United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA742-F-98-019
September 1998
www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp
Highlights —
A New Pilot
Approach for EPP
Parking Lot Pilot
Project Update
• "Green" Conference
Planning
EPA Initiates Copier
Paper Pilot Project
EPP Upcoming Events
EPP Resources
Issue 3 September 1998
ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING
EPP Could Save
Academia $2.6
Billion Annually
M
any public and private universi-
ties are saving money while pre-
serving the environment. These
schools, which are using their multimillion
dollar budgets to purchase environmentally
preferable goods and services, also are dis-
covering that EPP offers significant finan-
cial benefits. Green Investment, Green
Return, a report written by David J. Eagan,
Ph.D., and Julian Keniry of the National
Wildlife Federation (NWF), discusses envi-
ronmentally preferable purchasing on
15 college campuses. The procurement
practices undertaken by these institutions
resulted in cost savings of more than $ 16 million annually. In addition, the report indi-
cates a potential cost savings of $2.6 billion annually if all of the nations 3,700 col-
lege and university campuses practiced environmentally preferable purchasing.
< Continued on Page 3 >
GSA Goes Greener
The U.S. General Services Admin-
istration (GSA), the "nations land-
lord" and a major supply and pur-
chasing agency for the federal govern-
ment, acquires more than $40 billion in
goods and services from the private sector
annually, affording many opportunities for
the agency to go "green." David J. Barram,
GSA Administrator, introduced "Planet
GSA," with the goal of enhancing GSAs
efforts in four areas— buying green (pro-
curement) , building green (design and
construction), driving green (alternative-
fuel vehicles), and saving green (energy),
at GSAs annual Earth Day celebration in
April 1998.
XO Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer
While some departments and indi-
viduals at GSA have implemented their
own environmental initiatives in years
past, Planet GSA is the first compre-
hensive, agencywide environmental
program that aims to coordinate and
build on what has been done to date,
and might prove to be an effective
model for other federal agencies.
Buying Green
In an effort to increase the procurement
of green products, GSA developed the
Environmental Products Guide. The guide
features a wide variety of items with
reduced environmental impacts, including
1,000 recycled paper items, generating
< Continued on Page 2 >
fiber.
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EPA's
Comprehensive
Procurement
Guideline
Program is part of
EPA's continuing
effort to promote
the use of materials
recovered from solid
waste. Each year, EPA
designates additional
products that can be
purchased with recy-
cled content. Buying
recycled-content
products ensures that
the materials collect-
ed in recycling pro-
grams will be used
again in the manu-
facture of new prod-
ucts. All federal
agencies are required
by RCRA 6002 and
Executive Order
12873 to purchase
CPG items.
EPA's Energy Star
programs and prod-
ucts are designed to
promote energy effi-
ciency, reduce pollu-
tion, and save money
for consumers, orga-
nizations, and
businesses.
< Green Purchasing - Continued From Page 1 >
sales of more than $200 million each
year. The guide also contains informa-
tion on products designed to prevent
pollution, minimize waste, and conserve
natural resources. Working with EPA,
and the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE), GSA promotes the procurement
of energy-efficient computers, office
equipment, and household appliances,
and offers more than 2,000 Energy Star
items on its Federal Supply Schedules.
Tom Daily, coordinator of GSAs Buy
Green program, sees Planet GSA as an
opportunity to build upon and capitalize
on these ongoing efforts to educate GSAs
employees and other agencies. Providing
information on products with environ-
mental attributes in all of GSAs cata-
logues is one example of this procure-
ment education effort.
Building Green
GSA oversees more than 250 million
square feet of office space for more than
100 federal organizations. It designs,
constructs, leases, and maintains diverse
facilities, including office buildings, fed-
eral courthouses, border stations, and
data processing centers. While details
are still in development, GSA has
already outlined short-, mid-, and long-
term goals for the Building Green por-
tion of Planet GSA, according to Debra
Yap, GSAs Building Green coordinator.
