BP 1.8 Green Product Purchasing: District/School purchases green products such as recycled office paper, low or non-toxic cleaning supplies, furniture built to green standards, or efficient computers.

About

Green product purchasing ensures that schools select materials and equipment that genuinely reduce environmental impact, improve indoor air quality, and protect student health. The EPA’s Greener Products Marketplace and Safer Choice Program provide verified standards for environmentally preferable products, while ENERGY STAR, Green Seal, ECOLOGO, and FSC certifications guarantee measurable sustainability performance (EPA, 2024a; UL, 2024).

However, schools must remain vigilant against greenwashing—the practice of making misleading environmental claims without credible evidence (UN, 2024). Greenwashing undermines trust, wastes resources, and can expose students to unsafe materials. Minnesota’s MPCA Sustainable Purchasing Policy guidance helps districts establish transparent procurement criteria that prioritize verified certifications and avoid deceptive marketing.

Vision and Benefits

A Minnesota school that excels in green purchasing uses only verified, third‑party‑certified products across all operations—from cleaning supplies and office paper to furniture and electronics. Procurement teams rely on transparent standards such as Safer Choice, Green Seal, FSC, ENERGY STAR, and ECOLOGO to ensure products meet rigorous environmental and health criteria. Purchasing decisions prioritize durability, recyclability, low toxicity, and energy efficiency.

Policies explicitly prohibit greenwashing by requiring suppliers to provide certification documentation and rejecting vague claims such as “eco‑friendly” or “green.” Green Teams collaborate with facilities and purchasing staff to evaluate products, pilot alternatives, and educate the school community about credible sustainability standards (MPCA, 2024; EPA, 2024b).

Verified green purchasing reduces exposure to harmful chemicals, improves indoor air quality, and supports healthier learning environments. Certified cleaning products and low‑emission furniture reduce asthma triggers and VOCs, while ENERGY STAR electronics lower energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. FSC‑certified paper and wood products support sustainable forestry and circular economies. By avoiding greenwashing and relying on credible certifications, schools ensure compliance with environmental health standards, reduce long‑term operational costs, and demonstrate leadership in sustainability and transparency (EPA, 2024a; UN, 2024; MPCA, 2024).

Implement Best Practice Actions in a Project

• Select Best Practice Actions (BPAs) to work on and complete. 

• Review the list of actions that can be taken to shift your district or school toward 1.8 Green Product Purchasing. Start by documenting the practices already being done at the school. Choose the practices that best fit the school's opportunities and other considerations.

A. Assessment and Planning Actions 

Schools begin by reviewing current purchasing practices and developing a sustainable procurement policy that prioritizes verified certifications. This stage focuses on identifying credible standards, training staff to recognize greenwashing, and aligning purchasing decisions with Minnesota’s environmentally preferable guidelines.

A.1 Conduct Baseline Assessment 

• Conduct a baseline assessment of existing conditions and practices specific to 1.8 Green Product Purchasing  

A.2 Establish Management Team 

• Allocate time and responsibilities to a person or team to regularly maintain data, management systems, and records.

A.3 Review Current Purchasing Practices

• Identify which products already meet credible environmental certifications and where improvements are needed.
  Resource: EPA Greener Products Marketplace

A.4 Develop a Sustainable Purchasing Policy

• Create a district‑wide policy requiring third‑party‑certified products and prohibiting unsupported environmental claims.
  Resource: MPCA Developing a Sustainable Purchasing Policy

A.5 Train Staff to Identify Greenwashing

• Provide training on how to verify certifications, read labels, and recognize deceptive marketing.
  Resource: UN Greenwashing Overview

B. Overall Performance and Impact Actions

Districts measure progress by tracking certified product purchases, evaluating cost savings, and verifying environmental claims. Transparent reporting ensures accountability, helps prevent greenwashing, and demonstrates measurable improvements in energy efficiency, waste reduction, and indoor air quality.

B.1 Establish a Performance Monitoring Practice with Baseline

• Looking at performance metrics for this best practice that are used at the school and other potential metrics, establish a baseline reference year and a regular practice (at least yearly) to monitor the performance of this best practice.

Performance Metrics to Consider:

• % of cleaning products with Safer Choice or Green Seal certification

• % of office paper that is FSC‑certified and ≥ 30% post‑consumer recycled

• % of electronics purchased with ENERGY STAR certification

• # of staff trained in greenwashing prevention

• Reduction in VOC levels or chemical exposure incidents

B.2 Track and Improve Performance

• Using the established baseline and performance monitoring practices, track performance improvements over time relative to baseline use. Where possible, identify the relationship between actions and overall impact improvements. 

B.3 Complete Performance Planning 

• Conduct an analysis of current performance and the impacts and set a strategic plan for how to transition the school over time to bold goals for ideal performance and identify the direct and indirect impacts considering environmental impacts, cost impacts, health, and educational benefits.
  
  

B.4  Implement Vision Backcasting

• Gather the green team and representatives from staff, students, the community, and resource organizations to imagine how improved BPNAME could help us reach our fully sustainable vision for the district and its schools. Make this scenario engaging with sketches or models. Engage youth. 

B.5 Track Certified Product Purchasing

• Monitor the percentage of products purchased that meet Safer Choice, Green Seal, FSC, ECOLOGO, or ENERGY STAR standards.
  Resource: EPA Safer Choice

B.6 Evaluate Cost Savings and Environmental Impact

• Assess reductions in energy use, waste generation, and chemical exposure.
  Resource: EPA ENERGY STAR for Schools

B.7  Report Annual Progress and Verify Claims

• Document verified certifications and ensure all environmental claims are supported by credible evidence.
  Resource: UL ECOLOGO Certification Program

C. Implementation Actions

Schools put sustainable purchasing into practice by selecting third‑party‑certified cleaning products, office materials, and energy‑efficient equipment. Vendors must provide proof of certification, and procurement teams prioritize durability, recyclability, and low toxicity to ensure genuine environmental benefit.

C.1 Purchase Third‑Party‑Certified Cleaning Products

• Use Safer Choice, Green Seal, or ECOLOGO products to reduce chemical hazards.
  Resource: Green Seal Cleaning Products

C.2 Select Sustainable Office and Classroom Materials

• Choose FSC‑certified paper, recycled content products, and low‑toxicity supplies.
  Resource: FSC Paper and Packaging

C.3 Buy Energy‑Efficient Electronics and Appliances

• Prioritize ENERGY STAR computers, monitors, kitchen equipment, and HVAC components.
  Resource: EPA ENERGY STAR for Schools

C.4 Require Transparency from Vendors

• Schools must ensure that all suppliers provide verifiable documentation for environmental claims and certifications. Procurement teams should request proof of third‑party verification—such as Safer Choice, Green Seal, ECOLOGO, FSC, or ENERGY STAR—and reject vague marketing terms like “eco‑friendly” or “green.”

D. Youth Club Actions

Student Green Teams lead awareness campaigns to expose greenwashing and promote verified eco‑labels. Through audits, posters, and outreach, youth help the school community understand how to identify authentic sustainable products and support transparent, responsible purchasing.

D.1 Lead a “Spot the Greenwashing” Campaign

• Teach students and staff how to identify misleading environmental claims.

D.2 Promote Certified Green Products in Classrooms

• Create posters or videos that explain the Safer Choice, FSC, and ENERGY STAR labels.

D.3 Conduct a Schoolwide Product Audit

• Work with custodial and office staff to identify products that can be replaced with certified alternatives.

Online Resources:

• See links in text above for resources relevant to specific actions, also see resources consulted or cited for sources.