This page provides a history of the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Program from 2009 to 1993. Learn more about each year of the EPP Program by clicking on the following links.

2009 | 2008
2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003
2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998
1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993

2009

• President Obama signs Executive Order 13514 - Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance (PDF) (15 pp, 88KB).
• The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) issuing agencies publish a final rule that amended the FAR to require federal use of the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT).
• EPA releases Version 2.0 of the Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator (EEBC)
• The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE), Commander Navy Region Southwest, and EPA Region 10 host the 2009 Federal Environmental Symposia.
• OFEE releases Version 2.0 of their guidance, Designated Green Products for Federal Procurement.

2008

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture published three final rules designating 27 biobased products for Federal preferential procurement (PDF) (66 pp, 402KB).
• The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, Commander Navy Region Southwest, and the Federal Network for Sustainability - West host the 2008 Federal Environmental Symposia.
• EPA adopts its Green Building Strategy to facilitate the mainstream adoption of effective green building practices.

2007

• Office of the Federal Environmental Executive hosts 2007 Federal Environmental Symposium
• The National Institute of Standards and Technology releases Version 4.0 of Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) Software
• The Office of Federal Procurement Policy proposes to issue a policy letter on green procurement policies and strategies (PDF) (6 pp, 74KB)
• President Bush signs Executive Order 13423 - Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management (PDF) (7 pp, 105 K)
• The Council on Environmental Quality issues Instructions for Implementing Executive Order 13423 (PDF) (51 pp, 149K)
• EPA amends the Environmental Protection Agency Acquisition Regulation (EPAAR) to include green meeting requirements
• The Green Electronics Council issues "The Environmental Benefits of the Purchase or Sale of EPEAT Registered Products in 2006" (PDF) Exit(11 pp, 72K)
• The Zero Waste Alliance and the Green Electronics Council publish the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Standards Development Roadmap, with support from EPA
• NSF International publishes the Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard (NSF 140-2007)
• EPA begins the process of developing a voluntary consensus based standard on green meetings through the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Exit
• The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) issuing agencies publish a final rule on the Biobased Products Preference Program
• The FAR issuing agencies publish a final rule on implementation of Section 104 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005
• The FAR issuing agencies publish an interim rule on the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)

2006

• Office of Management and Budget releases the first Environmental Stewardship Scorecard, rating agencies on their progress in the areas of environmental management systems, green purchasing, sustainable building, electronics stewardship, and compliance management
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) approves the 1680-2006 Standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products; IEEE 1680 is the first Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) standard for green desktops, laptops and monitors.
• Electronics manufacturers submit the first EPEAT-registered computer desktops, laptops and monitors Exit
• Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers Exitis made available on the Whole Building Design Guide Exit
• White House hosts Summit on Sustainable Federal Buildings
• Nineteen federal agencies sign Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding (PDF) Exit(10 pp, 152 KB)
• EPA publishes revised Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guides for carpets, janitorial products, copiers, meetings/conferences
• EPA and the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive release the Green Cleaning Pollution Prevention Calculator
• EPA publishes Promoting Green Purchasing: Tools and Resources to Quantify the Benefits of EPP
• Office of the Federal Environmental Executive hosts 2006 Federal Environmental Symposium, which includes tracks on green purchasing, sustainable buildings and electronics stewardship

2005

• EPA awards Blanket Purchasing Agreement for greening office supply purchases
• American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Exitexpands E2129 "Standard Practice for Data Collection for Sustainability Assessment of Building Products" to include product category specific questionnaire
• ASTM publishes E2432 "Standard Guide for General Principles of Sustainability Relative to Buildings"
• Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58) (PDF) (550 pp, 1.3 MB) passes, encouraging federal purchasing of energy-efficient products
• EPA publishes Integrating Green Purchasing Into Your Environmental Management System

Top of Page

2004

• Federal Electronics Challenge launches, promoting electronics stewardship in the federal government including purchase of environmentally preferable electronics
• Twelve federal agencies sign Promoting Sustainable Environmental Stewardship of Federal Electronic Assets Memorandum of Understanding
• International Green Purchasing Network Exitestablished, hosted by Japan's Green Purchasing Network
• EPA publishes Federal Registrar notice requesting comments on Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guides; provides Response to Comments
• EPA publishes Buying Green Online: Greening Government E-Procurement of Office Supplies

