resources to make green purchasing easier · green cleaners save money. case study: hennepin...

www.ResponsiblePurchasing.org

Green Purchasing Made Easy

Resources to Make Green Purchasing Easier

California Green Summit April 8, 2014

Alicia Culver Responsible Purchasing Network

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RPN Nonprofit network; members include:

• States • Local governments • Federal agencies • Colleges and

universities • School districts • Businesses • Non-profits

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Our Mission “Promote and practice responsible purchasing by identifying best practices, developing effective purchasing tools, educating the market, and using our collective purchasing power to maximize environmental stewardship, protect human health, and support local and global sustainability.”



RPN Resources

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• Responsible Purchasing Guides • Webinars • Hands-on technical Assistance • Sustainable purchasing policies • Model specifications • Cooperative purchasing contracts • Model Responsible Purchasing Report • Calculators and other tools



Why Is Green Purchasing Important?

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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Clearcutting_in_Southern_Finland.jpg



Environmental Claims Increasing

• Eco-safe • Environmentally friendly • Earth friendly • Earth smart • Environmentally safe • Environmentally preferable • Essentially non-toxic • Practically non-toxic

• Made with non-toxic ingredients • Degradable • Natural • Environmentally safe • CFC-free • Ozone friendly • Recyclable

Original Source: Kirsten Ritche, Gensler

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Manufacturer-created Eco-Labels

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Manufacturer Green Claims

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Retailer-created Ecolabels

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Require Green Claims to be Verified

“Suppliers citing environmentally preferred product claims shall provide proper certification or detailed information on environmental benefits, durability and recyclable properties.”

Source: University of California Policy on Sustainable Practices

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Green Purchasing Made Easy Multi-Attribute Certifications

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• Low toxicity • No cancer-causing

ingredients • No asthmagens • Not corrosive to eyes or

skin or skin sensitizer • Won’t pollute air or

deplete ozone layer • Won’t kill fish • Low phosphorous

• Will biodegrade • Package recyclable • Available as concentrate • Limits on fragrances used • Certain ingredients

prohibited • Performance tested • Vendor training available

Green Seal Criteria for Institutional Cleaners (GS-37)

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Green Seal-certified Products

www.greenseal.org

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http://www.greenseal.org



Certifiers Often List Products

www.greenseal.org

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http://www.greenseal.org



Single Attribute Certifications

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Similar Certifications

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Green Purchasing Made Easy Shades of Green

How Much…

• Recycled content • Bio-based content • Mercury content (in fluorescent lamps) • Energy, fuel or water consumption

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Race to the Top

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Tiered eco-labels set minimum threshold and encourage improvement



“Products/services purchased under this contract must be ________ certified or provide demonstrable proof of meeting the _________ standard and certification requirements. The ____________ standard and certification requirements are available at <_______________>.”

Green Certifications Referenced in Bid Solicitations

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• Don’t try to do it on your own. • Get top level support • Assemble a “Green Team” • Establish roles/responsibilities • Adopt sustainable purchasing policy,

standards and best practices

See 10 Steps to Starting a Sustainable Purchasing Program on RPN website)

Best Practice Institutionalize

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Best Practice Centralize Green Purchasing

• Lowers prices by aggregating demand • Easier to control/monitor purchases • Simplifies education process • Saves time on ordering, book-keeping

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Best Practice Plan and Prioritize

• Largest potential impact • Ability to meet environmental/health goals • Opportunities for change

(contracts re-bid) • Ease of implementation

(use existing specs and certifications)

• Potential to save money/create local jobs

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Best Practice Focus on Products that Save Money

• Lower upfront costs • Conserve energy or water • Reduce paper or fuel use • Lower maintenance costs • Reduce replacement costs • Avoid disposal/cleanup costs • Support the local/regional

economy • Offset environmental and

health program costs

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King County Green Purchases and Savings

In 2011, King County, WA purchased $60 million in environmentally preferable products, saving ~$1.5 million.

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KEY COMMODITIES 2010 Savings

Remanufactured Toner Cartridges $544,964

Recycled Road Aggregates $300,000

Green Cleaners $161,496

Tire Retreading $136,320

Paper Reduction $118,265

Electronics Recycling $97,875

EPEAT/ENERGY STAR Computers $91,875

TOTAL $1,541,213



• Remanufactured toner and ink cartridges cost 30-60% less per copy than “virgin” cartridges Need strict performance standards

• XL toner and ink cartridges reduce replacement costs

• Require vendors to take-back empties can reduce disposal costs (& result in rebates

Toner and Ink Cartridges

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Can Bottled Water

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Cut Energy Consumption

CASE STUDY Chicago, IL public housing authority cut its

annual electricity bill $500,000 by purchasing 10,000 ENERGY STAR-rated refrigerators

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Choose Long-Lasting Lighting Equipment

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Last 15-25X longer

(reduce replacement costs)

Use 75% less energy than incandescent light bulbs

Mercury-free



Cut Paper Consumption Seattle’s Paper Cuts Program

• Set 30% paper reduction goal (vs. 2004)

