Purchasing for Reduced Toxicity
A city can establish a procurement policy that prohibits or regulates the purchase of products containing chemicals that are considered toxic to humans or the environment. This policy should not only consider toxics that remain in products during use, but those that are used in the extraction and manufacturing process as well.
The most current information regarding toxics is available through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencie's (EPA) Toxics Release Inventory Program - a publicly available EPA database that contains information on toxic chemical releases and waste management activities reported annually by certain industries as well as federal facilities. The following are methods that a procurement officer can use to help establish what the major concerns are:
Identify Common Product Categories:
- Janitorial products (toilet cleaning, hard floor care, carpet care, restroom cleaning, glass, cleaning, metal cleaning, disinfectants)
- Vehicle maintenance (solvents, degreasers)
- Paint/Paint Equipment (coatings, stripping agents)
- Lamps (mercury, ballasts)
- Pesticides (integrated pest management)
Identify Trouble Chemicals:
USEPA has established a list of 17 common chemicals and metals targeted for elimination (see chart for details). There is also an initiative to reduce 12 persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals (PBTs), because of their serious health impacts (see chart for details).
Use Manufacturer's Labeling:
When evaluating products or their ingredients the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) can be a useful resource. The MSDS is prepared by the product's manufacturer and provides basic information on product ingredients, hazardous characteristics, health and safety impacts, as well as information on how to respond to spills, accidental contact, and other exposures.
Require Certification:
This is an opportunity to outsource to due diligence to a respected third party organization. GreenSeal is an example, they certify the environmental attributes of various products, and publish reports on each product. These reports address: importance of the product, environmental and financial savings possible, alternate approaches, purchasing criteria, recommendations of brands and models, sources for products, case histories showing benefits and recommended approaches. (3)
LEED Referenced Standards can also provide guidance for different product types. These include: CRI Green Label Plus (flooring systems), SCAQMD (adhesives/sealants), BIFMA International (furniture), Greenguard (furniture, electronics, cleaning), California Dept of Health VOC Policy. (4)
RATIONALE
A purchasing program can help to protect employee health and safety by reducing or eliminating the purchase of products whose ingredients are highly toxic, carcinogenic, flammable, or cause skin irritation, respiratory problems, or allergic reactions. You also can reduce the broader potential environmental impacts of chemicals that might end up in local wastewater systems or contribute to ozone depletion.
EFFORT REQUIRED
For products that already have an established labeling organization that monitors toxicity, this should not be a difficult task. But for products that do not have that structure, it can be much more difficult to determine the overall impacts of competing products.
BENEFIT
- Improved worker safety
- Reduced risk of environmental contamination
- Reduced disposal costs
RISKS
- Potential increase in upfront costs
- Need to research products to make sure they will perform comparably
ACTION AGENT(S)
- Environmental Programs Division
- Purchasing Division
- Public Works Division
- Engineering Division
- Fleet Maintenance Division
- City Council
COST
It will be different for every product, and depend on a city's strategic approach to large-scale toxicity issues. For example, integrated pest management can save a city money if efficiencies can be achieved by eliminating products.
A method of controlling pests through the coordinated use of knowledge about pests, the environment, and pest prevention and control methods to minimize hazards to people, property, and the environment.The used water from a home, community, farm, or industry that contains dissolved or suspended matter. Not fit for human consumption.Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to measure energy efficiency. It provides a standard for environmentally sustainable construction.The bulb or tube portion of an electric lighting device.
