United States Environmental Protection Agency Pollution
Prevention and Toxics (7409) 
EPA742-R-98-002 
August 1998 
www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp 


       Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program 


                       GREEN SPENDING
               A CASE STUDY OF MASSACHUSETTS' 
              ENVIRONMENTAL PURCHASING PROGRAM 


        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) 
                    Phone: 202 260-1023 
                    E-mail: ppic@epa.gov 


FOREWORD 

     The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recognizes that environmentally preferable purchasing is a
dynamic concept that, depending on the product category,
will not necessarily be implemented in the same manner from
agency to agency or even within a specific agency. In order
to demonstrate some of the ways environmentally preferable
purchasing principles are currently being applied, EPA is
documenting examples of environmental purchasing efforts
undertaken by Executive agencies, state and local
governments, and the private sector.

     The Commonwealth of Massachusetts' environmental
purchasing program is one of these efforts. This case study
describes how Massachusetts incorporated environmental
attributes into its purchasing process and how it spread the
word to Commonwealth purchasers about the importance of
buying environmental products. This case study illustrates
how collaborating with other agencies and emphasizing
education and outreach can result in a successful
environmental purchasing program. We hope the lessons and
insights documented in this case study will help you and
your organization as you begin incorporating environmental
preferability into your purchasing decisions.


============================================================
                 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.

--   The Commonwealth of Massachusetts purchases more than
     $300 million worth of commodities each year.
============================================================


EPA's Environmentally Preferable Guidance 

     EPA identified seven guiding principles to help federal
agencies incorporate environmental preferability into their
procurement practices. The following principles were
proposed in the Federal Register (FR) in EPA's "Guidance on
Acquisition of Environmentally Preferable Products and
Services" (60 FR 50722): 

1.   Consideration of environmental preferability should
     begin early in the acquisition process and be rooted in
     the ethic of pollution prevention, which strives to
     eliminate or reduce, up front, potential risks to human
     health and the environment.

2.   A product or service's environmental preferability is a
     function of multiple attributes.

3.   Environmental preferability should reflect the
     lifecycle considerations of products and services to
     the extent feasible.

4.   Environmental preferability should consider the scale
     (e.g., global versus local) and temporal reversibility
     aspects of a product or service's impact.

5.   Environmental preferability should be tailored to local
     conditions where appropriate.

6.   The environmental objectives of products or services
     should be a factor or subfactor in competition among
     vendors, when appropriate.

7.   Agencies need to examine product attribute claims
     carefully.


CONTENTS

Foreword

Introduction

Putting Environmental Purchasing Into Action

Procurement Reform and Its Impact on Environmental
Purchasing

Measuring Success

Questions for the Future

Helpful Tips From Massachusetts' Experience

Opportunities for Growth

For More Information


INTRODUCTION 

     A state government can significantly affect the kinds
of products and services that are supplied through its
large, influential purchasing power. The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, which purchases more than $300 million in
commodities each year, opted to help the environment through
its purchasing practices. Rather than simply awarding
contracts to the lowest bidders, Massachusetts has taken a
proactive stance toward purchasing and now incorporates
environmental considerations into its purchasing decisions.

     Massachusetts is one of the first states to go beyond a
buy-recycled program by incorporating various other
innovative environmental practices into its procurements,
such as awarding points to bidders and vendors who meet
specific environmental criteria. Since 1988, when
Massachusetts first established its environmental purchasing
program, the Commonwealth has devoted more of its resources
each year to the procurement of environmentally preferable
goods. In fact, in fiscal year 1997, the Commonwealth spent
$34 million on dozens of products with environmental
attributes, and in many cases, these products were less
expensive than their conventional counterparts.

