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Purchasing and Procurement
Cleaner Production and Pollution Prevention
Text copyright 2006,
Cleaner Production International LLC / www.cleanerproduction.com
Many people and organizations want to purchase environmentally friendly
products, and many companies want to produce them. Eco-labeling is used to identify such
products in the marketplace. Marketing "green" products has been controversial,
with a number of scandals associated with false claims for environmental performance. Some
governments have therefore established guidelines or rules for marketing environmentally
improved products.
Green purchasing, or Enviromentally Preferred Procurement as it is called by the
US Environmental Protection Agency, is becoming a policy in many governments and large and
small companies and organizations. This requires training and assistance for purchasing or
procurement managers.
The documents described here are guidelines and manuals for labeling of the
environmental attributes of products, using labels and claims in marketing, and purchasing
product using environmental criteria. These should be reviewed after studying the
documents on Design for Environment, which is the basis for producing products that
qualify for eco-labels and Environmentally Preferred Purchasing. The publications are
presented in a recommended order for review, beginning with overviews of approaches and
general frameworks.
Eco-Labeling
As part of its ISO 14000 series of environmental standards, the International
Standards Organisation has drawn up a group of standards specifically governing
environmental labeling. The ISO 14020 family covers three types of labeling schemes: 1.
Type I is a multi-attribute label developed by a third party; 2. Type II is a
single-attribute label developed by the producer; 3. Type III is an eco-label whose
awarding is based on a full life-cycle assessment. There are other substantial standards
in the 14020 family. They are copyright by ISO and so are not included here, but they
described in various books and also available for purchase from ISO.
- Consumer Labeling Initiative Report
US Environmental Protection Agency. 1996. 156 pages.
Findings of an extensive survey of consumer attitudes towards environmental and
safety labels on products. Important for understanding how consumers and purchasers regard
product claims.
- Environmental Labeling Issues, Policies, and Practices Worldwide
US Environmental Protection Agency. 1998. 322 pages.
Primary reference that includes definitions of types of eco-labels, examples of
eco-labeling programs around the world, and forces and trends shaping the future of
eco-labeling.
- Eco-Labelling: Actual Effects of Selected Programs
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. 1997. 81 pages.
Describes several programs and their effects after implementation.
- Eco-labeling Overview and Implications for Developing Countries
University of Cape Town. 2001. 10 pages.
Short description of types of eco-labeling and listing of selected programs, and
discussion of the international trade issues raised by the use of eco-labels.
- Guide for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims
US Federal Trade Commission. 100 pages. 1997
Regulation that describes various definitions of eco-labels and environmental
marketing claims and specifies how they may be used in USA commerce. Also includes many
examples and comments from interested public parties which provides a good overview of the
many complex issues in eco-labeling.
Environmental Purchasing
- Environmentally Preferred Purchasing General Training Toolkit
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2001. 100 pages.
Extensive but relatively basic introduction to green purchasing for companies and
agencies, with many examples.
- Business Guide to a Sustainable Supply Chain: A
Practical Guide
New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development. 2003.
Well-designed and practical guide.
- Integrating Green Purchasing Into Your Environmental
Management System.
US EPA. 2005. 70 pages.
This follows the elements of the ISO 14001 EMS standard and shows how
purchasing integrates into each one.
- Strengthening Implementation of Corporate Social
Responsibility in Global Supply Chains
The World Bank. 2003. 75 pages.
This reviews the progress in CSR among global supply networks, the
challenges, and the available options for improving CSR in supply chains.
- Green Purchasing Good Practice Guide
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. 2002. 55 pages.
Guide for local governments to use green purchasing in their operations. Includes
outline of a green purchasing "toolkit," case studies of several European local
governments, and steps for a local green purchasing program.
- Greener Public Purchasing: Issues and Possible Solutions
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. 2000. 112 pages.
Detailed report that covers the motivations and potential for green public
purchasing, core issues and obstacles, case studies of government green purchasing
programs, and a policy and implementation framework.
- The Lean and Green Supply Chain: A Practical Guide for Materials Managers
and Supply Chain Managers to Reduce Costs and Improve Environmental Performance
US Environmental Protection Agency. 2000. 58 pages.
Focus on materials management, with general coverage of motivation for greening the
supply chain, and a case study.
- Going Green Upstream: The Promise of Supplier Environmental Management
The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation. 2001. 55
pages.
Well-designed report on supply chain environmental management, with overview of
supply chain management concepts, examples of SCEM, and lessons learned.
- Supply Chain Strategy and Evaluation
The Centre for Sustainable Design. 2001. 131 pages.
Survey of supply chain environmental management in companies, with analysis,
lessons learned and issues for further research.
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