HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04152008 - SD.4 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
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FROM: MICHAEL J. LANGO, DIRECTOR OF GENERAL SERVICES "'� 's COSTA
DATE: APRIL 15, 2008 = ' COUNTY
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SUBJECT: CONSIDER ADOPTION OF AN ENVIRONMENTALLY
PREFERABLE PURCHASING POLICY
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION
ACKNOWLEDGE that purchasing environmentally preferable products will have a positive effect on
reducing greenhouse gas emissions as an integral part of the County's Climate Action Plan;
ACKNOWLEDGE that adoption of an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy will strengthen
the County's commitment to promote environmentally sustainable business practices, conserve
natural resources, and support strong recycling markets;
ADOPT the attached County Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy; and
DIRECT the County Administrator authorize the Director of General Services to implement the policy.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Adoption and implementation of the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy (EPP) should not
result in significantly increased cost for products. As commercial markets and demand for "green"
products has grown, the cost for these products has become more competitively priced. It is
expected that these markets will continue to expand, which will result in increased competition, more
product availability, and lower costs.
BACKGROUND
In October 2007, the Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to adopt the U.S. Cool Counties
Climate Stabilization Declaration, pledging to develop a regional plan to reduce the County's
communitywide greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below current levels by 2050. This action also
authorized the development of a Climate Action Plan, which is currently being drafted by the
Community Development Department.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE: ZV440
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOAR COMMITTEE
PROVE OTHER
SIGNATURES:
ACTION OF BOA N l� APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED O/`ER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
UNANIMOUS(ABSENT )
AYES: NOES:
ABSENTS: ABSTAIN:
MEDIA CONTACT:MICHAEL J.LANGO(313-7100)
Originating Dept.:General Services Department
cc: General Services Department I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS ISA TRUE
Administration AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
Accounting OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
Purchasing h
County Administrators Office ATTESTED bYW 16
Auditor-Controller(via F/M) JOHN CULLEN,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
General Services Department(via F/M) AND COUNTYADMINISTRATOR
B c/ DEPUTY
G:Wdmin\Board Orders\2008\130 EPP April 1 52008-2.doc MK:MK Page 1 of 2 M382(10/88)
CONSIDER ADOPTION OF AN ENVIRONMENTALLY April 15, 2008
PREFERABLE PURCHASING POLICY
An Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy (EPP) policy will have a positive effect on reducing
greenhouse gas emissions as an integral part of the County's Climate Action Plan. The EPP will also
strengthen the County's commitment to promote environmentally sustainable business practices,
conserve natural resources, and support strong recycling markets.
Environmentally preferable products have a positive effect on human health and the environment
when compared with competing products that serve the same purpose. The proposed policy will
require product purchasing decisions to be evaluated on the basis of total costs including acquisition,
extended warranties, operation, supplies, maintenance, disposal costs and expected lifetime in
relation to environmentally beneficial products and business practices.
The draft EPP (Attachment 1) has been modeled after similar policies in other counties. If adopted,
the proposed EPP will assist the County to achieve the following environmental objectives:
• conserve natural resources to reduce environmental impacts such as pollution and energy use
• reduce or eliminate the use of toxic materials
• promote practices that improve public health
• support strong recycling markets and reduce materials that are landfilled
• increase the use and demand for environmentally preferable products
• support businesses that offer environmentally beneficial products and services
• create a model for other public agencies in Contra Costa County to adopt similar policies
It should be noted that the General Services Department currently supports product purchases that
use recycled materials and are energy efficient (Attachment 2). Adoption of the proposed EPP will
increase County departmental awareness and use of green business products and enable General
Services to expand green business practices and procurement opportunities.
GAAdmin\Board Orders\2008\BO EPP Apri1152008-2.doc Page 2 of 2 M382(10/88)
ATTACHMENT 1
DRAFT
ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING POLICY
April 2008
1.0 STATEMENT OF POLICY
It is the policy of Contra Costa County to:
• institute practices that reduce waste by increasing product efficiency and
effectiveness,
• purchase environmentally preferable products and services that minimize
environmental impacts, toxics, pollution, and hazards to worker and community
safety to the greatest extent practicable, and
• purchase products that include recycled content, are durable and long-lasting,
conserve energy and water, use agricultural fibers and residues, reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, use unbleached or chlorine free manufacturing
processes, are lead and mercury free, and use sustainably harvested wood.