     Traditionally, environmental purchasing programs are
managed by state environmental officials who try to work
with procurement departments to ensure that environmental
attributes are incorporated in their specifications. Due to
differing goals and distance between offices, however, this
relationship has often been problematic for some states.
Consequently, Massachusetts decided to try a different
approach. Through funding provided by environmental
agencies, the Operational Services Division (OSD), the
central purchasing agency for the state, hired two staff
members to work solely on environmental issues. These
individuals, who are considered part of OSD's staff, attend
procurement meetings and play a central role in writing
specifications for statewide contracts. This unique approach
has enabled the purchasing office to rely more on its own
resources, communicate more effectively within the office,
and produce the resulting environmental success.

     Massachusetts' experience with this program provides
useful tips for states, government agencies, and other
organizations interested in applying EPA's guiding
principles for environmental purchasing. This case study
documents the lessons learned by Massachusetts about
environmental procurement, including the need to do the
following: 

--   Collaborate with other agencies that can contribute
     necessary skills and valuable perspective to the
     project.

--   Interact directly with purchasers and utilize
     brochures, fact sheets, and other informational
     materials.

--   Educate purchasers and end-users about environmentally
     preferable products rather than simply requiring them
     to buy the products.

--   Make products with environmental attributes more easily
     accessible to purchasers.

--   Be patient and persistent.


============================================================
     This case study provides background information on
     the Commonwealth's environmental purchasing
     program, an overview of the program and its
     successes, and a discussion of the challenges and
     opportunities Massachusetts is likely to encounter
     when it expands the program in the future.
     Information was obtained by conducting interviews
     with several key officials responsible for
     implementing the Commonwealth's program and by
     consulting annual reports and other documents
     published by Massachusetts.
============================================================


PUTTING ENVIRONMENTAL PURCHASING INTO ACTION 

Setting the Stage 

     The Commonwealth of Massachusetts' environmental
purchasing efforts originated in its buy-recycled program.
Launched in 1988 with a Commonwealth executive order on
recycled products procurement, the buy-recycled program
gained added momentum in 1992 with the publication of the
Commonwealth's Solid Waste Master Plan. That plan
established a 46 percent recycling rate goal by 2000 and
acknowledged the importance of buy-recycled efforts in
meeting that goal. The Commonwealth reached a milestone in
its buy-recycled campaign in July 1994, when it included
recycled-content requirements in its contracts for printing
and writing paper.

     Based on the success of its buy-recycled program,
Massachusetts recognized it could purchase other products
with favorable environmental attributes and began
incorporating additional attributes into the procurement
process.

     Massachusetts' definition of products with
environmental attributes is similar to the federal
government's definition in Executive Order 12873. The
Massachusetts definition reads, "Environmentally preferable
products are...commodities or services that have a lesser or
reduced effect on human health and the environment when
compared with competing products or services that serve the
same purpose. Such products and services may include, but
are not limited to, those which minimize waste, utilize
recycled materials, conserve energy or water, and/or reduce
the consumption or disposal of toxic materials." 


How Environmental Purchasing Works in Massachusetts

     Commonwealth agencies can purchase products in the
following three ways: 

--   Through statewide contracts. These contracts are for
     high-volume purchases by multiple agencies on which the
     Commonwealth spends more than $50,000 each year. In
     addition to the approximately 70 Commonwealth agencies,
     municipalities and authorities (such as schools) also
     can buy products through statewide contracts.
     Massachusetts' central purchasing agency, OSD, does not
     track these purchases, however.

--   Through independent agency purchases. If an individual
     agency identifies the need for a product that is not on
     a statewide contract, it can purchase the item through
     an independent agency purchase.

--   Through small purchases. Agencies can purchase products
     as small purchases if they are buying less than $1,000
     worth of a product, as long as the product is not on a
     statewide contract.

     Agencies must purchase products through a statewide
contract, unless the products are unavailable or do not meet
the specifications for a particular use. Special products
required for certain types of equipment also are exempt from
statewide contract purchasing.