Short-term goals include promoting the
use of building materials with more
recycled content as required by EPAs
Comprehensive Procurement Guideline
(CPG); mid-term goals focus on con-
struction waste management; and the
long-term goals concentrate more
broadly on sustainable design.
Driving Green
GSA operates an interagency fleet of more
than 14,500 alternative-fuel vehicles that
run on ethanol, methanol, natural gas,
and electricity, thus reducing air pollution.
In fiscal year 1999, GSA will increase
acquisitions of passenger vehicles and
light vans for major metropolitan areas
to 75 percent, according to Larry Frisbee,
GSAs Drive Green coordinator. Other
Drive Green initiatives include using
retread tires and re-refined oil, and taking
fuel efficiency into consideration when
acquiring fleet vehicles. To promote
Planet GSAs green fleet, GSA and Federal
Aviation Administration employees drove
a Ford Crown Victoria, fueled by com-
pressed natural gas, from Washington,
DC, to the National Fleet Manager Work-
shop in Scottsdale, Arizona, this summer.
Saving Green
GSA already maintains an innovative ener-
gy and water management program that
has reduced utility costs and helped to
protect the environment while still provid-
ing a quality work space for clients. GSA
tracks energy usage and is making the
necessary adjustments to cut that amount
20 percent by 2000 and 30 percent by
2005. Additionally GSA is partnering with
DOE to institute solar power projects. The
procurement of solar power and other
green power sources, such as wind power,
are part of GSAs plans to conserve energy
explained Beth Shearer, head of the Save
Green component of Planet GSA.
Shearer says that though conserving
energy has been one of GSAs ongoing
goals, "having the support of the
administration, through the Planet GSA
program, makes a huge difference and
helps us focus our efforts."
Additional environmental conserva-
tion efforts undertaken by GSA include
recycling paint, purchasing carpet made
from plastic bottles, promoting less-
toxic cleaning products, and advocating
safer pest-control technologies.
To further encourage environmental
practices, GSA is pursuing partnerships
with other federal agencies to help
identify and develop additional "green-
ing" opportunities. EPA firmly supports
the Planet GSA program and currently
is exploring the partnership potential
between the two agencies. •
For more information on GSA's
"green" products that are available
for purchase, please see GSA's
Advantage Program, an online shop-
ping service, at .
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< Savings for Academia - Continued From Page 1 >
A few examples of academia's new
environmentally preferable procurement
strategies, documented in Green
Investment, Green Return, include
microscale science labs; integrated pest
management, native landscaping, and
groundcovers; and ecological building
design and maintenance. Other cost-
saving environmental purchasing efforts
documented in the report include energy
conservation, transportation, and reuse
in dining facilities. In addition, the book
Ecodemia, also written by Keniry dis-
cusses in detail the methods public and
private universities employ when
procuring environmentally preferable
products.
Microscale Science
One procurement method that has sig-
nificantly changed many university
chemistry laboratories is microscale sci-
ence, a new way of conducting experi-
ments using smaller amounts of chemi-
cals and miniature glassware. This alter-
native teaching method was first
developed and used at Bowdoin College
in Brunswick, Maine, by Dr. Dana Mayo,
a chemistry professor. In the fall of
1979, Bowdoin faced serious air pollu-
tion problems in its organic chemistry
labs due to large amounts of chemicals
used in crowded and poorly ventilated
spaces. To remedy this situation, Bowdoin
was prepared to fund extensive and
expensive lab renovations. Instead, to
prevent pollution and avoid such costly
reconstruction, Mayo proposed a down-
scaling of the methodologies used to
perform experiments. By significantly
decreasing the amount of chemicals
purchased and lowering the disposal
fees for managing hazardous wastes,
Bowdoin reduced its annual organic lab-
oratory operating costs by 87.5 percent.
The University of Minnesota (UM) is
another school benefitting from micro-
scale science. Due to air and water qual-
ity regulations, UM developed a blend
of conventional and microscale lab experi-
ments that reduce the use of heavy met-
als and hazardous solvents. The result
was an annual cost savings of $37,000.
