Question & AnswerQ&A (DOST ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 007, S. 2004)
The main purpose of the DOST Green Procurement Policy is to promote environmentally-informed decision-making in government procurement, include environmental criteria in public tenders, establish specifications for environmentally advantageous products and services, and develop incentives for suppliers of environmentally sound products.
Green Procurement is defined as the selection of environmentally-preferred products and services that minimize negative environmental impacts, having lesser or reduced negative effects on human health and the environment compared to competing products serving the same purpose.
The criteria include recyclability, performance and durability, toxicity reduction or elimination, biodegradability, and life cycle/energy/natural resource use.
DOST agencies must implement the policy in coordination with other units, require contractors to use environmentally-preferred products, publicize the policy, require certification of environmental attributes from bidders, encourage vendor compliance, and justify any purchase of non-environmentally preferable products.
Incentives include preference or priority to manufacturers and vendors who reduce environmental impacts, offer eco-labeled products, provide recycled products at competitive prices, and supply products with high percentages of post-consumer materials.
A Recycled Product is any product containing recycled material, which includes both post-consumer and pre-consumer recovered materials.
Vendors must provide a certification letter that the environmental attributes claimed in their competitive bids are accurate, specifying the minimum or actual percentage of recovered and post-consumer material in their products.
Purchasing Divisions are responsible for maintaining information about environmentally-preferable products, informing management and vendors of their responsibilities, requiring recycled materials in bids, disseminating information, ensuring contract compliance with the policy, and reporting on policy implementation.
The policy mandates purchasing cleaning products free of carcinogens, mutagens, and teratogens, phasing out chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants, promoting biodegradable surfactants, minimizing volatile organic compounds in materials, reducing use of products contributing to dioxins and furans formation, and avoiding PVC products when practicable.
The policy took effect on December 1, 2004.