Environmentally Preferable Purchasing

ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING

Lisa DuludeOffice of Energy & SustainabilitySnohomish County Executive’s Office

Snohomish County’s Lessons Learned

Tips for Getting Started1. Support from the top• Executive level support• Presentations and

communication with Council early on about why the EPP is important

2. Make the case• Multiple lenses:

economy, environment, equity

Tips for Getting Started3. Policy

Development• No need to ‘reinvent

the wheel’• What are the

‘triggers’ and ‘caps’ for your policy?

Does it apply to all purchases?

Only purchases over a certain amount?

Our EPP applies to all goods, services, and construction

It ain’t easy being green!

Tips for Getting Started3. Policy Development• Balancing price, performance, and the environment • Will you be collecting and tracking ‘green purchasing’

data?• How will the policy be enforced and to what extent?• Emphasis on Life Cycle Cost Assessments (LCCAs)

LCCA means “the evaluation of the total cost of an item to the County over its estimated useful life, including costs of selection, acquisition, operation, maintenance, and where applicable, disposal, as far as these costs can reasonably be determined, minus the salvage value at the end of its estimated useful life.”

Existing Halogen Bulbs

LED Bulbs (replacement)

Year 1: Purchase & Installation Cost

$2,465 $13,985

Annual Energy Savings (kwh)

x 55, 245

Annual Energy Cost Savings

x $4,420

Lifetime Maintenance Cost

$4,500 $225

Lifetime Replacement Cost

$44,800 $13,760

Lifetime Energy Cost $128,000 $21,760Total Lifetime Cost Savings

x $141,555

Provide FlexibilityExcerpt from Section 8a of EPP: Non-toxic and Least

Harmful Chemicals Toxic chemicals that should not be purchased in any product or

service include, but are not limited to: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs); Persistent bio-accumulative toxins (PBTs); Formaldehyde (often found in paint, carpeting, adhesives,

furniture, and casework); Endocrine disrupters such as:

◦ Flame retardants (e.g. polybromide diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)◦ Pesticides◦ Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)◦ Surfactants (contain nonylphenols)◦ Epoxy (contain Bisphenol A)◦ Plastics (many contain phthalates and Bisphenol A)◦ Toxics such as lead, asbestos, and mercury; and◦ The County will reduce or eliminate the purchase and use of

products that contribute to the formation of dioxins and furans.

Provide Flexibility1. Balancing NeedsSection 1 & Section 5: Nothing in the policy shall be construed as requiring the procurement of products or services that do not perform adequately for their intended use, exclude adequate competition, or are not available at a reasonable price or in a reasonable period of time.

2. Greatest Extent Feasible Section 1 & Section 8:All of the Guidelines set forth in Section 8 of this policy shall be met to the greatest extent feasible and practicable for the purchase of products and services.

ImplementationPhased approach• “Warm-up” period

through the end of the year• New form next year

to be submitted with purchase requests• Finding/developing

language for bids, specs, contracts, etc.

Implementation ToolsCounty’s Green Product

Resource GuideEPP “All Hands” training (Intro

to Green Purchasing)Internal green purchasing site

with additional resources listed

Implementation Tools

Next Steps…2014: New form(s) with specific EPP

questions that must answeredIndividual department meetings and

trainings ◦Working with departments to select a 3-5 items

(goods and/or services) to start◦Office products & bids, specs, contract language

Continued work with departments and offices ◦Incorporating EPP into bids, specs, and contract

language◦Getting more familiar with resources and tools

Thank You!

Lisa DuludeSnohomish CountyEnergy and Sustainable Development [email protected]