Green Purchasing

Green purchasing is the practice of choosing products and services that are the most environmentally friendly option(s) available to meet your needs. Green products have less effect on human health and the environment when compared to competing products that serve the same purpose.

A green product may be made from recycled or bio-based materials, conserve natural resources like energy or water, or minimize the generation of waste and release of pollutants. Examples of green products can be found all around the Laboratory—from our 30 percent recycled post-consumer content paper, to our Energy Star and Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)-registered computers purchased through our approved vendors, to the alternative fuel vehicles in our motor vehicle fleet.

Green purchasing also makes good business sense. Many environmentally preferred products cost less than their conventional counterparts, such as recycled paint, recycled motor oil, and remanufactured toner cartridges.

Brookhaven Lab formalizes the act of buying green through our Environmentally Preferable Purchasing program. It's the method we use to ensure that environmental impact is always considered when deciding what products and services to buy, along with cost, availability, performance, and other factors. Some of the green products we routinely purchase include construction materials, custodial supplies, furniture, and office supplies.