San Francisco Chronicle  [Printer-friendly version]
June 18, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO IS FIRST CITY TO CONSIDER IMPACT OF ITS PURCHASES

[Rachel's introduction: In June, San Francisco became the first city
in the nation to take public health and environmental stewardship
into consideration when purchasing products -- from toilet paper to
computers. This levels the playing field for "green" businesses,
making it easier for them to compete.]

San Francisco became the first city in the nation Friday [June 17,
2005] to enact a law that requires the city to take public health and
environmental stewardship into consideration when purchasing products
-- from toilet paper to computers.

The law, which goes by the cumbersome name of Environmentally
Preferable Purchasing for Commodities Ordinance, requires city
departments to buy products that do as little harm as possible to
people and the Earth.

The potential reach of the ordinance is far, from jail uniforms to
office carpeting, from street-cleaning suds to construction materials.

The city makes about $600 million in purchases a year to supply City
Hall, the Hall of Justice, fire and police stations, the parks and
other municipal operations.

"By exercising our economic power, San Francisco can encourage market
development of new products which are healthier and more
environmentally friendly," said Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, who worked
three years to get the new law on the books.

Mayor Gavin Newsom made it official with his signature during a
ceremony in his office attended by environmentalists and public health
advocates. The law, he said, "basically says it's better to be safe
than sorry... as it relates to our purchasing powers in the City and
County of San Francisco."

City officials say one of the goals is for the law to be used as a
model for other jurisdictions. The more that sign on, the more
economic incentive manufacturers will have to make environmentally
friendly products.

From now on, San Francisco will look at such things as whether
products can be recycled, whether they pollute the air or water, their
energy efficiency and whether they emit toxic substances that have
been found to endanger public health.

The program has been tested on an limited basis for the past several
years, and officials report that desirable products are available, and
usually don't cost more.

As an example, the city buys 87,000 fluorescent light tubes a year and
recently put in an order for ones produced with the least amount of
mercury, a toxic substance. The ordinance will not affect every
purchase overnight. Instead, when specific products come up for bid
the regulations may kick in.

The Department of the Environment, working with community groups,
technical experts and other city staff, will set priorities for which
products should be assessed for application of the ordinance.

"We may decide as a community that computers are our next item that we
want to look at through the lens of environmental and public health,"
said Debbie Raphael, the city's toxics reduction program manager.

"Traditionally, we have a list of specifications we use to decide
which computer to buy," she said. "Those specifications do not include
things like how much lead is in them? Can you recycle them? What is
their energy use? What it does not mean is that cost and performance
is ignored. We're expanding the universe of criteria."

The Department of the Environment will identify products that present
threats to human health and the environment and then identify
comparably priced nontoxic alternatives that city departments will be
allowed to buy. If the product proves too expensive, the department
can request a waiver from the city purchaser to buy the cheaper,
though more toxic, product.

E-mail Rachel Gordon at rgordon@sfchronicle.com

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Copyright 2005 San Francisco Chronicle