Integrated Pest Management,
Native Landscaping, and
Groundcovers
Integrated pest management (IPM) and
native landscaping are methods of
grounds maintenance that reduce pesti-
cide use. Rather than blanketing an area
with pesticides, IPM uses certain pesti-
cides at specific times of the year to
control targeted pest populations.
Intended to complement IPM, native
landscaping uses local plant species as
primary vegetation. Both methods pro-
mote the growth of native plant and
animal species. James Luce, director of
grounds for Connecticut College, uses
native landscaping techniques, but relies
on IPM as a last resort. Instead of treat-
ing an existing problem, Luce prevents
pests and weeds from invading in the
first place. The college maintains taller
grass in its lawns, for example, to shade
out weeds. To avoid overgrown lawns,
the grounds crew mows more frequently
According to Luce, "We're doing differ-
ent work, not more of it. Instead of spray-
ing pesticides we are mowing the lawns
more frequently, composting leaves, and
< Continued on Page 12 >
Schools are
discovering
that EPP offers
significant
financial benefits.
Cost Savings from Reducing Hazardous Wastes Generated by Chemistry Labs
at the University of Minnesota
Volume of waste Volume of waste Average disposal Annual
before conversion after conversion cost cost savings
2,500 gallons 23 gallons $15/gallon $37,000*
*The total cost of the lab conversion was $30,000, with most expenses covered by a grant from the Minnesota Office of Waste Management.
The payback period for this initiative was less than 1 year.
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A New Pilot Approach for EPP
Nongovernmental
entities include,
but are not limited
to, environmental
standard setting
organizations,
environmental
labeling programs,
and third-party
certification
programs, to
which agencies
may refer
for technical
assistance in
meeting EPP goals.
In an effort to help federal Executive
branch agencies achieve their envi-
ronmentally preferable purchasing
goals, EPA has published a notice of
availability of a Pilot Project Approach
on the Use of Nongovernmental Entities.
Examples of "nongovernmental entities"
include, but are not limited to, environ-
mental standard setting organizations,
environmental labeling programs, and
third-party certification programs, to
which agencies may refer for technical
assistance in meeting EPP goals. EPA
acknowledged a potential role for such
entities in its proposed Guidance on the
Acquisition of Environmentally Preferable
Products and Services, published in
September 1995.
The purpose of the pilot Suggested Approaches Using
project approach is to
demonstrate how Executive Nongovernmental Entities
Public input is welcomed. If you are
interested in talking to EPA about this
issue, please contact Julie Shannon at
202 260-2736 or e-mail her at
. To obtain a
copy of the Nongovernmental Entity
Pilot Project Approach (document num-
ber EPA 742-B-98-003), write to the
Pollution Prevention Information
Clearinghouse (7409), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20460; or call
202 260-1023. You also can obtain the
document through fax on demand
by dialing 202 401-0527 and request-
ing item 8001, or via the Internet at
. •
agencies can use nongovern-
mental entities to support
federal environmentally
preferable purchasing efforts.
EPA believes there are several
advantages to this approach.
First, it allows the EPP pro-
gram to increase the variety
of product categories being
examined. Second, EPA can
determine when the use of
outside expertise is appropri-
ate and helpful. Third,
results from the pilot will
help EPA identify the most
effective and practical ways
to achieve the goal of envi-
ronmentally preferable pur-
chasing. Finally, this
approach might encourage
increased competition
among existing and new
organizations and programs
that can support the pro-
curement of environmentally
preferable products.
Federal Agencies can use existing information devel-
oped by nongovernmental entities to:
-Identify a range of environmental attributes that
can contribute to EPA's determination of environ-
mental preferability.
-Buy commercial items off the shelves using litera-
ture provided by nongovernmental entities that
profiles product performance on environmental
attributes, so that informed procurement decisions
are made.
