Required specifications

The following have been identified as green specifications relevant to the good/services as minimum mandatory requirements. These would not be part of a scored exhibit. If you are using the Washington state procurement manual templates, the following should be inserted in the relevant document that describes the product or performance requirements.

• Certification by Green Seal.
• Certification by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), including FSC Recycled or FSC Mixed (FSC 100 is unacceptable because it contains 100% virgin material).
• Certified or labeled process chlorine-free (PCF). (Products labeled elemental chlorine-free (ECF) meet a weaker standard that allows some chlorinated bleaching compounds).
• All copy and print jobs must use white cut sheet bond paper with the highest percentage of recycled content that will work in the equipment.
• The paper must meet the U.S. EPA CPG (minimum of 30% PCRC).

Preferred specifications

The following have been identified as green specifications relevant to the goods/services as preferred specifications to be scored. These would be part of your evaluation. If you are using the Washington state procurement manual templates, the following should be inserted in the relevant document that is used for evaluation.

• State purchasing of recycled-content product Recycled Content Purchasing Preference Policy (POL-DES-255-00) states, "In establishing environmental requirements and preferences for products that contain recycled materials, agencies shall reference the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (EPA CPGs) as the minimum standards for the state of Washington."
  Statutory Preference for Recycled Content Purchasing. Pursuant to RCW 39.26.255, Enterprise Services is providing a bid preference in the amount of ten percent (10%) per product line item tested to any bidder that provides products that have exceeded one of the recommended content level percentages or the minimum product specification, as designated by the current EPA's CPG standard. Bidders who seek to obtain the 10 percent (10%) bid preference in Exhibit C-Bid Price must identify the recycled content level of the product or indicate the product meets product specifications in Exhibit C – Bid Price.
• Green-e certified, which means it was manufactured using renewable energy (e.g., solar or wind), which is encouraged in the law.
• Purchasers should offer non-cost points to copying and printing services that use white paper with 50-100% PCRC or that have any of the additional environmental and health attributes listed above.
• Use the Paper Calculator to quantify reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water use, deforestation, and other environmental benefits of purchasing recycled-content paper.

Laws, rules, and executive orders

These laws, rules, and executive orders are the basis for these specifications:

• RCW 43.19A.022: Recycled content paper for printers and copiers—Purchasing priority
• RCW 43.19A: Recycled Product Procurement
• DES Recycled Content Purchasing Preference Policy (POL-DES-255-00)