SUBSISTENCE FOOD SERVICE 

OPERATING SUPPLIES GREEN 

PROCUREMENT GUIDE
SUBSISTENCE FSOS GREEN 

PROCUREMENT GUIDE

• The information contained within this guide is intended for 

training purposes only. It is the responsibility of the individual 

to insure the most accurate and up to date information is 

used. 
USDA BIOPREFERRED PROGRAM

• The BioPreferred® program was created by the Farm Security and Rural 

Investment Act of 2002 and expanded by the Food, Conservation, and 

Energy Act of 2008. In addition, Presidential Executive Order 13514, 

Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, 

mandates the purchasing of biobased products. Executive Order 13693—

Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade has been created in 

order to maintain Federal leadership in sustainability and greenhouse gas 

emission reductions. 

• Under the Federal procurement preference program, USDA designates 

categories of biobased products. Federal agencies and their contactors are 

then required to give preferential consideration to these designated 

product categories when making purchases. 

https://www.biopreferred.gov/BioPreferred/faces/catalog/Catalog.xhtml

• As a part of this process of designating product categories for the Federal 

procurement preference, USDA establishes the minimum biobased 

content for the category.
Disposable Containers

Products designed for temporary storage or transportation of materials including, but not limited 

to, food items. 72% minimum biobased content.

http://www.biopreferred.gov/ProductCategories.aspx
DISPOSABLE TABLEWARE

Products made from, or coated with, biobased plastic resins or 

alternative biobased feedstock ( focus on alternative biobased 

products i.e. PLA (polylactic acid), bamboo, sugarcane, corn, wheat, 

plant based plastics, or products made form alternative sources such 

as bamboo or sugarcane fiber. ) used in dining, such as drink ware and 

dishware, including but not limited to cups, plates, bowls, and serving 

platters, and that are designed for one-time use. This item does not 

include disposable cutlery, which is a separate item. 

Minimum Biobased Content: 72% 
Disposable Cutlery 

Hand-held, disposable utensils designed for one-time use in eating 

food. 

48% - Minimum Biobased Content
•Films - Non-Durable 

Products that are used in packaging, wrappings, linings, and other 

similar applications. Films that are intended for single use for shortterm storage or protection before being discarded. Non-durable films 

that are designed to have longer lives when used are included in this 

item.

48% - Minimum Biobased Content
OTHER BIOBASED OPPORTUNITIES

FOR A COMPLETE UPDATED LIST

http://www.biopreferred.gov/ProductCategories.asp

• HAND CLEANERS 64% - Minimum Biobased Content

• HAND SANITIZERS 73% - Minimum Biobased Content

• FOOD CLEANERS 53% - Minimum Biobased Content

• TOWELS 12% - Minimum Biobased Content

• FLOOR STRIPPERS 78% - Minimum Biobased Content

• GLASS CLEANERS 49% - Minimum Biobased Content

• LAUNDRY PRODUCTS GENERAL POURPOSE 34% - Minimum Biobased Content

• LAUNDRY PRODUCTS SPOT REMOVERS 46% - Minimum Biobased Content

• SORBENTS 89% - Minimum Biobased Content

• GREASES FOOD GRADE 42% - Minimum Biobased Content

• INDUSTRIAL CLEANERS 41% - Minimum Biobased Content

• MULTIPURPOSE CLEANERS 56% - Minimum Biobased Content

• DISHWASHING PRODUCTS 58% - Minimum Biobased Content

• FLOOR CLEANERS & PROTECTORS 77% - Minimum Biobased Content

• OVEN & GRILL CLEANERS 66% - Minimum Biobased Content

• DEODORANTS 73% - Minimum Biobased Content

• BATH PRODUCTS 61% - Minimum Biobased Content

• SHAMPOOS HAIR CARE 66% - Minimum Biobased Content

• AIR FRESHEHERS 97% - Minimum Biobased Content

• SHAVING PRODUCTS 92% - Minimum Biobased Content

• SUN CARE PRODUCTS 53% - Minimum Biobased Content

• MICROBIAL CLEANING PRODUCTS DRAIN MAINTENANCE 44% - Minimum Biobased Content

• MICROBIAL CLEANING PRODUCTS GENERAL CLEANERS 50% - Minimum Biobased Content
Biobased Opportunities
USDA Certified Biobased Products

• Only by choosing biobased products labeled “USDA Certified Biobased Products” 

can the consumer be assured that the USDA and the Federal government stand 

behind the accuracy of the claim that the product contains biological ingredients in 

the amounts stated on the label. Manufacturers and vendors who have obtained 

the rights to use the BioPreferred® label on a product have submitted to USDA test 

evidence of the biobased content of the product or package. 

