Resources for Verifying Sustainable Products
General Guidance
The resources (referenced websites) in this section can be used to determine whether documentation provided by the contractor confirms the product or service meets the sustainable requirements included in the contract. It is up to the contractor and/or vendor to provide credible and verifiable documentation to demonstrate compliance with all sustainability requirements. The standards, specifications, and ecolabels listed are the same as those specified in the Green Procurement Compilation.
Vendor Compliance Determination: Resources with Multiple Attributes
Visit the Materials and Resources page for terms that help define sustainable acquisition and thereby give an overview of how multiple attributes better identify sustainable products.
Covered Product Type: Office Furniture
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product meets the Level 1, Standard e3-2011e. For a list of registered products, see the Level Certified website .
Covered Product Types:
- Carpet
- Ceiling Tiles – Acoustical
- Fiberboard
- Flooring
- Gypsum Board
- Joint Sealers
- Paint and Wall Coverings
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product meets CA Section 01350.
Covered Product Type – Food, Products, Practices
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the food service aligns with the CDC Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities at least at the standard level
Applicable Covered Product Types
- Foodware Guide and Products
- Furniture Guide
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product meets the Center for Environmental Health specifications in their guidelines.
Covered Product Types – Indoor Sources of Volatile Organic Chemical Emissions:
- Carpet
- Ceiling Tiles – Acoustical
- Furniture
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product meets the Cradle2Cradle standard .
Covered Product Type: Food
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the contractor is on the EPA Food Recovery Challenge list
Covered Product Types:
- Computers & Displays (includes desktops, integrated, monitors, notebooks, tablets, small-scale servers, thin clients, workstations)
- Imaging Equipment (copiers, fax machines, printers, scanners, etc.)
- Mobile Phones
- Servers – Enterprise (includes blades, multi-node, pedestal, and rack-mounted)
- Televisions
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product is an active EPEAT registered product on the EPEAT Registry. The EPEAT website contains a list of active registered products .
Covered Product Types:
- Beans and grains
- Cocoa
- Coffee
- Flowers and Plants
- Fruits and Vegetables
- Herbs and Spices
- Honey
- Multi-Ingredient Foods
- Nuts and Oilseeds
- Sugar
- Tea
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms via product label or other language that product is Fair Trade certified. The Fair Trade website contains a list of certified products.
Covered Product Types:
- Carpet
- Flooring
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms via product label or other language that product is GECA certified. The GECA website contains a list of certified products.
Covered Product Types:
- Adhesives
- Cleaning Products & Services
- Construction Materials & Equipment
- Dishwasher Detergent
- Hand Soaps
- Hotels and Lodging
- Napkins, Paper Towels, Tissues
- Paints and Coatings
- Parts washer solution
- Printing and Writing Paper
- Restaurants and Food Service
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms via product label or other language that product is Green Seal certified. The Green Seal website contains a list of certified products.
Covered Product Types:
- Furniture
- Textiles
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product is on the Healthier Hospitals list .
Covered Product Types: Numerous
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product meets the minimum LEED (third-party certification of structures) requirements for Existing Buildings Operations & Maintenance or New Construction .
Covered Product Types: Paints & Coatings
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product meets the minimum MPI Extreme Green Performance Standard , which specifies compliance with Green Performance Standard (GPS-1-12 and GPS-2-12) requirements and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) emissions requirements. For quick identification, the product will be on the MPI Approved Product list with an “X-Green” designation. All X-Green products are listed on the MPI website .
Covered Product Types: Numerous including
- Carpet
- Flooring
- Photovoltaic Modules
- Servers
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product meets the minimum NSF International standards requirements .
Covered Product Types: De-icer
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product meets the Pacific Northwest Snow-fighters specifications and is on the PNS Qualified Products List.
Covered Product Types: Pollinators
Compliance Determination: Determine if practices align with the Pollinator-Friendly Best Management Practices for Federal Lands.
Covered Product Types:
- Buyer Bee-Ware guidelines
- De-Icer guidelines
- Disinfectant guidelines
- Food Purchasing guidelines
- Foodware guidelines
- Rechargeable batteries and battery chargers guidelines
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product meets the Responsible Purchasing Network specifications.