2.0 PURPOSE
This Policy is adopted in order to:
• conserve natural resources,
• minimize environmental impacts such as pollution and use of water and energy,
• eliminate or reduce toxics that create hazards to workers and our community,
• promote practices that improve public and worker health,
• support strong recycling markets,
• reduce materials that are landfilled,
• increase the use and availability of environmentally preferable products that
protect the environment,
• identify environmentally preferable products and distribution systems,
• reward manufacturers and vendors that reduce environmental impacts in their
production and distribution systems or services,
• create a model for successfully purchasing environmentally preferable products
that encourages other purchasers in our community to adopt similar goals.
3.0 SOURCE REDUCTION
3.1.1 Contra Costa County shall institute practices that reduce waste and result
in the purchase of fewer products whenever practicable and cost-effective.
3.1.2 Contra Costa County shall purchase remanufactured products such as
toner cartridges, tires, furniture, equipment and automotive parts whenever
practicable.
3.1.3 All Contra Costa County buyers shall consider short-term and long-term
costs in comparing product alternatives, when feasible. This includes evaluation
of total costs expected during the time a product is owned, including, but not
limited to, acquisition, extended warranties, operation, supplies, maintenance,
disposal costs and expected lifetime compared to other alternatives.
3.1.4 Products that are durable, long lasting, reusable or refillable are preferred
whenever feasible.
3.1.5 Contra Costa County shall ensure that wherever possible specifications are
developed to provide for the expanded use of environmentally preferable
products.
3.1.6 Contra Costa County RFP's will contain language requesting that vendors
eliminate packaging or use the minimum amount necessary for product
protection. Packaging that is reusable, recyclable or compostable is preferred,
when suitable programs exist. Vendors shall be encouraged to take back and
reuse pallets and other shipping and packaging materials whenever feasible.
3.1.7 Contra Costa County shall consider provisions in contracts with suppliers
that require suppliers to take back products for reuse or environmentally safe
recycling when Contra Costa County discards or replaces such equipment,
whenever practicable.
3.1.8 All documents shall be printed and copied on both sides to reduce the use
and purchase of paper, whenever practical. County copiers will be installed with
this feature enabled on those copiers where the feature is available.
3.2 Recycled Content Products
3.2.1 Copiers and printers purchased shall be compatible with the use of
recycled content and remanufactured products. No equipment of this type will be
purchased by the County with features that preclude the use of recycled or
remanufactured supplies.
3.2.2 In accordance with California Public Contract Code, Sec. 10409, Contra
Costa County shall purchase re-refined lubricating and industrial oil for use in its
vehicles and other equipment, as long as it is certified by the American
Petroleum Institute (API) as appropriate for use in such equipment.
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3.2.3 When specifying asphalt concrete, aggregate base or portland cement
concrete for road construction projects, Contra Costa County shall use recycled,
reusable or reground materials when practicable and available at a competitive
price including travel time.
3.2.4 Contra Costa County may specify and purchase recycled content
transportation products, including signs, icones, parking stops, delineators,
channelizers and barricades, which shall contain the highest post consumer
content practicable and are priced competitively with other like items and meet
Caltrans and OSHA specifications.
3.2.5 All pre-printed recycled content papers intended for distribution that are
purchased or produced shall contain a statement that the paper has recycled
content. Whenever feasible, the statement should indicate the percentage of post
consumer recycled content it contains.
3.3 Energy and Water Savings
3.3.1 Where applicable, energy-efficient equipment shall be purchased with the
most up to date energy efficiency functions. This includes, but is not limited to,
high efficiency space heating and cooling systems.
3.3.2 When practicable, Contra Costa County shall replace inefficient interior
lighting with energy efficient equipment.
3.3.3 When practicable, Contra Costa County shall replace inefficient exterior
lighting, street lighting and traffic signal lights with energy-efficient equipment.
Exterior lighting shall be minimized where possible to avoid unnecessary lighting
of architectural and landscape features while providing adequate illumination for
safety and accessibility.
3.3.4 When considering electronic products Contra Costa County will include in
its specifications that for products where U. S. EPA Energy Star certification is
available, the products must meet the latest Energy Star certification standards.
The County shall specify that desktop computers, notebooks and monitors
purchased meet, at a minimum, all Electronic Product Environmental
Assessment Tool (EPEAT) environmental criteria designated as "required" as
contained in the IEEE 1680 Standard for the Environmental Assessment of
Personal Computer Products.