• USDA has established minimum biobased content standards for many product 

categories. A product must meet or exceed the minimum biobased content 

percentage in its given category in order to use the Certified Biobased Product 

label. Product categories for which biobased content standards have not been 

established must contain 25% biobased content. 
Biodegradable?

• •Currently there is no environmental attribute 

associated with biodegradability

• •Many items are biodegradable, but aren’t 

sourced in a responsible, sustainable way. 

Paper products? Sustainable Sourced? 

Recycled content?

• •Not all items that are biodegradable are 

biobased.
Legal Requirements 

• Subpart 23.4—Use of Recovered Materials 

and Biobased Products

• FAR Subpart 23.1 Sustainable Acquisition 

Policy 

• Exclusions – weapons systems, OCONUS, 

reasonable price, reasonable performance 

standards. 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines 

For a Complete & Updated List Visit

http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/cpg/products/index.htm

• Paper and Paper Products

• Commercial/Industrial Sanitary Tissue 

• Paperboard and Packaging

• Miscellaneous Paper Products
Commercial/Industrial Sanitary Tissue

Sanitary tissue products include bathroom and facial tissue, paper towels, napkins, and generalpurpose industrial wipers. They are generally sold in rolls or sheets and are used in personal care, 

food service, and cleaning applications. The grades of sanitary tissue products covered in the CPG 

are manufactured for use by restaurants, hotels, schools, government agencies, and other similar 

commercial and institutional buyers. Some recycled-content sanitary tissue products are softer, 

stronger, and more absorbent than others.

EPA's Recommended Recovered Fiber Content Levels for Commercial/Industrial Sanitary Tissue Products

Product Postconsumer Fiber (%) Total Recovered Fiber (%)

Bathroom Tissue 20-60 20-100

Paper Towels 40-60 40-100

Paper Napkins 30-60 30-100

Facial Tissue 10-15 10-100

General Purpose Industrial Wipers 40 40-100
Foodservice Opportunities For Commercial/Industrial Sanitary 

Tissue With Recycled Content
Paperboard and Packaging

Kraft padded mailers, Kraft bags, and wrapping paper made from OCC also fall under the 

packaging category.

EPA's Recommended Recovered Fiber Content Levels for Paperboard and Packaging Products

Product Postconsumer Fiber (%) Total Recovered Fiber (%)

Corrugated containers: 1

- (<300 psi) 25-50 25-50

- (300 psi) 25-30 25-30

Solid Fiber Boxes 40 40

Folding Cartons 2 40-80 100

Industrial paperboard (e.g., tubes, cores, drums, and cans) 45-100 100

Miscellaneous (e.g., pad backs, covered binders, book covers, mailing tubes, protective 

packaging) 75-100 90-100

Padded mailers 15-May 15-May

Carrierboard 3 15-Oct 10-100

Brown papers (e.g., wrapping paper and bags) 20-May May-40

EPA's Recommended Recovered Fiber Content Levels for Paperboard and Packaging Products

Product Postconsumer Fiber (%) Total Recovered Fiber (%)

Corrugated containers: 1

- (<300 psi) 25-50 25-50

- (300 psi) 25-30 25-30

Solid Fiber Boxes 40 40

Folding Cartons 2 40-80 100

Industrial paperboard (e.g., tubes, cores, drums, and cans) 45-100 100

Miscellaneous (e.g., pad backs, covered binders, book covers, mailing tubes, protective packaging) 75-100 90-100

Padded mailers 5-15 5-15

Carrierboard 3 10-15 10-100

Brown papers (e.g., wrapping paper and bags) 5-20 5-40
Foodservice Opportunities For Products made with Recycled 

Paper
Miscellaneous Paper Products

Tray liners currently are the only product in the Miscellaneous Paper category. 

Sometimes referred to as "doilies" or "place mats," tray liners are specialty paper 

items designed to line food service trays in institutional and commercial restaurants 

and cafeterias in schools, hospitals, prisons, and private facilities.

