Environmentally-Preferable Purchasing:
Benefits for the Local Economy
1. PROMOTING EPP WILL HELP EXPAND AND DIVERSIFY THE LOCAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND TAX BASE
Making a formal commitment to EPP will encourage environmentally-friendly business or businesses with EPP products to expand their local presence or relocate here, making it even easier for citizens and other governments, institutions, and businesses to buy green. This will expand and diversify our business environment and tax base by attracting new types of businesses here to meet our demands for higher quality products. By furthering this type of purchasing activity, the County will act as a model for others in the community, leading them to purchase in the same way, which will, over time, further reduce the prices of these products and services.
2. MANY EPP PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE LOCALLY
Least-Toxic Products and Services
o Cleaning Products: many of the least-toxic cleaning products identified by Sustainable Sarasota for use by the County are available from our local vendors.
o Integrated Pest Management (IPM): the Florida House has a list of companies who offer this service both for the residential and commercial sector. This EPP service is already performed by Facilities Maintenance staff inside and outside all County facilities.
Recycled Products
o Knoll, Inc. Office Systems: several locally-available product lines contain high percentages of recycled materials, including steel, plastic, and fabric. These products will furnish the new Twin Lakes Office Complex.
o Florida House has a long list of local businesses who sell a variety of products made from recycled materials. Sustainable Sarasota can also be of assistance in this area.
Low-VOC’s Products
o Knoll, Inc.: Several of their office system lines contain almost no VOC’s, including in the coatings, adhesives, and the Knoll Textiles which are awaiting certification from GreenGuard for meeting the highest indoor air quality standards. Also, these products are produced in factories producing the lowest levels of VOC’s.
o Low or No-VOC’s Paint is readily available from most well known national brands including Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, and Coronado.
Products made from Renewable Resources
o Florida House showcases many of these products and provides information of where to purchase them locally. These products include flooring made from bamboo, natural linoleum, and cork.
“Green” Builders
o WCI Communities
o Pruitt Homes
o And Many More!!
Environmental Landscape Management (ELM) or Xeriscaping
o Florida House and the Cooperative Extension Service provide an extensive listing of area businesses who offer these services or nurseries who sell native plants, and also provides assistance and information for those who wish to “do it themselves”.
o The Florida Native Plant Society offers an extensive listing of nurseries and businesses that sell native plants or offer xeriscaping services.
3. EMPLOYMENT EFFECTS OF GREEN PURCHASING
The following quote is from the Opening Speech of the EU Conference on Environment and Employment, but the premise is transferable to the U.S. and its various progressive states and municipalities.
"The inclusion of environmental concerns in public procurement policies can spur innovation and the production of environmentally friendly products and services, thereby stimulating job creation. Public authorities in Member States increasingly pay attention to the environmental dimension of their purchasing policy since some national governments have introduced environmental requirements for items such as paper and tropical hardwood and set restrictions on the disposal of construction, demolition and packaging waste. Other governments will only accept suppliers of goods and services who have an environmental management scheme." (Bjerregaard)
4. BY PRACTICING EPP, AREA BUSINESSES WILL REAP THE SAME BENEFITS AS CASE STUDY EXAMPLES
For the same reasons that the businesses and governments in the case study examples did, area businesses should consider implementing EPP practices for they will reap the same benefits related to reduced operating costs, increased productivity, and enhanced public image and marketing strategies. |