Covered Product Types:
- Cleaners
- Degreasers
- De-icers
- Dishwasher Detergent
- Disinfectants (scroll down to “List of Authorized DfE Products and ensure only “Active Ingredients for Use in Products for DfE Pesticide Pilot” are in product
- Dust Control
- Fires Fighting
- Floor Care
- Heating & Cooling Maintenance
- Laundry and Dish Detergents
- Paint
- Tire Additives
- Other
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms via product label or other language that product has the Safer Choice label.
Covered Product Types: Remanufactured Cartridges
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product manufacturer is STMC certified .
Covered Product Types: Numerous
- UL 126 Plastic Trash Bags (formerly EcoLogo 126): Standard and Products
- UL 175 Toilet Tissue (formerly EcoLogo 82): Standard and Products
- UL 2759 General Cleaner (formerly EcoLogo 146): Standard and Products
- UL 2760 Paint (formerly EcoLogo 48): Standard and Products
- UL 2762 Adhesives (formerly EcoLogo 46): Standard and Products
- UL 2771 Copy Paper (formerly EcoLogo 077): Standard and Products
- UL 2777 Floor Cleaner (formerly EcoLogo 147): Standard and Products
- UL 2784 Hand Cleaner (formerly EcoLogo 104): Standard and Products
- UL 2792 Parts Wash Solution (formerly EcoLogo 110): Standard and Products
- UL 2795 Carpet Cleaner (formerly EcoLogo 148): Standard and Products
- UL 2818 GREENGUARD Gold (Underwriters Laboratories GREENGUARD Certification Program Method for Chemical Emissions for Building Materials, Finishes and Furnishings): Standard, Products, and Further Information
To Access the Standards:
- Once at the URL indicated, click on “Checkout”
- Log on with your user name and password (you’ll have to set that up if you have not already)
- Select “Checkout” once again
- Select “Download PDF” (red box)
- Select “Download Standard (red box)
- Open standard as Adobe Acrobat (pdf) file
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms via product label or other language that product is UL certified (formerly “EcoLogo” label by Terra Choice and prior to that “Environmental Choice” label).
Covered Product Types: Numerous including
- Building
- Materials/Furnishings
- Photovoltaics
- Water Conservation
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product meets the minimum requirements for water conservation and for other items .
Vendor Compliance Determination: Resources with Single Attributes
Visit the Green Procurement Compilation for information on designated product requirements. This information can be used to better understand the designated product requirements and how to verify whether contractors/vendors are providing compliant products.
Covered Product Types:
- Cafeteria
- Construction
- Custodial
- Films and Packaging
- Fleet
- Grounds Maintenance
- Lubricants
- Miscellaneous
- Operations and Maintenance
- Shipping
- Solvents
Compliance Determination Option 1: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms via product label or other language that product is BioPreferred.
Compliance Determination Option 2: If only biobased content is provided, visit BioPreferred website and search for product category. The webpage for each product category states the required minimum biobased percentage that the product must meet. After determining the required percentage, compare this percentage to the biobased content stated in the contractor provided documentation. When the contract specifies a higher biobased content percentage than USDA BioPreferred, this higher biobased content percentage should be verified.
Covered Product Types:
- Cups
- Cutlery
- Take Out Containers
- Food Waste Bags
- Yard Waste Bags
- Resins and Coatings
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product is on the BPI Certified Products list .
Covered Product Types:
- Fiberboard – Medium Density
- Hardwood Plywood
- Particleboard
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product complies with CA ATCM 93120.
Applicable Covered Product Types:
- Bags
- Bowls
- Clamshells
- Coffee Pods
- Coffee Sleeves
- Containers – take out
- Cups
- Drink Carriers
- Food Trays
- Napkins
- Plates
- Utensils
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product is on the Cedar Grove certified products list .
Covered Product Types:
- Construction Products
- Landscaping Products
- Non-Paper Office Products
- Paper and Paper Products
- Park and Recreation Products
- Transportation Products
- Vehicular Products
- Miscellaneous Products
Compliance Determination Option 1: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms via product label or other language that product meets CPG.
