Federal Green Challenge
Federal Green Challenge - Purchasing
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Federal Green Challenge Purchasing Goals
Develop, Implement, and Maintain:
- A green purchasing policy that covers applicable product types under the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines
- A green cleaning policy that addresses sustainable cleaning systems and products, chemical concentrate and dilution systems, proper training, minimized use of antimicrobial hand soaps, and reduced impacts on indoor air quality;
- An integrated pest management policy that addresses pest control through integrated methods, inspections, populations monitoring, and a pest control need evaluation
Relative to your baseline, achieve a 5% increase or reduction in the following activities:
- Increase the recycled content of purchased office paper products;
- Increase the percentage of green cleaning products purchased;
- Decrease the pounds of pesticides purchased; and
- Increase the number of hosted meetings and events delivered under a Green Meeting Policy
Reducing Your Purchasing Footprint
Office Products
- Environmentally Preferable Purchasing - Office Supplies
- Purchase 100% post-consumer recycled content office paper and other paper products
- Purchase recyclable or compostable office products whenever possible
- Purchase non-toxic office products
Fact: Purchasing 1 ton of 30% post-consumer recycled office paper compared to 1 ton of virgin office paper saves approximately 8 trees, 216 pounds of solid waste, 3,554 gallons of water, 738 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, and 3 million BTUs of energy (enough to power an average home for 12 days).
Executive Order 13514
- Pursue opportunities with vendors and contractors to address and incorporate incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
- Ensure 95% of new contract actions, task orders, and delivery orders for products and services are energy efficient, water efficient, bio-based, environmentally preferable, non-ozone depleting, contain recycled content, or are non-toxic or less-toxic alternatives where such products and services meet agency performance requirements;
- Acquire uncoated printing and writing paper containing at least 30% post-consumer fiber;
- Reduce and minimize the quantity of toxic and hazardous chemicals and materials acquired, used, or disposed of;
- Implement integrated pest management and other appropriate landscape management practices;
- Increase agency use of acceptable alternative chemicals and processes in keeping with the agency's procurement policies; and
- Decrease agency use of chemicals where such decrease will assist the agency in achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction targets
- Learn more about Executive Order 13514
Executive Order 13423
- Use sustainable environmental practices, including acquisition of biobased, environmentally preferable, energy-efficient, water-efficient, and recycled-content products;
- Use paper of at least 30% post-consumer fiber content; and
- Reduce the quantity of toxic and hazardous chemicals and materials acquired, used, and disposed of by the agency.
- Learn more about Executive Order 13423 (PDF) (5 pp, 139K)
Fleet
- Environmentally Preferable Purchasing - Fleets
- Purchase or lease alternative fuel vehicles
- Choose cleaner, fuel efficient vehicles (SmartWay)
Pest Management/Landscaping
- Environmentally Preferable Purchasing - Landscaping
- Implement an integrated pest management program/policy
- Use native plants that require less water, pesticides, and fertilizer
- Use compost to decrease need for fertilizers and pesticides
Cleaning
- Environmentally Preferable Purchasing - Cleaning
- Use GreenSeal-certified cleaning products
- Purchase products in bulk or highly concentrated products to decrease packaging
Meetings/Events
- Environmentally Preferable Purchasing - Meetings and Conferences
- Establish and implement a green meeting policy (Example: EPA Region 9 Policy (PDF) (27 pp, 3.3MB)
- Use new media and electronic technology to cut down paper usage
- Ask your hotel and meeting venue to provide services for recycling and composting
- Choose a location that decreases need for travel and is easily accessible by public transportation
Building & Construction
- Environmentally Preferable Purchasing - Building and Construction
- Purchase non-toxic and recycled content carpeting
- Design or renovate building to decrease energy usage, water usage, and waste generated
Renewable Energy
- Purchase renewable electricity or renewable energy certificates (RECs). Learn more in the Guide to Purchasing Green Power (PDF) (60 pp, 2.9MB)
- Design and install on-site renewable technologies
Measurement
- EPA Recycled Content (ReCon) Tool
- Green Cleaning Pollution Prevention Calculator
- EPA Resource Conserving Landscaping Calculator
- NIST BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability) Software for selecting building materials
- Earthster - Purchasing Impact Calculator
- Green Power Equivalency Calculator
- Energy Cost Calculators for Energy-Efficient Products
Recognition
Case Studies
Resources and Partnership Programs
- Center for Integrated Pest Management
- GSA Green Lease Policies and Procedures
- Energy Star
- Product Purchasing & Computer Management for Federal Agencies
- EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines
- EPA Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Page
- EPA Sample Green Meeting Policy (PDF) (27 pp, 3.3MB)
- EPEAT
- FedCenter.Gov – Acquisition
- Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers
- Green Power Partnership