Going Green Through Procurement

Executive Order 13101, Greening the Government through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition - 16 September 1998, instructs Agencies to ensure that preparation, implementation and monitoring of affirmative procurement programs are shared between program and acquisition and procurement personnel. Executive Order 13101 also instructs that "all purchases made pursuant to this order ... shall adjust solicitation guidelines as necessary in order to accomplish this goal." An executive order advising 'all solicitation guidelines' reflect green initiative practices is a serious consideration, so how are we shoring up to this executive command?

In June of 2008, Federal Programs were honored at the White House for Environmental Achievement. The winners' seeds of change included electronics stewardship, sustainable buildings, and energy and environmental design among other strides towards environmentally conscious project fulfillment. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), was just one of the awardees who demonstrated a commitment to bio-stewardship. The TSA alone choose to participate as a Gold-level partner in the FEC in 2007-2008. DHS, TSA and other awardees perform environmental awareness meeting and creating programs such as Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registration protocol (e.g., computer, monitor, and laptop, printer, copier, and fax machine green procurements). Invoking the EPEAT, TSA works with computer manufacturers to ensure computers and electronic components are either reused or recycled; additionally, the promotion of educational tools, employee literature development and best management practices including procurement and disposition of electronics in a sustainable manner has been both promoted and achieved.

The White House's, Closing the Circle Award Winners for 2008, deserve applause in their application of green initiatives through progressive procurement and acquisition practices. As President Bush's term in office comes to a close, we can commend leaders such as Joe Cascio, the Federal Environmental Executive, who rose to the occasion during his tenure in moving forward the President's environmental strategies:

The President has called on each of us to become aware, to participate and to contribute to environmental care, and for the Federal government to lead by example, be a good neighbor, and be a good steward for our natural resources. In that spirit, the Closing the Circle Awards recognize individuals, teams, and organizations that went that 'extra mile' and have answered the President's call.

The federal government should conduct environmental, transportation, and energy-related activities in support of agency missions in an environmentally, economically and fiscally sound, integrated, continuously improving, efficient, and sustainable manner.

To meet and exceed the government's green procurement initiatives, respondents to solicitations need apply 'green vision to solicitation compliance' more often than not.