-Denote specific information about a product's envi-
ronmental characteristics through the use of sym-
bols from nongovernmental entities in Executive
agency catalogs and schedules.
-Develop symbols to appear in agency catalogs and
schedules, using existing information about environ-
mental attributes provided by nongovernmental
entities.
Use nongovernmental entities as "consultants"
under Advisory and Assistance Contracts.
Use nongovernmental entities qualified to certify
specific claims in order to verify environmental
claims made by manufacturers or vendors.
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&EFK
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Pollution Prevention
and Toxics
(7409)
September 1998
www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing In Action
Parking Lot Project Fact Sheet
An EPP Pilot Project Update
As of October 21,
1997, Federal
Acquisition
Regulations (FAR)
require all federal
agencies to
purchase
"environmentally
preferable and
energy- efficient
products and
services" (FAR
23.704). The DOD
parking lot contract
illustrates one way
of satisfying this FAR
requirement.
After more than a year of experience with the "green" parking lot
contract, the Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are sharing the most recent
results of this Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) pilot project. This
fact sheet describes the project's background and current status, highlights
recent project successes, suggests future challenges, and details the lessons
learned. It is an update to Paving the Road to Success, an EPP case study
published in November 1997 (EPA742-R-97-007). The full case study is
available via the EPP Web site or by calling
the Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse at 202 260-1073.
Background
In June 1997, DOD awarded D-M&S, Inc., a 5-year, $1 million per year,
fixed-price, line-item contract to maintain and repair the parking lots and
access roads at the Pentagon and three other DOD facilities. The contract
includes traditional price and performance requirements as well as incentives
to use products with multiple, positive environmental attributes.
The contract includes work sheets for 20 product categories representing
90 percent of the materials used to repair and maintain the parking lots. Each
work sheet identifies the mandatory operational requirements for a product.
Eleven work sheets also include optional environmental attributes for which
D-M&S, with DOD approval, can earn a 2-percent price differential for each
attribute it incorporates up to a ceiling of 10 percent per line item and an
overall task-order price differential of 5 percent. The contract also provides
additional opportunities for the contractor to improve environmental perfor-
mance and earn price differentials, which are subject to the same line-item and
task-order ceilings.
This fact sheet is designed to be removed from the EPP Update and kept with your
existing copy of Paving the Road to Success, the EPP case study documenting
DOD's parking lot pilot project. Living its mission, the EPP program determined
that it was more environmentally preferable to insert this fact sheet in the news-
letter than to produce and deliver it separately.
X) Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.
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227,934 square feet
of parking lots and
roadways have been
paved with products
that contain positive
environmental
attributes.
Current Status
During the 15 months the contract has been in place, the contractor has used
products with positive environmental attributes to pave 227,934 square feet of
parking lots and roadways. When compared to traditional products, the con-
tractor's products have increased recycled-content percentages, reduced volatile
organic compound (VOC) levels, and decreased overall toxicity.
Use of Environmentally Preferable Products
Since the contract began, the DOD contractor has used:
• 3,328 tons of recycled asphalt
• 1,031 tons of recycled concrete
• 300 cubic yards of concrete containing recovered materials
• 3,558 linear feet of recovered glass for reflective surfaces
• 5,200 linear feet of an asphalt sealer containing recovered crumb rubber
• 3,558 linear feet of paint containing less than 50 grams per liter of VOCs
• 24,324 square feet of low VOC concrete curing compound
• 5,200 linear feet of recovered-content asphalt joint sealant
Project Successes
While this pilot project has enjoyed many successes, the two most recent suc-
cess stories involve identifying new environmental attributes and promoting the
wide-spread use of environmental products.
Identifying New Environmental Attributes
To prepare the contract work sheets, the DOD/EPA team used publicly avail-
able information and conducted a limited market survey to identify the environ-
mental attributes. The team believed it would be challenging for the contractor
to locate products exceeding the attributes it identified.
