Understanding Green: Getting To Know Your Green Products Cynthia Vallina OFPP Deputy Associate Administrator Office of Management and Budget Sueanne Pfifferling United Soybean Board

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UnderstandingGreen 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

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• Understanding Green
• Getting To Know Your Green Products
• Cynthia VallinaOFPP Deputy Associate
  AdministratorOffice of Management and Budget

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Federal 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.

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Green 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)

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Single 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

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Environmentally 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

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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

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Federal Requirements for Green Products

• No statutory, executive order, or other
  definition of green company or sustainable
  company.

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Federal Requirements for Green Products

• Federal Trade Commission Guides to Environmental
  Marketing Claims
• General and specific guidance to claims,
  including biodegradable and compostable.

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Contact 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

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Understanding Green Getting To Know Your Green
ProductsProduct Life Cycle Checklist Sueanne
PfifferlingUnited Soybean Board
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Introduction

• 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

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Biobased Purchasing Requirements

• BioPreferred Program
• USDA List of Designated Items
• FAR Requirements
• Exceptions
• Not Available
• Does Not Meet Performance Standard
• Unreasonably Costly
• Initial Price ? Cost

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Biobased 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

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Life 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)

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Life Cycle Checklist - Performance Questions

1. Has the biobased product been successfully used
   at other federal facilities?
2. Will the biobased product perform the job at a
   lower usage rate or last longer during use?
3. Can the biobased product be used with existing
   equipment and procedures?
4. Will use of the biobased product lead to less
   equipment wear and/or reduced maintenance?
5. Does the biobased product offer any other
   performance benefits such as reduced product
   inventory, less energy to use, etc.

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Life 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.?

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Life 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?

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Life 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?

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Selecting 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

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Where 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