• Established duplex printing standard

• Copy paper spec = 100% post-consumer recycled content/processed chlorine-free

• 2010 => 36% reduction

• ~$80K annual savings (2009) 28



Cut Battery Use and Waste

• Batteries increase price and environmental impact of equipment

• Factor in cost of battery replacement and disposal when ordering equipment

• Rechargeable batteries work well for many applications and have quick payback

• Use industry-financed battery recycling program to reduce disposal costs

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Buy Locally Grown Food

CASE STUDY Multnomah County, OR bought 45% local produce and eggs for its county jail at no extra cost

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Best Practice Performance Test

• Engage end-users early • Set performance criteria

Should be no trade-off • Request product samples • Conduct pilot tests

Try innovative products • Approve only what

works

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Green Cleaners Save Money CASE STUDY: Hennepin County,

MN medical center switched to green cleaners, non-corrosive (peroxide) disinfectant, and microfiber mops

• 7% reduction in cost of cleaners • 80% reduction in chemical injuries

Pilot test financed by Hennepin County Leading by Example Fund

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Best Practice Green Your Market Basket List

Add “green” products to your core/market basket lists so they become eligible for vendor’s deepest discounts

Remove non-green products from core/market basket list (or contract) to get better price breaks on green products

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Best Practice Favor Certified Green Services

• Construction • Pest Management • Landscaping • Custodial Services • Painting • Building Maintenance • Food Services • Printing • Lodging • Fleet Maintenance/Rental Car Services • Recycling

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Best Practice Purchase Cooperatively

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Collaboration among public agencies can:

SAVE TIME by not “reinventing the wheel” by sharing research, specifications, bid solicitation documents, and vendor lists to create new “green contracts SAVE MONEY by aggregating demand from multiple entities


Green Purchasing Made Easy Piggy-back on Other

Jurisdiction’s Contracts Santa Clara County, CA is saving ~$40,000

annually by procuring API-certified re-refined motor oil using a contract issued by the City of San Jose

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Green Purchasing Made Easy Consider Green Products on

Cooperative Purchasing Agreements

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Consider Green Products on State Contracts

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Sustainable Purchasing 101

Cleaning chemicals & hand soaps (Green Seal, EcoLogo or EPA’s Design for Environment)

Janitorial Paper Products (Green Seal, EcoLogo or high post-consumer recycled content)

Vacuum cleaners (Carpet & Rug Institute)

Compostable Food Service Ware (Biodegradable Products Institute)

Model Green Cleaners Contract

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Best Practice Publicize Sustainable Products

Offered on Your Contracts

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Best Practice Direct Suppliers to…

• Clearly label products that meet YOUR EPP criteria (using data from eco-labeling organizations)

• Require “greenest” products to be listed first via online searches

• Substitute (or suggest) EPPs when conventional items ordered

• Periodically report $ amount of compliant/ non-compliant purchases sold on your contract

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Use Green Purchasing Resources from Vendors

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Green Purchasing Resources • Green Schools Buying Guide

www.greenschools.net • National Association of Counties’

Green Purchasing Toolkit www.naco.org/programs/csd/pages/nacurchasing.aspx

• EPA’s EPP website www.epa.gov/oppt/epp/

• SFApproved List • Responsible Purchasing Network

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http://www.greenschools.net

http://www.naco.org/programs/csd/pages/nacogreenpurchasing.aspx

http://www.naco.org/programs/csd/pages/nacogreenpurchasing.aspx

http://www.epa.gov/oppt/epp/



EPPNet

nerc.org/eppnet

• Product specifications

• Vendors of green products

• Pricing information

• Strategies to meet green procurement goals Not available for private vendors

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• Green Cleaning Supplies • Low-Toxicity Paints • EPEAT-Registered Electronics • ACMI AP Art Supplies • PVC-free/Recycled Office Supplies • Low-Emitting Furniture

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Use Existing Calculators

calculator.environmentalpaper.org/home

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Clearcutting_in_Southern_Finland.jpg



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EPP Fact Sheet

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RPN’s Responsible Purchasing Guides

• Bottled Water • Carbon Offsets • Cleaners • Computers • Copy Paper • Fleet Vehicles • Fluorescent Lights • Food Services • LEDs • Graffiti Remover • Green Power • Office Machines • Paint • Toner Cartridges • Tires, Wheel Weights

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RPN Webinars Past

• Purchasing for Climate Protection

• Compostable Food Service ware

• Fair Trade Purchasing

• Office Supplies Roundtable

• Janitorial Paper Products

• Model Green Cleaning Supplies Contracts

Future • Sustainable Food

Procurement

• Green Hardware Supplies

• Safer Disinfectants

• Green Electronics

• Green Paint

• Environmentally

Preferable Deicers

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Alicia Culver Responsible Purchasing Network

[email protected] 510.547.5475

www.responsiblepurchasing.org

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Questions? Comments?

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.responsiblepurchasing.org/

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