Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2002-0039-0004
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2004-06-25T04:00Z

GREENING
YOUR
PURCHASE
OF
COPIERS
 
A
GUIDE
FOR
FEDERAL
PURCHASERS
Environmentally
Preferable
Purchasing,
or
EPP,
seeks
the
overall
best
value,
taking
into
account
price
competitiveness,
availability,
regulatory
requirements,
performance
standards,
and
environmental
impact.
Because
purchasers
typically
have
clear
sources
of
information
on
procurement
and
regulatory
requirements
and
well­
established
methods
for
evaluating
price
and
performance,
the
US
EPA
EPP
Program
has
developed
these
purchasing
guides
to
help
government
purchasers
consider
the
environmental
factors
in
the
EPP
equation.
Please
note
that
EPA
is
not
endorsing
any
of
the
products,
services,
or
organizations
described
in
the
guides,
and
has
not
verified
information
provided
by
these
organizations.
For
more
information
about
the
EPP
Programs's
history,
tools,
and
resources,
please
visit
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp>.

Introduction
Photocopiers
are
one
of
the
most
frequently
used
pieces
of
office
equipment,
offering
a
broad
range
of
design
and
operating
features.
This
purchasing
guide
offers
information
on
selecting
a
copier
that
not
only
features
multiple
environmental
attributes
but
also
meets
your
business
and
budgetary
requirements.
Selecting
a
copier
with
the
best
possible
environmental
profile
involves
a
careful
evaluation
of
copier
performance,
environmental
features,
and
purchasing
mechanisms
that
protect
the
environment
and
your
budget.

Why
Green
Your
Copier?
°
The
ENERGY
STAR
®
feature
in
a
typical
medium­
to
high­
speed
copier
can
reduce
that
machine's
annual
electricity
costs
by
as
much
as
60
percent.*
°
Using
ENERGY
STAR
®
­
labeled
equipment
helps
reduce
the
air
pollution
(
including
significant
emissions
of
sulfur
dioxide,
nitrogen
dioxide,
and
carbon
dioxide,
which
contribute
to
the
problems
of
smog,
acid
rain,
and
global
climate
change)
associated
with
energy
generation.*
°
Equipment
will
produce
less
heat
when
powering
down,
contributing
to
a
cooler,
more
comfortable
workspace;
lowering
air­
conditioning
costs;
and
helping
reduce
equipment
failure,
which
helps
increase
the
copier's
life.*
°
A
copier
with
fast
and
reliable
duplexing
(
double­
sided
copying)
can
reduce
office
paper
use
by
25
percent
or
more,
saving
money
in
the
process
(
Solid
Waste
Management
Coordinating
Board
and
the
Minnesota
Pollution
Control
Agency,
April
2000).
Also,
reducing
paper
use
can
contribute
to
reduction
in
natural
resource
consumption
as
well
as
in
energy
used
to
create
paper.
°
If
all
copiers
sold
in
the
United
States
were
ENERGY
STAR
®
­
labeled
and
set
to
automatically
default
to
duplex,
the
amount
of
paper
used
could
be
reduced
by
more
than
200
billion
sheets.
This
adds
up
to
a
savings
of
1
million
tons
of
paper,
enough
to
go
around
the
world
1,400
times
and
save
an
estimated
20
million
trees!*
*(
Massachusetts
Operational
Services
Division,
November
2000)

Federal
EPP
Authority
and
Mandate
Spending
approximately
$
230
billion
annually
on
a
large
quantity
and
wide
variety
of
products
and
services,
the
federal
government
leaves
a
large
environmental
"
footprint."
However,
by
purchasing
environmentally
preferable
products
and
services,
the
federal
government
can
wield
its
spending
power
to
increase
national
demand
for
greener
products
as
well
as
to
help
meet
environmental
goals
through
markets
rather
than
mandates.
In
1995,
in
response
to
Executive
Order
12873,
EPA
established
the
Environmentally
Preferable
Purchasing
(
EPP)
program
to
encourage
and
assist
Executive
agencies
in
the
purchase
of
environmentally
preferable
products
and
services.
In
1997,
the
Federal
Acquisition
Regulation
(
FAR),
which
establishes
uniform
procedures
and
policies
for
federal
acquisition,
was
amended
to
support
federal
procurement
of
"
green"
products
and
services.
In
addition,
Executive
Order
(
E.
O.)
13101,
entitled
"
Greening
the
Government
through
Waste
Prevention,
Recycling,
and
Federal
Acquisition,"
directed
Executive
agencies
to
"
consider
.
.
.
a
broad
range
of
factors
including:
elimination
of
virgin
material
requirements;
use
of
biobased
products;
use
of
recovered
materials;
reuse
of
product;
life
cycle
cost;
recyclability;
use
of
environmentally
preferable
products;
waste
prevention
(
including
toxicity
reduction
or
elimination);
and
ultimate
disposal"
when
making
purchasing
decisions
and
to
"
modify
their
procurement
programs
as
appropriate."
And,
most
recently,
Executive
Order
13123
and
FAR
Section
23.704
direct
agencies
to
purchase
products
in
the
upper
25
percent
of
energy
efficiency,
including
all
models
that
qualify
for
the
ENERGY
STAR
®
labeling
program.
(
Information
on
ENERGY
STAR
®
can
be
found
throughout
this
guide).