3.3.5 Contra Costa County shall purchase water-saving products whenever
practicable. This includes, but is not limited to, high-performance fixtures like
toilets, low-flow faucets and aerators, and upgraded irrigation systems.
3.4 Green Building
3.4.1 All building and renovations undertaken by Contra Costa County shall
follow Green Building Practices for design, construction, and operation, where
appropriate, as described in the LEEDTm Rating System.
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3.5 Landscaping
3.5.1 All landscape renovations, construction and maintenance performed by
Contra Costa County, including workers and contractors providing landscaping
services for Contra Costa County, shall employ sustainable landscape
management techniques for design, construction and maintenance whenever
possible, including, but not limited to, integrated pest management, grasscycling,
drip irrigation, composting, and procurement and use of mulch and compost that
give preference to those produced from regionally generated plant debris and/or
food waste programs.
3.5.2 Plants should be selected to minimize waste by choosing species for
purchase that are appropriate to the microclimate, species that can grow to their
natural size in the space allotted them, and perennials rather than annuals for
color. Native and drought-tolerant plants that require no or minimal watering once
established are preferred.
3.5.3 Hardscapes and landscape structures constructed of recycled content
materials are encouraged. Contra Costa County shall limit the amount of
impervious surfaces in the landscape, wherever practicable. Permeable
substitutes, such as permeable asphalt or pavers, are encouraged for walkways,
patios and driveways.
3.6 Toxics and Pollutants
3.6.1 Contra Costa County shall purchase, use and require custodial contractors
to use , industrial and institutional cleaning products that meet Green Seal
certification standards for environmental preferability and performance to the
extent that products are available.
3.6.2 To the extent practicable, Contra Costa County shall purchase, or require
janitorial contractors to supply vacuum cleaners that meet the requirements of
the Carpet and Rug Institute "Green Label" Testing Program - Vacuum Cleaner
Criteria. Contra Costa County shall use vacuums that capture 99.97% of
particulates or 0.3 microns in size and operate with a sound level less than
67dBA.
3.6.3 The use of micro fiber cleaning cloths that capture fine particulates using
less wetting agents when be phased in whenever practicable.
3.6.4 The use of chlorofluorocarbon and halon-containing refrigerants, solvents
and other products shall be phased out and new purchases of
heating/ventilating/air conditioning, refrigeration, insulation and fire suppression
systems shall not contain them.
3.6.5 All surfactants and detergents shall be readily biodegradable and, where
practicable, shall not contain phosphates.
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3.6.6 When maintaining buildings and landscapes, Contra Costa County shall
manage pest problems through prevention and physical, mechanical and
biological controls in accordance with the Contra Costa County Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) program which practices using the least toxic pest control as
a last resort.
3.6.7 When maintaining buildings, Contra Costa County shall use products with
the lowest amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), highest recycled
content, and low or no formaldehyde when practicable when purchasing
materials such as paint, carpeting, adhesives, furniture and casework.
3.6.8 Contra Costa County shall reduce or eliminate its use of products that
contribute to the formation of dioxins and furans. This includes, but is not limited
to:
• Purchasing paper, paper products, and janitorial paper products that are
unbleached or that are processed without chlorine or chlorine derivatives,
whenever possible.
• Prohibiting purchase of products that use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) such
as, but not limited to, office binders, furniture, flooring, and medical
supplies whenever practicable.
3.6.9 Contra Costa County shall purchase.products and equipment with no lead
or mercury whenever possible. For products that contain lead or mercury, Contra
Costa County shall give preference to those products with lower quantities of
these metals and to vendors with established lead and mercury recovery
programs.
3.6.10 When replacing vehicles, Contra Costa County shall consider less-
polluting alternatives to diesel such as compressed natural gas, bio-based fuels,
.hybrids, electric batteries, and fuel cells, as available in accordance with Contra
Costa County Administrative Bulletin 508.2 "Clean Air Vehicle Policy and Goals."
3.7 Forest Conservation
3.7.1 To the greatest extent practicable, Contra Costa County shall not procure
wood products such as lumber and paper that originate from forests harvested in
an environmentally unsustainable manner.
3.7.2 Contra Costa County encourages the purchase or use of previously used or
salvaged wood and wood products whenever practicable.
3.8 Bio-Based Products
3.8.1 Vehicle fuels made from non-wood, plant-based contents such as
vegetable oils are encouraged whenever practicable.
