California
The Procurement Engineering Team of the Procurement Division of the Department of General Services develops and reviews specifications for statewide commodity standards and information technology. If you have questions regarding developing specifications, or would like a copy of one of their specifications, please contact the team.
Tips for Writing Specifications
Sample Language
When buying copier paper, include specifications which require the paper to be at least 30 percent postconsumer recycled content and to be processed chlorine-free. Besides environmental and health benefits, your specifications can ultimately help lead to better prices by increasing demand for recycled-content, chlorine-free paper. Here are two sample clauses:
"All papers must contain a minimum of 30 percent postconsumer fiber. Vendors must certify that papers meet this postconsumer content specification. Vendors must also certify that the papers meet standards for quality, brightness, opacity, and smoothness as specified in this solicitation. Vendors are encouraged to provide products that contain a higher percentage of postconsumer material than the 30 percent minimum and are processed chlorine-free."
"All papers must contain 100 percent postconsumer fiber and must be processed chlorine-free. Vendors must certify that papers meet these postconsumer content and chlorine-free specifications. Vendors must also certify that the papers meet standards for quality, brightness, opacity, and smoothness as specified in this solicitation."
Other Specifications
- King County, Washington
- United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Database of Environmental Information for Products and Services. This database contains contract language, specifications, and policies created and used by federal, state, and local governments and others to buy environmentally preferable products and services. [Internal note to authors: Be sure to check the database to see if language is available for the particular product/service about which you are writing.]
- If you have a specification for an environmentally preferable product or service, consider asking the USEPA to include it in this database.
- United States Government Printing Office's JCP O-65 paper standard
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