Your Cardholder Responsibilities Include Green Procurement

1
Your Cardholder Responsibilities Include Green
Procurement

• Green Procurement (GP) is a program in which
  federal agencies show preference for products
  that are
• Made with Recycled Content
• Biobased (made with agricultural/forestry
  products)
• Environmentally Preferable
• Energy and Water Efficient
• Alternative Fuels or Vehicles
• Lacking in Ozone-Depleting Substances and EPA
  Priority Chemicals
• Green Electronics

2
Why Green Procurement?
IT'S THE LAW
Federal Acquisition Regulations
Resource Conservation And Recovery Act
2002 Farm Bill
Executive Order 13423
3
What The Laws Require

• RCRA requires each federal agency to have a
  program favoring the purchase of recycled-content
  products. This Buy Recycled program is overseen
  by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
  The EPA designates products that must be
  purchased with recycled content.
• The Farm Bill added biobased products to GP
  programs. This program is overseen by the US
  Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA
  designates products that must be purchased with
  biobased content.
• The FAR requires federal card holders and
  contracts to follow all procurement preference
  program requirements.
• EO 13423 requires federal agencies to purchase
  environmentally preferable products.

4
DOD/Agency Green Procurement Programs

• The DOD GP Policy, 27 Aug 04, formally
  established the DOD GP Program
• Requires that green products and services be
  considered as first choice for all procurements
• Assigns responsibility to virtually every DOD
  employee notes need for GP awareness training

5
Green Procurement Benefits You and the Agency

• Saves energy and conserves resources
• Saves money
• Saves landfill space
• Reduces pollution and adverse health effects
• Creates markets for environmentally beneficial
• products
• Provides incentive for development of new
• technologies
• Promotes environmental stewardship and mission
• sustainability

6
EPA-Designated Products Typically Bought with
Purchase Card

• Paper (including copy paper, computer paper,
  envelopes, index cards, folders)
• Toner Cartridges
• Office products (such as binders, clipboards,
  portfolios, printer ribbons, plastic desktop
  accessories)
• Trash bags
• Awards and plaques

• Signs
• Sorbents
• Latex paint
• Antifreeze
• Lubricating oils
• Office recycling containers
• Office waste receptacles
• Sanitary tissue (including bathroom tissue, paper
  towels)

Designated products must be purchased with
recycled content. See the EPA web site for a
complete list www.epa.gov/cpg
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Designated Product Exceptions Price,
Performance, and Availability

• According to RCRA, procuring agencies must show
  procurement preferences for designated
  recycled-content and biobased products unless the
  product
• Is available only at an unreasonable price
• Will not meet reasonable performance standards
• Is unavailable within a reasonable timeframe or
  at a sufficient level of competition

8
Green products can be found within the federal
supply system and elsewhere!

• Federal Supply Sources
• General Services Administration (GSA)
• Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)
• Federal Logistics Information System (FLIS)
• Ability One/JWOD organizations
• UNICOR (Federal Prison Industries)
• Commercial Vendors
• Home Depot, Office Depot, Staples

9
Environmental is now a search category in the
GSA Advantage online store. Select this link to
ensure you are buying green products
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DoD EmallUnder Refine Your Search you can
search for products with green attributes by
using the Environmental Attribute Code (tree
symbol)
1. Type in the product you are searching for
2. Click on the Environmental Attribute Code
symbol
The tree symbol with the RC code means the
selected item has Recycled Content
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You may also use keywords such as recycled to
search for products
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How Are Purchases of Green Products Monitored?

• EPA and State inspections
• DOD annual reports of purchasing data from
  federal sources
• DOD internal/external environmental compliance
  audits
• Government Purchase Card audits
• DOD Inspector General

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What Should You Do?

• Buy Green!
• Look for labels and descriptions that indicate
  the product has environmental or energy-saving
  benefits
• Search for green products in catalogs and online
  sources such as the DOD Emall
• Request green products from your vendors and
  supply sources
• Follow Designated Product Requirements!
• Refer to the lists of designated recycled content
  and biobased items when you are making a
  purchase, and make sure you buy and specify
  recycled and biobased products