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3.8.2 Paper, paper products and construction products made from non-wood,
plant-based contents such as agricultural crops and residues are encouraged
whenever practicable.
3.8.3 Bio-based plastic products that are biodegradable and compostable, such
as bags, film, food and beverage containers, and cutlery, are encouraged
whenever practicable.
3.8.4 Compostable plastic products purchased shall meet American Society for
Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards as found in ASTM D6400-04.
Biodegradable plastics used as coatings on paper and other compostable
substrates shall meet ASTM D6868-03 standards.
3.8.5 Proof of compliance with ASTM standards for compostable, biodegradable
and degradable plastic products shall be provided by vendors of such products,
upon request. One acceptable proof of compliance for compostable plastic
products will be certification by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI).
4.0 PRIORITIES
4.1 The health and safety of workers and citizens is of utmost importance and
takes precedence over all other policies.
4.2 Contra Costa County has made significant investments in developing a
successful recycling system and recognizes that recycled content products are
essential to the continuing viability of that recycling system and for the foundation
of an environmentally sound production system. Therefore, to the greatest extent
practicable, recycled content shall be included in products that also meet other
specifications, such as chlorine free or biobased.
4.3 Nothing contained in this policy shall be construed as requiring a department,
purchaser or contractor to procure products that do not perform adequately for
their intended use, exclude adequate competition, or are not available at a
reasonable price in a reasonable period of time.
4.4 Nothing contained in this policy shall be construed as requiring Contra Costa
County, department, purchaser or contractor to take any action that conflicts with
local, state or federal requirements.
5.0 IMPLEMENTATION
5.1 The Director of General Services, or designee, shall implement this policy in
coordination with the County Administrator and appropriate County personnel.
5.2 As applicable, successful bidders shall certify in writing that the
environmental attributes claimed in competitive bids are accurate. In compliance
with State law, vendors shall be required to specify the minimum or actual
percentage of recovered and post consumer material in their products, even
when such percentages are zero.
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5.3 Upon request, buyers making the selection from competitive bids shall be
able to provide justification for product choices that do not meet the
environmentally preferable purchasing criteria in this policy.
5.4 Purchasers shall include businesses certified by the Bay Area Green
Business Program in requests for products and services.
5.5 Vendors, contractors and grantees shall be encouraged to comply with
applicable sections of this policy for products and services provided to the
County, where practicable.
6.0 PROGRAM EVALUATION
6.1 The Director of General Services or designee will be responsible for
implementing this policy and shall periodically evaluate the success of this
policy's implementation.
7.0 DEFINITIONS
7.1 "American Society for Testing and Materials" means ASTM International, an
open forum for the development of high quality, market relevant international
standards use around the globe.
7.2 "Bay Area Green Business Program" is a partnership of governments and
businesses that certifies the environmental performance of government agencies
and businesses.
7.3 "Bay-Friendly Landscaping" means working with the natural ecosystems of
the San Francisco Bay Area to foster soil health, to reduce runoff and pollution,
prevent and reuse plant waste, conserve water and other natural resources. Bay-
Friendly Landscaping practices are described in the Bay-Friendly Landscape
Guidelines, by StopWaste.Org.
7.4 "Bio-Based Products" means commercial or industrial products (other than
food or feed) that utilize agricultural crops or residues, but does not include
products made from forestry materials.
7.5 "Biodegradable plastic" means the degradation of the plastic must occur as a
result of the action of naturally occurring microorganisms.
7.6 "Biodegradable Products Institute" (BPI) is a multi-stakeholder association of
key individuals and groups from government, industry and academia, which
promotes the use, and recycling of biodegradable polymeric materials (via
composting). BPI does not create standards but certifies products that
demonstrate they meet the requirements in ASTM D6400 or D6868, based on
testing in an approved laboratory.
7.7 "Buyer" means anyone authorized to purchase or contract for purchases on
behalf of Contra Costa County or its subdivisions.
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7.8 "The Carpet and Rug Institute" (CRI) is the national trade association
representing the carpet and rug industry. CRI has developed and administered
the "Green Label" indoor air quality testing and labeling program for carpet,
adhesives, cushion materials and vacuum cleaners. The "Green Label Plus"
testing program incorporates additional requirements to meet California's
Collaborative for High Performance Schools low emitting materials criteria.
7.9 "Chlorine free" means products processed without chlorine or chlorine
derivatives.
