Green Purchasing: Purchase Green Cleaning Products
For more information, see www.sustainablejersey.com
Green cleaning products offer effective performance while minimizing effects on health,
environment, and worker safety. Select environmentally preferable cleaning products for
municipal facilities. Communicate the municipality’s desire for these products to vendors
and service providers.
Who should lead and be involved with this action?
Municipal purchasing personnel and possibly operations and maintenance personnel,
as well as all municipal departments who purchase goods and services should be
involved.
Timeframe
Instituting a Green Purchasing Policy is ongoing, but implementation requires very little
time once Green Purchasing policies become institutionalized.
It may take time to experiment with different green cleaning products. Training the
cleaning staff on how to use the new products is an excellent investment of time, and
helps ensure the long-term success of your green cleaning program. Many green
cleaning suppliers provide training free of charge.
Project Costs and Resource Needs
Some environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP) products can be purchased instead
of conventional ones at no additional cost. Other products may cost more upfront, but
will save money over the long term. Evaluate potential savings over time to determine
whether the product will pay for itself,e.g., energy saving light bulbs will reduce energy
bills, purchasing a multi-purpose, concentrated green cleaning product can actually cost
less than the conventional products you are currently using. In fact, the Borough of
Westwood experienced such savings when they switched over to green cleaning. In the
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March 2011 Green Team meeting minutes, the team reported that not only did
Westwood’s custodians report that the new products were among the best they had
ever used, the new product lasted 12 weeks longer than the previous (non-green)
product. Communities can also choose to adopt a percentage cap above the cost of
non-green items, to specifically enable the purchase of slightly higher cost green items.
Staff time may be needed to identify alternative vendors if current contracts can not
provide the desired products.
Why is it Important?
“Green” purchasing, or Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP), refers to
“products or services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the
environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same
purpose.” This comparison applies to raw materials, manufacturing, packaging,
distribution, use, reuse, operation, maintenance, and disposal.
Cleaning supplies often contain toxic materials that harm the health of those using the
products and those working in areas where they were used. They also pollute the
environment when they are used and often cause significant pollution when they are
manufactured. Substituting non-toxic or low impact products protects the environment
and human health.
What to do, and how to do it (“How to”)
Below we have listed the requirements for earning points for this action.
1. A minimum of 30% of the municipality’s total costs for cleaning supply purchases* for
the year (within the 12 months prior to your submission date) must be “green,” meaning
that the cleaning products are certified by one or more of the following:
Green Seal (http://www.greenseal.org);
Eco Label, a.k.a. Environmental Choice (www.environmentalchoice.com);
Design for the Environment (DfE) from USEPA (http://www.epa.gov/dfe/);
and/or Biobased from USDA (http://www.biopreferred.gov).
It is recommended that if the municipality is just beginning a green cleaning program
that you start with “general purpose cleaners” which include: floor; glass; kitchen; basin,
tub & tile. These may be available for purchase through the State contract as well as
through other means.
*NOTE: Products purchased for cleaning the interiors of emergency vehicles is exempt
from this total budget line.
2. Ensure that, if necessary, municipal staff is trained in the use of the new cleaning
product/s. (Often, green cleaning products are more concentrated than those with which
maintenance staff is familiar. Coupled with the misperception by some that green
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cleaners are not as effective as regular cleaners means that staff may not correctly
dilute and/or apply the new products. Training can be a key component in the success
of a new green cleaning program, and of product satisfaction among maintenance staff.)
Many green cleaning suppliers provide training free of charge.
We have provided guidance and recommendations for implementing the action below.
You do not need to follow this guidance exactly as long as your final product meets the
requirements.
1. Consider adopting a Green Purchasing Policy by Resolution or by Ordinance.
2. Establish a procedure to apply specific criteria to cleaning product purchases. (See
the Spotlight section and the Resources section for examples.) Make sure the criteria
you select meet the standards described above in order to earn Sustainable Jersey
points for this action.
For example, Green Cleaning goals could incorporate the 7 Virtues of True Green
Cleaning Products listed below:
Full Disclosure of Ingredients.
Ingredients should be plant based- fruits/ vegetables/ essential oils, vinegar and
baking soda.
Must be certified readily biodegradable.
Must be third party certified to verify environmental claims.
Must be cost competitive.
No Animal Testing- No Animal Ingredients- Cruelty Free.
Must be safe for septic tanks (Gray water safe).
Clean Water Action’s website has resources such as a sample green cleaning policy:
http://cleanwateraction.org/files/publications/nj/greencleaningpolicy.pdf.
3.Disseminate information throughout relevant departments.
4. Integrate environmental aspects into purchasing documents (see “Resources”
section).
5. Discuss needs and product specifications with vendors. Communicate Green
Purchasing needs to current vendors and identify new suppliers. The federal
government and the New Jersey State government already have databases in place to
help locate green products should your supplier not be able to meet your needs (see
“Resources” section).
