PA Environment Digest

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl this week introduced legislation to City Council which proposes that procurement specialists not only look toward pricing and performance criteria, but also environmental impact, when making purchasing decisions.

Adoption of the proposed environmentally preferred purchasing practices will require that the City chooses products that have minimal impact on the environment, including energy-efficient appliances, products that contain the maximum level of post-consumer recycled content, and products that are both durable and reusable.

"The City of Pittsburgh is committed to the stewardship of the environment, and intends to reduce the environmental impacts of purchasing actions by buying goods and services from manufacturers and vendors that share our same commitment to the environment," said Ravenstahl.

The proposed EPP Policy does not identify specific products, but rather sets standards for the most commonly purchased goods such as printers and light bulbs. Examples include Energy Star certification for appliances, percentage of recycled content for paper products, and Green Seal certification, a measure of toxicity, for products like paint and glues.

"The new proposed green policy actually has the ability to save the City money," Ravenstahl said. "For example, a large laser printer typically uses 2.4 kWh per day, or a totally of 867 kWh per year. If that printer were replaced with an Energy Star model, the City would save 217 kWh/year, which translates into energy savings for taxpayers."

Similarly, an Energy Star refrigerator will reduce electricity usage 15-40 percent.

Considering environmental impacts when making purchasing decisions not only improves the sustainability of the City, but also affects the environmental performance of its suppliers, influencing the entire supply chain.

"For years the City has had a successful recycling program," says Mayor Ravenstahl. "Now we're starting to think full-circle. Purchasing recycled goods strengthens the recycling market and closes the loop."

The Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan, adopted in August 2008, included the recommendation to "Procure Environmentally Preferred Products." To date, the City has completed or made progress on 18 of the 23 municipal recommendations in the Climate Action Plan.

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