7.10 "Compostable plastic" means plastic that is biodegradable during
composting to yield carbon dioxide, water and inorganic compounds and
biomass, at a rate consistent with other known compostable materials and leaves
no visually distinguishable or toxic residues.
7.11 "Contractor" means any person, group of persons, business, consultant,
designing architect, association, partnership, corporation, supplier, vendor or
other entity that has a contract with Contra Costa County or serves in a
subcontracting capacity with an entity having a contract with Contra Costa
County for the provision of goods or services.
7.12 "Degradable plastic" means plastic that undergoes significant changes in its
chemical structure under specific environmental conditions.
7.13 "Dioxins and furans" are a group of chemical compounds that are classified
as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
7.14 "Energy Star" means the U.S. EPA's energy efficiency product labeling
program.
7.15 "Energy Efficient Product" means a product that is in the upper 20% of
energy efficiency for all similar products, or that is at least 10% more efficient
than the minimum level that meets State of California efficiency standards and
State Title 24.
7.16 "Environmentally Preferable Products and Services" means products and
services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the
environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the
same purpose.
7.17 "Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool" (EPEAT) is a
procurement tool to help institutional purchasers in the public and private sectors
evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, notebooks and monitors
based on their environmental attributes. Under EPEAT manufacturers declare
their products' conformance to a comprehensive set of environmental criteria in 8
environmental performance categories. The operation of EPEAT and the
environmental criteria are contained in the public standard IEEE 1680.
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7.18 "Federal Energy Management Program" (FEMP) is a program of the
Department of Energy that issues a series of Product Energy Efficiency
Recommendations that identify recommended efficiency levels for energy-using
products.
7.19 The "Forest Stewardship Council" is a global organization that certifies
responsible, on-the-ground forest management according to rigorous standards
developed by a broad variety of stakeholder groups.
7.20 "Green Building Practices" means a whole-systems approach to the design,
construction, and operation of buildings and structures that help mitigate the
environmental, economic, and social impacts of construction, demolition, and
renovation. Green Building Practices such as those described in the LEED TM
Rating System, recognize the relationship between natural and built
environments and seeks to minimize the use of energy, water, and other natural
resources and provide a healthy productive environment.
7.21 "Green Seal" is an independent, non-profit environmental labeling
organization. Green Seal standards for products and services meet the U.S.
EPA's criteria for third-party certifiers. The Green Seal is a registered certification
mark that may appear only on certified products.
7.22 "Integrated Pest Management (IPM)" is an ecosystem-based strategy that
focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination
of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of
cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties. Pesticides are used only after
monitoring indicates they are needed according to established guidelines, and
treatments are made with the goal of removing only the target organism. Pest
control materials are selected and applied in a manner that minimizes risks to
human health, beneficial and nontarget organisms, and the environment.
7.23 "LEEDTm Rating System" means the most recent version of the Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED TM) Commercial Green Building
Rating System, or other related LEED TM Rating System, approved by the U.S.
Green Building Council and designed for rating new and existing commercial,
institutional, and high-rise residential buildings.
7.24 "Organic Pest Management" prohibits the use and application of toxic
chemical pesticides and strives to prevent pest problems through the application
of natural, organic horticultural and maintenance practices. All pest control
products shall be in keeping with, but not limited to, those products on the
approved list of California Certified Organic Foods (CCOF).
7.25 "Post consumer Material" means a finished material which would normally
be disposed of as a solid waste, having reached its intended end-use and
completed its life cycle as a consumer item, and does not include manufacturing
or converting wastes.
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7.26 "Practical" and "Practicable" mean whenever possible and compatible with
local, state and federal law, without reducing safety, quality, or effectiveness and
where the product or service is available at a reasonable cost in a reasonable
period of time.
7.27 "Preconsumer Material" means material or by-products generated after
manufacture of a product is completed but before the product reaches the end-
use consumer. Preconsumer material does not include mill and manufacturing
trim, or scrap, which is generated at a manufacturing site and commonly reused
on-site in the same or another manufacturing process.
7.28 "Recovered Material" means fragments of products or finished products of a
manufacturing process, which has converted a resource into a commodity of real
economic value, and includes preconsumer and post consumer material, but
does not include excess resources of the manufacturing process.
7.29 "Recycled Content" means the percentage of Recovered Material, including
preconsumer and post consumer materials, in a product.
7.30 "Recycled Content Standard" means the minimum level of recovered
material and/or post consumer material necessary for products to qualify as
"recycled products."
