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Sustainable Marketplace: Greener Products and Services
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Sustainable Purchasing Program Guidance: A Landscape Scan of Available Resources

Recognizing the many environmental, social, and economic benefits of sustainable purchasing, more and more organizations are taking steps to understand their spending and supply chains and make the shift toward more responsible buying practices.

But where should you start? An internet search will reveal that there are many “How To” guides and recognition programs responding to the demand for support in launching and running a sustainable purchasing program. Some are brief checklists, while others offer hundreds of pages of advice, tips, examples, and reporting templates.

To help you find the resource that is right for your organization, EPA conducted a scan of the landscape and developed summary profiles of some of the leading sources of sustainable purchasing guidance around the globe.

Summary of Guidance Reviewed by EPA

Organization
Guidance
Region
Target Audience for Guidance (Type of Organization)
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Highter Education (AASHE)
Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS)
International
Universities
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
DEFRA Guidance to the flexible framework
 
DEFRA National Sustainable Public Procurement Programme (NSPPP) Modules
 
DEFRA Sustainable  procurement e-learning modules
 
DEFRA Prioritization tool
UK
National and State Government Agencies
ICLEI& European Commission (EC)
EC Buying Green Handbook
 
EC Buying Social
 
GPP Green Public Procurement, a collection of good practices
Europe
National, State and Local Government Agencies
International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN)
IGPN Starter Kit
International
National and State Government Agencies
National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO)
NASPO Green Purchasing Guide
U.S.
State Government Agencies
Practice Greenhealth (PGH)
PGH 10 Step Guide
U.S.
Hospitals
Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN)
RPN Green 101 Purchasing Guides
 
RPN 10 Step Guide
U.S.
Local Government Agencies
Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standard Program (SEAD)
SEAD Guide for Monitoring and Evaluating Green Public Procurement Programs
 
SEAD Procurement Best Practices Guide
International
National, State and Local Government Agencies
Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC)
SPLC: Leadership in Sustainable Purchasing Guidance v1.0
U.S.
Any
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
UNEP Sustainable Procurement Implementation
International
National Government Agencies
U.S. Green Buildings Council (USGBC)
Pilot Credit Resource for LEED v4 Materials and Purchasing Credits
 
LEED Sustainable Purchasing Policy
U.S.
Any - Building owners and designers
  • Sustainable Marketplace Home
  • Consumers
    • Identify Greener Products and Services
    • Why Buy Greener Products?
  • Federal Purchasers
    • About the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program
    • Recommendations of Standards and Ecolabels
    • Apply for Assessment Against the Framework
    • Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)
  • Institutional Purchasers
  • Manufacturers
    • Selling to the Federal Government
  • Introduction to Ecolabels and Standards
  • Frequent Questions
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on June 24, 2022
United States Environmental Protection Agency

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