Purchasing and consumption

Get the Green Procurement Toolkit

From the California Sustainability Alliance website:

To help local governments improve their sustainability and reduce their environmental impacts, the California Sustainability Alliance has developed a guidebook for local governments thinking of adopting an environmentally-friendly procurement and purchasing plan. By weighing not only the purchase price of a product but also its full lifetime cost, green procurement policies can help local governments save money, create local green jobs and improve their environmental sustainability.

View the Green Procurement Toolkit (online)

Download the Green Procurement Guide (pdf)

San Francisco Shares Its Database for Green Purchasing

San Francisco’s Department of the Environment just made green purchasing easier for local governments nationwide. With the launch of SF Approved List, purchasing agents can view a database of more than 1,000 products that San Francisco staff have already vetted and deemed “green,” in terms of human health and safety, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions, recycled content, and other factors. Bookmark the site and save yourself potentially hours of research.

Products listed follow the Precautionary Principle and meet the City's strict standards for its environmentally preferable purchasing ordinance. The massive list includes everything from LED light bulbs and computer keyboard dusters to household cleaners, pesticides, and paints as well as banned products like styrofoam and bottled water. Much of the database originated from GoodGuide, a commercial purchasing guide, but City staff also conducted their own research and solicited more detailed information from companies about their products, making SF Approved List a more thorough resource compared to most commercial guides.