Responsible Purchasing and
Green Products
Greening Tribal Operations and Facilities
Tulsa, Oklahoma
October 20, 2015
Go Green!
Responsible Purchasing Procedures and
“Green Products”

What is responsible purchasing?

What are tangible benefits of buying green?

How do you identify green products?

How do you make the case for Green?
What is “Responsible Purchasing”?

Also known as: Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP),
Green Purchasing, or Green Procurement

Choosing products and services that have reduced impact on
human health and the environment.

Choosing products that





Last longer,
Use less material,
Use less energy,
Are low in VOCs, and
Produce less pollution.
What are some good examples?

Buying green cleaners

Buying products that contained recycled materials

Buying/renting more fuel efficient vehicles

Buying in bulk (reducing packaging)

Buying local

Using cleaner energy
Why is this important?
Equity
(People)
Sustainability
Environment
(Planet)
Economy
(Profit)
What are the tangible benefits?

Environment (Planet)

Equity (People)

Economy (Profit)
What are the tangible benefits?

Environment (Planet)

Less pollution

Less waste

Conservation of resources

Restoration of ecosystems/habitats

Less landfills

Equity (People)

Economy (Profit)
http://computingforsustainability.com/
2009/03/15/visualising-sustainability/
What are the tangible benefits?

Environment (Planet)

Less pollution

Less waste

Conservation of resources

Restoration of ecosystems/habitats

Equity (People)

Economy (Profit)
What are the tangible benefits?


Environment (Planet)

Less pollution

Less waste

Conservation of resources

Restoration of ecosystems/habitats
Equity (People)

Better working conditions

Better school environments/healthier
students

Less crowded health systems/better
healthcare

Community and culture

Economy (Profit)
Health Hazards of Cleaning Products

Cancer

Reproductive harm (infertility, defects)

Endocrine system interference
(hormone “mimicking" and blocking)

Damage to immune and nervous systems

Poisoning of organs (heart, kidneys, liver)

Chemical burns (skin, eyes)

Asthma
Green Schools

According to the Center for Disease Control “bad” air from
pollution keeps kids out of school for more than 10 million
lost school days a year.

Roughly 30 percent of childhood asthma is due to
environmental exposures, costing the nation $2 billion per
year.

A 2006 U.S. Green Building Council report showed that
green schools cost $3 more per square foot, but generated
$74 per square foot in benefits from energy savings,
increased attendance, and teacher retention.

USGBC has done studies showing that increased daylighting
at schools has increased test scores.
What are the tangible benefits?


Environment (Planet)

Less pollution

Less waste

Conservation of resources

Restoration of ecosystems/habitats
Equity (People)

Better working conditions

Better school environments

Less crowded health systems/better
healthcare

Community and culture

Economy (Profit)
What are the tangible benefits?

Environment (Planet)

Less pollution

Less waste

Conservation of resources


Restoration of ecosystems/habitats
Equity (People)

Better working conditions

Better school environments

Less crowded health systems/better
healthcare

Community and culture

Economy (Profit)

Good jobs

Fair wages

Ecosystem valuation

Reduced maintenance cost

Reduced labor cost

Good ROI

Reduced replacement cost

Avoided disposal/cleanup costs

Support local economy

Avoided health cost
Show me the Money!
Why Are Public Agencies
Going Green?
Progress towards:

Climate action commitments

Reducing water and air pollution

Minimizing toxic chemical exposures

Protecting Natural Resources

Meeting “Zero Waste” goals

Securing green building
(LEED) credits

Life-cycle cost savings

Creating local “green” jobs
How do you identify a green
product?

products, services, or practices that allow for economic development
while conserving for future generations.

have less of an environmental impact or are less detrimental to
human health than the traditional product equivalent.

all products will have some impact on the surrounding environment.

It all comes down to degrees of impact and figuring out the trade off
between impacts.
Greenwashing
Seven Sins of Greenwashing

Sin of the Hidden Trade Off

Sin of No Proof

Sin of Vagueness

Sin of Worshiping False Labels

Sin of Irrelevance

Sin of Lesser of Two Evils

Sin of Fibbing
http://sinsofgreenwashing.com/findings/the-seven-sins
Greenwashing: Why does it happen?

“Green” is trendy

Companies want to sell more products/services and will use any means
possible to do so

Marketers take advantage of this through creative packaging/marketing with
green images, colors and words that imply environmental conscientiousness in
order to convince you to buy their product.
Labels: Not all labels are created equal!
Making the Case

It’s not always going to be easy!

Be sure to include all the avoided costs when compiling your list.

Be sure to track and report any environmental and/or health benefits.

Time saving tip: use certifications that are trusted


Choose vendors based on Sustainability Questionnaire


(Corporate Environmental Policy & Practices, Sustainable Packaging & Delivery,
Product Recycling Services)
Institutionalize green purchasing: make green products the default


Mulit-Attribute Certifications versus Single Attribute Certifications
Create new policies and programs, promote green products, document progress
Prioritize largest potential impact with ease of implementation

Small wins will keep things moving forward
Low-Hanging Fruit: Service Providers
Require that service providers use green products.

Construction

Pest Management

Landscaping

Custodial Services

Painting

Building Maintenance

Food Services

Printing

Lodging

Fleet Maintenance/Rental Car Services

Recycling
Use your Keyword Searches

Any supplier you already use will most likely carry “green” products.

Don’t be afraid to piggy-back on other jurisdiction’s or department’s
contracts…ask around!
Suggested Measures of Accomplishment:

% of recycled paper purchased (reams or sheets)

% of EPEAT, WaterSense, or ENERGY STAR
products purchased

% refurbished products purchased
Green Disposal

Reusing materials instead of using goods made from virgin materials
(especially paper products, carpeting products, building materials, and
plastics)

Incorporating industrial materials into construction projects as
substitutions for raw materials, such as coal ash, foundry sand, demolition
materials, slags, and gypsum

Using environmentally sound disposal practices for materials and
equipment that cannot be reused or salvaged. Such disposal practices may
include recycling or composting.
Suggested measures of Accomplishment:

% of paper and trash reduced, composted,
recycled or amount of decreased tons to
landfill

% of electronics recycled, donated or reused
(e.g. computers recycled)

% office supplies recycled (excluding
computers and electronics) such as % of toner
cartridges recycled, % of batteries recycled,
etc.
Green Conferences/Meetings

Transportation accounts for 30 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
This figure does not include the additional lifecycle emissions from the
manufacture of vehicles and airplanes.

When feasible, conferences/meetings should happen using environmentally
preferable measures to minimize negative impacts on the environment
(e.g. paper handouts and use of binders should be avoided or minimized).
Suggested Measures of Accomplishment:

% of trips offset by conference calls,
videoconferences, and web conferences

% of trips where public transportation,
carpools, fuel efficient vehicles, or bicycles
were used to attend off-site meetings

% of meetings held in which green practices
were instituted (e.g. no paper handouts or
bottled water provided, etc.)
Who is responsible for
Environmental Preferable
Purchasing?
You are!
Questions?