6. Train appropriate staff in the use of the new green cleaning products. Many green
cleaning suppliers provide training free of charge.
7. After purchasing green products, evaluate the Green Purchasing Program on an
ongoing basis to reassess needs, satisfaction with products, and accrued benefits.
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What to submit to get credit/points
In order to earn points, your submission must meet the following standards:
1. A minimum of 30% of the municipality’s total costs for cleaning supply purchases* for
the year (within the 12 months prior to your submission date) must be “green,” meaning
that the cleaning products are certified by one or more of the following:
Green Seal (http://www.greenseal.org);
Eco Label, a.k.a. Environmental Choice (www.environmentalchoice.com);
Design for the Environment (DfE) from USEPA (http://www.epa.gov/dfe/);
and/or Biobased from USDA (http://www.biopreferred.gov).
It is recommended that if the municipality is just beginning a green cleaning program
that you start with “general purpose cleaners” which include: floor; glass; kitchen; basin,
tub & tile. These may be available for purchase through the State contract as well as
other means.
*NOTE: Products purchased for cleaning the interiors of emergency vehicles is exempt
from this total budget line.
2. Ensure that, if necessary, municipal staff is trained in the use of the new cleaning
product/s. (Often, green cleaning products are more concentrated than those with which
maintenance staff is familiar. Coupled with the misperception by some that green
cleaners are not as effective as regular cleaners means that staff may not correctly
dilute and/or apply the new products. Training can be a key component in the success
of a new green cleaning program, and of product satisfaction among maintenance staff.)
Many green cleaning suppliers provide training free of charge.
Submit the following documentation to verify the action was completed to the above
standards.
(Log in to the password protected webpage where you submit your online application for
certification to write in the text box and upload documents).
In the text box, please provide a short narrative (300 word max) to summarize what was
accomplished and the general steps taken to accomplish it.
Upload the following documentation to your town’s online application:
1. Upload File 1: Examples of documentation for this action would include a copy of the
total dollar amount spent on cleaning products and the amount spent on cleaners that
are certified by one or more of the four certificationorganizations listed. This could be
presented in the form of an Edmunds purchasing report or another Finance Office
expenditure system, or from purchase history totals obtained directly from vendors or
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contractors. If none of these work for your municipality, please contact Sustainable
Jersey and we will work with you to try to find a solution.
2. Upload File 2: Submit the names of any staff members that received training and a
brief summary of the training, including the provider.
3. Upload File 3: If available, submit an example of the training materials provided to
staff.
IMPORTANT NOTES: Please excerpt relevant information from large documents.
Please remember that your submissions will be viewable by the public as part of your
certified report.
Spotlight: What NJ towns are doing
Resources
Clean Water Action’s Green and Clean Campaign
http://cleanwateraction.org/node/149
EnviroCalc- Environmental Benefits and Cost Savings Calculator for Purchasers Massachusetts Environmentally Preferable Products Procurement Program
EnviroCalc is a spreadsheet-based tool designed to estimate the environmental benefits
of purchases of recycled-content and energy efficient products. It combines a wide
range of available methodologies and models for assessing the environmental impacts
of purchasing into a single tool. One of the advantages of the tool is that all the
calculations are based on reporting information that are easily obtained from product
suppliers (e.g. product quantities purchased, individual item shipping weights, etc.),
making it easy for a purchasing official to obtain credible environmental benefit and cost
saving estimates.
Please send questions and feedback on EnviroCalc and the User Guide to Dmitriy
Nikolayev, Procurement Manager, Facilities and Environmental Services, Operational
Services Division at [email protected] or 617-720-3351.
Download the latest versions of EnviroCalc and the User Guide:
EnviroCalc Spreadsheet (MS Excel Spreadsheet) EnviroCalc_v1.xls (267 KB)
http://www.mass.gov/Eoaf/docs/osd/epp/envirocalc_2.0.xls
EnviroCalc User Guide Document (MS Word Format) EnviroCalc_UserGuide_v5.doc
(72 KB)
http://www.mass.gov/Eoaf/docs/osd/epp/envirocalc_userguide_v6.doc
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EnviroCalc User Guide Document (PDF Format) EnviroCalc_UserGuide_v5.pdf (93
KB)
http://www.mass.gov/Eoaf/docs/osd/epp/envirocalc_userguide_v6.pdf
Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) – NERC's mission is to advance an
environmentally sustainable economy by promoting source and toxicity reduction,
recycling, and the purchase of environmentally preferable products and services. The
NERC website contains useful how-to tools, how-to guides, policies, and sample
ordinances on green purchasing, reuse, and recycling. http://www.nerc.org/index.html
The site also contains an Environmental Benefits Calculator that has a New Jersey
component. The Calculator summarizes the important benefits of source reduction,
reuse, and recycling. Information from the Calculator can be used to educate the public,
legislators, and others about these benefits; to help state and municipal employees
better understand the impacts of their waste management programs; to support market
development efforts; and to increase the public’s understanding of source reduction,
reuse, and recycling as a sustainable environmental strategy.
