What is Green Purchasing

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What is Green Purchasing?
Also known as environmentally preferable
purchasing (EPP), it is the practice of buying
products and services that have a lesser or
reduced effect on human health and the
environment when compared with competing
products that serve the same purpose. -
Excerpt from Federal Executive Order 13101,
Greening the Government Through Waste
Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition.
Signed by President Clinton in 1998, this policy
strengthens the Federal government's commitment
to buying recycled content and other
environmental products.
Environment Price Performance EPP
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Examples of Green Products
Recycled-content products, such as recycled
plastic furniture and playground equipment
Energy conserving products, such as
low-mercury,fluorescent lights
Less toxic products, such as ceramic glazes that
avoid heavy metals
Bio-based products, such as soy inks
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The Benefits of Buying Green Products

• Keep recycling programs going and save natural
  resources when buying recycled products.
• Example Buying 1 ton of 100 post-consumer
  recycled paper(which is about 40 reams of
  paper), saves 17 trees and 7,000 gallons of
  water.
• Improve worker safety and lower disposal costs
  by choosing less toxic products.
• Example The City of Santa Monica replaced
  traditional cleaners with less toxic alternatives
  which eliminated 3,200 pounds of hazardous
  materials.
• Save money by using energy-efficient and
  water-conserving products.
• Example According to EPA, buying 100 Energy Star
  computers monitors can save 10,000 in energy
  costs over 5 years.
• Save money and reduce waste by using reusable or
  repairable products.
• Example Buying remanufactured toner cartridges
  generally costs 20 to 50 less than the cost of
  new cartridges.

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How to Start or Expand Your Green Purchasing
Program

• Adopt a team approach. Its best if you can
  bring together the school purchaser, a health and
  safety officer or environmental advisor, the
  custodial supervisor, and interested teachers and
  students.
• Get buy-in from the principal.Gaining the
  support of the school administration helps raise
  school-wide awareness, creates enthusiasm, and
  encourages involvement.
• Begin with low hanging fruit.For example,
  choose products that save money, such as
  remanufactured toner cartridges or find safer
  substitutes for products that are of a particular
  threat to childrens health, such as certain
  pesticides.
• Do your homework.
• When looking for green substitutes, research
  product cost, performance, and availability.
  Then, choose the product that best meets your
  needs.
• Put the products to work. Once an alternative
  product is purchased, make sure the key users are
  satisfied with it. Share successes school-wide to
  win support for green products.

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Green Purchasing Success Story

• Who Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, IL
• What they did
• Students researched cost and availability of
  recycled paper.
• Students presented options to school business
  manager.
• School switched to recycled copy paper, including
  white paper and colors.
• Students and business manager encouraged other
  schools to do the same.
• Result The school now uses Great White, a 30
  post-consumer
• recycled paper. While it costs 5-8 more, the
  high school
• considers this reasonable given the environmental
  benefit.

Note Recycled paper doesnt always cost more.
Check with local vendors for pricing in your area.
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Greener Substitutes A List of Ideas
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Greener Substitutes A List of Ideas (continued)
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Green Purchasing Resources and Links
Overview of green purchasing Center for a New
American Dream Provides a clearinghouse of
information on green policies and
products. www.newdream.org/procure/ Minnesotas
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guide
Provides cost and performance information for
over 30 green products. www.swmcb.org/EPPG/1_1.htm
Purchasing less toxic products INFORM, Inc.
Click on fact sheets, and Schools/Universities
for a list of less toxic products. www.informinc
.org/PBT.htm Healthy Building Network Click on
arsenic treated wood for safer alternatives for
playground equipment. www.healthybuilding.net/inde
x.html School IPM (Integrated Pest Management
Program) http//schoolipm.ifas.ufl.edu/ Contains
materials on specific pests, sample contracts for
pest control services, sample letters to
parents and teachers, and training presentations.
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Green Purchasing Resources and Links
Other environmental resources specific to
schools EPAs Pollution Prevention Education
Toolbox Helps teachers integrate pollution
prevention concepts into the classroom. www.epa.go
v/reg5rcra/wptdiv/p2pages/toolbox.htm Oregon
Green Schools Tools Includes waste audits and
energy/water efficiency assessments. www.deq.state
.or.us/wmc/solwaste/documents/schtools.pdf St.
Louis County, Missouris Resourceful Schools
Project Assists schools with implementing
recycling programs and provides lessons, games,
activities related to garbage and waste
reduction. www.resourcefulschools.org/ Mid
America Energy Resource Partners
www.merp.org/players.html Provides examples of
how schools are reducing waste and recycling
more. Alliance for Sustainable Energys Green
Schools Program This program combines
energy-efficiency management and building
retrofits with student involvement in
implementing school-wide behavior changes.
www.ase.org/greenschools/