7.31 "Recycled Product" means a product that meets Contra Costa County's
recycled content policy objectives for post consumer and recovered material.
7.32 "Remanufactured Product" means any product diverted from the supply of
discarded materials by refurbishing and marketing said product without
substantial change to its original form.
7.33 "Reused Product" means any product designed to be used many times for
the same or other purposes without additional processing except for specific
requirements such as cleaning, painting or minor repairs.
7.34 "Source Reduction" refers to products that result in a net reduction in the
generation of waste compared to their previous or alternate version and includes
durable, reusable and remanufactured products; products with no, or reduced,
toxic constituents; and products marketed with no, or reduced, packaging.
7.35 "U.S. EPA Guidelines" means the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines
established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for federal agency
purchases as of May 2002, and any subsequent versions adopted.
7.36 "Water-Saving Products" are those that are in the upper 25% of water
conservation for all similar products, or at least 10% more water conserving than
the minimum level that meets the Federal standards.
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ATTACHMENT 2
Department of General Services
Environmental Preferable Purchasing Practices
Current Environmental Preferable Purchasing Practices
1. Paper - The County office supply contract offers both virgin and recycled paper;
departments have the option of selecting either paper type.
2. Office Furniture and Partitions - The County is standardized on Allsteel furniture,
which consists of approximately 50% recycled content.
3. Carpetinq - The General Services Department has specified recycled carpet in all
of its buildings for over 10 years. The carpet types contain a minimum of 50%
post consumer waste content. When old carpet is removed it is returned to the
manufacturer for recycling to use in the manufacture of future products.
4. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - The County began the implementation of a
structural integrated pest management program in July 2003. A countywide
vendor was selected reducing the number of pest control operators from 8 to 1.
IPM is being implemented in all county owned buildings. IPM practices result in
the reduction of pesticide applications on an ongoing basis.
5. Countywide PC Standardization- The County has recently completed a year long
selection process for a county desktop computer standard with the final selection
being Dell. The selection process considered environmental factors, including
use of recycled packaging materials and disposal of computers in accordance
with a-waste guidelines.
6. Copiers — All county copier contracts require the placement of energy star
certified copiers and disposal of surplus copiers in accordance with a-waste
standards.
Examples of EPP Products that can be expanded with EPP Policy
1. Paper Products- County departments can be required to use recycled paper.
2. Office Supplies- The County could replace as many of the office supplies as
possible on the County's core list with acceptable recycled equivalents.
3. Office Furniture- The current Allsteel contract will come up for renewal in 2009.
Other products are available that offer cleaner manufacturing processes and
greater recycled content. This contract has been in place for approximately 6
years and should be competed against other manufacturers with substantial
consideration in the selection process based upon recycled content and
manufacturing processes.
4. Packaging Reduction - The standard terms and conditions in County
procurement prohibit the use of packing peanuts. This language can be
expanded to include a requirement for compostable packing.
EPP Practices that can be initiated with implementation of an EPP Policy
1. Recycled Toner Cartridges — In the latter part of 2005 the County's manufacturer
for recycled toner cartridges moved their production offshore to China. This
resulted in numerous quality issues and a reduction in the number of cartridges
being used countywide. Purchasing has recently located a domestic source for
this commodity and we are confident that we will locate a source this year.
2. Copiers — Copier vendors can pre-configure copiers to print in duplex mode each
time a new copier is placed to ensure maximum printing of double-sided copies.
3. Recycled Paint — The County is currently standardized on Kelly Moore paints.
Kelly Moore has recently launched a recycled paint line, which should be
considered for potential use on all county paint jobs.
4. Printer Standardization- Utilize a standardization process similar to the one
employed for PC standardization, which would include environmental selection
factors.
5. Building Materials - With the addition of environmental specifications,
opportunities for replacing products with recycled or remanufactured products
exist in the following areas; building insulation, cement and concrete, floor tiles,
non-pressure pipe,
roofing materials, shower and restroom dividers/partitions and structural
fiberboard.
6. Aggregates and Road Materials — One of the County's largest expenditures is for
aggregates and road materials; reclaimed materials exist for these commodities
and can be called for in the bid specifications.
7. Food Containers — The County uses a significant number of food containers
throughout the year in correctional facilities, the hospital, and various nutrition
programs. Bids for these items should include specifications that specify a
minimum of 30% post consumer waste and requirements to be compostable.
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