Five
Guiding
Principles
To
help
government
purchasers
incorporate
environmental
considerations
into
purchasing
decisions,
EPA
developed
five
guiding
principles.
The
guiding
principles
provide
a
framework
purchasers
can
use
to
make
environmentally
preferable
purchases.
The
five
principles
are:
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
a
product's
or
service's
life
cycle.
4.
Compare
relevant
environmental
impacts
when
selecting
products
and
services.
5.
Collect
and
base
purchasing
decisions
on
accurate
and
meaningful
information
about
environmental
performance.
For
more
information,
go
to
the
five
guiding
principles
on
EPA's
EPP
Web
site
at
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
fivegp.
htm>.

What
is
a
"
Green"
Copier?
A
green
product
is
one
that
has
"
a
lesser
or
reduced
effect
on
human
health
and
the
environment
when
compared
to
other
products
and
services
that
serve
the
same
purpose"
(
Executive
Order
13101).
Although
it
is
important
to
realize
that
technology
is
constantly
changing,
EPA
will
outline
what
are
currently
considered
reasonable
factors
to
consider
in
your
copier
purchase.

If
you
are
considering
the
purchase
of
a
copier,
look
not
only
at
the
immediate
environmental
properties
of
the
copier,
but
also
at
the
complete
environmental
effects
of
the
copier
throughout
its
life
cycle,
such
as
manufacturing,
packaging,
transportation,
and
usage
(
including
paper
and
printing
options),
as
well
as
disposal.
EPA
conducted
a
pilot
project
which
helped
in
the
preparation
of
this
guide.
The
guide
is
intended
to
steer
you
toward
the
factors
you
may
find
useful
to
consider
in
your
purchase
of
an
environmentally
preferable
copier.
What
Can
You
Do?
It
is
important
to
consider
all
of
your
options
when
deciding
how
to
handle
your
organization's
copying
needs.
Below
are
some
of
the
options
and
factors
to
examine.

Leasing
or
Buying
a
Copier
Leasing
is
an
important
option
to
consider.
It
relieves
you
of
the
disposal
responsibilities
and
allows
for
periodic
equipment
upgrades
when
new
technology
that
may
be
more
environmentally
preferable
is
released.

Document
Reproduction
Services
One
option
to
consider
is
purchasing
document
reproduction
services.
This
option
entails
actually
sending
your
copies
to
a
company
that
makes
the
copies
and
returns
the
work.
Often
this
is
used
for
large
copy
jobs.
This
may
often
be
the
more
environmentally
preferable
option
 
but
it
is
not
always
practical
in
every
situation
(
i.
e.,
where
there
is
a
frequent
need
for
immediate
copies
throughout
the
day).

Multi­
Functional
Systems
You
also
might
want
to
consider
a
multi­
function
machine,
e.
g.,
combining
a
printer,
fax,
scanner,
copier,
and
document
management
into
one
package.
Especially
if
your
office
is
small
with
lower
equipment
usage,
it
often
can
be
the
most
economically
and
environmentally
sound
decision.
A
multi­
functional
system
often
provides
the
office
necessities
that
would
cost
over
one
and
a
half
times
that
amount
if
bought
separately.
Their
compactness
and
the
multicapabilities
from
a
single
print
engine
mean
that
less
energy
is
being
consumed
 
one
print
engine
idling
uses
less
energy
than
three
print
engines
(
fax,
copier,
printer)
idling.
It
has
been
estimated
that
energy
consumption
can
be
reduced
by
approximately
40%
by
the
replacement
of
an
office
copier,
four
laser
printers,
and
a
fax
machine
with
a
single
multi­
functional
system.
In
addition,
upgradable
multi­
functional
systems
can
provide
flexibility
to
customers,
by
allowing
them
to
initially
purchase
a
machine
with
basic
functions
such
as
copying
and
later
upgrade
the
machine
to
add
print,
fax,
or
scan
functions.

