Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP)

EPP, or "green purchasing" is defined by the Federal Government as:

• The purchase of products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products and services that serve the same purpose.

EPP can reduce toxicity in the workplace, reduce costs, and reduce an agency's impact on the environment at large.

Green Purchasing

Some common examples of "green purchasing" are:

• Janitorial supplies
• Copy paper
• Computers
• Lamps and Ballasts
• Other Office supplies

RIRRC commissioned a study by the Northeast Recycling Council to make recommendations for the state of Rhode Island to implement EPP policies and procedures. The report can be downloaded to the left.

EPA Resource Guides

Click here for information on EPP nationwide and to access the EPA's guide to green purchasing.