A few months into the contract, however, D-M&S had already identified eight
products exceeding the environmental criteria detailed on the work sheets and
had proposed an environmental attribute for several products for which DOD
had not identified any criteria. The contractor conducted an extensive Internet
search and queried numerous contacts and suppliers throughout the paving and
road construction industry looking for products with improved environmental
performance. "All we needed to know," according to Sam Croghan, a cost-estimator
with D-M&S, "[was] what types of environmental information to look for."
Promoting the Wide-Spread Use of Environmental Products
Several of the products D-M&S identified as environmentally preferable per-
form better than traditional products. In fact, the contractor is using them on
other projects, not because of their environmental features, but by virtue of their
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performance. As a result, the use of environmental products is spreading beyond
the scope of the pilot project, achieving one of the goals of the DOD/EPA pilot
project team and of the EPP program. It also demonstrates that environmental
improvements can be made without compromising cost or performance.
In addition, several organizations have contacted DOD and EPA regarding
the environmental language used in the parking lot repair and renovation con-
tract. Several cities, counties, and municipalities are considering incorporating
similar language into their contracts.
Future Challenges
Currently, DOD officials can readily determine if a proposed product
improves environmental performance because the parking lot contract clearly
identifies the environmental attributes on 11 of the 20 product work sheets. If a
work sheet identifies a VOC content of less than 80 g/L as environmentally
desirable, for example, and the contractor proposes a product containing
60 g/L, the new product is considered environmentally preferable.
Determining environmental preferability will likely become more difficult as
the contract continues, however. DOD, for example, is currently evaluating two
competing sealants—a traditional sealant with environmental criteria defined on
an existing product work sheet and another potentially revolutionary product
that is more durable. While durability is generally a positive environmental
attribute, it does not necessarily mean the new product is more environmentally
preferable. It is possible, for example, that the processes used to manufacture
the more durable product require more energy to produce and transport the
product or are more toxic than those used to produce the traditional product.
These additional environmental concerns might negate the environmental
improvements attributed to its increased durability. From an environmental life-
cycle perspective, it is still unclear which product is preferable.
At this point, DOD, EPA, and D-M&S have asked the manufacturer of the
new sealant for additional environmental information about its product. The
information provided by the manufacturer will help DOD determine which of
the two competing sealants to use. Until the environmental benefits of compet-
ing products are clearly defined, traditional measures like price and performance
will remain the primary determining factors.
This situation highlights the complexities associated with comparing the
environmental attributes of two different types of products designed to perform
the same function. As new environmental attributes are introduced, these deci-
sions will continue to become more complex. It also should lead to the develop-
ment of new environmental decision-making tools.
Lessons Learned
In addition to the lessons cited in the full case study, recent contract experi-
ences demonstrate that contractors can locate environmental products as part of
routine project performance, price differentials might not be necessary, and
environmentally preferable does not necessarily mean "more expensive."
New environmental
decision-making tools
will continue to
develop as more
environmental
attributes are
introduced to products.
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"No one will get
rich off of the price
differential, but we
believe the
knowledge we gain
will bring us a lot of
future business."
Sam Croghan,
D-M&S, Inc.
DOD Parking Lot
Repair Contractor
Contractors Can Locate Environmental Products
D-M&S's ability to collect information on the environmental attributes of
the products used under the parking lot renovation and repair contract sug-
gests construction contractors might be in a better position than federal
purchasers to identify the environmental attributes of construction products
because of the contractors' previous experience with the products and their
contacts throughout the industry. After DOD identified the environmental
attributes of concern, D-M&S obtained product information that allowed
DOD to compare products based on their environmental performance. This
experience suggests the contracting mechanisms used in this innovative con-
tract might be appropriate in other situations.
Price Differentials Might Not Be Necessary
The DOD/EPA team included price differentials in the contract fearing
small businesses would not otherwise be able to afford to conduct the prod-
uct research. D-M&S claims, however, the price differentials had no effect
on its decision to bid on the project. According to Mr. Croghan, the
2-percent price differential is not nearly as important or as profitable as the
following:
• Keeping the customer happy.