     OSD is responsible for establishing statewide
contracts, writing product specifications, monitoring
Commonwealth purchasing, and educating agency purchasers.
OSD also coordinates Massachusetts' environmental purchasing
efforts with help from two other Commonwealth agencies: the
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) and the
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Money from
DEP's Clean Environment Fund supports two environmental
purchasing positions within OSD: an environmental purchasing
coordinator and an environmental purchasing trainer. These
individuals attend procurement meetings and play a central
role in writing specifications for statewide contracts,
which has enabled the purchasing office to rely more on its
own resources and communicate more effectively within the
office.

     In the past, DEP attempted to coordinate the
Commonwealth's environmental purchasing efforts. DEP found,
however, that staff members did not have the time necessary
to devote to purchasing in addition to their other duties.
Communication and interaction between DEP and OSD also was
difficult because the two agencies were in separate
buildings. The Commonwealth eventually realized that
individuals were needed in the purchasing office to help
incorporate environmental attributes into the procurement
process.

     An interagency workgroup comprised of representatives
from OSD, DEP, and EOEA meets bimonthly to ensure
cooperation among the various players in the environmental
purchasing program and to share information. In addition,
the environmental purchasing coordinator and trainer meet
with OSD procurement staff on a regular basis. They attend
team meetings, for example, with the procurement staff
members responsible for writing specifications for products
in a certain category. This type of interaction ensures that
procurement staff learn more about environmental issues and
environmental experts gain a better understanding of
procurement. It also minimizes the difficulties encountered
by both procurement and environmental staff members in
communicating with one another and fosters better relations
among the agencies involved.


============================================================
     Key collaborators in Massachusetts' environmental
     purchasing program include the following: 

     --   Operational Services Division 

     --   Executive Office of Environmental Affairs 

     --   Department of Environmental Protection 
============================================================


The Main Event: Product Evaluation 

     Gathering Data 

     Together, the environmental purchasing coordinator and
trainer identify products that appear to be good candidates
for incorporation into their environmental purchasing
program. In order to be a good candidate, a product should
be available in the marketplace or information about its
environmental attributes should be available. The
coordinator and trainer then talk with other purchasers,
determine whether any specifications or standards currently
exist for the product, and analyze the cost of the product
in relation to a competing conventional product that serves
the same purpose. To gather this information, the
coordinator and trainer contact other states and
municipalities active in environmental purchasing, conduct
searches on the Internet, and send out queries through the
National Association of State Purchasing Officials (NASPO),
an organization of state government purchasers that
maintains a database of recycled commodities. (See the NASPO
Web site at <www.naspo.org>.) 


     Verifying Product Information 

     OSD relies, in great part, on information provided by
vendors when determining a product's environmental
attributes. Vendors certify that the products they supply
meet the specifications of the contract or bid. OSD depends
on the accuracy and truthfulness of this information, as it
does not verify the information provided by the vendors. OSD
also does not conduct independent lifecycle assessments of
products to determine their complete environmental impact.

     Vendors realize that the Commonwealth can cancel a
contract at any time if the information they provide is
inaccurate; thus, they presumably provide honest and
accurate information. The environmental purchasing
coordinator and trainer also occasionally visit
manufacturers of some of the environmental products the
Commonwealth purchases to see how the products are made and
to ask for letters certifying the environmental attributes
of the particular product. Recently, for example, the
environmental purchasing coordinator and trainer visited a
plastic bag manufacturer to observe how recycled plastic
pellets are used to make the bags.


============================================================
     "We don't want to cause people stress. We want to
     make products available and encourage people to
     use them through marketing and education. We
     believe that if you force people to buy certain
     products, it will hurt the program in the long
     run." 

     --   Eric Friedman, Environmental Purchasing
          Coordinator, OSD 
============================================================


     Incorporating Products Into Statewide Contracts 

     Once information about environmental products is
collected and analyzed, the environmental staff brings it to
the attention of the procurement team writing the contract
specifications. Often, an existing product specification is
brought to the procurement team to use when writing the
state's specification. OSD maintains a library of existing
product specifications, as well as other product
information, such as performance and cost.

