WASHINGTON DC - The United States government has announced a raft of new sustainable procurement rules for buyers across all federal departments.
The new Sustainable Products and Services procurement rule includes requirements to prioritise sustainable products and services to the maximum extent possible. In particular, it directs agencies to follow the Environmental Protection Agency 's (EPA) 'Recommendations of specifications, standards, and ecolabels for federal purchasing', which provides recommendations across 34 purchase categories using more than 40 standards and labels, including labels such as EPA’s Energy Star, Safer Choice, and WaterSense programs.
In conjunction with the new procurement rules, the EPA has also announced it will undertake a new review and assessment of labels and standards across a number of categories including uniforms, clothing, healthcare, laboratories, professional services and food service ware.
