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Sustainable Marketplace: Greener Products and Services

Recommendations: Update History

This page lists changes to the Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing webpages.

July 2020​

  • Aligned with updates to the FY2021 DOE GreenBuy Award Program, Priority Products list by adding the following recommended standards and ecolabels:
    • UL 2795 (Standard for Sustainability for Carpet and Upholstery Care Products) to the “Cleaners: Carpet, Glass and Multipurpose” category.
    • Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), Certified Compostable to the “Wastebasket Liners” category.
    • Green SealTM 34 (Standard for Cleaning and Degreasing Agents) and Ecologo/UL 2792 (Standard for Cleaning and Degreasing Compounds: Biologically-based) to a new category “Machine Shop Operations,” sub-category “Parts Wash Solution”.
    • e-Stewards® Standard for Responsible Reuse and Recycling of Electronics Equipment© (e-Stewards®) and Responsible Recycling (R2) standard to a new category under “Electronics” for “Electronics Recycling Services”.
    • EPEAT (highest rating available) to a new “Servers” subcategory under “Electronics”.
  • Aligned with updates to GSA’s Public Building Service, Key Sustainable Products list by adding the following standard/ecolabel:
    • Ecologo/UL 175 (Standard for Sustainability for Sanitary Paper Products) to the “toilet tissue” and “towels- paper” categories.

January 2020

  • Removed Floorscore from the "Carpet" category. In consultation with SCS, it was confirmed that this ecolabel is not applicable in this category and it had been added in error.

July 2019

To align with the Implementing Instructions for Executive Order 13834 on Efficient Federal Operations (issued April 2019), the following updates were made:

  • Added logos for each recommended private sector standard/ecolabel to provide some visual clarity.
  • Added links to lists of products certified under each standard/ecolabel to help federal purchasers quickly and easily find products that meet the sustainability recommendations for each category.
  • Added links to directions on how to access the standards/ecolabel criteria under each product category to help federal purchasers more easily find this information.
  • Updated language to indicate that the Recommendations are a tool for helping federal purchasers identify environmentally preferable products - including products that meet statutory requirements - but are no longer mandatory guidance for federal purchasers.

June 2018

  • Removed the Lumber/Wood product category. 

February 2018

  • Updated the format of the Recommendations to increase clarity and respond to stakeholder feedback.
  • Mobile Phones has been added to the "Electronics" product category.

December 2017

  • As had been communicated on the website since early 2017, the indoor air quality/VOC specification for furniture was changed from ANSI/BIFMA X7.1 Standard for Formaldehyde and TVOC Emissions, or equivalent to BIFMA e3 criterion 7.6.2, or equivalent. 

June 14, 2017

  • Edited the recommendation of UL standards to also reference UL’s Ecologo certification in the following product categories (cafeteria, construction, custodial, and office/furniture) to better align with DOE’s GreenBuy Program and GSA’s Key Sustainable Products.

March 7, 2017

  • Updated format of recommendations to further clarify differences between applicable statutory requirements and applicable EPA programs.
  • Added a specification regarding indoor air quality/emissions in the furniture product category to address a potential gap in the recommended multi-attribute standards.
  • Updated recommendations to reflect the outcome of new assessments in the carpet & interior latex paints product categories. 

December 19, 2016

  • Updated recommendations to reflect EPA’s assessment of standards and ecolabels submitted for review in these categories: furniture, flooring, and paints/coatings.
  • Improved the format of the recommendations for all product categories.
  • Responded to stakeholder input and technical input from EPA’s Office of Indoor Air regarding appropriate VOC emissions criteria and available conformity assessment bodies providing assessment against this criteria in the following product categories:
    • Adhesives;
    • Carpet;
    • Ceiling Tiles-Acoustical;
    • Fiberboard, Gypsum Panels, and Wallboard;
    • Flooring- Tile, Resilient, and other Non-Carpet;
    • Insulation;
    • Interior Latex Paint;
    • Furniture.
  • Aligned with updates to the FY2017 DOE Priority Products List by adding Commercial Dishwashing Detergent and by removing two product categories: Toner Cartridges and Parts Wash Solution for Machine Shop Operations.

August 1, 2016

  • Added contact information on how to send suggestions about the EPA Interim Recommendations. Please contact EPP@epa.gov.

June 27, 2016

  • Added a tab titled "Accessing Standards" with detailed instructions for US federal government employees on how to access the recommended standards free of charge.

November 10, 2015

Updated the webpage and the PDF version of the recommendations to correctly indicate CPG and BioPreferred requirements in the following product categories:

  • Adhesives (removed reference to BioPreferred – no current BioPreferred requirement for this product category)
  • Carpet (added reference to BioPreferred, deleted reference to "nylon" in first column and added reference to "commercial" in fourth column)
  • Fiberboard (added reference to CPG requirements)
  • Flooring (added reference to BioPreferred requirements for non-carpet floor coverings)
  • Insulation (added reference to CPG on the webpage to align with information in the PDF version)
  • Paint (added reference to CPG on the webpage to align with information in the PDF version)
  • Wastebasket Liners (added reference to BioPreferred requirements)

September 25, 2015

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