     The environmental staff works with procurement teams to
determine whether they can change an existing product
specification or if a separate specification is needed. In
some cases, OSD establishes dual contracts for items. OSD
maintains one contract for recycled paint, for example, and
another for virgin paint. The environmental staff recommends
taking this approach if a product is relatively new to the
marketplace or if its performance is still being evaluated.
In addition, OSD might establish a dual contract for a
product if less than three vendors offer the environmentally
preferable product or if the cost of the environmental
product is significantly higher than its conventional
counterpart.

     Two products for which Massachusetts currently has dual
contracts are paint and motor oil. Massachusetts has found
that recycled paint is not available in the variety of
colors and types required by some purchasers. The state,
therefore, has a dual contract for recycled and virgin
paint. While motor oil is currently purchased using a
similar dual contract, the state is investigating the use of
a single contract that would specify that all motor oil must
contain a minimum of 50 percent re-refined oil base stock.
(Motor oil typically consists of base stock and additives.)
For many purchases, the state already exceeds this 50
percent requirement; it purchases motor oil containing 75 to
100 percent re-refined oil base stock.


     The Challenge of Multiple Environmental Attributes 

     The Commonwealth finds it challenging to consider
multiple attributes on an individual product basis for
several reasons. Among these reasons is a lack of available
information on multiple attributes. Product information
tends to focus on single attributes, and sometimes
individual attributes are at odds with one another. Some
paper products, for example, are available either with
recycled content or chlorine-free content, but are not
available with both of these environmental attributes.

     Most of Massachusetts' program has focused on
considering single attributes of products, with a few
notable exceptions. OSD is currently considering more than
one environmental attribute in two of its paper contracts.
Its janitorial paper contract requires that paper be made
with recycled content and that it not be bleached with
elemental chlorine. The two-way envelopes Massachusetts buys
are made with recycled content and prevent waste by
eliminating the need for return envelopes. In addition,
Massachusetts is in the final stages of development for bid
specifications involving multiple attributes for cleaning
products. The specifications will address attributes such as
biodegradability, volatile organic compounds, skin and eye
irritants, carcinogens, and toxic ingredients.

     Although OSD has found it more difficult to integrate
multiple attributes than single attributes, it plans to
continue to consider more than one environmental attribute
on a product-specific basis as it learns more about other
agencies' and organizations' environmental purchasing
successes.


Spreading the Word About Environmental Purchasing 

     Rather than issue a mandate, Massachusetts adopted an
educational approach for its environmental procurement
program. OSD believes that allowing customers to make
well-informed decisions based on available information is as
efficient as, if not more so, than requiring customers to
comply with strict program guidelines. As OSD has realized,
a satisfied customer is the best marketing tool.


     Educating Vendors 

     In addition to indicating its preference for products
with environmental attributes through contract and
solicitation language, OSD communicates with vendors through
its Internet home page, <www.magnet.state.ma.us/osd/enviro/
enviro.htm>. OSD also calls vendors directly to express its
interest in environmental products and to request
information about product attributes. Vendors are generally
receptive to OSD's request for information and frequently
call OSD to promote particular products.


     Educating Customers (End-Users) 

     OSD has worked to broaden its definition of "customer"
in order to spread the word about environmental purchasing
to entities other than Commonwealth agencies. Its customer
base now includes all executive agencies; authorities such
as the Massachusetts Port Authority; universities;
municipalities, including local schools; and purchasing
cooperatives on both the municipal and county levels. OSD
educates its customers about environmental purchasing in the
following ways: 

--   Commonwealth vendors' fairs. OSD considers vendors'
     fairs one of the most successful ways to spread the
     word about its environmental purchasing efforts. OSD
     held three fairs in the past 3 years. At the fairs,
     Commonwealth purchasers can speak directly with
     vendors. OSD also offers training seminars on
     purchasing products in different categories as well as
     on writing product specifications. OSD has no direct
     measure of the impact of the fairs on purchasers; the
     fairs are popular, however, drawing increasingly large
     numbers of attendees. Participation has grown from 40
     vendors and 140 purchasers at the first fair to 85
     vendors and 400 purchasers at the most recent fair.

