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Proposed Guidance for Implementing
Executive 'Order 12873, Section 503
e federal government is
committed to minimizirig
the environmental impact of
the products and services that it
purchases. :
Spending $200 billion annually,
the federal government can apply
its purchasing power to create a
demand for products and services
that have a reduced impact on the
environment. '
In order to identify and show a
preference for "environmentally
preferable" products and services,
President Clinton has called upon
EPA to issue guidance for execu-
tive agencies to use when purchas-
ing goods and services.
"Environmentally preferable" . •
products and services have a
lesser or reduced effect on • •. •'
human health and the environ-.,
ment when compared to other
products and services that serve •
the same purpose.
Executive Order 12873
'Federal Acquisition, Recycling,
and Waste Prevention
Sections 201 & 503
October 20, 1993'
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All parties buying products ;
and services for the federal
government.
All parties using products and
services purchased by the federal
government.
• All parties providing products
and services to the federal
government.
• Federal contractors.
8 The guidance is not regulatory
and considers the federal govj
ernment to be a consumer in the
marketplace. :
a EPA intends to bring together
federal acquisition and environ-
mental expertise, as well as the
experience of all interested par-
ties both inside and outside the
government.
EPA has'held public meetings,
received public comment, and
continues to encourage input
from all parties potentially affect-
ed by the guidance. This is to
ensure that the final guidance is
comprehensive, reasonable, and
practical.
The proposed guidance includes a
set of seven general guiding princi-
ples designed to help executive
agencies begin the process of iden-
tifying and purchasing environ-
mentally preferable products and
services.
The proposed guidance also
recommends implementation
activities for executive agencies,
such as issuing policy directives
and applying the principles to
pilot acquisitions.
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' onsideration of environmental
preferdbility should begin
early in the acquisition ;
process and be rooted in the ethic of
pollution prevention that strives to
eliminate or reduce, up front, poten-
tial risks to human health and the
environment.
Purchasers should consider a
product or service's environmental
impact at the time when they are
deciding to purchase it. This, .;;i; ,•,•.;.••:;
approach allows for.;Up^feHt:01irti-'-;'
ination .or-re'du'dtion. of .'potential. •;..•••
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product or service's environ-
mental preferability is a
^function of multiple environ-
mental attributes.
A specific product or service may
have a number of environmental
impacts in both natural resource
consumption and toxic effects.
Targeting a single environmental
attribute can obscure other envi-
ronmental impacts that might
cause equal or greater damage.
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and transportation, distribution,
use, maintenance, or disposal.
Purchasers should consider vari-
ous stages of a product or service's
life cycle in evaluating its environ-
mental preferability.
environmental preferability.
should consider the scale •
' (global versus local) and
temporal aspects (reversibility) of
the impacts.
environmental preferability
should be tailored to local
conditions where appropriate.
The magnitude and permanence of
the environmental impacts of
products and. services will depend
on where and how these products
and services are used. Purchasers
should factor in local conditions,
such as natural resource availabili-
ty, when evaluating products and
services.
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environmental attributes of
products or services should be
ran important factor or subfac-
tor in competition among vendors,
when appropriate. , •,
Environmental performance is one
of many factors considered in pur-
chasing and should serve as a '
basis for competition among ven-
dors in the marketplace. This kind
of competition will also foster ,
continuous improvement in th!e
environmental performance of
products and services in the
tal claims made by providers of
products and services. Relying on
several informational sources
radier than just one will provide
the most accurate assessment of a
product or services environmental
performance.
Policy Directives:
EPA recommends that each
executive agency issue a policy
directive that includes the follow-
ing elements:
to increase the
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by applying the principles of the
general guidance to a specific !
product or service acquisition.
Pilot projects will generate more
detailed guidance on purchasing
Environmentally preferable prod-
ucts and services. These pilots will
also include tool development,
training, and education.
EPA has identified a number of
pilot projects that can be imple-
mented in the short term:
9 A joint EPA and General
Services Administration (GSA)
pilot demonstrating the pur-
chase of environmentally
preferable cleaning products.;
• A joint GSA/EPA project to
identify attributes of environ-
• Although riot specifically men-
tioned in the guidance, EPA is
investigating the possibility of
implementing a building pilot
that would include environ-
mentally preferable leasing,
construction, and building
management.
Executive agencies are encouraged
to volunteer other pilot acquisitions.
Copies of EPAs proposed guidance
document can be obtained by call-
ing the Pollution Prevention
Information Clearinghouse (PPIC)
at (202) 260-1023. The guidance
has also been published for public
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