EPA's Recommended Recovered Fiber Content Levels for Miscellaneous Paper Products

Product Postconsumer Fiber (%) Total Recovered Fiber (%)

Tray Liners 50-75 100
Foodservice Opportunities for Recycled Content Paper Tray 

Mats/Liners & Doilies 
USDA Announces Inclusion of Wood Products and Other 

Materials in BioPreferred Program

WASHINGTON, August 6, 2014 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a final rule

eliminating the restrictions on including mature market wood products and other materials in the

BioPreferred program. The action implements changes included in the 2014 Farm Bill.

The final rule establishes a procedure to designate "intermediate ingredients" so products made from

them can be included in the "preferred" Federal procurement process. That rule establishes procedures for

designating "complex assemblies" that contain one or more components made from biobased ingredients.

The 2014 Farm Bill required the BioPreferred program to "promote biobased products, including forest

products, that apply an innovative approach to growing, harvesting, sourcing, procuring, processing,

manufacturing, or application of biobased products regardless of the date of entry into the marketplace."

Products that were previously considered to be "mature market" products (those that had a significant market

share prior to 1972), and were previously ineligible for the BioPreferred program, will now be included in

the program if manufacturers demonstrate that they apply an "innovative approach" in any part of the life

cycle of their product. With the final rule, USDA is deleting the text previously found in the Guidelines that

excluded products that were considered to be mature market products. Specifically, USDA has removed the

text previously found in paragraph (c)(2) of the Guidelines.
C. 7 CFR 3201.5—Category Designation

USDA is proposing that reserved paragraph (b)(2) of section 3201.5 now be used to present the 

criteria for evaluating products that were excluded under the mature markets exclusion.

USDA is proposing that any one or more of four possible criteria must be met to demonstrate 

that a biobased product uses ‘‘innovative approaches.’’ The first possible criterion would require 

that the product or material is either used or applied in applications that differ from historical 

applications or that the product or material is grown, harvested, manufactured, processed, 

sourced, or applied in other innovative ways. 

The second possible criterion would require that the product or material is manufactured or 

processed using renewable, biomass energy or using technology that is demonstrated to increase 

energy efficiency or reduce reliance on fossil fuel based energy sources or that the product or 

material is manufactured or processed with technologies that ensure high feedstock material 

recovery and use

Definition of FEEDSTOCK from Merriam-Webster:

raw material supplied to a machine or processing plant 

.

The third possible criterion would require that the product or material has a current 

Environmental Product Declaration as defined by International Standard ISO 14025, 

Environmental Labels and Declarations—Type III Environmental Declarations—Principles and 

Procedures.

The fourth possible criterion would require that the product or material is either:

1. Sourced from a Legal Source (see Note below), a Responsible Source, or a Certified 

Source as designated by ASTM D7612–10, Standard Practice for Categorizing Wood and Wood- Based Products According to Their Fiber Sources, or

2. 100% resourced or recycled (such as material obtained from building deconstruction), 

or

3. from an urban environment and is acquired as a result of activities related to a natural 

disaster, land clearing, right- of-way maintenance, tree health improvement, or public safety.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines 

• Non-paper Office Products

• Plastic Trash Bags 

Also called trash can liners, are widely available with recovered material content including HDPE, 

LDPE, and LLDPE. The amount of recovered materials used in the manufacturing process is 

prescribed by the color, size, and thickness of the bag.

• EPA's Recovered Materials Advisory Notice (RMAN) recommends recycled-content levels for 

purchasing plastic trash bags as shown in the table below.

EPA's Recommended Recovered Materials Content Levels for Plastic Trash Bags 1

Product Material Postconsumer Content(%)

Plastic Trash Bags Plastic 10-100
Plastic Trash Bags/Liners With Recycled Content
POSTCONSUMER VS. RECOVERED MATERIAL

• Postconsumer material means a material or finished product that has served its intended use 

and has been diverted or recovered from waste destined for disposal, having completed its 

life as a consumer item. Postconsumer material is a part of the broader category of recovered 

materials;

• Postconsumer recovered materials, for purposes of purchasing paper and paper products, is 

a subset of the broader term recovered materials, as defined in RCRA section 6002(h), and 

means:

(1) Paper, paperboard, and fibrous wastes from retail stores, office buildings, homes, 

and so forth, after they have passed through their end-usage as a consumer item 

including: used corrugated boxes; old newspapers; old magazines; mixed waste paper; 

tabulating cards and used cordage; and

(2) All paper, paperboard, and fibrous wastes that enter and are collected from 

municipal solid waste;