Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) policies provide systematic frameworks for organizations to integrate sustainability into procurement decisions. Rather than making environmental choices on an ad-hoc basis, EPP policies establish clear criteria that guide purchasing across product categories—from office supplies to building materials including flooring. By embedding environmental considerations into standard procurement processes, organizations can reduce their environmental footprint, support sustainable markets, and often achieve cost savings through energy efficiency and reduced waste. This guide covers EPP policy development, implementation strategies, and how to apply environmentally preferable purchasing to building products like flooring. Explore healthier product selection strategies and learn about LEED requirements that can inform EPP criteria.
What is Environmentally Preferable Purchasing?
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing refers to the procurement of products and services that have reduced negative impacts on human health and the environment compared to conventional alternatives. EPP considers environmental factors alongside traditional purchasing criteria like price, quality, and availability.
EPA Definition
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines EPP as purchasing products or services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services serving the same purpose. This comparison considers raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance, and disposal.
Scope of EPP
EPP policies can address virtually any product or service category:
- Building materials: Flooring, insulation, paints, and other construction products
- Furniture and equipment: Office furniture, electronics, appliances
- Office supplies: Paper, cleaning products, breakroom supplies
- Services: Landscaping, cleaning, printing, catering
- Fleet and transportation: Vehicles, fuels, travel policies
Benefits of EPP
- Environmental impact reduction: Lower resource consumption, emissions, and waste
- Cost savings: Energy-efficient products reduce operating costs; reduced waste lowers disposal expenses
- Health benefits: Healthier products improve indoor environments for occupants
- Market influence: Purchasing power drives manufacturers toward sustainable products
- Organizational values: Demonstrates commitment to sustainability to stakeholders
Developing an EPP Policy
Effective EPP policies balance environmental goals with organizational needs. Development involves stakeholder engagement, criteria selection, and implementation planning.
Stakeholder Engagement
Involve key stakeholders from the beginning:
- Procurement staff: Understand current processes and practical constraints
- Facilities management: Identify building-related purchasing needs
- Sustainability team: Align EPP with broader sustainability goals
- Finance: Address cost implications and budget considerations
- End users: Ensure products meet functional requirements
Policy Framework Components
A comprehensive EPP policy typically includes:
- Purpose and scope: Why the policy exists and what it covers
- Definitions: What makes a product "environmentally preferable"
- Criteria: Specific requirements for different product categories
- Implementation: How the policy will be applied in practice
- Exceptions: When and how exceptions can be granted
- Monitoring: How compliance will be tracked and reported
Setting Criteria
Environmental criteria might include:
- Third-party certifications: ENERGY STAR, GREENGUARD, FSC, FloorScore
- Recycled content: Minimum percentages of recycled material
- Chemical restrictions: Avoiding specific chemicals of concern
- Emissions standards: VOC limits for building products
- Lifecycle considerations: Durability, recyclability, end-of-life options
Balancing Factors
EPP policies must balance environmental criteria with:
- Product performance requirements
- Budget constraints and cost competitiveness
- Availability of compliant products
- Supplier diversity goals
Implementing EPP Policies
Successful implementation requires integrating EPP into existing procurement workflows rather than creating parallel processes.
Integration with Procurement Systems
Embed EPP criteria into standard procurement:
- Bid specifications: Include environmental requirements in RFPs and bid documents
- Vendor questionnaires: Ask about environmental certifications and practices
- Evaluation criteria: Weight environmental factors in vendor selection
- Approved vendor lists: Pre-qualify vendors meeting EPP criteria
- Contract language: Include environmental requirements in contracts
Staff Training
Procurement staff need knowledge to implement EPP:
- Understanding of environmental certifications and what they verify
- Resources for finding compliant products
- Authority to apply EPP criteria
- Processes for handling exceptions
Product Category Standards
Develop specific criteria for major purchase categories:
- Building materials: Low-emitting products, recycled content, certifications
- Furniture: Health certifications, durability, recyclability
- Electronics: ENERGY STAR, EPEAT registration
- Paper products: Recycled content, FSC certification
- Cleaning products: EPA Safer Choice, Green Seal
Handling Exceptions
No policy can anticipate every situation. Establish exception processes:
- Clear criteria for when exceptions are appropriate
- Documentation requirements for exception requests
- Approval authority for different exception types
- Tracking to identify patterns that might inform policy updates
EPP for Building Materials and Flooring
Building materials including flooring represent significant purchasing categories with substantial environmental impact. EPP criteria for these products can draw from green building standards and certifications.
