Paints and Primers

Green purchasing guidance for interior virgin latex wall and ceiling paints and primers only.

Required specifications

Purchasers must include these specifications, unless not possible:

EO 20-01: State Efficiency and Environmental Performance (SEEP)) states, “When making purchasing, construction, leasing, and other decisions that affect state government’s emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) or other toxic substances, agencies shall explicitly consider the benefits and costs (including the social costs of carbon) of available options to avoid those emissions. Where cost-effective and workable solutions are available that will reduce or eliminate emissions, decision makers shall select the lower-emissions options.”

Accordingly, all paints and coatings (except interior latex wall and ceiling paints and primers) must:
- Be compliant with the applicable South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) limit on volatile organic compounds (VOCs); or
- Have a VOC content that does not exceed 100 grams/liter.
RCW 39.26.310 and DES’ Purchasing Preference for Products that Do Not Contain Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) (DES- 310-00) direct state agencies to offer a preference of at least 5% to vendors that bid products (e.g., aerosol paint removers) 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 39.26.280: Preference—Products and Products in Packaging That Do Not Contain Polychlorinated Biphenyls prohibits state agencies from knowingly purchasing “products or products in packaging containing polychlorinated biphenyls above the practical quantification limit except when it is not cost-effective or technically feasible to do so.” In addition, DES’ Procurement Preference for Products and Product Packaging that Do Not Contain Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) (POL-DES-280-00) establishes a minimum 5% bid preference authorized in RCW 39.26.280 for bidders that offer products and packaging contain the lowest concentration of PCBs, when tested. The intent of this policy is to incentivize the state’s contract suppliers to provide products and packaging that do not contain PCBs.
Accordingly, bidders must avoid offering PCB-containing products and packaging unless there is no cost-effective or technically feasible alternative. In such cases, they must identify all products and packaging in their offering that contain PCBs.
Require or offer non-cost points to vendors that will takeback and recycle used latex paints and primers. Paint manufacturers selling products in Washington are required to participate in the Washington Paint Product Stewardship Program, which requires them to charge a fee for most paint sold in the state and establish leftover paint collection sites. Read more information about the Washington PaintCare program.

Preferred specifications

Purchasers should include these specifications, unless not possible:

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. Inadvertent PCBs in Paints has been identified as a priority chemical-product combination, but the regulatory determination was no action due to likely preemption by federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regulations.
RCW 39.26.280: Preference—Products and Products in Packaging That Do Not Contain Polychlorinated Biphenyls prohibits state agencies from knowingly purchasing “products or products in packaging containing polychlorinated biphenyls above the practical quantification limit except when it is not cost-effective or technically feasible to do so.” It also state agencies to develop policies that offer a bid preference for PCB-free products and packaging. In addition, DES’ Procurement Preference for Products and Product Packaging that Do Not Contain Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) (POL-DES-280-00) establishes a minimum 5% bid preference authorized in RCW 39.26.280 for bidders that offer products and packaging contain the lowest concentration of PCBs, when tested. The intent of this policy is to incentivize the state’s contract suppliers to provide products and packaging that do not contain PCBs.
Additional desirable environmental and health attributes include:
- USDA Certified Biobased products by the USDA’s BioPreferred Program
- Have a third-party transparency label disclosing ingredients such as a Health Product Declaration (HPD) or Declare Label
- Cradle to Cradle Product Certificate or Material Health Certificate: v3.1 or 4.0 at the Silver level or higher

Things to avoid

Purchasers should avoid these specifications whenever possible:

RCW 39.26.280: Preference—Products and Products in Packaging That Do Not Contain Polychlorinated Biphenyls prohibits state agencies from knowingly purchasing “products or products in packaging containing polychlorinated biphenyls above the practical quantification limit except when it is not cost-effective or technically feasible to do so.”

Accordingly, bidders must avoid offering PCB-containing products and packaging unless there is no cost-effective or technically feasible alternative. In such cases, they must identify all products and packaging in their offering that contain PCBs.

Laws, rules, and executive orders

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

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