BMO sustainability

The BMO Services IDIQ includes the use of sustainable products in conjunction with the services provided. These products meet the applicable environmental standards and assist agencies in ensuring acquisitions are environmentally sustainable. Many of these applicable standards are listed below.

Comprehensive procurement guidelines - recycled content

Under the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designates products that are or can be made with recovered materials, and recommends practices for buying these products (minimum content levels). Once a product is designated, agencies are required to purchase it with the highest recovered material content level practicable. Buying recycled content products helps to ensure that the materials collected in home and office recycling programs will be used again in the manufacturing of new products. Learn more about the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines Program.

BioPreferred®

The U.S. Department of Agriculture manages the BioPreferred program, which includes a mandatory federal purchasing program for biobased products. Biobased products contain materials derived from agricultural and forestry materials, such as soybeans, corn, and wood scraps from the lumber industry. Under this program, USDA designates categories of biobased products and establishes a minimum biobased content level for each.

Safer Choice

Safer Choice is a U.S. EPA program that helps consumers, businesses, and purchasers find products that perform well and are safer for human health and the environment. When you see a product with the Safer Choice label, it means that every ingredient in the product has been reviewed by EPA scientists. Only products that meet the Safer Choice Standard, which includes stringent human health and environmental criteria, are allowed to carry the label. Learn more about the Safer Choice program.

Energy Star®

Energy Star is a U.S. EPA voluntary program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency. The program offers energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and money savings through increased efficiency in products, homes, industrial plants, and commercial buildings.

WaterSense

WaterSense, a partnership program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, seeks to protect the future of our nation’s water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and irrigation services. The program seeks to help consumers make smart water choices that save money and maintain high environmental standards without compromising performance. Products and services that have earned the WaterSense label have been certified to be at least 20 percent more efficient without sacrificing performance. Learn more about the WaterSense program.

Significant New Alternatives Policy

The SNAP Program is the U.S. EPA’s program to evaluate and regulate substitutes for the ozone-depleting chemicals that are being phased out under the stratospheric ozone protection provisions of the Clean Air Act. It also includes alternatives to high global warming potential hydrofluorocarbons. Under the SNAP Program, EPA publishes a list of acceptable and unacceptable substitutes for ozone-depleting substances and HFCs based on a specific product end-use.

Substitutes are reviewed on the basis of:

• Ozone depletion potential
• Flammability; Toxicity
• Occupational health and safety
• Contributions to global warming
• Other environmental factors

Acceptable substitutes have been determined to reduce overall risk to human health and the environment. The SNAP Program does not endorse specific products manufactured by specific companies.

Identify green purchasing requirements with the Green Procurement Compilation

To find out which types of sustainable products are required for federal purchase, visit the GSA Green Procurement Compilation. The GPC helps users identify applicable green purchasing requirements by consolidating and organizing information from multiple federal environmental programs in one convenient location. It also identifies green product requirements to be included in the types of services that fall within the scope of the BMO IDIQ, such as janitorial or landscaping services. Simply browse or search for a product or service to find applicable requirements, sample solicitation language, environmental program links, and additional guidance.