• Gaining knowledge and experience in identifying and working with
environmental products and processes.
• Using the experience working with environmental products and
processes to distinguish D-M&S from its competitors.
Environmentally Preferable Does Not Mean 'More Expensive'
After more than one year of experience with the contract, the average
cost for the work completed is significantly lower than similar work on other
DOD parking lot repair contracts, which do not include environmental fea-
tures. The price differential has increased expected contract costs by only
0.5 percent. In fact, even if the contractor had earned the maximum price
differentials as defined in the contract, the average costs still would be lower
than other DOD parking lot repair and maintenance contracts.
Bob Cox, the DOD program manager for the contract, attributes the
favorable contract price to DOD's competitive contracting process and the
traditional evaluation factors—price and performance. Furthermore, as a
fixed-price, line-item contract, the contractor, not DOD, absorbs any cost
difference between the contractor's proposed line-item cost and actual costs.
The contractor might be making additional profits on some line items and
losing money on others, but the cost to the government does not change.
"With this contract," according to Mr. Cox, "DOD is receiving a quality
product with improved environmental performance at a lower cost, which
proves you do not have to pay more to go 'green.'"
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Green" Conference Planning
EPA is currently developing guid-
ance to help conference planners
incorporate comprehensive envi-
ronmental improvements into their
events planning. The final product, an
interactive, Web-based, multimedia
planning tool, will answer important
questions about how to plan a "green"
conference.
EPA recognizes that conferences and
large meetings consume a significant
amount of natural resources and gener-
ate large volumes of waste. From the
initial planning stages to the distribu-
tion of the proceedings, conference
organizers and participants use pam-
phlets, flyers, papers, and presentation
materials; consume food, water, and
electricity; and require many forms of
transportation. Since these conferences
and meetings involve many people,
these events also are highly visible, pro-
viding opportunities to raise environ-
mental awareness and to practice pollu-
tion prevention.
A number of documents already exist
on holding "green" conferences. Most of
these documents, however, focus on
particular conference elements, such as
specific pollution prevention opportuni-
ties within waste management or gener-
al pollution prevention opportunities
within the lodging service sector. In an
effort to fill the gap, EPAs green confer-
encing tool will provide a comprehen-
sive overview of the different stages,
products, and services involved in con-
ference planning and the "green"
opportunities within each.
The Web-based tool will undergo
three stages of development. In the first
stage, existing information on confer-
ence planning will be identified, com-
piled, and organized into a comprehen-
sive list of environmental opportunities.
For easy access by conference planners,
these opportunities will be chronologi-
cally organized by service sector and
inserted into a matrix. The second stage
involves testing each opportunity at an
actual conference from an environmen-
tal, logistical, and economical perspec-
tive. These first two stages are expected
to be completed in July 1999. The third
and final development stage involves
the actual production of the interactive,
Web-based, multimedia tool. Based on
the results of the test experience, the
opportunities will be grouped on the
Web according to their ease and diffi-
culty of implementation, economic
costs and savings, and environmental
return. EPA intends to widely publicize
this information to all event planners
and sponsors. For more information on
this project, please e-mail Russell Clark
at EPA at . •
EPA's Web-based
"green" conferenc-
ing tool will provide
a comprehensive
overview of the
different stages,
products, and ser-
vices involved in
conference plan-
ning and the
"green" opportu-
nities within each.
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EPA Initiates Copier Paper Pilot Project
EPA recently had the opportunity to put envi-
ronmentally preferable purchasing into prac-
tice when deciding what brand of copier
paper to purchase. For the past several years, EPA
has purchased a brand of paper containing 100 per-
cent recovered fiber, including 50 percent postcon-
sumer fiber. After learning that this brand would be
discontinued in 1997, the Agency began investigat-
ing which new paper to purchase.
EPAs print shop, which is responsible for purchas-
ing paper through the Government Printing Office
(GPO), suggested that a pilot be conducted to test a
paper with at least 30 percent postconsumer content.