Cost­
Per­
Copy
A
recent
trend
in
copy
services
is
the
cost­
per­
copy
contract.
Read
the
success
story
of
the
National
Aeronautics
&
Space
Administration
(
at
the
end
of
this
document),
which
created
its
own
environmentally
preferable
system
for
purchasing
document
reproduction.

Leasing
or
Purchasing
a
New
(
or
Used)
Copier
The
following
are
guidelines
to
help
you
purchase
a
green
copier.

1.
Determine
applicable
environmental
attributes
for
your
situation.
Evaluate
your
workspace
to
prioritize
what
attributes
are
most
appropriate
and
important
to
your
situation.
For
instance,
if
you
are
aware
that
your
office
space
has
poor
air
circulation,
you
might
give
high
priority
to
those
attributes
related
to
indoor
air
quality.
Make
sure
to
choose
a
copier
with
the
right
monthly
copy
volume.
Calculate
the
number
of
copies
you
need
each
month.
Most
machines
have
a
counter
 
talk
to
your
copier
service
representative,
who
should
be
able
to
help
you
calculate
this
number.
Using
a
copier
rated
for
a
higher
volume
(
or
faster)
than
your
daily
needs
can
double
your
energy
use.
2.
Conduct
product
research
beyond
the
usual
research
on
price
and
performance
(
e.
g.,
by
utilizing
third
party
testing
analysis).
It
may
be
useful
to
break
the
environmental
attributes
into
the
following
categories:

°
Requirements:
Those
environmental
attributes
that
the
purchaser
is
confident
can
be
obtained
at
a
reasonable
price
and
level
of
performance.
If
a
purchaser
requires
too
much,
the
procurement
may
be
unsuccessful
because
the
price
will
be
too
high,
or
no
vendors
may
bid
at
all.
Preferences:
Those
environmental
attributes
which
are
desirable
but
not
vital,
but
send
a
signal
to
vendors
informing
them
of
the
purchaser's
additional
needs.

To
find
this
information,
ask
your
copier
company
representative.
Although
he
or
she
may
not
know
the
answers
right
away,
the
representative
should
be
able
to
find
them.
As
demand
increases
for
more
environmentally
friendly
products,
this
information
should
become
more
readily
accessible.
Any
copier
lacking
any
of
your
requirements
should
be
disqualified.
Then
you
may
want
to
compare
copiers
which
have
already
met
your
requirements
and
determine
which
has
the
most
preferences
or
which
preferences
are
most
important.
It
is
important
to
carefully
consider
which
attributes
to
include
as
requirements
and
which
as
preferences,
according
to
your
situational
needs.

The
following
are
basic
guidelines
for
purchasing
environmentally
preferable
copiers
 
determine
your
requirements
and
preferences
as
appropriate.
When
possible,
choose
copiers
that:
°
Comply
with
the
EPA
ENERGY
STAR
®
Program,
and
are
equipped
with
reasonable
recovery
time
from
Energy
Star
power
management
modes.
°.
Are
able
to
perform
duplex
copying.
(
Organizations
should
set
a
policy
preferring
double­
sided
copies,
clearly
mark
duplexing
options,
and
educate
employees
about
these
features.)
°
Use
returnable
or
recyclable
and
remanufactured
toner
cartridges.
°
Use
an
organic
photoreceptor
(
if
not
organic,
it
must
not
contain
arsenic,
cadmium,
or
selenium).
°
Do
not
use
wet
process
technology.
°
Do
not
emit
ozone
at
a
concentration
in
excess
of
0.02
mg/
m3.
°
Do
not
emit
dust
at
a
concentration
in
excess
of
0.25
mg/
m3.
°
Do
not
emit
styrene
at
a
concentration
in
excess
of
0.11
mg/
m3.
°
Contain
no
polybrominated
biphenyls
(
PBBs)
or
diphenyl
ethers
(
PBDEs).
°
Are
designed
for
remanufacturing
and
reuse
of
parts.
(
Organizations
should
avoid
policies
that
require
all
new
parts
and
thus
discriminate
against
equipment
with
reprocessed
parts.)
°
Contain
materials
made
with
recycled
content.
°
Use
minimal
packaging
and/
or
arrange
for
packaging
taken
back
for
reuse.
°
Can
be
taken
back
by
the
vendor
at
the
end
of
its
useful
life
for
remanufacturing,
refurbishing,
or
recycling
of
parts.

