Waste Prevention Information Exchange

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing

Note—Some "environmentally preferable products" and some "green products" might not be safe for people and the environment in all situations and uses. To our knowledge, there is no enforceable standard by which such products must be produced or formulated.

CIWMB Programs and Services

• Buy Recycled Resources--From the CIWMB's Buy Recycled Program.
• Environmentally Preferable Purchasing--CIWMB's EPP home.
• Environmentally Preferable Purchasing in Health Care--CIWMB's health care purchasing information.
• Recycled Content Product Directory and RecycleStore—You are not closing the loop unless you also are buying  recycled-content products.  (For an explanation of the difference between the Recycled Content Product Directory and RecycleStore, see the Business Waste Reduction Resources Index.)

CIWMB Publications

CIWMB has either printed or Web publications on this topic that you can find at either our publication search page or our main search page. However, not all of these publications apply to "waste prevention" in the most literal use of that term.

Other Resources

Documents

• Best Practices Manual—This guide will help you select products that offer best value, not only in terms of cost and performance, but for the health of fellow employees and our environment ... and our families. Everyone makes a difference.

Websites

• Northeast Recycling Council—NERC's mission is to advance an environmentally sustainable economy by promoting source and toxicity reduction, recycling, and the purchasing of environmentally preferable products and services
• U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
  • The Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Database—U.S. EPA's database makes it easier to purchase products and services with reduced environmental impacts. The database is organized like a shopping mall with environmental information for selected products and services located within each store. The EPP Database currently includes several types of information:
    • Voluntary standards and guidelines used to compare environmentally preferable products and services.
    • Contract language and specifications containing environmentally preferable purchasing language.
    • Other sources of information about environmentally preferable products and services.

Also consider referencing Cleaning and Custodial Supplies, Electronics, Hazardous Substances, Product Stewardship, and Environmentally Preferable Purchasing in Health Care in this directory.

Last updated: May 27, 2009