Green Procurement

Green procurement is the suite of federal purchasing requirements and preferences that direct agencies to buy products and services that have reduced environmental and health impacts compared to conventional alternatives, spanning energy, water, toxics, recycled content, and biobased materials.

What is Green Procurement?

Federal green procurement is governed by Executive Order 14057 (Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability) and its predecessor E.O. 13834, along with several statutes:

• Energy Policy Act - mandates energy-efficient product purchasing and minimum efficiency standards for agency facilities.
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Section 6002 - requires agencies to purchase products with the highest percentage of recovered (recycled) materials practicable for items on EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG) list.
• Farm Security and Rural Investment Act - mandates purchase of USDA-designated biobased products when they are available and meet performance requirements.
• Energy Independence and Security Act - requires agencies to purchase Energy Star-certified products or those meeting Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) efficiency standards.

FAR Subpart 23.1 through 23.4 implement these requirements. Contracting officers must include green procurement clauses in solicitations and contracts for covered product categories. Key programs include:

• Energy Star / FEMP - for electronics, appliances, and building equipment (see Energy Star Requirements).
• EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guideline - for recycled-content products (see Recovered Materials Preference).
• USDA BioPreferred - for biobased products (see Biobased Product Preference).
• EPA Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) - for products with reduced toxics, lower greenhouse gas footprint, or sustainable sourcing.

Why Green Procurement matters for government contractors

Companies supplying the federal government must understand which green procurement requirements apply to their product categories. Failure to meet recycled content, energy efficiency, or biobased certification requirements can result in proposal rejection or contract termination. Conversely, companies with certified green products gain a competitive advantage in evaluations where environmental performance is a rated factor.

Example

A company supplies office supplies to multiple federal agencies under a GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract. The contracting officer requires compliance with the EPA CPG list, which covers paper products, office supplies, and toner cartridges. The company ensures that all paper products it sells to federal customers contain at least 30 percent post-consumer recovered fiber (as required by CPG for copy paper), labels its catalog accordingly, and trains its account managers to confirm compliance on each order. Non-compliant paper products are flagged and excluded from the federal catalog.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all agencies required to follow green procurement requirements?

All executive branch agencies are covered by the FAR green procurement requirements and the applicable statutes. The requirements are mandatory, not optional, for covered product categories. Contracting officers do not have discretion to waive them without documented justification, such as a finding that no compliant product meets the agency's technical requirements.

Does green procurement increase contract costs?

Not necessarily. Energy-efficient products typically have higher upfront costs but lower lifecycle costs through reduced energy consumption. Recycled-content products for commodity categories (paper, trash bags, office supplies) are generally price-competitive with virgin-material alternatives. The government's purchasing volume creates market conditions that bring green product costs into line with conventional alternatives over time.

How do agencies verify contractor compliance with green procurement requirements?

Agencies may require contractor certifications of product compliance, request third-party certification documentation (such as Energy Star certification letters or USDA BioPreferred designations), and review product specifications submitted with proposals or delivery documentation. DCAA and IG auditors may review green procurement compliance as part of contract audits.

What is the difference between green procurement and sustainable acquisition?

Green procurement typically refers to the environmental attributes of specific products (recycled content, energy efficiency, reduced toxics). Sustainable acquisition is the broader policy framework encompassing environmental, social, and economic considerations across the full acquisition lifecycle, including supplier labor standards, supply chain resilience, and greenhouse gas reduction goals.