Environmental Requirements

State Purchasing - Environmental Requirements

Purchasing environmentally preferable products is an easy and effective way to protect the environment. Your demand for these ‘green’ products influences industry practices to conserve energy and natural resources. Environmentally preferable products are not hard to find. In fact, there are many such products available to state and local governments through Statewide Contracts. In some cases, there are laws or executive orders that require state agencies to purchase these products. In other cases, they are simply the best choice when cost, quality, and environmental considerations are taken into account. When the opportunity arises, we hope your agency will choose ‘green’!

Energy efficient products

Energy-efficient products allow Georgia agencies to minimize the impact on the environment since the reduced energy consumption saves natural resources and prevents pollution associated with electric utilities. Listed below are some of the energy efficient products that your agency can find on statewide contract.

	Alternative Fuel Vehicles on "Vehicles" Statewide Contract
	Energy Star Copiers on "Photocopy Machines (Purchase & Lease)" and "Digital & Color Copiers"
	Energy Star Computers on "Microcomputers & Peripherals"
	Energy Efficient Fax Machines on "Facsimile Machines"
	Energy Efficient "Heat Pumps"
	"Energy Saving Lamps & Ballasts"
For full information on products and energy consumption, visit the EPA Energy Star site

Life-cycle cost analysis

One of the most effective ways to purchase environmentally preferable items is to incorporate life cycle costing into your bidding practices. Unfortunately, government contracts are often awarded solely for the lowest purchase price. Since the initial purchase price may not reflect the recurring price of energy, operations and maintenance, government agencies can end up with a piece of equipment that costs much more in the long run than a product with a higher purchase price but lower life cycle costs. Agencies can avoid this predicament by using life cycle costing.

Life cycle costing computes all of the costs that are incurred during the equipment’s service life, and therefore assists agencies in purchasing the most efficient and durable products. Life cycle costing should always be considered when purchasing systems that consume energy. For example, refrigerators, dish washers, clothes washers, water heaters, air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, and boilers are good candidates for life cycle cost comparison to determine low bidder. Because life cycle costing highlights energy efficient technologies that have longer lifetimes, need fewer replacements, and thus require less time for maintenance, it enables government agencies to compare the full costs of ownership for various technologies on the market.

Life cycle costing is effective whether the formula is comprehensive or simple. Life cycle costing takes into account:

	initial costs: purchase price, freight and installation;
	training costs: preparing employees to use the equipment;
	energy cost: the annual cost of energy use;
	operation and maintenance costs: the annual and one-time costs of labor, parts and technological services;
	life: the length of time the equipment will be used by the agency;
	salvage value: the cash expected to be obtained from the sale of the product;
	disposal cost: the cost of the removal of the equipment;
	escalation rates: the estimated inflation rates of costs; and the
	discount rate: the rate at which future cash flows are brought back to the present to compare recent values of costs and savings.
Or, life cycle costing can also be a simple as the following formula...
	Initial Cost + Operation/Maintenance Costs + Energy Costs + Disposal Costs – Surplus Value
	= Life Cycle Cost

Products that prevent pollution

Air pollution has become a concern for citizens in Georgia. Believe it or not, it's not just Atlanta that suffers from air pollution problems. Augusta, Columbus, Macon, and the Georgia counties adjacent to Chattanooga also have air pollution levels that exceed federal standards. Now, state agencies can help to reduce air pollution by utilizing the following products available on statewide contract.

	Clean Fuel Vehicles on "Vehicles" Statewide Contract
	No Volatile Organic Compounds (No-VOC) Paint on “Paint, Interior- Exterior and Supplies” Statewide Contract

Recycled products & recycling services

Recycling has proven to save energy and natural resources. Yet, the cycle in recycling is not complete unless we buy recycled products. Recycled products are those that contain materials which have been recovered from the waste stream. Georgia law states,

It is declared to be the policy of the state of Georgia, in furtherance of its responsibility to protect and enhance the quality of its environment, to institute and maintain a comprehensive program for the procurement of products that contain recovered materials. The General Assembly finds that it is in the public interest for the state to create incentives that increase the demand for products manufactured with recovered materials. (Ga. L. 1993 p. 531)

Fluorescent Lamps and Ballast Recycling statewide contract provides for the provision of collection and disposal service of spent fluorescent lamps and ballasts per EPA guidelines..

United States EPA – Comprehensive Procurement Guideline

The Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG) program is part of EPA's continuing effort to promote the use of materials recovered from solid waste. Buying recycled-content products ensures that the materials collected in recycling programs will be used again in the manufacture of new products. Access the CPG web site

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