Greening Florida Government - Procurement

Florida Statute 403.7065 relates to green procurement. This statute still refers to Florida Statute 287.045 which was repealed in 2010. By statute, state agencies have an obligation to purchase products made with recycled content.

Green procurement is the affirmative procurement of environmentally preferred products and services. These products or services have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose. Environmental preferability is a function of various factors. These include: (1) recyclability and recovered material content; (2) performance and durability; (3) toxicity and biodegradability; and (4) life cycle energy/natural resource use.

Green procurement is rooted in the principle of pollution prevention, which strives to eliminate or to reduce risks to human health and the environment. It means evaluating purchases based on a variety of criteria, ranging from the necessity of the purchase in the first place to the options available for its eventual disposal.

Green procurement also can offer savings. In particular, buying "green" usually involves products that are easily recycled and last longer or produce less waste. Therefore, money is saved on waste disposal. In addition, green products generally require fewer resources to manufacture and operate, so savings can be made on energy, water, fuel and other natural resources.

Almost all office supply stores carry products made with recycled content and cleaners that are less toxic to our environment. So next time you are making a purchase, think green!