North Atlantic Area

Affirmative Procurement

“Good stewardship of the environment is not just a personal responsibility, it is a public value.”
President George W. Bush
“A healthy environment leads to a healthy agriculture and forest system”
Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman

United States Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service

North Atlantic Safety, Occupational Health, and Environmental Office
Eastern Regional Research Center
600 East Mermaid Lane
Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038

Environmentally Friendly
Purchasing
For the
North Atlantic Area

United States Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service

EMS Team Contacts
215-233-6592 B DiSalvo
304-725-3451 G Davis
607-255-8849 K Moh
607-255-8849 K Moh

Tel: 215-233-6592

What is Affirmative Procurement

Affirmative procurement (AP) is the purchase of environmentally preferable products. The first group of products AP is concerned with are those that are manufactured from recycled and reclaimed materials. These products are identified by EPA in their Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) and are known as “Guideline Items.” There are currently 54 designated Guideline Items grouped into eight categories.
The original intent of AP was to “close the recycling loop” by buying products made with recycled materials. When Executive Order (EO) 13101 was signed on 14 Sep 1998, it broadened this concept to include other types of environmentally preferable purchasing. And Congress reinforced EO 13101’s call for biobased product purchasing by making it a legal requirement, in the Farm Bill of 2002.
Biobased products are commercial or Industrial products, other than food or feed, that utilize biological products or renewable domestic agricultural or forestry materials. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has responsibility for this part of the program. USDA must develop and publish the initial biobased product list. Once they do this, we will have one year from the date of the final rule to include biobased products in our existing affirmative procurement programs.
Since EO 13101 takes its legal authority from the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) Section 6002, AP requirements follow the RCRA requirements. We must have:
· a preference program, where the Area
formally establishes its preference to buy
recycled-content products;
· a promotion program, in which we educate
Area personnel and actively promote the
AP program;
· procedures for vendor estimates,
certifications and verification –
accomplished through contract clauses;
· an annual monitoring and review program.
More specific program requirements are spelled out in these references:
· 40 CFR 247
· EPA Comprehensive Procurement
Guidelines
· Public Law 107-171, Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002
· Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 23
· NAA Environmental Management Program · NAA Affirmative Procurement Program
program requirements in detail, and gives ideas for operating affirmative procurement program.
The North Atlantic Area’s “A Guide to Green Purchasing” was published in 2004. It describes The Guide is available for download at:
http://www.arserrc.gov/NAASafety/
http://staffonly.ba.ars.usda.gov/sohes

What is required for a North Atlantic Area Affirmative Procurement program?

The Affirmative Procurement Guide

Resources

EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) and Recovered Material Advisory Notices (RMAN):
http://www.epa.gov/cpg/backgrnd.htm
EPA CPG Product Information and Fact Sheets:
http://www.epa.gov/cpg/factshts.htm
USDA biobased industrial products web site: http://www.usda-biobasedproducts.net
Office of the Environmental Executive’s green purchasing web site:
http://www.ofee.gov/gp/gp.htm