Flooring EPP Criteria
Environmentally preferable flooring typically includes:
- Low-emitting: FloorScore, GREENGUARD, or CDPH v1.2 testing
- Transparency: EPDs and HPDs available
- Recycled content: Minimum recycled content where available
- Sustainable sourcing: FSC-certified wood, responsibly sourced materials
- Durability: Products designed for longevity reduce replacement frequency
- End-of-life: Recyclability or manufacturer take-back programs
Leveraging LEED Criteria
LEED certification provides well-developed criteria that can inform EPP:
- Low-emitting materials: LEED's emission testing requirements
- Building product disclosure: EPD and HPD requirements
- Material ingredient optimization: Chemical hazard avoidance
Product Category Examples
- Carpet: CRI Green Label Plus, recycled content, recyclable construction
- Luxury vinyl: FloorScore certification, phthalate-free, EPD available
- Hardwood: FSC certification, low-VOC finishes, domestic sourcing
- Ceramic tile: Recycled content, domestic manufacturing
Installation Materials
Don't overlook installation products:
- Adhesives: Low-VOC formulations meeting SCAQMD standards
- Grout and mortars: Low-emission products
- Transition strips: Recycled content where available
Explore our eco-friendly flooring options that meet common EPP criteria.
Monitoring and Reporting EPP Performance
Tracking EPP implementation demonstrates progress, identifies challenges, and supports continuous improvement.
Key Metrics
Consider tracking:
- Compliance rate: Percentage of purchases meeting EPP criteria
- Spend on preferred products: Dollar amount or percentage of budget
- Environmental impact: Estimated reductions in emissions, waste, or resource use
- Cost impacts: Premium or savings compared to conventional alternatives
- Exception frequency: Number and reasons for exceptions granted
Data Collection
Integrate data collection into procurement systems:
- Flag environmentally preferable products in purchasing systems
- Capture certification information during vendor onboarding
- Track exceptions with reason codes for analysis
- Link to sustainability reporting systems
Reporting Considerations
- Internal reports: Progress updates for management and stakeholders
- External disclosure: Sustainability reports, CDP responses
- Benchmarking: Comparison with peer organizations or industry standards
- Continuous improvement: Use data to identify opportunities for policy enhancement
Common Challenges
EPP implementation often encounters:
- Data availability: Difficulty tracking environmental attributes in procurement systems
- Product verification: Confirming products actually meet criteria
- Decentralized purchasing: Ensuring policy applies across all purchasing channels
- Changing products: Keeping criteria current as products and certifications evolve
Resources for EPP Implementation
Numerous resources support EPP policy development and implementation.
Government Resources
- EPA Recommendations: Federal EPP guidance and best practices
- GSA Sustainable Facilities Tool: Green procurement specifications
- State EPP programs: Many states have developed EPP frameworks and product guides
Certification Programs
Third-party certifications simplify product identification:
- ENERGY STAR: Energy-efficient electronics and appliances
- GREENGUARD: Low-emitting products for indoor environments
- FloorScore: Low-emitting flooring products
- FSC: Sustainably sourced wood products
- Green Seal: Various product categories
- EPA Safer Choice: Safer cleaning products
Product Databases
- Mindful Materials: Building product transparency database
- Pharos: Building product health information
- SPOT: UL's sustainable product database
- Declare: Product ingredient transparency labels
Professional Networks
- Responsible Purchasing Network: Peer learning and best practices
- USGBC: Green building community and resources
- Industry associations: Sector-specific sustainability guidance
Getting Started
For organizations beginning EPP implementation:
- Start with high-impact categories where environmentally preferable products are readily available
- Pilot EPP criteria before organization-wide rollout
- Build on existing sustainability commitments and green building goals
- Celebrate early wins to build momentum and support
For flooring specifically, our Pensacola team can help identify products meeting EPP criteria for your projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
The terms are largely interchangeable. "Green purchasing," "environmentally preferable purchasing," and "sustainable procurement" all refer to integrating environmental considerations into purchasing decisions. EPP is the term used in federal government programs, while organizations may use different terminology for similar policies.
Not necessarily. While some environmentally preferable products have premium pricing, many are cost-competitive or offer lifecycle cost savings through energy efficiency, durability, or reduced disposal costs. EPP policies typically require environmental consideration alongside cost, not regardless of cost.
Start small with categories where environmentally preferable products are readily available and price-competitive. Office supplies, cleaning products, and common building materials offer good starting points. Build on success before expanding to more complex categories.
FloorScore or GREENGUARD certification for low emissions is a common baseline. Additional criteria might include EPDs for transparency, FSC certification for wood products, and recycled content minimums. Align requirements with product availability in your market.
LEED provides well-developed criteria for building products that can directly inform EPP policies. Organizations pursuing LEED projects can align EPP criteria with LEED requirements for consistency. LEED's material credits for low-emitting products, EPDs, and HPDs offer ready-made criteria frameworks.
Most effective policies use a tiered approach: mandate criteria that are easily achievable for most products, prefer criteria that stretch the market, and track aspirational criteria for future requirements. This balances environmental progress with practical constraints.
Track metrics like compliance rate (percentage of purchases meeting EPP criteria), spend on preferred products, environmental impact estimates (emissions reduced, waste diverted), and cost impacts. Also monitor exception frequency to identify categories needing policy updates. Regular reporting demonstrates progress and identifies improvement opportunities.
Product databases like Mindful Materials, Pharos, and SPOT compile verified sustainable products. Certification programs (ENERGY STAR, GREENGUARD, FloorScore, FSC, Green Seal) simplify identification. EPA's Safer Choice labels cleaning products. State EPP programs often publish product guides. The Responsible Purchasing Network offers peer learning opportunities.