--   Workshops. OSD holds periodic workshops that address
     general environmental purchasing issues. In fiscal year
     1995, OSD held 11 such workshops, but attendance was
     low and the workshops required a tremendous amount of
     time to organize. As a result, OSD decided to contact
     other organizations holding workshops or conferences in
     Massachusetts to incorporate sessions on environmental
     purchasing into their events, thus saving valuable time
     and effort. In addition, if an agency or municipality
     in the Commonwealth approaches OSD and requests a
     workshop on a specific topic, OSD will organize the
     event. This process allows OSD to focus its efforts on
     educating a targeted audience without going to the
     trouble of sending out invitations, finding a workshop
     site, and coordinating other meeting logistics.

--   Awards program. To provide an incentive to Commonwealth
     agencies to purchase environmentally preferable
     products, OSD created an awards program to acknowledge
     agencies and municipalities that have been particularly
     active in environmental purchasing. Awards are
     presented in each of the following seven categories: 1)
     best overall agency program, 2) best overall municipal
     program, 3) most innovative program, 4) best targeted
     program, 5) best facility program, 6) best university
     program, 7) best written policy, and 8) best
     environmentally preferable purchasing program. In
     November 1997, OSD presented awards to six agencies and
     two municipalities in the Commonwealth.

--   Web site. OSD dedicated a page on its Web site to
     environmental procurement. The site contains various
     procurement annual reports and publications (that can
     be downloaded), includes updates on the Commonwealth's
     environmental purchasing efforts, and promotes upcoming
     events.

--   Fact sheets. OSD produced six fact sheets on buying
     re-refined oil, recycled paint, remanufactured toner
     cartridges, recycled paper, recycled envelopes, and
     recycled office supplies. Designed to educate
     Massachusetts purchasers, these fact sheets include
     information on cost comparisons between environmental
     products and their conventional counterparts, case
     studies of Commonwealth entities currently using the
     environmental products, and facts about the products'
     performance and standards. OSD distributes the fact
     sheets to agencies, municipalities, and authorities and
     makes them available on its Web site. OSD plans to
     develop additional fact sheets over the next several
     months.

--   Guidebook. OSD developed a 24-page Recycled Products
     Guide, which lists all the statewide contracts that
     offer environmental products. The guide also includes
     tips for writing product specifications, instructions
     on how to use state contracts, and steps to follow in
     order to start a buy-recycled program for
     municipalities. Although the primary audience for the
     guide is agencies and municipalities, any Commonwealth
     purchaser can request a copy.

--   Informational mailings. Periodically, OSD sends
     information to Commonwealth purchasers about specific
     products or contracts. OSD uses mailing lists developed
     by other agencies or departments in Massachusetts as
     well as a list of purchasers who attended the most
     recent vendor fair.


============================================================
     The address for OSD's Environmental Procurements
     Web site is:

     www.magnet.state.ma.us/osd/enviro/enviro.htm 
============================================================


     Massachusetts customers who have purchased products
based on their environmental attributes--including cleaners,
recycled paint, recycled-content plastic lumber products,
remanufactured toner cartridges, energy efficient lighting,
and retread tires--are pleased with the Commonwealth's
educational efforts. According to many customers, vendor
fairs and The Recycled Products Guide are particularly
helpful in raising awareness about these products. Many
customers also state that the Commonwealth's list of
environmental products saves them time and resources they
would have spent identifying products. Some customers
recommend, however, that Massachusetts more clearly
communicate the cost-effectiveness of buying certain
environmental products.


============================================================
     "The Commonwealth is dedicated to getting the word
     out on environmentally preferable products and
     making them available on statewide contracts. OSD
     has made it easier to purchase these products, and
     OSD staff members are accessible to communities
     that have questions about purchasing the
     products." 

