Title: Understanding Green: Getting To Know Your Green Products Cynthia Vallina OFPP Deputy Associate Admin
1UnderstandingGreen Getting To Know Your Green
Products Cynthia VallinaOFPP Deputy Associate
AdministratorOffice of Management and
BudgetSueanne PfifferlingUnited Soybean Board
- 2009 GSA International Products and Services Expo
2- Understanding Green
- Getting To Know Your Green Products
- Cynthia VallinaOFPP Deputy Associate
AdministratorOffice of Management and Budget
3Federal Requirements/Goals
- Green Procurement Has a comprehensive, written
affirmative procurement program that includes all
green products and services covered in EO 13423,
demonstrates compliance annually, develops
corrective action plans to address shortcomings
and conducts training. - Green Buildings Demonstrates comprehensive
implementation of sustainable guiding principles
for new, existing and leased buildings
consistent with EO and statutory requirements.
Agencies must demonstrate that they are on tract
to meet 15 in 2015 goal.
4Green Procurement Programs
- Recycled Content (RCRA)
- Energy Star/Efficient (EPACT 2005)
- Biobased (FSRIA 2002)
- Alternative Fuels (EPACT 1992 and 2005)
- Non-Ozone Depleting Substances (CAA)
- Environmental Preferable (EO13423)
- Priority Chemicals (EO13423)
- Water Efficient/Water Sense (EO 13423)
- Renewable Energy from new sources (gt1999)
5Single vs. Multi-Attribute Products
- Generally, single attribute
- Statutes favor single attribute
- Clinton Administration introduced EPP
- EO 13423 first mandated EPP or multi-attribute
procurement - Examples
- Recycled and saves energy
- Biobased biodegradable
- Energy Efficient non-toxic
6Environmentally Preferable Products
- Multiple green attributes --defined by an
industry standard,--defined by purchaser or
specs--certified by a third party - Examples
- EPEAT-registered products
- Green cleaning products
- OR, Single attribute Low or no VOC paint
7 Designating Federal Agencies
- Requirements are established by
- EPA recycled content, ENERGY STAR, WaterSense,
non-ODSs guidance on EPP and aspects of
sustainable buildings - DOE ENERGY STAR and FEMP designated EE
products renewables/RECs, alternative fuel
vehicles, and sustainable buildings (w/GSA) - USDA biobased content
- OFPP coordinates with other procurement policies
8 Federal Requirements for Green Products
- No statutory, executive order, or other
definition of green company or sustainable
company.
9 Federal Requirements for Green Products
- Federal Trade Commission Guides to Environmental
Marketing Claims - General and specific guidance to claims,
including biodegradable and compostable.
10Contact Information
- Questions? Comments? Your input is welcome
- Cynthia VallinaOMB-EOP725 17th Street,
NWWashington, DC 20503vallina_at_omb.eop.gov202-3
95-4544 - www.OFEE.gov
11Understanding Green Getting To Know Your Green
ProductsProduct Life Cycle Checklist Sueanne
PfifferlingUnited Soybean Board
12Introduction
- Purchasing Biobased Products
- What you need to consider
- Comparing Biobased and Non-Biobased Products
- How to evaluate products
- Implementing a Simple Checklist Tool
- How to select products
13Biobased Purchasing Requirements
- BioPreferred Program
- USDA List of Designated Items
- FAR Requirements
- Exceptions
- Not Available
- Does Not Meet Performance Standard
- Unreasonably Costly
- Initial Price ? Cost
14Biobased Versus Non-Biobased Products
- Need to look at cost of a product over its useful
life - Compare
- performance per unit used
- safety and health considerations
- environmental impacts
- end-of-life fate
15Life Cycle Checklist
- Simple Two-Page Tool
- Includes a series of yes/no questions
- Performance
- Safety and health
- Environmental
- Disposal
- Cites sources for answering the yes/no questions
- Material safety data sheets (MSDS) from the
vendor - Product literature provided by the vendor
- Product labels provided by the vendor
- Case studies from government agencies at
http//www.biopreferred.gov/CaseStudies.aspx - Case studies from other sources (e.g.
www.soybiobased.org)
16Life Cycle Checklist - Performance Questions
- Has the biobased product been successfully used
at other federal facilities? - Will the biobased product perform the job at a
lower usage rate or last longer during use? - Can the biobased product be used with existing
equipment and procedures? - Will use of the biobased product lead to less
equipment wear and/or reduced maintenance? - Does the biobased product offer any other
performance benefits such as reduced product
inventory, less energy to use, etc.
17Life Cycle Checklist - Safety and Health Questions
- Is the biobased product less flammable?
- Does the biobased product pose less exposure risk
to employees in the form of irritation to skin,
lungs or eyes? - Can the biobased product be used with less
restrictive requirements for personal protective
equipment (PPE)? - Is biobased product less volatile (less likely to
evaporate) leading to less inhalation and/or odor
irritation exposure to employees? - Are there any other known or perceived safety and
health benefits of the biobased product such as
the absence of toxic, hazardous or carcinogenic
chemicals, etc.?
18Life Cycle Checklist - Environmental Questions
- In the event of a spill to the environment, will
the biobased product have less costly cleanup
requirements and have less adverse impact due to
more rapid biodegradability and less toxicity? - Is the biobased product free of ozone depleting
substances (ODS), hazardous air pollutants
(HAPS), and/or SARA Title III substances or does
it contain a lower level of ODS, HAPS and/or SARA
Title III substances than the alternate product? - Will the biobased product have less smog forming
potential due to having a lower volatile organic
compound content (VOC) content? - Will use of the biobased product support your
agency's stated environmental procurement
policies and objectives?
19Life Cycle Checklist - Disposal Questions
- At the end of its usable life, will the biobased
product be more readily recyclable than the
alternate product? - If the used or left over product cannot be
recycled, will the biobased product qualify to be
handled under less stringent disposal
requirements or other regulated management
options such as burning or blending?
20Selecting Products
- Yes answers on the Checklist show benefits for
the biobased products - Review the value of these identified benefits
- For example, you may determine that
- A gallon of the biobased product could clean
twice the area as a gallon of the alternative - The biobased product requires the use of less
protective equipment when applied - The biobased product does not produce an odor
that employees find objectionable - The cost of disposal is less for the biobased
product - Determine if the value of the benefits outweigh
any initial purchase cost difference - When completing the Checklist and selecting
products consult with the product users and/or
specifiers
21Where to Get a Copy of the Checklist
- Copies of the Two-Page Checklist and User Guide
can be found at - www.soybiobased.org/lifecyclechecklist
- You can
- download a PDF version, print it and fill out a
hard copy, or - download a WORD version and fill it out
electronically