Identifying Greener Food Services
Environmental Attributes to Consider
- Biodegradable
- Energy efficient
- Recyclable
- Recycled-content
- Reusable
- Water efficient
How to Buy
- See food service standards and ecolabels recommended by EPA.
- Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) - Paper and Paper Products. Recycled-content recommendations for procurement of paper food serviceware.
- GSA’s Green Procurement Compilation (GPC) Tool. The GPC website includes a Cafeteria Products page, which identifies federal requirements for various cafeteria products. It also includes a Cafeteria & Food Services page, which provides further guidance on greening service contracts.
Government Resources
ENERGY STAR® Qualified Products
Information about commercial food service products that meet ENERGY STAR energy efficiency guidelines.
Department of Agriculture's BioPreferred Program
Biodegradable containers are currently listed on the Department of Agriculture's Designation List under the BioPreferred program. More information about the designation and listed products are available on the BioPreferred Web site.
GSA Advantage!®
GSA Advantage is the federal government's premier online shopping superstore giving you access to millions of commercial products and services available from GSA-negotiated contracts. Anyone may browse the site to view and compare the variety of products and services offered. Visit the Environmental Program Aisle search by environmental icons and limit your results to sustainable products.
Health and Sustainability Guidelines for Federal Concessions and Vending Operations
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and General Services Administration (GSA) worked collaboratively to create this document, which proposes specific food, nutrition, and sustainability guidelines to complement the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.