http://www.nerc.org/documents/environmental_benefits_calculator.html
Environmental Purchasing Policy Contacts
Kim Allen
Purchasing Manager
Cape May Township
(609) 465-1128
http://bid.co.cape-may.nj.us/
Sheila Beers
Local Government Liaison
Coop Purchasing/Intergovernmental Relations
Division of Purchase & Property
Department of the Treasury
(609) 984-7047
http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/purchase/coop_agency.shtml
Kevin Lyons, Ph.D.
Purchasing Department
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
(732) 932-4375
http://purchasing.rutgers.edu/green
Athena Sarafides, LEED AP
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Economic Growth and Green Energy (EGGE)
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Email: [email protected]
Phone: (609) 292-8601 (office)
Web Page: www.nj.gov/dep/egge
Where to find Green Products
Biobased certification from USDA - http://www.biopreferred.gov
Design for the Environment (DfE) certification from USEPAhttp://www.epa.gov/dfe/
Eco Label (a.k.a. - Environmental Choice) certificationwww.environmentalchoice.com
Green Seal certification- http://www.greenseal.org
EPA Database of Environmental Information for Products and Serviceshttp://yosemite1.epa.gov/oppt/eppstand2.nsf
EPA Purchasing Guide - http://www.epa.gov/epp/pubs/products/
US Communities Green Initiative Purchasing Program:
http://www.uscommunities.org/green-purchasing/
National Association of Counties – Green Government Initiative
http://www.naco.org/programs/csd/pages/greengovernmentinitiative.aspx
National Association of Counties -- Green Government Webinars (free online trainings)
http://www.naco.org/programs/csd/Pages/ElectronicGreenGovernmentNetwor.as
px
http://www.naco.org/meetings/webinars/Pages/WebinarRecordings.aspx
New Jersey Department of the Treasury - The Division of Purchase and
Property: http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/purchase/index.shtml
New Jersey State Department of the Treasury- Division of Purchase and
Property- State Green Contracts page:
http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/purchase/greencontracts.shtml
Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN) – is an international network of
buyers dedicated to socially responsible and environmentally sustainable
purchasing. This membership program and consulting service provides
institutional purchasers with cutting edge procurement tools and resources
designed to save money, conserve resources, reduce waste, and improve
efficiency. http://www.responsiblepurchasing.org/about/index.php
U.S. Communities: New “Going Green Program” PPT
http://greenteam.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/C46EDFBF-34BE-46EB-832C1CA33A49DF87/0/US_Communities_Green.ppt
Additional National Resources
City of Portland, Oregon’s Sustainable Procurement site
http://www.portlandonline.com/omf/index.cfm?c=37732
City of Portland- Sustainable Procurement Policy
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http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=204110
City of Portland- Sustainable Procurement Strategy 2006-2007 Progress
Report
http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=167403
City of Portland- Sustainable Procurement Strategy 2002-2007: 1 page
Summary
http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=203941
Database of Environmental Information for Products and Services
http://yosemite1.epa.gov/oppt/eppstand2.nsf/Pages/ListTables.html?Open&Hard
ware%20Store&Cleaning%20Supplies%20and%20Equipment&Type=A
Iowa Department of Administrative Services Green Products Contracts
http://das.gse.iowa.gov/greenbuyer/index.html#002
North American Green Purchasing Initiative of the Commission for
Environmental Cooperation (CEC NAGPI) – Green Purchasing Self
Assessment Tool http://www.cec.org/eco-sat/Webform/Guide.aspx
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Environmentally Preferable
Purchasing (EPP) page http://www.epa.gov/epp/index.htm
Glossary of Commonly Used Terms
Environmentally Preferable Products - Executive Order 13101, Greening the
Government through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition, September
16, 1998.
Environmentally preferable products are "products and services [that] have a lesser or
reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared to other products
and services that serve the same purpose. This comparison may consider raw materials
acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation,
maintenance, or disposal of the product or service."
Environmentally Preferable - (EO 13101, Section 201) – EPA
Products or services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the
environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same
purpose. The product or service comparison may consider raw materials acquisition,
production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance, or
disposal.
Environmental Procurement - Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(DFAIT), (Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada),
Environmental procurement is making purchases with the goal of reducing impacts on
the environment. In this program, environmental procurement is also referred to as
Green procurement or buying Green. Environmental procurement can include
purchasing products and services that reduce the use of all materials, energy, and/or
water. Examples of Green purchases include buying recycled paper with 20% postconsumer recycled content instead of standard types of paper, or buying compact
fluorescent light bulbs because they save energy and last longer.
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