This standard was chosen because it puts the Agency
in compliance well ahead of the December 1998
deadline issued by Executive Order 12873, which
requires federal agencies to purchase 30 percent post-
consumer copier paper by the end of the year.
In addition to recycled content, the print shop also
wanted to consider other environmentally preferable
product attributes for the paper it was seeking to
buy. With the help of the EPP program, EPA identi-
fied several environmental attributes related to copier
paper and then determined how to fit the attributes
into the procurement process. GPO is supportive of
the goals of the pilot and has provided invaluable
input throughout the process.
The final contract language will require bidders'
products to meet current GPO performance require-
ments and contain a minimum of 30 percent post-
consumer recycled content. Beyond that, bidders
also will be invited to voluntarily document their
progress with regards to a number of additional envi-
ronmental attributes. Their progress will then be
weighed along with price, in a best-value, rather
than low-bid, procurement approach.
The details of this innovative paper procurement
will be shared in a pre-bid confer-
ence that will convene this fall.
Public feedback on the
voluntary attributes will be
welcomed by GPO at the pre-bid
conference. The U.S. Department of
Justice, DOE, and the U.S. Department
of Interior have all expressed interest in joining the
pilot project and will soon review the contract lan-
guage to make their official commitments.
For more information on EPAs copier paper pilot
project, please e-mail Russell Clark, EPA, at
. •
EPP Upcoming Events
GREEN BUILDING CHALLENGE '98
October 25 to 28, 1998
Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada.
Contact: Nils Larsson, Phone:
613 769-1242, Fax: 613 996-9416,
E-mail: larsson@greenbuilding.ca.
Attendees: Green building
researchers, designers, developers,
and investors.
ECOEXPO 1999
May 3 to 5, 1999
Anaheim, CA.
National Marketplace for the
Environment, 800 334-3976.
Attendees: Federal procurement,
contract, maintenance, and man-
agerial personnel.
Private-sector attendees: procurement
and environmental officers, engineers,
designers, office managers, fleet man-
agers, marketing and sales executives,
consultants, and investors.
84TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL
PURCHASING CONFERENCE AND
EDUCATIONAL EXHIBIT
May 23 to 26, 1999
San Diego Marriott & Marina, San
Diego, CA.
Contact: Jolene Gulley or Judy
Welp, Phone: 800 888-6276, Ext.
3008 or 3049.
Attendees: Senior buyers, purchasing
agents, purchasing and materials
managers, directors and vice presi-
dents of purchasing and materials.
For a list of other EPP events, or to post an event of your own,
refer to the EPP Web site at .
10
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EPP Resources
One-Stop Shopping for Green Product
Standards Information
The EPP Team is developing a database that will
give federal purchasers and others access to U.S.
and international green product standards for a
variety of products. Initial research for product
information on existing Internet resources has
been completed, and a draft structure for the
database has been created. To assure that this
resource is user friendly and meets the needs of
federal purchasers, the EPP Team is in the process
of obtaining user input on the databases structure.
After revisions are made, the database will be
beta tested before it is made publicly available.
Future phases of the database will include links
to existing federal, state, and local specifications
in contracts for greener products, as well as stan-
dards information. For more information on this
effort or to learn how you can provide comments
on the draft structure, please e-mail Holly Elwood
at .
Learning from the Private Sector
Many companies in the United States and
abroad have already attained impressive results
from their environmental purchasing efforts.
These "recipes of success" also can be applied
to the public sector. The EPP Team is currently
compiling data on these corporate efforts and
plans to publish a corporate case study report,
in both hard copy and on the EPP Web site.
For more information on this research, e-mail
Holly Elwood at .
EPP on the Web
EPAs new EPP Web site will be available on the
Internet at by mid-
October. You'll find useful information on the
EPP program, access to EPP publications, exam-
ples of EPP success stories, environmental pur-
chasing tools for purchasers and suppliers, and
information on upcoming EPP events. The new
EPP Web site also will feature a discussion bul-
letin board in an effort to collect and share infor-
mation related to environmental purchasing. EPA
will continue to improve and expand the Web site
features in the future, so check the site frequently.
