Food Service Equipment

Green purchasing guidance for food service equipment, including:

Commercial coffee brewers
Dishwashers
Freezers
Fryers
Griddle
Hot food holding cabinets
Ice makers
Ovens
Refrigerators
Steam cookers
Etc.

Required specifications

Purchasers must include these specifications, unless not possible:

RCW 19.27A: Energy Related Building Standards
- Established the state’s strong commitment to making public buildings models of energy efficiency, including purchasing products and services that are highly energy-efficient or powered with renewable energy (e.g., solar or wind). In addition, EO 20-01: State Efficiency and Environmental Performance (SEEP) directs state agencies to “dramatically reduce energy use in state-owned facilities.”
- State agencies shall specify and purchase ENERGY STAR-certified food service equipment except when there are no products available that meet your needs. View a list of ENERGY STAR-certified food service equipment. Look for refrigerators and freezers that are on the ENERGY STAR most efficient list. To quantify energy and cost savings, use the ENERGY STAR savings calculator.

Preferred specifications

Purchasers should include these specifications, unless not possible:

RCW 39.26.310 and DES’ Purchasing Preference for Products that Do Not Contain Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) (DES- 310-00)
- State agencies to offer a preference of at least 5% to vendors that bid products that contain either (1) no HFCs or (2) HFCs with a relatively low global warming potential (GWP) if HFC-free products are unavailable. It also directs state agencies to purchase products that have been awarded a preference under this law.
RCW 70A.350: the Pollution Prevention for Health People and Puget Sound Act directs Ecology to cyclically identify priority chemicals, priority products and then implement restrictions or reporting through rulemaking or take no action.
- At this point in time, halogenated flame retardants in the casings of electric and electronic equipment have been identified as a priority chemical-product combination but regulations have not been finalized.
RCW 70A.230.060: Mercury-free Product Preference
- “The department of enterprise services must give priority and preference to the purchase of equipment, supplies, and other products that contain no mercury-added compounds or components, unless: (a) There is no economically feasible nonmercury-added alternative that performs a similar function… In circumstances where a nonmercury-added product is not available, preference must be given to the purchase of products that contain the least amount of mercury added to the product necessary for the required performance.”
- Bidders must certify that none of their food service equipment products contain mercury switches, unless no mercury-free products are available. In such cases, bidders that offer relatively low-mercury products may be eligible for a price preference of at least 5%.

Laws, rules, and executive orders

These laws, rules, and executive orders must be included in the contract language:

Find these products on statewide contracts

Find products that meet Washington’s green purchasing specifications:

Contract 10921: Commercial Kitchen Equipment, Supplies and Services

End of life

Surplus goods that still can be used

Use surplus disposal to get rid of items you no longer need. Keep materials out of landfills and make funds for your agency.

Recycling and disposal

Hazardous waste disposal guidelines and options:

Department of Ecology: Dispose, recycle, or treat dangerous waste
Washington Recycles