Buying Green Goods
The page features a list of goods that are either inherently green, or have a reliable environmental standard, certification or specification associated with them.
View the item and you’ll find some or all of the following:
- Description of primary relevant environmental consideration(s)
- An environmental or sustainable certification or standard, and/or specification (copy and paste into your Invitation to Quote (learn about an ITQ in the Purchasing Handbook)
- Recycling / disposal information
This database is always growing – please check back.
If you can’t find it here, and you want to survey the market and find out what’s out there - use this questionnaire as a starting point. Please let us know what you find out, and help build our database.
These environmental specifications do not take price premiums or availability into consideration – they do not imply that the products are readily available throughout the Province of B.C., nor that certified products are equal in price to those that are not.
In addition the specifications only address environmental considerations which do not supersede performance or other business requirements.
Tip: If you do not know whether greener options exist that meet all other requirements (performance, cost, availability), or if you want to know what (if any) price premium there might be, then ask for one quote without the environmental criteria, and an alternative quote that meets all specifications including the environmental criteria.
Adhesives
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT PURCHASERS
Government’s computer software is purchased and managed centrally. Software is purchased by license, and is electronically delivered. For more information please visit Shared Services BC Technology Services webpage.
OTHER PURCHASERS
Environmental Considerations
- Packaging
Greener Options
- Purchase by license and have software electronically delivered;
- Purchase bulk licenses on single disk.
Related keywords – glue, epoxy
Environmental Considerations
- Reduction of toxics and/or ozone depleting substances
Specifications / Environmental Certifications or Standards
Adhesives must be:
- EcoLogo certified; or
- Greenguard certified; or
- Green Seal certified; and/or
- Lowest volatile organic content (VOC) emissions available in adhesive type; and
- Urea Formaldehyde free.
Appliances
Related keywords – refrigerator, freezer, stove, oven, clothes washer, clothes dryer, furnace
Environmental Considerations
- Energy conservation
Specifications / Environmental Certifications or Standards
Appliances must be:
- Energy Star certified
Asphalt
Related keywords – pavement, road surface
Environmental Considerations
- Energy conservation.
Specifications / Environmental Certifications or Standards
Asphalt stockpiles must be tarped prior to production to reduce moisture content.
Batteries
Environmental Considerations
- Diversion of toxics from landfill.
Specifications / Environmental Certifications or Standards
None known
Greener Options
- Purchase rechargeable over disposable batteries to reduce waste.
Disposal Information
- Recycle batteries through Call2Recycle.
Batteries - rechargeable
Environmental Considerations
- Diversion of toxics from landfill.
Specifications / Environmental Certifications or Standards
- Rechargeable batteries must be EcoLogo certified.
Disposal Information
- Recycle rechargeable batteries through Call2Recycle.
Books
Environmental Considerations
- Forest stewardship
- Recycled/recyclable materials
- Diversion from landfill
Specifications / Environmental Certifications or Standards
- Books must be printed on EcoLogo, FSC, SFI or CSA Z809 forest stewardship certified paper and cover stock, preferably post consumer recycled stock.
- Printing inks must be vegetable based and/or low VOC.
- Binding glues must be water based.
Disposal Information
- Donate good condition books to second hand stores.
- Recycle soft cover books in your blue recycling bin.
- Hard cover books have dense covers which can make them difficult to recycle. Some recycling depots accept them for recycling - to find out if a facility in your area accepts hard cover books, visit the Recycling Depot of BC’s on-line Recyclepedia. If recycling options for hard cover books do not exist, the covers can be removed and the inner pages recycled as mixed waste paper. (Recycling Depot of BC)
Cleaning Supplies
Related keywords – Cleaning supplies, Paper Towel, Toilet Tissue, Liquid Soap, Napkins, Garbage Bags
Environmental Considerations
- Toxins
- Packaging
Shop at Product Distribution Centre first for EcoLogo certified biodegradable cleaning products. If you can’t find it there, use the Corporate Supply Arrangement for Cleaning Equipment and Supplies, and ask for EcoLogo or Green Seal certified products.
If you have to shop outside of Supply Services with your Purchasing Card, ask for EcoLogo or Green Seal cleaning products, and look for the following packaging attributes:
- Bulk packaging;
- Soft plastic (LDPE) packaging over hard (HDPE); and/or
- Packaging with post consumer recycled content.
Specifications / Environmental Certifications or Standards
Cleaning products must be:
- EcoLogo or Green Seal certified where certification exists in product type;
Packaging must:
- Be soft plastic (LDPE); or
- Contain post consumer recycled content.
Computer Hardware
Related keywords – desktops, monitors, personal computers, lap tops, tablets
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT PURCHASERS
- Completed in 2009, Upgrade 2 replaced workstations across government with Energy Star models. New laptops and tablets are EPEAT Silver certified.
- Government’s computer hardware is purchased and managed centrally. For more information please visit the Shared Services BC Technology Services webpage.
OTHER PURCHASERS
Environmental Considerations
- Reduction of toxics and/or ozone depleting substances
- Energy conservation
- Recycled / recyclable materials
- Packaging
Specifications / Environmental Certifications or Standards
Desktops, laptops and monitors must be:
- Energy Star qualified; and
- EPEAT Silver certified.
Packaging must be:
- Retrieved and reused or recycled by the supplier; or
- Made of >50% post consumer recycled content; and
- Readily recyclable in BC.
Computer Software
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT PURCHASERS
- Government’s computer software is purchased and managed centrally. Software is purchased by license, and is electronically delivered. For more information please visit the Shared Services BC Technology Services webpage.
OTHER PURCHASERS
Environmental Considerations
- Packaging
Greener Options
- Purchase by license and have software electronically delivered;
- Purchase bulk licenses on single disk.
Furniture (systems furniture, seating, case goods, filing)
Related keywords – case goods, chairs, desks, bookshelves, filing cabinets, panels
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT PURCHASERS
- Furniture requirements under $1,000 should be purchased directly through the Corporate Supply Arrangements.
- Furniture requirements over $1,000 must be directed to SSBC, Workplace Support Services.
Furniture sold through the CSAs will be:
- GreenGuard or SCS Indoor Air Advantage certified; and
- Independently third-party certified as compliant with the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard at level® 1, or
- Certified C2C Silver.
In the event there are not more than two Offerors with level® 1 or C2C Silver certification on a required type of product, the requirement for certification on the affected product type(s) may be waived.
Environmental Considerations
- Reduction of toxics and/or ozone depleting substances
- Energy conservation
- Recycled / recyclable materials
- Packaging
- Diversion of toxics from landfill
Specifications / Environmental Certifications or Standards
Where available in product type, systems furniture, case goods and seating must be:
- GreenGuard or SCS Indoor Air Advantage certified; and
- Level Certified (specify Level 1, 2 or 3), OR;
- C2C Certified (specify Silver, Gold or Platinum).
Multifunction Devices
Related keywords – facsimile machine, fax, photocopier, printer, scanner
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT PURCHASERS
Core government organizations are required to obtain secure MFD services through Shared Services BC.
BC PUBLIC SECTOR PURCHASERS
Use the Corporate Supply Arrangement for multifunction devices.
Environmental Considerations
- Energy and paper consumption
- Hazardous Substances
Specifications / Environmental Certifications or Standards
Multifunction device must be EcoLogo certified and Energy Star qualified.
Small Engines
Related keywords – ATVs, all terrain vehicles, snowmobiles
Environmental Considerations
New technologies are on the marketplace - read the report before buying this product.