     --   Sharon Byrne Kishida, Regional Recycling
          Coordinator, Essex County 
============================================================


PROCUREMENT REFORM AND ITS IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENTAL
PURCHASING 

     Massachusetts recently conducted an evaluation of
purchasing process costs and the performance of products
purchased under statewide contracts. The Commonwealth
performed the evaluation because the procurement staff were
spending 80 percent of their time processing only 20 percent
of Massachusetts' purchases. The state was also concerned
that, by awarding contracts only to the lowest bidders, it
was sacrificing product quality and durability and,
therefore, not meeting agency needs. As a result,
Massachusetts changed several aspects of its procurement
process.

     Instead of always awarding a contract to the lowest
bidder, OSD now tries to include value and environmental
considerations in its award criteria. Massachusetts focuses
on environmental criteria when appropriate and makes every
attempt to incorporate a purchasing preference for products
with environmental attributes. OSD considers a procurement
to represent the best value when it performs well, provides
the best quality and economic value, encourages competition
among vendors, and ensures the continuing participation of
quality vendors. In addition to considering the best value
and assuring that procurements meet contract specifications,
OSD awards points to bidders who meet various environmental
criteria including recycled content, energy or water
conservation, and toxic or other waste reduction. OSD is
beginning to award contracts more frequently to vendors who
meet environmental criteria and has established a goal to
make this a standard practice.

     Massachusetts also is beginning to award points to
vendors that use products and services with environmental
attributes in conducting their business. For its grocer
contract, for example, Massachusetts offered additional
points to vendors who submitted an environmental plan in
which they agreed to initiate source reduction of primary
and secondary packaging, recycle packaging materials,
examine the cost of adding a line of cleaners and
disinfectants with environmental attributes, provide
automatic dispensing systems to minimize excess spillage and
use of cleaners, and investigate the use of alternative fuel
vehicles for the grocer fleet. Massachusetts is currently
reviewing the effectiveness of its new points system.

     OSD finds that the cost-competitiveness of
environmental products differs according to the product
category. Recycled-content paper products, for example, are
often priced competitively to virgin products. Some products
with environmentally preferable attributes, such as
remanufactured toner cartridges, are cheaper than their
counterparts. In some cases, where vendors submitted bids
for environmental products that were not priced
competitively, OSD successfully renegotiated with the vendor
for a lower price.

     In one instance, after an award was made to a recycled
paint vendor, OSD discovered that end-users were not
purchasing the recycled paint because it was approximately
10 percent more expensive than virgin paint. OSD approached
the vendor, explained why end-users were not buying the
recycled paint, and asked whether the vendor could lower its
prices. In order to keep the Commonwealth's business, the
vendor reduced its price to within a few cents of the price
for virgin paint.

     Due to these and other changes brought about by
procurement reform, OSD revised its Procurement Policies and
Procedures Handbook to include a section on environmental
purchasing. The new section describes procuring departments'
responsibilities regarding environmental purchasing, lists
the environmental products available on statewide contracts,
and recommends methods for promoting the use of products and
services with environmental attributes.


MEASURING SUCCESS 

     One important measure OSD uses to gauge the success of
its program is the amount of money it spends on
environmental products. Massachusetts increased its spending
on products with environmental attributes from approximately
$2 million in 1992 to approximately $34 million in 1997.

     Other indicators of success include the variety of
products purchased (at least 45 types) and the number of
environmental product contracts. Aside from recycled-content
products, OSD finds it rather difficult to track the use of
products with other environmental attributes. OSD can track
the number of Energy Star computers purchased in a year, for
example, and estimate the associated energy savings. This
estimated figure, however, might not be representative of
actual savings since OSD has no way of determining whether
the energy saving feature on the computers is actually being
used. This uncertainty derives from accounts of computer
support staff members disabling the energy saving feature
when the computer is set up and then forgetting to
reactivate it. OSD is hoping to rectify this problem by
considering ways to educate computer support staff members
about the importance of using the energy saving feature.

