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Other sustainable purchasing resources
"I've checked King County's list of Awarded Contracts, and don't see what I need. Now what?"
No contract? No problem! You can search for sustainable goods and services:
- Sustainable Purchasing Guide
- Small Contractors & Suppliers (SCS) Directory
- "What do I do with...?" Tool - for recycling and waste management
- GreenTools - green building resources
- Sustainable Infrastructure Scorecard - for green building projects
| Program / Organization/Guidance | Source / Type | Focus / Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| EPA's Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing | US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | Last updated in 2024; created to assist federal purchasers and others to identify and buy environmentally preferable products and services. |
| Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines | US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | A list of products that must contain recycled content when purchased by federal agencies and those that use appropriated federal funds |
| Sustainable Materials Management Prioritization Tools | US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | Life cycle-based tools to help users identify potential opportunities for environmental improvement in the production and consumption of goods and services |
| HPBG –High-Performance, Sustainable Buildings Guide | National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) | Previously managed by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), HPBG provides information and resources related to efficient, healthy buildings and purchasing practices. It serves facility managers, purchasing agents, designers, tenants, and others seeking guidance on building performance and sustainable, resilient purchasing options. |
| Ecomedes Tool | Ecomedes | Product database for building materials – find products with certifications and ecolabels, evaluate and create projects; sign up for free |
| EC3 Tool: Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator | Building Transparency | EC3 Tool enables carbon smart choices during material specification and procurement. It is the only free and open-access global embodied carbon accounting tool. |
| PFAS Free Buying Guide | Commonwealth of Massachusetts | A Guide to Avoiding PFAS (Forever Chemicals) in Products |
| PFAS Free Purchasing Guide | Center for Environmental Health | Lists ecolabels; specifications and policies related to PFAS |
| EnviroStars | Washington State coalition | Free hub for WA businesses to access environmental programs, incentives, and recognition; connects businesses to local programs. |
| Climate Action Toolkit (K4C) | King County Cities Climate Collaboration | Policies & investments for cities to reduce GHGs, support clean energy, and protect natural environments. |
| Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) | National nonprofit | Supports and recognizes leadership in sustainable purchasing; offers tools, training, and events. |
| Washington State Green Purchasing Guide | Washington State | Interactive guide for greener product procurement and specifications for state agencies. |
| UN SDG – Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production) | United Nations | Global framework for responsible consumption and production to promote sustainable development by 2030. |
| Climate Friendly Purchasing Toolkit | West Coast Climate Forum | Guides governments to reduce GHG emissions in supply chains with tested strategies; sector-specific guidance. |
| Purchasing Guides – Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN) | National Non-profit | Category-specific sustainable purchasing guides (electronics, paper, food, fleets, green power, office supplies, etc.). |
| Easy Guides | City of Santa Monica, CA | Practical checklists for office supplies, custodial chemicals, furnishings, appliances, facilities maintenance, and construction materials. |
| Buying Green Guide – Green California | State of California | Manual of best practices for environmentally preferable purchasing in California. |
| NASPO Sustainable Purchasing Guide | National Association of State Purchasing Officials (NASPO) | Guidance for states and agencies adopting sustainable procurement programs. |
| SF Approved | City & County of San Francisco | Green purchasing guide with product ratings: Choose, Consider, Avoid, Limited, or Prohibited. |
| Sustainable Procurement Playbook for Cities | Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) | Action playbook for city sustainability teams to build or strengthen purchasing programs. |
| Calculator | Developer/Source | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| ENERGY STAR® Product Savings Calculators | ENERGY STAR® | Estimates cost savings from ENERGY STAR certified products versus standard models |
| EPEAT Benefits Calculators | Global Electronics Council | Assesses environmental and economic benefits of EPEAT-registered products, including operations and end-of-life impacts |
| Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) Calculator | US DOE – EERE | Compares costs of E85 vs gasoline, gallons saved, and greenhouse gases avoided |
| Green Cleaning Pollution Prevention Calculator | US EPA | Projects environmental benefits of green janitorial products and services |
| GREET Fleet Footprint Calculator | Argonne National Lab (DOE Clean Cities) | Estimates GHGs, emissions, and energy use across transportation fuel cycles |
| Paper Calculator | Environmental Paper Network | Compares environmental impacts of paper with 0–100% recycled content |
| Recycled Content (ReCon) Tool | US EPA | Estimates embodied carbon and climate footprint for materials with varying post-consumer recycled content |
| Vehicle Cost Calculator | US DOE – EERE | Compares costs, emissions, and benefits of alternative fuel/advanced technology vs conventional vehicles |
| Level | Jurisdiction/Organization | Program/Resource |
|---|---|---|
| City | City and County of San Francisco (California) | Green Purchasing (SF Approved guidance) |
| City of Portland (Oregon) | Sustainable Procurement | |
| City of Santa Monica (California) | Sustainable Procurement | |
| City of Seattle (Washington) | Green Purchasing | |
| New York City | Environmentally Preferable Purchasing | |
| County | Alameda County (California) | Sustainability – Environmentally Preferable |
| Alameda County (California) Waste Management Authority | Sustainable Purchasing – supports 17 member agencies including cities in the County | |
| Allegheny County, (Pennsylvania) | Sustainable Procurement | |
| Fairfax County, (Virginia) | Responsible and Sustainable Sourcing | |
| Multnomah County (Oregon) | Sustainable Purchasing | |
| State | California | Environmentally Preferable Purchasing |
| District of Columbia | Sustainable Purchasing | |
| Maryland | Green Purchasing and Annual Reports | |
| Massachusetts | Environmentally Preferable Products Procurement | |
| Minnesota | Sustainable Government Purchasing | |
| New York | GreenNY – Environmentally Preferable Purchasing | |
| Oregon | Environmentally Preferable Procurement | |
| Washington | Green Purchasing | |
| Federal | Office of the Federal Chief Sustainability Officer – Council on Environmental Quality | Sustainability Resources |
| U.S. EPA | Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program | |
| International | Canadian Collaboration for Sustainable Procurement | CCSP and 2024 CCSP Annual Report |
| ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability | ICLEI Overview Sustainable and Circular Public Procurement Toolkit Procura+ Sustainable Procurement Campaign |
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| International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN) | IGPN | |
| Non-Profit | Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC) | PPRC |
| Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN) | RPN | |
| Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) | SPLC | |
| Toxic Free Future | Toxic Free Future | |
| Carbon Leadership Forum | Carbon Leadership Forum |