Resources
In Alameda County, we strive to make efficient use of resources and not "reinvent the wheel." That's why we rely on third party standards whenever possible and look to other leading public agencies throughout the country to see what they are specifying. The Responsible Purchasing Network has put together a great summary* of resources and standards. Here is more information about some of the key resources we use.
Training
Climate Action through Purchasing - Check out this fun and informative animated training video to learn more about the importance of sustainable purchasing, and the tools and resources available to get started in developing your own program.
Resources
StopWaste is a public agency whose mission is to reduce the waste stream for Alameda County. They have developed a wide variety of tools to help public agencies green their purchases including product specific factsheets, detailed guidelines and policy templates.
Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN) is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to socially responsible and environmentally sustainable purchasing. While membership is required for some of their services, their in-depth webinars are free.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program provides information on Federal procurement guidelines, including the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines, which are commonly used to set minimum recycled content levels for products.
California's Guide for Sustainable Purchasing provides valuable information for agencies in California who want to implement their programs based on the State's regulations, policies, and standards, or who may be interested in piggybacking on these contracts.
EPPnet is a listserv dedicated to environmentally preferable purchasing that is managed by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC).