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NASPO Green Purchasing Guide

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Section 1: Introduction

Buying and using environmentally preferable products (EPPs) has become an integral part of public procurement in recent years because it has become clear that this practice benefits the environment, improves efficiency and, often saves money. For those new to the arena, implementing a green purchasing program is not always simple. Such efforts may be characterized by administrative hurdles, technical barriers and skepticism from purchasers and product end users.

As a result, NASPO has developed this Green Purchasing Guide for its members and others to use in navigating the sea of information surrounding the adoption of a responsible purchasing program. This guide is intended to be a straight forward, easy-to-use document that provides purchasers with a basic understanding of the concept and benefits of green purchasing, offers recommended steps and proven strategies to enable the implementation of a green purchasing program, and supplies links to other resources offering detailed information on specific elements of the process.

The Guide is also being designed to reflect ongoing changes in the marketplace for the various EPPs and services. As a result, the goal is to incorporate dynamic elements into its design so that segments can be updated as new technologies, environmental stands and general information become available. However, purchasers should be aware that these dynamic aspects may not be available until updates to the guide are made.

In the meantime, procurement officials are encouraged to review and offer comments when desired on the information currently available in the Guide and take advantage of some more detailed information and educational opportunities offered by the organizations referenced throughout.

section 2: Understanding The Basics