EPPNET Provides Forum for Discussion
The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) hosts
EPPNET, an environmentally preferable prod-
ucts discussion list server. EPPNET provides an
open forum for posting and discussing news
and information on the procurement of envi-
ronmentally preferable products such as prod-
uct specifications, vendor lists, pricing, strate-
gies to achieve EPP goals, and federal procure-
ment policies. EPPNET is open to all public
and private sector procurement officials and
advocates of environmentally preferable pro-
curement. To subscribe to EPPNET, send an
e-mail to describing your
job and place of employment. NERC pre-
approves all EPPNET members. Also, send an
e-mail message to
with SUBSCRIBE EPPNET
on the subject line or in the
body of the message. If you have questions
about EPPNET, or if you experience problems
with the server, contact Ellen Pratt with NERC
at or 802 254-3636.
Massachusetts Case Study Available Soon
Green Spending—A Case Study of Massachusetts'
Environmental Purchasing Program (EPA742-R-
98-002) is the most recent EPP publication.
The case study describes how Massachusetts
incorporated environmental attributes into its
purchasing process and how it spread the word
to Commonwealth purchasers about the impor-
tance of buying environmental products. This
publication, as well as all other EPP docu-
ments, can be obtained free of charge by calling
EPAs Pollution Prevention Information
Clearinghouse at 202 260-1023, by e-mailing
PPIC at , or by accessing the
EPP Web site at .
EPP Pilot Project Group List
Interested in learning more about the EPP pro-
grams pilot projects? EPP created a group
e-mail list to keep interested parties updated
on pilot project activities and opportunities. To
be added to the group list, e-mail your request
to .
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< Savings for Academia - Continued From Page 3 >
planting endophytic (naturally pest-resistant) plants and
grasses.
"The university has saved substantially by using
these alternative methods because they don't require pur-
chasing expensive pesticide chemicals or application
equipment." In other words, the potentially higher
costs for practicing IPM and native landscaping are off-
set by lowered chemical costs.
Seattle University also has achieved considerable
annual cost savings through environmentally preferable
landscaping. Grounds Manager Ciscoe Morris used
dense-growing "weed fighter" groundcovers to obtain
weed-free areas within 3 years, while reducing chemi-
cal inputs, reducing soil loss due to erosion, and low-
ering equipment maintenance costs. Thanks to its use
of groundcovers, the university saves $1,300 annually.
Ecological Building Design and Maintenance
Ecological building design and maintenance, or "green
building," is another new purchasing practice that
saves money. Universities are "going green" by
installing low-flow shower and faucet heads, weather-
stripping windows and doors, installing motion sensors
for lights, and taking advantage of solar energy for
heating and lighting. The Energy and Environmental
Education building at the University of Northern Iowa,
for example, uses daylighting (the illumination of
rooms with sunlight) to reduce the need for electrical
lighting. In addition, the building minimizes fuel con-
sumption by using direct sunlight as a primary source
of heat. Architects incorporated energy conservation
into the building design by choosing construction
materials that require less energy to produce and trans-
port. The structures limestone, for example, came
from a local quarry. Northern Iowa's green building
initiatives reduced the school's annual energy expendi-
tures by 50 percent, while initial construction costs
remained comparable to those of a regular building.
These are just a few EPP strategies that have proven
to be both financially and environmentally rewarding.
All across the country, academic institutions are find-
ing that protecting the environment and cutting costs
go hand in hand. For further information on environ-
mentally preferable purchasing, call NWF's Campus
Ecology Program at 202 797-5468. To order Green
Investment, Green Return (094-505-1654, $14.95) call
410 516-6583. For general information about the
Campus Ecology Program, call 703 790-4318, or visit
the NWF Web site at . •
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW. (7409)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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