Environmentally Preferable Purchasing is a simple and straightforward way to reduce the environmental footprint of your business. Easy changes like purchasing paper with recycled content and setting printer defaults to “double sided” go a long way. For every purchasing decision in a business, there is often a comparably priced, equally effective product that is better for the environment than the standard choice. An Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program helps make purchasing alternative products a mainstream part of your business practices.
For business purchases, consider these questions:
What types and amounts of chemicals am I bringing into the work environment?
Is this material being used in my final product, or is it often thrown away?
Does this product contain recycled content? If not, is it reusable in any way?
Is there a packaging alternative that I could use that would be less wasteful or is actually recyclable/ biodegradable?
Is there a way for me to purchase this product from a local or regional producer?
Once you begin implementing an EPP, you may be surprised by the level of employee engagement and commitment to finding the best product choice. Through an EEP and shift of mindset, there are myriad ways your business could be saving resources and money.
One of the fifteen focus areas in the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance’s Code of Sustainable Winegrowing workbook is Environmentally Preferable Purchasing. Going through these fifteen criteria is a good starting point for developing an EPP Program. These criteria help you assess your current purchasing practices in the following areas:
Planning, Monitoring, Goals, and Results
Service Providers
Vineyard Supplies
Vehicles
Vehicle Maintenance Products
Office Equipment
Wine Containers
Closures
Capsules
Boxes
Winery Equipment
Paper
Cleaning Supplies
Packaging – From Suppliers
Packaging – To Customers
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing extends beyond just physical products – it increases organizational awareness of previously unconscious wasteful habits. It also helps employees realize that the purchasing power of an organization can be used to improve public and worker health, conserve natural resources and award environmentally conscious manufacturers.