UnderstandingGreen: Getting To Know Your Green

Products

Cynthia VallinaOFPP Deputy Associate Administrator

Office of Management and Budget

Sueanne PfifferlingUnited Soybean Board

2009 GSA International Products and Services Expo

Understanding Green: Getting To Know Your

Green Products

Cynthia Vallina

OFPP Deputy Associate AdministratorOffice of Management and Budget

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.

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 (>1999)

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

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

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

Federal Requirements for Green Products• No statutory, executive order,

or other definition of “green” company or “sustainable” company.

Federal Requirements for Green Products

• Federal Trade Commission “Guides to Environmental Marketing Claims”– General and specific guidance

to claims, including biodegradable and compostable.

• Questions? Comments? Your input is welcome

Cynthia VallinaOMB-EOP725 17th Street, NWWashington, DC 20503vallina@omb.eop.gov202-395-4544

www.OFEE.gov

Contact Information

Understanding Green: Getting To Know Your Green

Products

Product Life Cycle Checklist

Sueanne PfifferlingUnited Soybean Board

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

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

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

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)

Life Cycle Checklist - Performance

Questions1. 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.

Life Cycle Checklist - Safety and Health

Questions1. Is the biobased product less flammable?

2. Does the biobased product pose less exposure risk to employees in the form of irritation to skin, lungs or eyes?

3. Can the biobased product be used with less restrictive requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE)?

4. Is biobased product less volatile (less likely to evaporate) leading to less inhalation and/or odor irritation exposure to employees?

5. 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.?

Life Cycle Checklist -

Environmental Questions1. 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?

2. 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?

3. Will the biobased product have less smog forming potential due to having a lower volatile organic compound content (VOC) content?

4. Will use of the biobased product support your agency's stated environmental procurement policies and objectives?

Life Cycle Checklist - Disposal

Questions1. At the end of its usable life, will the biobased product be more readily recyclable than the alternate product?

2. 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?

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

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