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Purchasing
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BEST Partner
Buying sustainable products reduces harmful environmental impacts, reduces exposure to toxins, supports the local community and creates market demand that will drive down the price of these products.
Cleaning Supplies
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Green Seal
Green Seal promotes environmental responsibility in the lodging industry by identifying and promoting environmentally responsible products, purchasing, and production. Individual lodging properties that demonstrate environmental leadership in their operations and purchasing can become Green Seal certified and benefit from the market advantage this brings.
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Metro: Green Cleaners Resources
Many commercial cleaning products use ingredients that can be harmful to people and the environment. Fortunately, there are less-toxic, money-saving products and green cleaners that can protect your family and the environment.
Food
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BPS: Sustainable Food Program
Whether it’s organic, local, farm direct or additional resources to make purchasing more sustainable, the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability’s Sustainable Food program can help you set the table.
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Fair Trade USA
The Fair Trade label signifies the producer has received a fair price and works under fair labor conditions; the product has been produced with environmentally sustainable farming methods (benefiting the health of the farmers and maintaining ecosystems); trade is direct between producer and purchaser (costly middlemen are removed and farmers gain business skills); and farmers and workers invest in social and business development projects within their community. Common fair trade-certified products include coffee, tea, cocoa, fruit, vanilla and sugar.
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Food Alliance
Food Alliance operates the most comprehensive third-party certification program in North America for sustainably produced food. Food Alliance Certified distinguishes foods produced by farmers, ranchers and food processors that use environmentally and socially responsible practices. Use their Web site to find certified food in your area.
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USDA: Certified Organic
Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. It is produced without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, hormones, antibiotics, artificial ingredients, irradiation or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The term “organic” is regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); only food that has been produced, handled, and processed following these guidelines is given the USDA Organic seal of approval.
Office Supplies
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EPA: Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) helps businesses “buy green,“ and in doing so, helps stimulate market demand for green products and services. The EPA’s EPP Web site can help businesses: find and evaluate information about green products and services; identify federal green buying requirements; calculate the costs and benefits of purchasing choices; and manage green purchasing processes.
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EPEAT
The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is a certification to help purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based on their environmental attributes. EPEAT also provides a clear and consistent set of performance criteria for the design of products, and provides an opportunity for manufacturers to secure market recognition for efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its products.
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Metro: Buyer’s Guide to Recycled Products
Metro has developed a searchable database of more than 1,000 recycled-content products that are available in Portland at retail and/or wholesale stores, by catalog and online. Use their detailed search to find specific recycled-content products, distance to vendors, maps and other details.