2003

• Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers Exitundergoes public review
• Federal Electronics Challenge pilots with five federal agencies
• Stakeholders participate in workshop to discuss development of the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)
• National Park Service designates 20 parks as Centers for Environmental Innovation in ongoing partnership with EPA

2002

• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Environment Ministers approve OECD Council Recommendation on Improving the Environmental performance of Public Procurement
• National Park Service, National Recreation and Parks Association and EPA sponsor first Greening Workshop and charrette at Big Cypress National Preserve
• Center for A New American Dream and TerraChoice Environmental Services, Inc. co-host North American Green Purchasing Conference
• Commission for Environmental Cooperation forms North American Green Purchasing Initiative Exit
• Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-171) (PDF) (408 pp, 1.2 MB) passes, encouraging federal purchasing of biobased products
• Oceans Blue Foundation unveils Green Meeting Planning Tool Exit
• EPA's develops its own Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Goals
• National Institute of Standards and Technology releases Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) software (version 3.0), with support from EPA
• Tellus Institute publishes Greening Your Products: Good for the Environment, Good for Your Bottom Line (PDF) (52 pp, 692 KB), under a Cooperative Agreement with EPA

2001

• American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Exit Buildings Performance Committee passes ASTM E2129 "Data Collection for the Assessment of Sustainable Building Products"
• EPA publishes Qualitative Measurement of Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Among Federal Employees in 2000
• Five federal agencies sign Improving Environmental Management of Electronic Assets Memorandum of Understanding
• EPA announces that all of the printing and copy paper that it uses will be 100 percent recycled with 100 percent post-consumer fiber, and process chlorine-free

2000

• EPA and the Department of Energy compile Case Studies in a Promising Practices Guide for Greening Contracts
• President Clinton signs Executive Order 13148 - Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management, April 2000 (PDF) (14 pp, 257 KB) (Revoked by Executive Order 13243
• EPA publishes State and Local Government Pioneers: How State and Local Governments Are Implementing Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Practices
• EPA publishes Federal Pioneers: Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Stories from the Federal Government
• EPA, Department of Interior and Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) program sign Memorandum of Agreement to step up efforts to identify and market green products
• EPA publishes Environmentally Preferable Products Final Guidance Brochure
• EPA publishes Tips for Buying Green with a Government Credit Card
• National Institute of Standards and Technology releases Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) software (version 2.0), with support from EPA

1999

• EPA publishes Final Guidance on Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
• EPA introduces Database of Environmental Information for Products and Services
• EPA publishes Federal Registrar notice seeking comments on the Development of Voluntary Consensus Standards for Environmentally Preferable Goods and Services; provides Summary of Comments
• Federal Trade Commission and EPA publish Sorting Out Green Advertising Claims
• National Association of Counties publishes the Environmental Purchasing Starter Kit: A Guide to Greening Government through Powerful Purchasing Decisions
  for local governments, under a grant from EPA
• EPA publishes Private Sector Pioneers: How Companies Are Incorporating Environmentally Preferable Purchasing

1998

• President Clinton signs Executive Order 13101 - Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition, September 1998 (PDF) (11 pp, 98 KB) (Revoked by Executive Order 13243 (PDF) (7 pp, 105 KB))
• National Institute of Standards and Technology introduces the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) software (version 1.0), with support from EPA
• EPA publishes Environmental Labeling Issues, Policies, and Practices Worldwide
• EPA and the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive issue guidance on the Pilot Project Approach on Use of Non-Governmental Entities, to test the utility of various means of using non-governmental entities to achieve environmentally preferable purchasing goals

Top of Page

1997

• EPP Symposium: Greening Federal Purchasing held in Baltimore, MD
• The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council issue the final rule for Federal Acquisition Regulation revisions related to "Environmentally Sound Products"
• Design for the Environment (now Safer Choice) begins to label chemical products that have the least harmful effects on human health and the environment compared to chemicals in the same class.

1996

• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and EPA initiate study examining innovative environmental purchasing programs in OECD member countries

1995

• EPA publishes Proposed Guidance on Acquisition of Environmentally Preferable Products and Services
• EPA hosts public meeting, accepts written comments, on Proposed Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guidance

1994

• Concept paper on environmentally preferable purchasing drafted, followed by public meeting and stakeholder meetings

1993

• President Clinton signs Executive Order 12873 - Federal Acquisition, Recycling and Waste Prevention, October 1993 (Revoked by Executive Order 13101), initiating EPA's work on environmentally preferable purchasing
• General Services Administration and EPA initiate the first environmentally preferable purchasing pilot project on cleaning products