Smarter Business: Greening Advisor

Environmental language in contracts

Including environmental language in requests for proposals and contracts increases the likelihood that your company’s procurement goals will be respected by suppliers. Environmentally intelligent contract language can incorporate a wide range of environmental objectives. For example, a contract with an advertiser could specify that all bids be submitted double-sided, and all advertisements be printed on recycled paper; a contract with a delivery service could state that it must use fuel-efficient vehicles and purchase carbon credits to offset total vehicle miles traveled; a contract with a food vendor could include provisions for prioritizing local suppliers, composting food waste and taking back packaging for recycling. The possibilities are many.

Consider incorporating the general language below into new contracts and requests for proposals. The EPA Purchasing Database is also an excellent source for specific product and service categories.

General Contract Language

Our company has adopted an environmental policy to improve its environmental performance. To advance these goals, products and services contracted for will be evaluated in part based on their environmental attributes. Specific factors to be considered include:

• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Habitat impacts
• Regulatory compliance
• Recycled content
• Energy efficiency
• Water efficiency
• Toxic chemical reduction

Please address these concerns when submitting your proposals.

Additional Resources

• King County, Washington, Environmental Purchasing Program, Contract Language
• Vermont Environmentally Preferable Custodial Products
• City of Seattle Environmental Criteria for Janitorial Products
• Energy Star Residential Appliances Sample Procurement Language
• EPA HVAC Procurement Language
• EPA Contract Language Database
• National Recycling Coalition: Growing a Buy Recycled Program: A Manager’s Guide
• American Recycling Markets, Inc.: Recycled Products Guide