Compliance Determination Option 2: If only recycled content is provided, visit the CPG website and search for product category. The webpage for each product category states the required minimum recycled content percentage that the product must meet. After determining the required percentage, compare this percentage to the recycled content stated in the contractor documentation. When the contract specifies a higher recycled content percentage than EPA CPG, this higher recycled content percentage should be verified.
Covered Product Types:
- Building Products
- Commercial Appliances and Food Equipment
- Electronics
- Heating & Cooling
- Lighting & Fans
- Office Equipment
- Water Heaters
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms via product label or other language that product is ENERGY STAR certified. Verify that information on the ENERGY STAR website.
Covered Product Types:
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms that product meets the minimum energy efficiency requirement stated on the FEMP website. For boilers, chillers, and water-cooled ice machines the websites list the minimum energy efficiency required. After determining the minimum efficiency, compare this efficiency to the energy efficiency stated in the documentation provided by the contractor. For commercial LED lights, the website shows the qualified lights.
Covered Product Types:
- Computer - Desktop
- Computer - Thin Client
- Computer - Workstation
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms via product label or other language that product is a FEMP Low-Standby Power product as denoted on the FEMP website
Covered Product Types: Flooring and Flooring Adhesives
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product meets the minimum Air Emission Certification of volatile organic compound free flooring and flooring adhesives. Check the FloorScore website .
Covered Product Types:
- Fibreboard
- Gypsum Panels
- Wallboard
Compliance Determination: Specify “no mercury” in construction contracts for compressed board type products.
Covered Product Types: Meat
Compliance Determination: Specify “no non-therapeutic antibiotics” in cafeteria contracts pertaining to meat.
Covered Product Types: Fertilizer
Compliance Determination: OMRI reviews input products to determine compliance with the USDA National Organic standards and/or Canada Organic Regime (COR) standards. Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product is OMRI certified .
Covered Product Types:
- Food
Compliance Determination: The USDA organic seal verifies that the product has 95 percent or more certified organic content and confirms no genetically modified organisms. Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms via product label or other language that product is USDA certified organic.
Covered Product Types:
- Carpet
- Cookware
- Food containers
- Furniture
Compliance Determination: Specify “no perfluorinated chemicals” in pertinent contracts.
Covered Product Types: Furniture
Compliance Determination: Specify “remanufactured furniture” in contracts. See an example source .
Covered Product Types:
- Architectural Coatings/Paints
- Adhesives
- Ceiling Tiles
- Floor Coverings
- Furniture
- Sealants
- Wall Coverings
- Wall Paneling
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms via product label or other language that product is certified .
Covered Product Types:
- Fuel
- Tires
Compliance Determination: For fuel, determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the freight transportation contractor is on the EPA SmartWay Partner list and for tires, determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms the product is on the SmartWay verified list for low rolling resistance.
Covered Product Types – Indoor Sources of Volatile Organic Chemical Emissions:
- Adhesives, Coatings, and Inks
- Aerosols
- Cleaning Solvents
- Fire Suppression and Explosion Protection
- Foam Blowing Agents
- Refrigeration & Air Conditioning
- Sterilants
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms that product is an acceptable substitute for an ozone-depleting substance or high-global warming potential substance as stated on the SNAP website. This website lists acceptable substitutes for each product type. If proposed product is listed as ozone depleting substance or high-global warming potential substance, then work with contractor to use an acceptable substitute as listed on the website.
Covered Product Types:
- Landscape Irrigation Controllers
- Showerheads
- Spray Valves-Commercial Pre-Rinse
- Urinals-Flushing
Compliance Determination: Determine if documentation provided by contractor confirms via product label or other language that product has the WaterSense label.
Additional Resources
- Ecolabel Index - Big Room Inc. index of ecolabels. Payment for use of the Ecolabel Index is required.
- General Services Administration - Green Procurement Compliation
- Responsible Purchasing Network has published a set of Green Purchasing Best Practices Guides for the National Association of State Procurement Officials.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing