The Sustainable Purchasing Program assists District staff and agencies to meet environmental requirements set forth by DC law and policies. Environmental specification guidance for 90 product and service types across 14 categories is available for use. These resources facilitate compliance with environmental laws and regulations highlighted in the Sustainable DC Plan. The Sustainable Purchasing Program follows sustainable purchasing laws and policies which require that the District purchase environmentally preferable products and services to the maximum extent possible (Mayoral Order 2009-60, D.C. Official Code Section 2-361.01, OCP Policy 7000.00).
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Sustainable Purchasing Services
Consulting
The Sustainable Purchasing team assists District agencies with applying recommended environmental specifications to forthcoming solicitations and in developing sustainable specification requirements for new product and service categories.
Reporting
On an annual basis, the Sustainable Purchasing team reports the District’s sustainable spend to the Council of the District of Columbia. Click here to review the FY 2019 Sustainable Purchasing Report.
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Partnerships & Affiliations
The District of Columbia collaborates with the following organizations and initiatives to promote sustainable purchasing on a regional and national stage. Each of the following organizations provides a unique set of sustainable purchasing resources.
Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) - The District is a “Founding Member” of the SPLC, and the District’s Sustainable Purchasing Program Manager sits on the SPLC Board of Directors. The SPLC is a leadership community consisting of members from the public, private, academic, and non-profit sectors. The group aims to develop a platform for leaders to engage the issue of sustainable purchasing, offer guidance for implementation, and to develop a leadership recognition program similar to the US Green Building Council LEED program, for institutional purchasing practices.
The Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN) – The District is a member of the Responsible Purchasing Network. The Responsible Purchasing Network is an international network of buyers dedicated to socially responsible environmentally preferable purchasing. Membership entitles the District to a host of resources including webinars on the purchase of sustainable products, Purchasing Guides, and consulting services for especially complicated purchases.
National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) – NASPO is a non-profit association dedicated to strengthening the procurement community through education, research, and communication. It is made up of the directors of the central purchasing offices in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. NASPO’s green purchasing initiatives seek to leverage the purchasing power of state and local governments to meet environmental sustainability aims. The District is a member of the NASPO Green Purchasing Committee. Some useful resources provided via the NASPO Green Purchasing Committee include an ongoing webinar series, consulting services for states engaging sustainable purchasing projects, and a Green Purchasing Guide.
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) – OCP participates in environmental procurement sub-groups of the Metropolitan Washington COG, including work on the Cooperative Purchasing and Sustainable Purchasing initiatives. The COG is an independent non-profit association that brings area leaders together to address major regional issues in the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia.
Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) – EPEAT® is a global rating system for greener electronics. It is an easy-to-use resource for purchasers, manufacturers, resellers and others to identify environmentally preferable devices. The EPEAT system combines criteria for design, production, energy use and recycling with ongoing independent verification of manufacturer claims. EPEAT was developed through a stakeholder consensus process and is managed by the Green Electronics Council, a non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon, USA. The District’s Sustainable Purchasing Program Manager is a member of the EPEAT Advisory Council, and the District current computer contract requires that its computers and monitors reside on the EPEAT registry.