FAR 23.108-3—Products and services that are subject to EPA Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 23.108-3 explains the EPA Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Program and its role in helping Federal agencies buy environmentally preferable products and services. This section covers EPA’s Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels, including the types of standards and labels EPA prefers agencies to use when identifying sustainable products and services. It specifically highlights multi-attribute or life-cycle-based standards and ecolabels, the environmental and human health impact areas those labels should address, and the expectation that product conformance be verified by a competent third-party certification body. In practice, this section matters because it gives agencies a vetted source of environmental purchasing criteria that can support zero-emissions and other sustainable procurement goals while reducing the risk of relying on weak, self-declared, or inconsistent green claims. It also points users to EPA’s online resource for current recommendations, which is important because the applicable standards and ecolabels can change over time.
Key Rules
Use EPA EPP guidance
The EPA Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program is the Federal government’s resource for identifying environmentally preferable products and services. Agencies should use EPA’s Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels when making sustainable purchasing decisions.
Prefer multi-attribute standards
EPA gives preference to standards and ecolabels that address multiple environmental and human health impacts rather than a single attribute. This helps agencies select products with broader sustainability benefits instead of narrowly defined green claims.
Use life-cycle-based criteria
The recommended standards and ecolabels should be based on life-cycle considerations, meaning they account for impacts across the product’s full life cycle where appropriate. This supports more meaningful environmental comparisons and better procurement outcomes.
Require third-party certification
EPA prefers ecolabels where product conformance is determined by a competent third-party certification body. This reduces reliance on vendor self-certification and improves the credibility of environmental claims.
Support sustainability goals
The program is intended to help agencies meet zero-emissions and other sustainable procurement goals. In practice, the recommendations are a tool for aligning acquisitions with agency environmental objectives.
Consult EPA’s current resource
The FAR directs users to EPA’s online recommendations page for additional information. Because standards and ecolabels evolve, contracting personnel should verify the current EPA guidance before using it in a solicitation or evaluation.
Responsibilities
Agency
Use the EPA EPP Program and its Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels as a source of guidance when pursuing environmentally preferable purchasing and sustainable procurement goals.
Contracting Officer
Review EPA’s current recommendations when developing requirements, specifications, or evaluation criteria for products and services with environmental attributes, and ensure any referenced ecolabels or standards are appropriate and current.
Program/Requirements Personnel
Identify environmental and human health performance needs early in the acquisition process and consider EPA-recommended standards and ecolabels when drafting requirements.
Contractor/Offeror
If proposing products or services with environmental claims, be prepared to show conformance to the applicable EPA-recommended standard or ecolabel, including third-party certification where required.
EPA
Maintain and publish Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels to help Federal agencies identify environmentally preferable products and services.
Practical Implications
This section is mainly a sourcing and specification aid: it tells agencies where to look for credible environmental criteria, not just marketing claims.
A common pitfall is relying on vague “green” labels or self-declared environmental benefits instead of EPA-recommended, third-party-verified standards.
Because EPA recommendations can change, contracting staff should check the current website rather than relying on outdated lists or prior solicitations.
Requirements teams should think about environmental performance early; waiting until award time can make it hard to incorporate meaningful ecolabel criteria without restricting competition improperly.
Contractors should expect that environmental claims may need documentation, especially where the agency uses a recommended ecolabel or standard as part of the requirement or evaluation.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Program. The EPA Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Program helps Federal agencies identify and procure environmentally preferable products and services to meet zero emissions and other sustainable procurement goals by providing Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels. The EPP recommendations give preference to multi-attribute or life-cycle based standards and ecolabels that address key environmental and human health impact areas and where product conformance is determined by a competent third-party certification body. (b) Resource. For additional information on EPA Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels, see https://www.epa.gov/greenerproducts/recommendations-specifications-standards-and-ecolabels-federal-purchasing .