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                            Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program
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                             Quick  Reference  Fact Sheet
                                                                            _4g~5i
     The federal

     government is the

     single largest U.S.

     consumer, purchasing

     more than $200

     billion worth of goods

     and services a year.
     Purchasing decisions

     can greatly influence

     the goods and

     services provided by

     the marketplace.
Objectives:
•  To encourage, motivate, and assist Executive agencies to include the environment
   as a factor in their purchasing decisions "along with price and performance.
•  To provide guidance to procurement officials on how to procure environmentally
   preferable products and services that have lesser or reduced effects on human
   health and the environment when compared to others that serve the same purpose.

Background:
   President Clinton's 1993 Executive Order 12873 on Federal Acquisition, Recycling,
   and Waste Prevention required EPA "to issue guidance that recommends principles
   that Executive Agencies should use in making determinations for the preference
   and purchase of environmentally preferable products." EPAs Environmentally
   Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Program was established to issue such guidance and to
   serve as a point of contact for government agencies. On August 22, 1997, EPP
   became part of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). The FAR revisions
   require federal agencies to "implement cost-effective contracting preference pro-
   grams favoring the acquisition of environmentally preferable and energy-efficient
   products and services."

Guidance on Environmentally Preferable Purchasing:
   EPA identified seven guiding principles to help Executive agencies incorporate
   environmental preferability into their procurement practices. The following prin-
   ciples were proposed in the Federal Register (FR) in EPA3s "Guidance on
   Acquisition of Environmentally Preferable Products and Services" (60 FR 50722):

    1. Consideration of environmental preferability should begin early in the acquisition
       process and be rooted in the ethic of pollution prevention, which strives to eliminate or
       reduce, up front, potential risks to human health and the environment.
    2. A product's or service's environmental preferability is a function of multiple attributes.
    3. Environmental preferability should reflect the lifecycle considerations of products and
       services to the extent feasible.
    4. Environmental preferability should consider the scale (global versus local) and temporal
       reversibility aspects of a product's or service's impact.
    5. Environmental preferability should be  tailored to local conditions where appropriate.
    6. The environmental objectives of products or services should be a factor or subfactor in
       competition among vendors, when appropriate.
    7. Agencies need to examine product attribute claims carefully.
                                ) Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.

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           Environment

   Performance
Pilot Projects:

    Agencies are gaining practical experience in purchasing
    environmentally preferable products and services by apply-
    ing the above principles to a specific product or service
    acquisition. Pilot projects generate more detailed informa-
    tion. Executive agencies are encouraged to participate in
    pilot projects or provide examples of EPP practices; this
    information will be shared with other agencies to avoid
    duplication of effort

Selected Accomplishments to Date:

•  U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and EPA
    Cleaning Products Pilot Project.
•  U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and EPA Parking Lot
    Renovation Pilot Project.
•  Federal Green Purchasing Symposium for federal agencies
    and the private sector to examine EPP issues and barriers
    in the federal marketplace.

Projects Underway:

•   DOD and EPA Interior Renovation Pilot Project for the
    Pentagon.
•   GSA and EPA Faults Pilot Project,
•   Compilation of sample EPP contract language to be used
    in federal procurement practices.
•   "Greening Uncle Sam" interactive procurement tool to
    provide federal procurement officials with EPP back-
    ground and information.
•   "Pioneers in EPP" initiative to identify current EPP activi-
    ties and initiate pilot projects within federal agencies.
•   Green  Conferences tool kit to provide Executive agencies
   with EPP information to utilize during conference coordi-
   nating.
•  An examination of EPP practices in the private sector.
Available Case Studies:
•   Cleaning Products Pilot Project (EPA742-R-97-002).
•   Leading by Example: Two Case Studies Documenting How the
    Environmental Protection Agency Incorporated Environmental
    Features into New Buildings (EPA742-R-97-006).
•   Paving the Road to Success—The Department of Defense's
    Parking Lot Repair and Maintenance Contract: An
    Environmentally Preferable Case Study (EPA742-R-97-007).
•   A Study of State and Local Government Practices That Consider
    Environmental Performance of Goods and Services
    (EPA742-R-96-007).
•   The City of Santa Monica's Environmental Purchasing: A Case
    Study (EPA742-R-98-001).
•   Green Spending: A Case Study of the State of Massachusetts'
    Environmental Purchasing (EPA742-R-98-002). (To be pub-
    lished mid-1998.)
   For more information on the EPP Program or to order
— "publications, contact:

-_  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
— Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse (PPIC)
--T40LM Street, SW. (7409)
* Washington, DC 20460
~  Phone:202260-1023
f^Fax. 202 260^4659 _
~ E-mail:_
* ^Or" visit the EPP web site at
1  .
 &EPA
    United States
    Environmental Protection Agency
    (7409)
    Washington, DC 20460

    Official Business
    Penalty for Private Use
    $300

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