Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing
- EPA is expanding the Recommendations of Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels. Learn more.
- Expansion of EPA’s Recommendations of Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels: Webinar for Interested Applicants Presentation (pdf) (849.89 KB) | Recording
The Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels ("Recommendations") help federal purchasers identify and procure environmentally preferable products and services. Federal purchasers are directed in Executive Order 14057 on Catalyzing American Clean Energy Industries and Jobs through Federal Sustainability and the Federal Sustainability Plan to procure products and services meeting the Recommendations to meet net-zero emissions and other procurement goals. The U.S. federal government is the single largest purchaser in the world spending more than $650 billion on products and services each year and, in leading by example, has the power to catalyze a more sustainable marketplace for all - reducing climate impacts, improving the health of frontline communities, preventing pollution, and increasing U.S. industry competitiveness.
The Recommendations leverage private sector approaches to defining and measuring sustainability by including over 40 private sector standards/ecolabels in more than 30 purchase categories. The Recommendations give preference to multi-attribute/life-cycle based standards/ecolabels that address key impact areas (aka hotspots) and where product conformance is determined by a competent third-party certification body. The full list of Recommendations is also available as a PDF (updated November 2022) (pdf).
Inclusion in the Recommendations is not an endorsement by EPA of the standards/ecolabels or of any of the products conformant to these standards/ecolabels, but rather a statement that the standard/ecolabel meets EPA’s Framework or is recommended for use by another Federal agency.
Note that the following Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels are required to be used in federal procurement for both products and associated service contracts to the maximum extent practicable.
- Cafeteria
- Construction
- Custodial
- Electronics and Associated Services
- Computers: Desktops, Notebooks (including 2-in-1 notebooks), Displays, Integrated Desktop Computers, Workstation Desktops, Thin Clients, and Slates/Tablets
- Cloud Services
- Electronics Recycling Services
- Energy Savings Performance Contracts
- Imaging Equipment: Printers, Copiers, Multi-Function Devices, Scanners, Fax Machines, Digital Duplicators, Mailing Machines
- Mobile Phones
- Network Equipment
- Print Management Services
- Photovoltaic Modules and Inverters
- Power Purchase Agreements
- Seat Management Services
- Servers
- Televisions
- Wireless Services
- Grounds/Landscaping
- Machine Shop Operations
- Office/Furniture