1. Life Cycle Cost Checklist for Purchasing Biobased Products Sueanne Pfifferling Presented to Federal Environmental Symposium East June 17, 2009

2. 2 Introduction Purchasing Biobased Products – What you need to consider Comparing Biobased and Non-Biobased Products – How to evaluate products Implementing a Simple Checklist Tool – How to select products

3. 3 Biobased Purchasing Requirements BioPreferred SM Program – USDA List of Designated Items – FAR Requirements – Exceptions Not Available Does Not Meet Performance Standard Unreasonably Costly – Initial Price ≠ Cost

4. 4 Biobased Versus Non-Biobased Products Look at cost of a product over its useful life Compare – performance per unit used – safety and health considerations – environmental impacts – end-of-life fate

5. 5 Life Cycle Checklist Simple Two-Page Tool – Includes a series of yes/no questions Performance Safety and health Environmental Disposal – Cites sources for answering the yes/no questions Material safety data sheets (MSDS) from the vendor Product literature provided by the vendor Product labels provided by the vendor Case studies from government agencies at http://www.biopreferred.gov/CaseStudies.aspx http://www.biopreferred.gov/CaseStudies.aspx Case studies from other sources (e.g. www.soybiobased.org)www.soybiobased.org

6. 6 Life Cycle Checklist - Performance Questions 1. Has the biobased product been successfully used at other federal facilities? 2. Will the biobased product perform the job at a lower usage rate or last longer during use? 3. Can the biobased product be used with existing equipment and procedures? 4. Will use of the biobased product lead to less equipment wear and/or reduced maintenance? 5. Does the biobased product offer any other performance benefits such as reduced product inventory, less energy to use, etc.

7. 7 Life Cycle Checklist - Safety and Health Questions 1. Is the biobased product less flammable? 2. Does the biobased product pose less exposure risk to employees in the form of irritation to skin, lungs or eyes? 3. Can the biobased product be used with less restrictive requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE)? 4. Is biobased product less volatile (less likely to evaporate) leading to less inhalation and/or odor irritation exposure to employees? 5. Are there any other known or perceived safety and health benefits of the biobased product such as the absence of toxic, hazardous or carcinogenic chemicals, etc.?

8. 8 Life Cycle Checklist - Environmental Questions 1. In the event of a spill to the environment, will the biobased product have less costly cleanup requirements and have less adverse impact due to more rapid biodegradability and less toxicity? 2. Is the biobased product free of ozone depleting substances (ODS), hazardous air pollutants (HAPS), and/or SARA Title III substances or does it contain a lower level of ODS, HAPS and/or SARA Title III substances than the alternate product? 3. Will the biobased product have less smog forming potential due to having a lower volatile organic compound content (VOC) content? 4. Will use of the biobased product support your agency's stated environmental procurement policies and objectives?

9. 9 Life Cycle Checklist - Disposal Questions 1. At the end of its usable life, will the biobased product be more readily recyclable than the alternate product? 2. If the used or left over product cannot be recycled, will the biobased product qualify to be handled under less stringent disposal requirements or other regulated management options such as burning or blending?

10. 10 Selecting Products “Yes” answers on the Checklist show benefits for the biobased products Review the value of these identified benefits – For example, you may determine that A gallon of the biobased product could clean twice the area as a gallon of the alternative The biobased product requires the use of less protective equipment when applied The biobased product does not produce an odor that employees find objectionable The cost of disposal is less for the biobased product Determine if the value of the benefits outweigh any initial purchase cost difference When completing the Checklist and selecting products consult with the product users and/or specifiers

11. 11 Where to Get a Copy of the Checklist Copies of the Two-Page Checklist and User Guide can be found at: http://www.soybiobased.org/lifecyclechecklist You can – download a PDF version, print it and fill out a hard copy, or – download an Excel version and fill it out electronically

12. 12 Contact Information Sueanne Pfifferling Consultant to the United Soybean Board sueanne@pfifferling.com 202-363-0334