation of its program to these different circumstances, especially in the area of custodial staff training. 

End-User Training

Training was an essential part of Santa Monica’s switch to alternative cleaners. The

city’s research and pilot testing revealed that alternative cleaners would need to be

applied differently to achieve the same results. Santa Monica instituted a training program for all of its custodial staff including both city employees and contract staff. For

most contract staff, their contracts specify that they must use the alternative products

stocked at the warehouse and participate in training. City employees and contractors

14 ◆ Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action
Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action ◆ 15

According to Eddie Greenberg, Maintenance Crew Leader for the Promenade

District, “The results are really fantastic...Everybody seems to be pleased—the public

[and] the employees, because they are not exposed to toxics...The people who worked

on cleaning elevators used to use an aerosol spray. If the elevator closed and went up a

few floors [unexpectedly, after spraying], when it opened and they walked out, they

would feel their heads spinning. With these [alternative products], it doesn’t happen.

We notice a difference.” Overall, he notes, “We’re a lot healthier.” 

Eddie Greenberg also provided the following specific example of how well the

alternative cleaning products work. “The Promenade District is about three blocks of

[waterfront] retail businesses [and] residences. We use large scrubbing machines with

the new cleaning products. [The new products are] not only equal [to traditional

products, they are] even better. There’s a sheen on the sidewalks. The merchants, and

the people that are here, they like what they see.” 
16 ◆ Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action

While cleaning products were evaluated using multiple environmental and human

health criteria, some fleet maintenance products are judged on only a single environmental attribute. For example, Santa Monica’s research showed that antifreeze made

with propylene glycol was less toxic than antifreeze made with the more traditional

ethylene glycol. Hence, the city decided to switch to purchasing only propyleneglycol antifreeze. 

Similarly, Santa Monica used a single environmental criterion—percentage of rerefined content—to evaluate motor oil. In addition to the environmental benefits of

re-refined motor oil, Santa Monica achieved a significant cost savings by switching to

this alternative product. The city estimates that the re-refined motor oil it currently

purchases costs 25 percent less than virgin motor oil.

• The Environmental Programs Division and

the fleet manager conduct research and draft

specifications.

• The city’s buyers stock high-volume, frequently

used products, such as motor oil, at the warehouse and procure other products valued at

more than $1,000. They use specifications provided by the fleet manager or the

Environmental Programs Division.

• Two storekeepers stock a parts shop, obtaining

goods from the buyers or on their own in the

form of small purchases (under $1,000).

• Individuals obtain products from the warehouse or the storekeepers. 

The Players: 

How Fleet Maintenance Products Are Purchased
Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action ◆ 17

the 3 years since they began using alternative products, we have never had an engine

or mechanical failure” associated with the use of propylene-glycol antifreeze or rerefined motor oil. 

For each alternative fleet maintenance product purchased, Santa Monica conducted

a pilot program. When the city began using re-refined motor oil, it tested the product

in half the fleet (approximately 300 vehicles) before purchasing the alternative product

for the entire fleet. Similarly, propylene-glycol antifreeze was initially tested in

approximately 50 vehicles. The entire fleet now uses this alternative product. Another

alternative product that Santa Monica pilot-tested is retread tires, which are currently

used in more than 50 percent (300 vehicles) of the city’s fleet. 

As was the case with cleaning products, Santa Monica found that this pilot phase

was an important step in the process of switching to alternative fleet maintenance

products. Not only did the pilot tests help the city ascertain that the alternative products performed as well as traditional products, but they also helped overcome the

skepticism of some of the fleet maintenance staff. Staff were able to see for themselves

that the alternative products were as effective as the traditional products they were

accustomed to using. In addition, staff appreciated being included in the decisionmaking process; their feedback was solicited and considered before decisions were

made on which products to buy. 

The Fleet Maintenance Division also purchases environmental vehicles powered by

alternative fuels including CNG, electricity, or propane. One of the Sustainable City

Program’s goals is to have 75 percent of the Fleet Maintenance Division’s fleet powered by alternative fuels by 2000. Forty percent of the city’s fleet of vehicles are currently past their recommended replacement point, and the city hopes to replace them

with alternative-fuel vehicles. Of 585 vehicles, roughly 20 percent (130) are currently

powered by alternative fuels. Of these, 75 vehicles are powered by CNG, 9 by electricity, and the remaining 46 by propane. 
18 ◆ Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action

ypy g pg 

hire contractors who would regularly spray pesticides in and around city buildings. To

safeguard human health and the environment, Santa Monica’s TUR Program adopted

an integrated pest management (IPM) system. Santa Monica defines IPM as: 

“a process for achieving long term, environmentally sound pest control through

the use of a wide variety of technical and management strategies. Control techniques include structural modifications and procedural modifications that

reduce food, water, harborage, access, and environmental conditions that are

favored by pests. Management strategies include education, training, and promotion of behavioral practices that are important in the IPM process.”

IPM management strategies also include monitoring, baits and traps, and, as a last

resort, pesticide application to cracks and crevices. 

• The Environmental Programs Division evaluates bids and recommends one contractor for

the entire city.

• The City Council approves this recommendation.

• City staff contact the pest manager for their

building when pests appear. The pest manager,

usually also the building’s facility manager, is a

city staff member who has received additional

training in IPM.

• Pest managers call the pest control contractor directly and work with them.

• The IPM coordinator implements ongoing

training efforts and provides oversight to the

pest control contractor.

The Players: 

How IPM Services Are Purchased
Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action ◆ 19

four vendors were not selected as finalists primarily because their

responses to the city’s questions were incomplete. RFPs were

mailed out to the finalists, who were also invited to attend a site

tour of the city buildings they would be servicing before submitting their bids. This face-to-face meeting with vendors provided

Santa Monica with the opportunity to answer vendor questions

and to emphasize the importance of providing complete, accurate information with their bids. 

The RFP required vendors to rank pest management options “in order of lowest

risk to highest risk or group in categories of ‘low,’ ‘medium,’ and ‘high’ risk to human

health and the environment.” The city also required vendors to provide detailed

descriptions of their monitoring and quality control programs as well as a suggested

format for training city staff in ways to prevent pests. The detailed RFP, drafted based

on Santa Monica’s up-front research, helped the city choose between the two finalists

because the responses showed not only price information but also the contractors’

depth of technical expertise. 

Santa Monica’s specifications for IPM contractors include criteria designed to safeguard human health and the environment such as using nonpesticide methods of control wherever possible. For example, portable vacuums are to be used instead of sprays

for initial clean-outs of cockroach infestations. Pest control in all city buildings is

supervised by a member of the Environmental Programs Division staff who is

appointed as the city’s IPM coordinator. The contractor is required to receive

approval from the IPM coordinator before applying or storing any pesticides at city

properties. Specific pesticides also must be approved by the IPM coordinator. In addition, the city’s IPM contract requires “risk reduction,” stating that “the Contractor

shall employ products and techniques that have been determined by the city, in consultation with other appropriate entities, to pose the least risk to people, workers, and

yy g, y

haven’t been around since.”

—Randall Martinez, Trades

Supervisor and pest manager

for city hall and yards
Training

Some of the most important efforts to control pests have been made, not by the

IPM contractors, but by the city staff. Santa Monica’s city manager sent a memo

informing all staff that “successful implementation of IPM requires that every city

employee play a role in the control and eradication of pests in their office space (such

as proper food storage and housekeeping habits); therefore all city staff will receive

some level of training over the next few months.” Training for most staff was done at

existing department and division staff meetings and included information on basic

pest identification and habits. The city also arranged for select city staff to receive

additional, more comprehensive training. These city facilities managers, now also

referred to as “pest managers,” are the point of contact between employees and the

pest control contractor. 

Pilot Program and Evaluation

The IPM pilot project lasted a year and ended in October 1997. Santa Monica’s

evaluation of the program, which included surveying the city’s pest managers, revealed

many successes. Several of these pest managers spoke very favorably of the IPM

approach. Cindy Tomlinson, Senior Administrative Analyst for the Santa Monica Fire

Department, remarked that she used to “call for spraying [and] normally the problem

would return.” She said it “seems [IPM] methods are more effective,” and noted that

they had experienced “less trouble with pests returning.” She also found the IPM

contractor “very responsive to our needs.” Joe McGrath, Park Superintendent, said,

“So far, [the contractor’s] approach is working great.” He has had “few call backs” to

say that pests have returned and no calls from people asking what was being sprayed.

He said he used to get a couple of calls a year about spraying. 

20 ◆ Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action
pgp

Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action ◆ 21

• The Environmental Programs Division conducts research and provides information about

recycled-content products.

