Eco-rate for Government Procurement
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
EPP Policies: Background
Pressures are being placed on government procurement agencies to select products for public use that are sustainable. Not only are these agencies required to be stewards of tax payer dollars, they are also now required to be stewards of the environment.
Evidence of this demand is in the increasing rise of federal, state, county and municipal purchasing policies known as Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Policies. EPP refers to the procurement of goods and services that have a reduced effect on human health and the environment as compared to competing goods and services serving the same purpose. EPP policies place preference on products with the lowest environmental impact from manufacturing through end of life.
Typically, when an EPP policy is in effect, environmental factors and product attributes are evaluated in the procurement process to encourage the purchase of products containing recycled materials and materials with extended life. A price preference is often given up to 10% above comparable bids not adhering to EPP.
The U.S. EPA states that EPPs "help the federal government buy green, and in doing so, uses the federal government's enormous buying power to stimulate market demand for green products and services."
How can Eco-rate assist with EPP policy compliance?
Eco-rate was developed to better assist people in their search for products that are not only environmentally-sound, but also economically-feasible. By offering a rating system that is based on human health, environmental protection and financial feasibility factors, Eco-rate supports a strategic approach to the selection of products with the lowest environmental and economic impact.
Eco-rate provides a time-saving, one-stop resource for the procurement agent on his/her quest to select EPP-compliant products. It does this by:
- Evaluating the green attributes of products using an unbiased rating platform
- Calculating the costs and benefits of purchasing choices - both from an economic and environmental standpoint
You will also find a wealth of information on Eco-rate that will help you answer:
- What makes a product green?
- What is green building?
- What do the various green terms mean?
For more EPP Policy information
Please contact Colby Self with questions regarding EPP policies; how Eco-rate can assist you in selecting products that meet EPP policies; or any other matter regarding sustainable government procurement standards.
Colby Self has a B.S. from the University of Southern California’s School of Policy, Planning and Development and has professional expertise is in environmental policy, research and analysis.
II. Buy American with Eco-rate
Under Section 1605 of the American Reconstruction and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), no funds appropriated by the Act may be used for a public buildings/works project unless “all iron, steel and manufactured goods used... are produced in the U.S.”
In addition to this specific ARRA clause, much of the Obama's stimulus package policy focus revovles around stimulating the U.S. economy by purchasing American-made products.
To assist those in search of products made in the U.S., each product featured on Eco-rate has a flag icon that symbolizes in what country the product was manufactured.
The Eco-rate Team updates the site daily with new products and product information that will assist you in making selections for your project. To suggest an addition to our product catalogue, please contact us.
