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• Accurately measuring pay in the public sector
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• Investigations could lead to tighter controls on agency spending

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New Tools. Government purchasers are also working to provide new tools to make greener purchasing easier. Some recent examples include:

• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Green Purchasing Video
  Designed to encourage Commonwealth purchasing professionals and agencies to buy greener products, the 15-minute video highlights the legal, professional and environmental reasons for doing so. An online version is available at www.gggc.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/procurement/13831. DVD versions are also available.

• New York State Green Cleaning Program
  The New York State Office of General Services has created a website that makes it easy to buy greener cleaning products and implement a greener cleaning program. It identifies the benefits, best practices, a list of approved products, documents, templates and a series of education videos to make it easier to implement a successful program. See https://greencleaning.ny.gov.

• Additional tools are available on the NIGP (www.nigp.org) and NASPO (www.naspo.org) websites.

Other Solutions. Government purchasers and purchasing consultants are also involved in a variety of additional efforts to make it easier to buy greener products. Many of the efforts remain in their infancies, but include:

• Dot Eco
  A new Internet domain extension (similar to .gov or .com) that would become a source for verified environmental information on products, services and companies.

• Sustainability Consortium
  A group of academics, retailers, purchasers and others attempting to create a system to track environmental costs and benefits throughout the supply chains supporting the entire global economy.

• Green Products Innovation Institute
  An effort led by California, Google, Walmart, YouTube, Brad Pitt and others to create a new system or label to identify greener products.

What's next?

It is clear to everyone attempting to buy, sell or define greener products that there is still a need for greater clarity. Government purchasers at the federal, state and local levels are playing an active role in creating the necessary improvements. Controlling billions of dollars in purchasing power means having a significant voice in determining which solutions ultimately prove viable. Government purchasers cast a vote for the future with every purchase.

About the author

Scot Case has been researching and promoting responsible purchasing issues for 16 years. He is vice president of TerraChoice Enivronmental Marketing, which manages the EcoLogo program. Contact him via e-mail at scase@terrachoice.com or in Reading, Pa., at 610-779-3770.

Specifying Greener Products

Professional purchasers avoid the potential for confusion by simply requiring that products be certified to specific standards and requiring that all other environmental claims be independently verified. Below is sample contract language.

• Cleaning Products: "Products must be certified to the EcoLogo (CCD-146) or Green Seal (GS-37) standard."
• Computers: "Products must provide demonstrable proof of meeting the IEEE 1680 (EPEAT) standard."
• Copiers: "Products must be certified to the EcoLogo (CCD-035) standard."
• HVAC Equipment: "Products must provide demonstrable proof of meeting the Energy Star standard."
• Recycled Content: "Products must provide demonstrable proof of meeting the EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) postconsumer recycled content recommendations."
• Toilets: "Products must be certified to the WaterSense Final Specification for High Efficiency Toilets."