• The buyers stock high-volume, frequently used

products such as recycled-content office paper

at the warehouse and purchase other products

costing more than $1,000 for individual departments. They are aware of the city’s informal

policies for recycled-content products.

The Players: 

How Recycled-Content Products Are Purchased
Lessons Learned ◆ 23

to simplify them for future use. The city also is investigating adding language to its

municipal code that will ensure that environmental purchasing continues to be a

high priority for the city and make it easier to accomplish. In addition, the city is

expanding its computerized tracking of purchases.

• Approach environmental purchasing one step at a time. As part of the TUR

Program, the city had many goals for environmental purchasing that included

adopting new purchasing policies for a wide range of products. The city started,

however, with a single group of products: alternative cleaning products. When that

program was well established, the city turned its attention to IPM. By focusing on

one product category at a time, the city was able to implement a more comprehensive, workable purchasing process. In addition, each time the city buys a new product, it tests the product using a pilot program. Only after the pilot stage has been

successfully completed and evaluated does the city buy the product on a large scale.

• Address the entire purchasing process as a system, rather than focusing on

just the product. Santa Monica’s approach to purchasing starts with up-front

research by appropriate individuals and then proceeds to drafting specifications,

testing products, training end-users, and evaluating both the products purchased

and the purchasing process. By focusing on the entire process rather than individual products, Santa Monica is able to realize its environmental purchasing goals.

• Create partnerships between environmental and procurement staff. Santa

Monica’s Environmental Programs Division and Purchasing Division combine

their expertise and share the workload of environmental purchasing. The

Environmental Programs Division’s research, advice, and specifications assist 

buyers with the task of purchasing products and services deemed safer for the envi24 ◆ Lessons Learned

Environmental Programs Division staff read through all purchase orders for chemical products to verify whether the new policy was being implemented. If the product purchased did not meet the city’s new criteria, Environmental Programs

Division staff informed the purchaser and the department head. The department

heads are supportive of the program and help ensure implementation of the policy.

When individual staff were asked why they did not follow policy, they provided

valuable feedback that helped Santa Monica improve its program.

• Expect a certain amount of resistance to change and skepticism about alternative products. Initially, many end-users were skeptical about the efficacy of

alternative products or resistant to changing established practices. Santa Monica

found that including end-users in all phases of decision-making and having pilot

programs helped it meet this challenge.

• Investigate third-party certification and other ways to verify vendor information. Santa Monica’s efforts to evaluate environmental products were made more

challenging because it could not always obtain complete, accurate information

from vendors. In addition, city staff lack the time and expertise to verify manufacturers’ claims about their products. The city investigated Green Seal and other certification programs but has not found an organization that provides the

comprehensive information it is seeking. Deborah Raphael noted that third-party

certification, either by the government or by a nonprofit organization, would help

Santa Monica’s efforts. She also expressed interest in finding other potential ways

to ensure that vendors provide complete, accurate information.

• Train staff in how best to use alternative products. Santa Monica’s research

revealed that many alternative products, such as cleaning products, require differLessons Learned ◆ 25
26 ◆ Next Steps and Plans for the Future

panel of experts from the County Agriculture Commissioner’s Office and the

University of California Cooperative Extension Service surveyed the use of herbicides on city property and identified opportunities to reduce their use. Training on

alternative weed control techniques will be designed and offered to both city and

contractor landscape maintenance staff. A herbicide-free pilot site is already underway in one section of the city.

• Conducting outreach to businesses and residents. Now that Santa Monica has

gained experience with environmental purchasing, it is planning to share what it

has learned with businesses and the general public. Taking information it has gathered in the last few years, it will work to encourage local businesses and residences

to make similar changes in their purchasing. One example of the city’s outreach to

the public is a bimonthly bulletin included with utility bills. The first issue of this

bulletin informed residents about ways to reduce their use of hazardous household

products.

• Finding ways to institutionalize environmental purchasing. Santa Monica recognizes that among the reasons for the city’s success in environmental purchasing

are the talent and dedication of current city staff and the support of the current

administration. The city is searching for ways to document and institutionalize

environmental procurement so that it endures beyond the tenure of those currently

involved in it.
Resources ◆ 27
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

401 M Street, SW. (7409)

Washington, DC 20460

E-mail: goidel.eunsook@epamail.epa.gov

Fax: 202 260-0178