Best Practice Action 15.8
GreenStep City Best Practices: Environmental Management
Sustainable Purchasing No. 15
Adopt environmentally preferable purchasing policies and practices to improve health and environmental outcomes.
Best Practice Action Detail
Best Practice Action 8
Use national green standards/guidelines for purchasing/investments such as cleaning products, furniture, flooring/coatings.
- See additional purchasing actions and resources in the GreenStep best practices for New Green Buildings, Outdoor Lighting and Signals, City Fleets, and Parks & Trails (related to purchasing native plants, pollinator-friendly plants).
- Cities are able to purchase products on contracts that we consider 100% sustainable through Minnesota's Cooperative Purchasing Venture.
- See a number of product categories on the CPV and links to national standards, including: the BIFMA Furniture Sustainability Standard; the Healthier Hospitals Healthier Interiors criteria (Tier One products via the CPV contract F-379(5); GreenSeal and GREENGUARD (covering paints, cleaners, and flooring); UL EcoLogo (cleaners); US EPA's Safer Choice.
- FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) product standards.
- USDA Organic food standard
- See standards, specifications, policies and more for cleaners from the Responsible Purchasing Network. The Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council provides some resources as well. Additional programs can be found on the MPCA's sustainable government purchasing page.
- Carpet Standards from the Carpet and Rug Institute. Carpet and flooring on state contract C-432(5) must meet specific sustainability standards and can be used by CPV members, including cities.
- See bills, resolutions and policies for moving city banking/investments to community banks and credit unions. Relevant to city investments (cash, bonds, pensions) see Divestment from Fossil Fuels: A Guide for City Officials and Activists from the Mayors Innovation Project based in Madison, WI. Employee support for organizations that protect, conserve and restore Minnesota’s environment can be facilitated via payroll deductions through organizations such as the MN Environmental Fund.
- The city of St. Cloud specifies ductile iron pipe for drinking water mains due to its strength, lifespan, long-term cost savings, ability to be thawed using electric current, and its elimination of any potential (as PVC pipes have) to leach carcinogens into the public water supply. St. Cloud uses the SMaRT certification standard of the Institute for Market Transformation, which incorporates human health concerns and full life-cycle assessment, and is ANSI accredited. Ductile pipe and other MTS-certified products are allowable innovation credits under LEED.
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List the categories for which the city has adopted standards/guidelines: wood products / bio-based products (including compostable serviceware; organic food; cleaning products; less/non-toxic pesticides/herbicides; paints, coatings and adhesives; carpets, flooring; furniture (especially remanufactured). Report EPEAT and paper under 15.1, WaterSense under 15.4, PIM/Green Printing under 15.6, street lighting/traffic signal purchasing under action 4.2; vehicles under 13.2 & 13.3 |
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Report the environmental/cost benefits of using purchasing standards; move city banking to community banks and credit unions; facilitate employee support for organizations that protect, conserve and restore Minnesota’s environment via payroll deductions. |
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Shift investments/pension funding from fossil fuels to renewables; specify ductile iron pipe for city drinking water system. |
Who's doing it
Maplewood -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
In Maplewood's Environmental Purchasing Policy, it specifies the use of state and national green standards/guidelines for purchasing cleaning products, paints, coatings and adhesives, carpets, and paper products.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Shann Finwall (City staff) | shann.finwall@maplewoodmn.gov | 651-249-2304
Partners:
Greenstep Advisor
Melissa Peck, Sustainable Purchasing Specialist, MN Pollution Control Agency: 651/757-2343, melissa.peck@state.mn.us, www.pca.state.mn.us/epp