3.
Develop
contract
language
or
performance
evaluation
criteria.
See
the
EPP
Web
site
for
contract
language:
<
www.
epa.
gov/
enrgystar/
purchasing/
6d_
mfd.
html#
pl_
mfd>.
4.
Solicit
bids/
information
along
with
appropriate
documentation/
certification.
Be
sure
that
companies
substantiate
their
claims
with
documents,
such
as
Material
Safety
Data
Sheets.

5.
Review
and
evaluate
bid
responses.
Consider
your
environmental
requirements
and
preferences
along
with
traditional
purchasing
considerations
such
as
quality,
price,
and
performance.

6.
Receive
a
demonstration
of
the
leading
contender
machines.
It
is
important
that
these
machines
not
only
have
the
above­
mentioned
options
available,
but
that
they
also
are
easy
to
use
and/
or
are
programmable.

7.
Select
the
best
value
copier
and
make
the
award.
The
best
value
might
be
based
on
the
highest
number
of
preferences
met
after
the
requirements
were
met.
Normal
performance
and
cost
considerations
should
be
considered
along
with
the
environmental
attributes.

8.
Train
employees
to
maximize
environmental
features.
°
Confirm
that
the
specified
environmental
features
are
present
and
program
any
necessary
features.
Make
sure
ENERGY
STAR
®
features
are
set
to
default.
°
Create
a
system
to
confirm
that
employees
are
utilizing
these
features.
It
will
probably
be
necessary
to
execute
a
class
in
proper
copier
usage
so
that
the
environmental
features
of
your
copier
are
maximized.
For
example,
if
your
machine
does
not
have
a
duplexing
option,
or
it
is
not
practical
to
default
the
copier
to
that
setting,
make
sure
employees
know
how
to
do
this
from
their
computers.
°
Place
a
paper
recycling
bin
next
to
your
copier.
°
Make
your
copies
in
batches.
This
reduces
energy
consumption
by
decreasing
the
time
your
copier
spends
in
high­
power
and
warm­
up
modes.
°
Use
recycled
paper.
Most
copiers
are
engineered
to
work
with
recycled
paper.
Executive
Order
13101
requires
the
use
of
recycled
paper
with
30%
post
consumer
content.
°
Avoid
copying
when
possible
 
look
for
other
ways
to
distribute
the
information.
For
example,
send
documents
and
memos
as
e­
mails.

End­
of­
Life
Issues
 
Some
Alternatives
to
Disposal
Since
you
are
interested
in
buying
or
leasing
a
newer,
greener
copier,
you
may
be
looking
into
disposing
of
your
old
copier
in
the
near
future.
The
best
option
is
to
give
your
old
copier
a
new
life.
Some
manufacturers
are
redesigning
copiers
to
be
more
easily
disassembled
for
recycling,
and
some
manufacturers
will
take
copiers
back
to
recondition
or
remanufacture
certain
components
for
reuse.
Contract
conditions
can
be
added
to
require
vendor
removal
and
recycling
of
replaced
equipment.
There
is
a
growing
market
for
remanufactured
copiers.

You
should
be
aware
that
most
older
copiers
contain
circuit
boards
with
lead,
and
some
analog
models
have
heavy
metals,
like
selenium,
in
the
drum.
(
With
the
implementation
of
the
European
Union's
directive
"
Restriction
on
the
Use
of
Hazardous
Substances,"
all
copier
manufacturers
are
expected
to
remove
lead
in
applications
covered
by
the
directive
by
July
2006.)
Lead
and
selenium
pose
disposal
concerns
because
they
are
toxic.
Purchase,
rental,
or
leasing
agreements
that
stipulate
take­
back
of
the
copier
when
you
no
longer
need
it
can
avoid
the
need
for
you
to
manage
the
copier
as
a
waste.
This
puts
the
responsibility
for
safe
management
of
toxic
materials
on
those
who
provide
you
the
equipment.

Copiers
with
all­
in­
one
toner
cartridges
that
can
be
re­
engineered
are
becoming
more
common
with
the
introduction
of
digital
technology.
These
cartridges
may
be
sent
to
a
remanufacturer,
saving
resources
and
cutting
waste.
All­
in­
one
cartridges
have
the
toner,
drum
and
other
components
of
the
imaging
system
in
one
unit,
as
opposed
to
separate
drums
and
toner
bottles.
In
the
remanufacturing
process,
cartridges
are
disassembled;
worn
or
defective
parts
are
replaced;
and,
the
unit
is
cleaned,
refilled,
and
reassembled.
Such
cartridges
may
be
remanufactured
a
number
of
times.
For
other
toner
cartridges,
return
and
recycling
programs
are
often
available,
for
example
by
the
original
cartridge
manufacturer.

