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The Latest CEIL News and Press Releases
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Written by CEIL Staff
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Tuesday, 15 June 2010 00:00 |
Alexandria, VA (June 15, 2010) - The Center for Environmental Innovation and Leadership (CEIL) launched the second in a series of interviews with federal government officials responsible for greening the government. Today’s interview features Ron Buckhalt, Special Programs Director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), discussing the BioPreferred Program and how the USDA is addressing environmental sustainability.
In CEIL’s green government podcast, Buckhalt emphasizes the importance of using bio-based industrial products within the federal government in order to meet mandates set by Executive Order 13514. Under the Executive Order, passed by President Obama last November, the federal government requires agencies to include environmentally preferable products, materials and services in their contracts. The USDA assists in these efforts by examining federal government contracts to verify that bio-based language is included. The USDA’s BioPreffered program is a mandatory federal procurement program that requires all federal agencies to buy and use waste products designated by the USDA.
“The USDA is leading the federal marketplace for bio-based products by creating new demands for the agricultural materials produced in the world community,” says Ron Buckholt, USDA’s Special Programs Director. He estimates there are currently 20,000 products that qualify as biopreferred. The BioPreferred Program identifies bio-based products and determines the need for the product within the federal government. Once identified as bio-preferred the products can be purchased to fulfill various green product requirements.
“Federal program managers and procurement officers are beginning to discover biopreferred products and are trying to incorporate them into their buying decisions,” says Buckholt.
Currently, federal agency purchases drive the BioPreferred Program, but there are plans to expand the program to consumers. “We plan to introduce a BioPreferred certification label that will help consumers easily identify and select green products,” he says. The consumer program is scheduled to be finalized by Summer 2010 and companies will be able to apply to use the BioPreferred label.
The USDA’s goal is to prevent the incorrect labeling of products—called greenwashing—in the booming green marketplace. “We’re implementing an auditing system for the label to check for validity,” explains Buckhalt.
“Our program can make a difference,” closes Buckholt. “We can make it easier for both federal and consumer purchasers to select green products.”
Listen to the interview: The interview aired on June 15, 2010. To hear the interview, find it on CEIL’s website, www.ceileadership.org.
For more information: To learn more about the Center for Environmental Innovation and Leadership (CEIL) contact Ann Seltz, President, at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or at 703-706-8221 or visit www.CEILeadership.org.
ABOUT CEIL
Inform, Educate, Enable.
The Center for Environmental Innovation and Leadership (www.CEILeadership.org) is an independent organization that facilitates information and education exchange among government and military professionals charged with identifying, specifying and buying green goods and services, and with vendors, contractors and consultants that provide green goods and services. CEIL is the sponsor of GOVgreen Conference and Exposition, a nonpartisan event designed to bring government employees and green suppliers together face-to-face in one convenient place to discover optimal solutions to green the government. The event takes place November 9-10 in Washington, D.C. and is free to all credentialed government professionals and military personnel. |
