Green Overview
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Green Products Compilation - Search products and find the environmental requirements of your next purchase. |
Hello, and welcome to GSA Schedules green purchasing. These pages are designed to help you understand federal guidelines for purchasing green products and services on GSA Schedules. We want to make it easy for you to find items designated with environmental attributes. Be sure to visit the Green Products Compilation tool and GSA's Environmental Program aisle on GSA Advantage to search green products and services on GSA Schedule.
With your help we can reach our goals of making 95 percent of Government Procurement sustainable. Stay on top of the latest GSA sustainability news and ideas by visiting GSA’s Strategically Sustainable overview page.
What is “Green Purchasing?”
“Green purchasing” or “sustainable acquisition” refers to purchasing products with specific environmental or energy attributes. Federal agencies are required by statutes and executive orders to purchase certain products with these attributes. It includes the purchase of services under which “green” products will be supplied or used.
Terminology may vary from agency to agency, but the overarching term used by GSA is “green purchasing.”
Federal Agencies Involved in Green Purchasing
All of the agencies mentioned below play a role in determining the products and services that meet the sustainability goals for the federal government.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the lead for designating recycled content products, alternatives to ozone depleting substances, and water efficient products, and provides information on environmentally preferable products and services. EPA also shares responsibility for the Energy Star program with the Department of Energy (DOE). DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) provides energy efficiency specifications for products not covered by Energy Star. FEMP also provides information about renewable energy technology and alternative fuels. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) has the lead for designating bio-based products.
The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive’s (OFEE) role is to coordinate and collaborate with all of these agencies and to ensure the government and the military move towards the goals set.
Agencies are required to purchase the products designated by EPA, DOE, and USDA, unless the products do not meet their performance needs, are not reasonably available, or are not cost effective. Sources of supply such as GSA help agencies to meet these requirements.