Success
Stories
NASA's
Environmental
Approach
to
Copiers
NASA's
unique
"
cost­
per­
copy"
agency­
wide
contract,
which
means
the
agency
purchases
copy
services
rather
than
machines,
allowed
the
inclusion
of
several
environmental
features
important
to
NASA,
including
recycled
paper
and
energy­
efficiency.
As
a
result,
the
agency
estimates
it
will
save
approximately
$
4.5
million
during
the
5­
year
span
of
the
contract.
In
a
cost­
per­
copy
contract
environment,
the
contractor
provides
convenient
copiers,
all
supplies
including
toner
(
which
previously
was
a
separate,
high­
cost
item
for
all
NASA
sites),
preventive
maintenance,
repairs
and
repair
parts,
training,
moves,
and
associated
labor
costs.
These
convenience
copiers
were
viewed
as
an
easy
item
to
consolidate
into
one
agencywide
contract
that
could
yield
considerable
savings.
Consolidating
NASA's
copier
needs
into
one
contract
significantly
reduced
administrative
costs
associated
with
contracts
being
competed,
awarded,
administered,
and
closed
out.

Ramsey
County,
Minnesota
When
the
Environmental
Health
Section
at
Ramsey
County
purchased
a
copier,
the
Request
for
Bids
included
a
requirement
about
recycled
paper
performance.
Vendors
could
only
respond
if
they
could
offer
a
copier
that
would
work
well
with
recycled­
content
paper
and
make
two­
sided
copies.
This
specification
came
in
handy
when
the
newly
installed
machine
began
jamming.
The
repair
technician
initially
suggested
that
recycled
paper
was
the
problem
and
recommended
switching
to
virgin
paper.
When
the
office
manager
reminded
the
technician
of
the
bid
requirement,
the
technician
continued
to
work
with
the
machine
to
assure
it
would
be
properly
adjusted
to
handle
the
type
of
paper
used
by
the
section.
It
took
a
little
more
effort
by
the
technician,
but
the
properly
adjusted
copier
delivered
the
performance
the
office
manager
was
looking
for
and
allowed
the
agency
to
practice
what
it
preaches
 
to
use
recycled
paper
and
copy
on
both
sides.
Contact:
Ramsey
County
Debbie
Hosch,
Clerical
Supervisor
651
773­
4466
debbie.
hosch@
co.
ramsey.
mn.
us
ENERGY
STAR
®
Many
copier
manufacturers
participate
in
ENERGY
STAR
®
,
a
voluntary
partnership
program
established
by
EPA
and
the
U.
S.
Department
of
Energy.
ENERGY
STAR
®
labeled
copiers
are
equipped
with
a
feature
that
allows
them
to
automatically
turn
off
after
a
period
of
inactivity,
potentially
reducing
a
copier's
annual
electricity
costs
by
more
than
60
percent
(
ENERGY
STAR
®
Web
site).
High­
speed
copiers
include
a
duplexing
option
that
can
be
set
to
automatically
make
double­
sided
copies
 
reducing
the
environmental
and
financial
costs
of
paper
usage.
It
is
important
to
make
sure
that
these
ENERGY
STAR
®
features
are
enabled
when
your
copier
is
first
delivered.
Visit
this
Web
site
for
more
information
on
ENERGY
STAR
®
copiers:
<
yosemite1.
epa.
gov/
estar/
consumers.
nsf/
content/
copier.
htm#
Copier>.

EPA's
Purchasing
Tool
Suite
EPA's
EPP
Program
has
developed
the
following
Web­
based
tools
to
help
purchasers
consider
the
environment,
along
with
price
and
performance,
when
buying
a
product
or
service.

Database
of
Environmental
Information
for
Products
and
Services
 
A
searchable
database
of
product­
specific
information
(
e.
g.,
environmental
standards
and
guidelines
or
contract
language)
developed
by
government
programs,
both
domestic
and
international,
as
well
as
third
parties.
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
database.
htm>

Promising
Practices
Guide
for
Greener
Contracts
 
A
series
of
short
case
studies
highlighting
successful
strategies
for
incorporating
environmental
factors
into
a
variety
of
product
and
service
contracts.
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
ppg>

General
EPP
Training
Tool
 
Covers
basic
EPP
principles
and
mandates,
along
with
some
more
in­
depth
applications
of
EPP,
in
an
entertaining
and
multimedia
format.
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
gentt/>

Tips
for
Buying
Green
with
the
Government
Credit
Card
 
Tips
to
help
government
credit
card
holders
make
greener
choices
when
buying
products,
such
as
electronics.
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
creditcard.
htm>