What is sustainable procurement?
Sustainable procurement, also referred to as “green procurement,“ is the affirmative selection and acquisition of products and services that most effectively minimize negative environmental impacts over their life cycle of manufacturing, transportation, use and recycling or disposal. Examples of sustainble characteristics include products and services that conserve energy and water, minimize generation of waste and releases of pollutants; products made from recycled materials and that can be reused or recycled; energy from renewable resources such as biobased fuels, solar and wind power; alternate fuel vehicles; and products using alternatives to hazardous or toxic chemicals, radioactive materials and biohazardous agents.
Why is green purchasing so important at NIH?
The NIH directly spends billions of dollars on goods and services. Its contractors and grantees spend even more. On a larger scale the Federal government spends more than $200 billion on goods and services each year. Both the Congress and the President have directed Federal Agencies to be good stewards of the environment by preventing pollution and conserving energy and natural resources. The laws, regulations and executive orders they have issued relating to sustainble procurement affirm their recognition of the critical importance of “greening” the Federal procurement process to meet and lead the Nation’s environmental stewardship goals.
Buying green helps to:
- Improve safety and health of our patients, workers and the public
- Reduce pollution and conserve natural resources and energy
- Develop new, more environmentally friendly products
- Stimulate new markets for recycled materials and create jobs Improve awareness of environmental stewardship
- Protect the research mission
- Provide potential cost savings
- Reduce liabilities
- Comply with environmental laws and regulations
As a world leader in biomedical research and a major purchaser of related supplies and services, the NIH is in a unique position to foster research and development of environmentally friendly products for use in scientific and medical applications. If applied to the much larger national health care enterprise, these innovations may have significant long term, positive impacts on the national or global environment.
The Division of Environmental Protection encourages all NIH components to “buy green.” Here we answer some common questions about sustainable procurement and provide resources and references to assist procurement officials.
What types of acquisitions need to be green?
According to FAR Part 23, agencies shall procure sustainable products and services to the maximum extent practicable.
Procuring sustainable products and services is considered practicable, unless the agency cannot acquire products or services—
- Competitively within a reasonable performance schedule;
- That meet reasonable performance requirements; or
- At a reasonable price.
Sustainable procurement requirements pertain to all applies to all contract actions, including those for the acquisition of commercial products, including commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) items, and commercial services and acquisitions valued at or below the micro-purchase threshold.
Regarding products under contract actions for services or construction, contractors shoould provide sustainable products and services, if the products are:
- Delivered to the Government;
- Furnished by the contractor for use by the Government;
- Incorporated into the construction of a public building or public work; or
- Acquired by the contractor for use in performing services under a Government contract where the cost of the products is a direct cost to a Government contract (versus costs which are normally applied to a contractor's general and administrative expenses or indirect costs).
What products are subject to sustainable procurement requirements and where can we find additional information on these?
The products currently subject to sustainable procurement requirements are listed below along with links to the latest information resources. Additional products will be added to this list as designated by Federal laws and regulations.