Acquiring Environmentally Preferable Products Finding Existing Environmentally Preferable Products

Environmentally preferable products are those products that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with other products that serve the same purpose. A review of the guiding principles and available products and sources will help you acquire products that meet these requirements.

Guiding Principles

Questions to ask before purchasing a product include:

• Is the product less hazardous?
• Is it reusable or more durable?
• Is it made from recycled materials? Do we really need to buy a virgin product when the recycled version is just as good?
• What happens to the product at the end of its life? Can it be recycled? Will the manufacturer take the product back? Will it need special disposal?
• Does it conserve energy or water?
• What is needed to properly maintain and/or operate this product?
• Have its environmental attributes been certified by a non-biased, widely-accepted source?

"Depending upon which product you are buying, all or only a few of these questions will apply. One challenge in buying wisely is knowing which questions to ask. With the Guide helping to put environmental issues in context, asking these questions will become second nature." [47]

Available Products and Sources

The California Department of General Services develops and administers contracts for goods and services that have environmental attributes. Many of these contracted products and services are healthier and safer for people, and protect the environment. Local governments have access to these contracts as well. These contracts are available on the Procurement Division's Web site at:

• Statewide Contracts
• Statewide Contracts for Recycled-Content Products
  
  For information on using a particular Statewide contract, review the contract or contact the DGS buyer named in the contract.
• California Multiple Award Schedules (CMAS) Green/Recycled Content Contractors
  
  For information on using CMAS contracts, visit the CMAS web page or contact a CMAS Representative.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency maintains a Database of Environmental Information for Products and Services - a tool to make it easier to purchase products and services with reduced environmental impacts. Environmental information on hundreds of products and services is included in this database.

This database will help you buy greener products and services by linking you to:

• Samples of contract language, specifications, and policies created and used by federal and state governments and others to buy environmentally preferable products and services.
• Environmental standards and guidelines for the product you want to buy.
• Vendor lists of product brands which meet these standards.
• Other useful sources of information on the environmental preferability of products and services (e.g., EPP Updates, guidance documents, fact sheets, EPP case studies, and miscellaneous information useful to government purchasers).