Welcome to the home page of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Environmentally Preferable Products (EPP) Procurement Program. The primary goal of the Program is to use the Commonwealth's purchasing power to reduce the environmental and public health impact of state government and foster markets for EPPs. From this site, you can obtain information about the benefits of EPPs in general, the many statewide contracts currently in place that offer these goods and services, Commonwealth case studies and success stories in purchasing EPPs, resources, guides, reports, tools, and information on upcoming events focused on EPPs.

Executive Order #515 Establishing an Environmental Purchasing Policy
This new directive requires all Commonwealth Executive Departments to reduce their impact on the environment and enhance public health by procuring Environmentally Preferable Products and services (EPPs) whenever such products and services are readily available, perform to satisfactory standards, and represent best value to the Commonwealth.

 

The Environmentally Preferable Products (EPP) Procurement Program of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is administered by OSD with the support of the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and the Department of Environmental Protection.

The EPP Program addresses the environmentally preferred products and services information needs of five primary user groups:

  1. Executive departments of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who are required to use the state's purchasing contracts and need easy access to EPP procurement guidance.
  2. Commonwealth of Massachusetts Political Subdivisions, including schools, municipalities, county government authorities, public institutions of higher education and constitutional offices which are seeking approved contractors who sell environmentally preferred products at competitive prices.
  3. Consumers, businesses, and manufacturers seeking to enhance their general understanding of the availability and characteristics of EPPs.
  4. EPP program managers, such as those who have established and/or are running other states' EPP programs, Federal EPP programs, or are leading community initiatives.
  5. Vendors seeking to sell environmentally preferred products and services to the Commonwealth.

We are faced everyday with the reality that many of the products we buy can cause damage to the environment and/or public health. From the extraction of raw materials and the manufacture of products, to their use and disposal, products that we use everyday can be harmful. By purchasing EPPs, we look to reduce those impacts, some of which can be severe.

In the end, the choices we make affect our local environment, our health and the global community. The power of the purse is an extremely effective tool for promoting products that do less harm and contribute to the overall well-being of our planet.