     OSD also measures success in more qualitative ways,
namely by attempting to gauge the level of support for the
program within the Commonwealth and the extent to which
awareness about products' environmental attributes has been
raised. In order to conduct these evaluations, OSD solicits
regular feedback from end-users about product performance
and addresses their responses accordingly. If responses are
negative, the environmental purchasing coordinator and
trainer attempt to determine the source of the customers'
dissatisfaction. An attempt also is made to ascertain
whether the dissatisfaction is based on the product itself
or on how the product is being used. If an end-user
expresses dissatisfaction with a remanufactured toner
cartridge, for example, OSD tries to determine if the
problem is the actual toner cartridge, the way the cartridge
is used, or the maintenance of the laser printer.


QUESTIONS FOR THE FUTURE 

     OSD is currently considering a number of key questions
to help shape the future of its environmental purchasing
program. These questions include how to consider multiple
attributes, how to address issues inherent to procurement
reform, and how to maintain program interest and momentum. 
Massachusetts hopes to find answers to these questions by
looking at other local, state, and federal government
efforts as well as companies' experiences of purchasing
environmental products.


How Can Multiple Attributes Best Be Incorporated?

     Massachusetts is committed to expanding its
environmental purchasing activities beyond single-attribute
products such as recycled-content plastic lumber. As
previously described, the Commonwealth is currently
purchasing recycled-content, chlorine-free paper products,
and recycled-content two-way envelopes that prevent waste by
eliminating the need for return envelopes. The state also is
finalizing bid specifications for cleaning products that
will consider multiple attributes including
biodegradability, volatile organic compounds, skin and eye
irritants, carcinogens, and toxic ingredients. OSD continues
to research ways to incorporate multiple attributes into
purchasing decisions on a case-by-case basis. OSD
understands that, when multiple attributes are involved, it
needs to determine which of them to consider and when, as
well as how to prioritize them.


How Will Procurement Reform Affect Environmental Purchasing?

     Recent changes in Massachusetts' procurement process
are affecting the Commonwealth's environmental purchasing
efforts in two ways: 

--   Statewide contracts are being consolidated into "mega"
     contracts, which include broad specifications for
     thousands of items. The number of products covered
     under one contract will make it more difficult to
     ensure that environmental criteria are specified for
     individual products.

--   Purchasing authority is being granted to more
     Commonwealth agencies who are then able to solicit
     items through their own bids. Ensuring that all buyers
     include environmental criteria in their purchasing
     decisions will be more difficult because of the number
     of individuals involved.

     As these changes take effect, OSD will need to increase
its efforts to educate purchasers, even though these efforts
can be resource-intensive. OSD realizes that challenges
posed by future changes in procurement processes will need
to be addressed as well. OSD believes that education and
outreach will continue to be an important component of its
environmental purchasing program.


How Will OSD Maintain Program Interest and Momentum?

     Officials involved in the Massachusetts purchasing
program acknowledge that these programs typically require an
investment of resources to sustain interest and to inform
and train purchasing staff. Although DEP has no plans to
stop funding the two environmental purchasing positions
within OSD, the department originally intended to become
less involved over time, assuming that environmental
expertise would become institutionalized within the
purchasing division. Some DEP officials, however, are
concerned about the program's continued viability without
long-term DEP involvement, given the promotional and
training needs inherent in such voluntary programs.


HELPFUL TIPS FROM MASSACHUSETTS' EXPERIENCE 

     Although the Massachusetts program is still in its
developmental stage, the insight gained thus far by program
managers can help other states, agencies, and businesses
seeking to incorporate environmental criteria into their
purchasing process. Here are some tips: 

--   Seek support and involvement from other agencies. One
     of the keys to the success of the Massachusetts program
     is the cooperative arrangement among its environmental
     division, purchasing division, and executive
     environmental office. When representatives from the
     three agencies meet to keep one another informed of
     their efforts, both progress and objectives remain
     clear. Working together, and with senior management
     support, these government agencies have been able to
     ensure that environmental criteria are effectively
     incorporated into the purchasing process.

