Sustainable Purchasing at EPA
In addition to the products and services the Agency purchases, EPA works to promote sustainability at the meetings and events it hosts. A “green” meeting is one that is organized and implemented in such a way as to minimize negative impacts on the environment. Read more about green meetings resources from EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances.
EPA is committed to purchasing recycled, biobased and other sustainable products throughout its operations. The Agency consistently meets or exceeds the federal requirement of 95 percent sustainable acquisition for applicable goods and service procurements.
EPA implements Balanced Scorecard (BSC) initiatives to improve data quality and planning for sustainable acquisitions. The Agency updated its Green Purchasing Plan (GPP) in fiscal year 2014 and incorporated it into the EPA Acquisition Guide to ensure purchasers follow sustainable acquisition principles.
EPA’s sustainable acquisition strategies include:
- Providing sample contract language to help increase purchase and use of BioPreferred products and services in applicable contracts.
- Ensuring contractors submit annual reports of their biobased purchases and reports on sustainability compliance in contractor performance reviews.
- Using Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiatives, which include sustainable acquisition requirements.