Welcome to the Vermont Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Program.

   WHAT IS EPP? Environmental Preferable Purchasing means “products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose. This comparison may consider raw material acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, re-use, operation, maintenance, or disposal of the product or service” (Presidential Executive Order 13101; US EPA; generally accepted by industry).

  WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? EP Purchasing directs buying choices toward products that are less harmful to the environment and safer for human health. Our purpose is to help reduce the negative effects of purchases by promoting EP products through our purchasing and contracting efforts. This effort benefits and is supported by the following groups: political subdivisions, such as schools and towns; EP organizations, including government and not-for-profit groups; state government executive branch and agencies; consumers; vendors and manufacturers.

  HISTORY OF EPP IN VERMONT: The State of Vermont is a national leader in the development and application of Environmentally Preferable Purchasing and control of Hazardous Material Use. We have established specific goals and objectives aimed at: providing sound environmental stewardship, protection of human health, reducing state operating expenses associated with the use and control of regulated hazardous materials, and reduction of potential liability attributable to environmental impact.

The Vermont Clean State Council was established by Executive Order No. 06-94 in 1994 to manage wastes by giving preference to pollution prevention, source reduction, and recycling strategies.

  VERMONT CLEAN STATE PROGRAM: On April 8, 2004 Governor Douglas rededicated and expanded the original executive order by establishing the Vermont Clean State Program, now referred to as Executive Order No. 02-04. The Vermont Clean State Program will be managed by the Clean State Council, and shall convene quarterly during the year and will be responsible for the following:

Development of a Materials Management Plan to enhance continued wise purchase, use and reuse of product, whenever feasible, that promote resource conservation and pollution prevention.

• Implementation of an education and information program, to be coordinated by the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Buildings and General Services, to help state employees in the practice of resource conservation and pollution prevention; including, environmentally-conscious procurement choices, reducing the use of products and materials opportunities for reuse, and recycling requirements.
   
• Participation with the Agency of Natural Resources and the Agency of Administration in the creation of a prototype state agency pollution prevention plan.
   
• Preparation of a pollution prevention guidance document for all state agencies and a recommendation to the Governor on a process for pollution prevention implementation for all state agencies by January 15, 2005.

By February 15 of each year, the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Buildings and General Services shall report to the Governor on the progress of the State Recycling and Source Reduction Program. 

  MERCURY REDUCTION: The State of Vermont is committed to minimizing the amount of mercury utilized in its operations, and desires to eliminate the purchase of products that contain mercury whenever feasible alternatives exist at a reasonable cost and comparable performance. Where mercury-free alternative products do not exist, preference will be given to the purchase of products with the lowest (documented) total mercury content feasible and products that bear a mercury content warning label as required of product manufacturers under Vermont law, Executive Order #03-02. The State of Vermont urges suppliers to continue to develop, produce, and bring to market appropriate, cost competitive, and effective mercury-free replacements.

  CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN: Per Executive Order 14-03, State of Vermont Agencies and Departments are directed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from state government buildings and operations, per Executive Order #11-02. To improve our energy performance and help the environment by reducing our energy use, purchases shall be made only for energy-consuming devices that meet or exceed the Energy Star or comparable standards established by the U.S. federal government, where possible, without compromising quality or performance. These products use 25 to 50 percent less energy than their traditional counterparts. Reduced energy consumption will result in fewer fossil fuels burned and greenhouse gas emissions reduced, lessening air pollution. Energy efficient products often have an extended product life and decreased maintenance costs, and provide a return on investment due to a reduction in energy costs.

  ENVIROCALC: EnviroCalc is a spreadsheet-based tool designed to estimate the environmental benefits of purchases of recycled-content and energy efficient products. It combines a wide range of available methodologies and models for assessing the environmental impacts of purchasing into a single tool. EnviroCalc’s design allows the purchaser to input the information obtained from the organization’s suppliers for a wide range of products and receive an instantaneous estimate of the environmental impact of the purchases.