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Web site of the month: Guidance for green product purchasing
Buying green—power or tags—helps to reduce carbon emissions and saves energy and natural resources. Purchasing environmentally preferable products—another way to "buy green"—makes a similar contribution to sustainability. But with so many products on the market claiming to be "green," setting up a green purchasing program can almost make a power purchase agreement look easy. Fortunately, several Web sites exist to help purchasing agents and departments find equipment and supplies to meet their environmental goals. Environmentally preferable products or services have a lesser effect on human health and the environment compared to competing products serving the same purpose. EPPs reduce the demand for energy and raw material used in manufacturing, create a market for recycled material and cut down on toxins in the workplace, to name only a few reasons to choose them. Green purchasing may be part of a company's overall sustainability policy or a stand-alone measure to improve worker or customer health and safety. Whatever the reason, many benefits await the company that does its homework, and many online resources exist to help it succeed. EPA hosts green purchasing Web siteThere are so many benefits, in fact, that Federal facilities are required to include EPP purchasing in their environmental management systems. The Environmental Protection Agency's Environmentally Preferable Products Web site provides guidance to help Federal agencies comply. Although the site is geared to Federal purchasers, green vendors, businesses and consumers will also find valuable information. Sections of the site most useful to non-Federal visitors include Green products and services, Hands-on tools and Related links. The products and services section summarizes information about a range of commonly-used equipment and supplies. Users will learn what environmental attributes to look for when purchasing such products as construction and cleaning supplies, electronics, office supplies and paper. The section also offers procurement guidance, tools, case studies and other helpful resources. Or, simply browse the products and services database, a one-stop shop for environmental information on products and services the Federal government buys. Hands-on tools has several resources to help users start their own green purchasing program. Promoting Green Purchasing: Tools and Resources to Quantify the Benefits of EPP provides guidance for estimating the benefits of environmentally preferable purchasing choices. A variety of software tools and calculators compares the economic and environmental impacts for specific products. Additional resourcesUnder Related links, users will find more Web sites run by Federal, state and local governments; international programs and private EPP programs. USDA's BioPreferred program selects and prioritizes items to designate as "preferred" bio-based products, using criteria established in cooperation with other government agencies, private industry and independent manufacturers. The products the program targets for designation include an extensive list of industrial and agricultural chemicals and cleaning products. Items designated in the first round of documentation can be found in BioPreferred catalog. Like EPA's site, much of the USDA site is aimed at Federal users, as well as vendors that would like to sell to Federal agencies. However, the collection of success stories provides ammunition for selling green buying choices to decision makers and suggests uses for bio-based products. References for purchasing departmentsStandards and best practices for environmentally preferable purchasing are still evolving, so you may want to bookmark some of the non-government sites under the EPP related links section. The Northwest Product Stewardship Council and the Responsible Purchasing Network focus on the broad topic of integrating environmental management strategies into company policy. Several organizations featured on this page certify green products. The Biodegradable Products Institute promotes the use and recycling of biodegradable polymeric materials via composting. BPI certification is open to any materials and products that meet the requirements in ASTM D6400 or D6868, based on testing in an approved laboratory. The non-profit Green Seal provides environmental certification standards for a wide range of products and services, maintains lists of certified products and publishes product guides. Scientific Certification Systems offers third-party certification, auditing and testing services and standards on food safety and quality, environmental protection and social responsibility. All certification sites provide lists of products that have been through some form of evaluation to ensure that they meet manufacturer claims. These lists are an easy reference guide to help purchasers avoid "greenwashed" products. According to Terra Choice, an environmental marketing agency, greenwashing is misleading consumers about a company's environmental practices or the environmental benefits of a product or service. The "Six Sins of Greenwashing" is a quick primer on signs that a product may not be as "eco-friendly" as the label claims. |
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ResourcesEPA Environmentally Preferable Products Web site Products and services database Promoting Green Purchasing: Tools and Resources to Quantify the Benefits of EPP BioPreferred designation item list Northwest Product Stewardship Council Responsible Purchasing Network Biodegradable Products Institute |
Related articlesEnergy Services Bulletin, |
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