Environmental Requirements for State Contracting What’s Required for Connecticut Executive Branch State Agencies?

From this presentation you will learn: EPP – what is it; why participate? The basics of Life-Cycle cost analysis What’s required by state statute? – Recycled paper – EPA CPGs Additional Resources you can use – Energy Star – Green Seal – EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines

What is Environmentally Preferable Purchasing? AKA: Green Purchasing, Eco-Procurement, Sustainable Purchasing, Affirmative Purchasing Purchasing practices that utilize your economic resources in a manner that conserves the sources of the commodities you buy

Benefits of EPP Reduce ghg emissions (Climate Change) and Acid Rain Respond to Public Demand Address Social Equity Improve Air and Water Quality Preserve and Restore Habitat

Benefits of EPP $ Increase Waste Reduction, Reuse and Recycling $ Save Energy $ Conserve Water $ Improve Employee Health $ Reduce Environmental Liability

Sustainability and Good Governance “Embedded Climate Risk” has been identified as a serious danger to the long-term productivity of the global economy. Beginning to greatly influence financial markets across the globe. Dow Jones Sustainability Index – Economic, social, and environmental criteria

CGS § 4a-67h - EPP Defined “…products, services or practices [that] have a lesser or reduced negative affect on human health and the environment when compared to competing products, services or practices that serve the same function.”

CGS § 4a-67h Amended by P.A … References to reducing Global Warming Impact In accordance with CT’s Climate Change Action Plan CTclimatechange.com Monitor the use of EPPs by CT State Agencies

EPP Evaluates Product Lifecycle (or cost-effectiveness) “…taking into consideration the raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance or disposal aspects of the product…”

Life-Cycle Cost Analysis What is it? State Statutes require the use of Life-Cycle Cost Analysis to justify product purchase Addresses the issue of is “lowest cost” really costing the state the least? Utilizes readily available information to determine how much a product actually costs the state to buy, run, and dispose of.

Life-Cycle Cost Analysis The Basics Life Cycle Cost = Initial Cost + Usage Cost + Disposal Cost That’s it!

Life-Cycle Cost Analysis Example – Light Duty Vehicles Initial Cost Residual Value 5 Years Fuel CostCost Over 5 Years Vehicle A$12,00033%$818$12,130 Vehicle B$10,00015%$964$13,320

Executive Branch State Agencies – What’s required by CT State Statutes 30% Post Consumer Waste, Recycled Content Paper Recycled Content Products

What’s Required Paper CGS § 4a-67f “…the Commissioner of DAS shall revise the specifications for printing and writing paper purchased by the State to…incorporate the standards … provided for in federal Executive Order...”

And, it’s not just copy paper… Offset paper Forms bond File folders Envelopes Uncoated printing and writing papers Book paper

Conflicting Requirements… How can we do better?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Paper Use Reduction Plan If we don’t use it, we don’t have to buy or dispose of it!

Some Paper Use Statistics The average American office worker uses a sheet of paper every 12 minutes – a ream every 2 ½ working weeks. The number of pages consumed in U.S. offices grows by about 20% each year. The introduction of resulted in a 40% increase in paper consumption. Per capita U.S. paper consumption is over 6 times greater than the world average. 25% greater than in Japan, the world’s 2 nd largest consumer of paper.

Why Buy Recycled Paper? 1.2 million acres of U.S. forest is cleared every year Pulp and paper mills produce approximately 245,000 metric tons of air pollutants/year Paper manufacturing is the 5 th largest industrial consumer of energy. Producing one ton of paper uses 98 tons of various resources. Paper is the single largest component of municipal solid waste – about 38%!

Why Buy Recycled Paper? Transportation – from forest to mill; from mill to company; from company to you. Global warming – every stage of paper production, from the cutting of trees to disposal adds to greenhouse gas emissions. It’s required!

Is it possible to offset the cost of buying recycled paper by duplexing?

Determining Program Potential 734 x 0.5* = 367 # reams used/month x # reams not eligible for duplexing = reams possible to 2-side 367 ÷ 2 = reams possible to save by duplexing * 0.5 (50%) = 30% standard allowance for docs already 2-sided, 1-sided docs, and docs needed as 1-sided + 20% (DAS only) Print Shop allowance for docs already requested as 2-sided

Program Potential reams possible to save by duplexing x 2.33 cost/ream recycled content paper $ total cost for recycled paper x.13 6% price increase for recycled/ream $55.58 total extra cost for recycled $ – $55.58 = $ DAS monthly savings potential from duplexing while buying recycled content paper

Applying a Paper Reduction Strategy in Your Office… Simply making an effort to duplex documents can save you money while protecting Natural Resources!

Paper-Saving Strategies Decrease standard margin size to 0.75” Use half-sheets Edit on screen Use “Print Preview” function Reformat your document

Paper-Saving Strategies Copier Default to Duplex PC Preferences to Duplex Designate a “draft drawer” for paper used on one side Use one-sided print for scratch pads

What’s Required – Recycled Content Products CGS § 4a-67a “The Commissioner of DAS shall revise the specifications for products and materials purchased by the state for which the United States Environmental Protection Agency has guidelines for minimum recycled content to incorporate such minimum guidelines.”

EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPGs) First CPGs issued in 1995 in response to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirement for federal procuring agencies to buy recycled content products. CPGs updated every 2 years. CPG research includes content as well as quality, availability, and cost.

What Products Have EPA CPG Specifications? Construction Products Landscaping Products Nonpaper Office Products Paper and Paper Products Park and Recreation Products Transportation Products Vehicular Products Miscellaneous Products

Balance… Specific circumstances that may preclude the purchase of recycled content products: Price is unreasonable Inadequate supply Unreasonable delay Product does not meet reasonable agency specifications

EPA CPGs Website with Specifications and Language available at:

Energy Star Website life-cycle cost analysis language interesting facts on energy use

EPP Products and Services Available on DAS State Contracts Recycled content copy paper and office supplies Recycled content traffic cones Re-manufactured ink cartridges Re-refined oil products IPM Fluorescent lamp disposal Printers, Copiers and PCs Retread tires Carpeting Recycled antifreeze And much more

Helping You Try Something New The EPP Program can assist you in greening your procurement activities by: Identifying and researching environmentally preferable products and services Establishing environmental specifications Evaluating products Providing education and training

Thank-you! Questions? Please submit any questions to: DAS Procurement Services DAS Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (860) to: