United States House of Representatives

Green Procurement

---

---

Preference for Sustainable and Environmentally Sound Goods and Services

Contractors doing business with the U.S. House of Representatives are encouraged to operate in an environmentally friendly manner. Products provided by contractors for use on the House Campus or in District Offices must be environmentally sustainable products to the maximum extent practicable. In addition, contractors must ensure energy efficiency in energy-consuming products.

Beginning October 1, 2010, the House will begin collecting environmental data on products purchased by the House. The following categories will be tracked using information provided by House vendors:

• Alternative Disposal

Alternative Disposal

The goal here is to minimize the amount of waste that goes to a landfill. Design products to go to non-landfill, useful waste streams, such as recycling, reusing, repurposing and composting, at the end of their useful lives.

• Biobased

Biobased

Plant-based products contain materials derived from renewable plant resources. These materials often replace comparable materials derived from fossil fuels (e.g., petroleum-based plastic) and other less renewable resources (e.g., virgin timber). USDA's BioPreferred program designates items and product categories by specifying the minimum biobased content. Scientific Certification Systems certifies biodegradable liquid products, which means that 70 percent of the product formula compound breaks down into CO2, basic salts and water within 28 days. Wood products should comply with sustainable forestry labels/certifications (e.g., Forest Stewardship Council).

• Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficiency

Energy-efficient products are designed to use minimal amounts of energy over their lifespan. At a minimum, products should qualify for ENERGY STAR, EPEAT, FEMP-designated, and/or Low Standby Power labeling or satisfy requirements under the RoHS Regulations. The RoHS regulations implement EU Directive 2002/95 which bans new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. House purchasers consider the life cycle cost effectiveness of a product, which includes the initial cost and utility costs over the life of the product.

• Recycled Content

Recycled Content

Recycled content products contain materials diverted from the solid-waste stream after consumer use (a.k.a. post-consumer). EPA's Comprehensive Purchasing Guide recommends appropriate levels of recycled content materials in various products. Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) certifies products made from pre-consumer and post-consumer materials.

• Toxicity

Toxicity

Less toxic products contain zero or minimal amounts of toxic, hazardous or ozone-depleting materials, such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs or HCFCs). Products should be low-VOC, low toxicity, or have Green Seal or GREENGUARD logos, which have toxicological requirements for some products.

Descriptions of Sustainable and Environmentally Sound Goods and Services

Environmentally preferable means products or services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services. This comparison may consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance or disposal of the product or service.

Sustainability preferable means products or services that meet today's needs without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy their needs. Sustainability integrates the concern for social, economic and environmental issues. It involves thinking broadly about objectives, considering long-term as well as short-term effects, assessing indirect as well as direct effects and taking extra care when changes brought about by development might be irreversible.

Energy-efficient means products that meet the Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) criteria for use of the ENERGY STAR trademark label; or are in the upper 25 percent of efficiency for all similar products as designated by the DOE Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). The contractor must ensure that energy-consuming products are energy-efficient products (i.e., ENERGY STAR products or FEMP-designated products) at the time of contract award or task order. This applies to products that are delivered, acquired by the contractor for use in performing services on the House Campus or furnished by the contractor for such use. This requirement applies to the contractor (including any subcontractor) unless the energy-consuming product is not listed in the ENERGY STAR Program or FEMP, or otherwise approved in writing in advance by the Contracting Officer. Information about these products is available at the following web sites:

• Energy Star
• Federal Energy Management Program

Offices

• Representatives
• Committees
• Leadership
• House Organizations