Section 12: GREEN PURCHASING FAQs
GREEN PURCHASING FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

1. We are required to award our contracts to the lowest bidder. Usually green products cost more. How can I buy green products when they are not the lowest bid?

The State of Washington, for example, is required to award to the lowest responsive bidder.  The way we are able to award EPP products/services that may be a higher purchase price than its non-EPP product/service, is to use EPP performance specifications and non-cost factors to consider for evaluation purposes.  This will determine the lowest responsive bidder – not just the lowest bidder.

2. We tried to use remanufactured toner cartridges but the printer company advises us that we will violate our warranty. How can we buy remanufactured toner cartridges without violating our warranty?

In Washington,  the current contractor for remanufactured toner cartridges makes available the Clover Remanufactured cartridges and covers more than just the cartridge replacement. The guarantee/warranty of the Clover product (Office Depot Label) goes as far as to warrant the cost of service calls to the cost for a replacement printer if the issue is related to the cartridge itself. So the issue of the warranties or cost to replace them is not an issue.

3. We want to buy green electricity (produced by renewable resources). We are told that we can only receive the electricity "that is in the wires." How can we ensure that we are getting only "green" electricity?

The only way to insure that green electricity being used at a particular site is to produce it at that site through photo-voltaic panels, a windmill or a small hydro turbine.

Green Tags are really certificates that are used to support the investment in green power production facilities.