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Green
Products Categories
Paper
Products
If decreasing forests, increasing landfills and chemicals in the environment
are areas that concern you, buying green paper products is an easy way
for you to make a difference.
Components:
Printing, copy and fax paper, letterhead, notebooks, folders, and envelopes,
calendars and disposables (napkins, toilet paper, paper towels, etc.).
Green
Attributes:
High post-consumer recycled content,* tree free materials, Totally Chlorine
Free (TCF) or Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) bleaching process (see Alternative
Bleaching Processes), no bright, dark, or deeply dyed paper.
Questions
to ask:
- Which paper products are made with high post-consumer content, and/or
manufactured with recycled or tree free materials?
- Are any of the paper products you offer produced in a way that avoids
the use of environmentally harmful chemicals or processes, for example
Elemental Chlorine Free bleaching?
Current
Availability:
Recycled Paper Products are widely available. On campus, the Bookstore,
Printing and Copying Services, and Distribution Center provide these products.
Request them any time you order paper products. A growing number of off-campus
suppliers also carry recycled products.
Sample
Products:
- Eureka 100% Post-Consumer Recycled Content 81/2x11 Paper
- Eureka 30% Post-Consumer Recycled Content 81/2x11 Paper
- Xerox 30% Recycled Content 81/2x11 Paper
- Top Flight 60% Recycled Content (35% Post-Consumer) Notebooks
- Quality Park 100% Post-Consumer Recycled Content Envelopes
*NOTE: “Recycled” does not always mean that
a product contains 100% recovered content or that the content is post-consumer
materials. Therefore, it is important to specify that you would like products
with high post-consumer (preferably 100%) recycled content. See definitions
on page 8 for further clarification.
Office
Supplies
Are you concerned about overfilled landfills and chemicals in the environment?
If yes, check out some of the attributes that make office supplies greener.
Components:
Computer diskettes, trash and recycle bins, desk organizers, tape dispensers,
correction fluid and printer toner cartridges.
Green
Attributes:
Manufactured with recycled content (plastic or steel for desk organizers
and trash and recycling bins) and/or post-consumer content, non-toxic,
Low or No Volatile Organic Compound's (VOC's), (correction fluid, glue)
remanufactured (toner cartridges).
Questions
to ask:
- Are any of the office supply products made with plastic or paper manufactured
with recycled content or high post-consumer content?
- Which glues or correction fluids are non-toxic or have low or no VOC's?
Current
Availability:
Office products with green attributes are available both on and off campus.
Look carefully at the labels and request them if you are uncertain.
Sample
Products:
- Green Disks
- 3M Transparencies (50% recycled content)
Office
Equipment
Have you been reading about and experiencing an increase in your
utility bills? Are you worried about the potential effects of global warming?
Are you concerned about the increasing energy use here on campus? Buying
green office equipment that uses less energy is a perfect way to be a
positive influence.
Components:
Computers, printers, fax machines, and copiers.
Green
Attributes:
“Energy Star” label (products that meet the Environmental Protection
Agency’s (EPA) standards for energy efficiency), energy efficient,
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) vs. Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors.
Questions
to ask:
- Do you offer office equipment with the Energy Star label?
- Do you have computer monitors or laptops that are LCD rather than
CRT?
Current
Availability:
Available through individual vendors and State Contract. Departments also
have the option to lease office equipment. Energy Star labeling for office
equipment is standard for the majority of office equipment, however it
is important to specify this attribute when purchasing office equipment.
Sample
Products:
- Products with the Energy Star label
Cleaning
Products
One of the many ways that toxic chemicals enter our environment is through
the cleaning products that we use. If you would like to change the cleaning
products you use, the following can be used as a guideline to purchasing
less toxic products.
Components:
Window, desk, bathroom, and floor cleaners, dishwashing liquid, air fresheners,
and disinfectants.
Green
Attributes:
Non-toxic, (for example no ammonia) not tested on animals, ingredients
that are derived from renewable resources (for example vegetable as opposed
to petroleum), biodegradable, not solvent based.
Questions
to ask:
- Do you offer any brands of cleaning products that are non-toxic or
not solvent based?
- What cleaning products are biodegradable?
Current
Availability:
Most vendors that offer cleaning supplies have green alternatives.
Office
Furniture
If preserving forests and maintaining forest practices that are sustainable
(which means not using more than the forest can produce) is important
to you, purchasing green office furniture is a good step toward this goal.
Components:
Chairs, desks, file cabinets, and bookshelves.
Green
Attributes:
Used furniture, no old growth wood, derived from sustainably harvested
materials, recycled content.
Questions
to ask:
- Are any of your plastic or steel products made with recycled content?
- Do you offer wood products made with no old growth wood, or derived
from sustainably harvested materials?
Purchasing used furniture is always an environmentally friendly alternative!
Current
Availability:
State Contracting requires CU departments to use Juniper Valley for all
office furniture. If they do not offer greener alternatives, express your
interest in green products, and let them know there is a consumer demand
for them. Alternatively, departments can purchase used furniture on campus
from Property Services.
Small
Remodel Supplies
There
are a variety of products in this category. Depending on what you are
purchasing, you could be helping to reduce chemical exposure in the environment,
reduce energy use on campus, or reduce the amount of waste entered into
the landfill.
Components:
Paints, finishes, stains, adhesives, flooring and lighting
Green
Attributes:
Non-toxic (for example no Formaldehyde or solvents) and/or Low or No Volatile
Organic Compounds (VOC's) (for paints, adhesives), energy efficient, recycled
content.
Questions
to ask:
- Do you offer paints that are non-toxic or have low or no VOC's?
- What types of lighting (lamps, ballasts) are the most energy efficient?
- Are any of the carpets you offer made with recycled content?
Current
Availability:
CU does not have a contract with one company. Instead, CU hires contractors
for small remodels and small construction projects. Project managers can
specify or request paints with low or no VOC's, recycled content carpets,
energy efficient lighting, and other green products.