--   Look for opportunities for face-to-face interaction
     with purchasers. OSD learned that fact sheets,
     guidebooks, and informational mailings, although
     useful, are usually not as effective as a face-to-face
     conversation with a purchaser. OSD staff members, for
     example, met on several occasions with Massachusetts
     Highway Department personnel. That effort resulted in
     the Highway Department's decision to buy
     recycled-content plastic lumber products and re-refined
     oil.

--   Use vendors' fairs to help spread the word about
     environmental purchasing. OSD realized that its annual
     vendors' fair is an important element in Massachusetts'
     environmentally preferable purchasing program. Vendors'
     fairs provide an opportunity for purchasers to talk
     directly to vendors about their environmental products.
     The fairs also increase the credibility of the products
     by demonstrating that a broad range of items are
     readily available from numerous sources. Vendors' fairs
     create greater visibility and interest in the entire
     program.

--   Focus on education rather than requiring purchasers to
     buy certain products. Massachusetts focused on making
     products with environmental attributes available and
     encouraged people to use them through marketing and
     education. OSD found that a satisfied customer is the
     best marketing tool. The Massachusetts Highway
     Department, for example, is currently promoting
     environmental products to other agencies because it is
     so pleased with the environmental products it purchased
     through the Commonwealth's contracts. OSD relies on
     these kinds of success stories, as well as user
     testimonials and pilot tests, to show that the products
     perform well.

--   Acknowledge mistakes and take steps to remedy them. OSD
     acknowledges that it is breaking new ground by trying
     to incorporate environmental criteria into purchasing.
     When products do not perform up to par, OSD tries to
     remedy the situation by investigating the cause of the
     product dissatisfaction and brokering a relationship
     between the product vendor and the user to correct the
     problem.

--   Do not expect change overnight. Overcoming purchaser
     resistance takes time and energy, but can be
     accomplished with persistent education, outreach, and
     the willingness to be flexible.


OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH 

     OSD currently plans to add other products and product
attributes to its environmental purchasing program. OSD is
considering the purchase of Energy Star fax machines and
copiers, in addition to computers and printers, and is in
the process of writing specifications for cleaning products
with environmental attributes. In addition, OSD hopes to
expand its program to include products purchased indirectly
through service contracts, which involves a far greater
number of products than those purchased directly. Examples
of indirect service providers include companies that offer
cleaning or construction services.

     As these efforts indicate, OSD and its cooperating
agencies are committed to expanding the environmental
purchasing program and look forward to future successes in
environmental procurement.


FOR MORE INFORMATION 

     For more information about Massachusetts'
environmentally preferable purchasing program, visit the
Commonwealth's home page on environmental purchasing at
<www.magnet.state.ma.us/osd/enviro/enviro.htm>. You also can
contact: 

     Eric Friedman 
     Environmental Purchasing Coordinator 
     Operational Services Division 
     One Ashburton Place, 10th Floor 
     Boston, MA 02108-1552 
     Phone: 617 727-7500, Ext. 351 
     Fax: 617 727-4527 
     E-mail: efriedman@state.ma.us 


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     We want to hear from you! Please tell us about
     your environmentally preferable purchasing
     activities and efforts. We are collecting and
     sharing information, tools, and hints about what
     works and what doesn't, as environmentally
     preferable purchasing evolves and expands. Please
     contact the EPP program by e-mail, regular mail,
     or fax: 

     Eun-Sook Goidel 
     Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program 
     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
     401 M Street, SW. (7409) 
     Washington, DC 20460 
     E-mail: goidel.eunsook@epa.gov 
     Fax: 202 260-0178 
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