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Database of Environmental Information for Products and Services
Environmental Standards and Guidelines
The EPP Database includes standards and guidelines for environmentally preferable products and services, written by national government agencies and independent third-party organizations from around the world. To view the standards, search the database now.
There are currently more than 500 standards in the EPP Database, covering more than 600 product and service categories. The standards were developed by the following organizations:
Many of the sites listed on this page are not on the EPA Web site. Please see our disclaimer information. 
U.S. Programs
- U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program. The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) assists other federal agencies to implement energy efficiency, water conservation, and the use of solar and other renewable energy.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), BioPreferred Program. Under the BioPreferred program, USDA designates items, or generic groupings of biobased products, that are required for purchase by Federal agencies and their contractors. As a part of this process, the minimum biobased content is specified and information on the technical, health, and environmental characteristics of these products are made available on the BioPreferred Web site.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines. The U.S. EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG) program promotes the use of materials recovered from solid waste by designating products that are or can be made with recovered materials and by recommending practices for buying these products.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Star Program. ENERGY STAR® is a voluntary partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. EPA, product manufacturers, local utilities, and retailers, promoting energy efficient products by labeling with the ENERGY STAR® logo and educating consumers about the benefits of energy efficiency.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Design for the Environment. Design for the Environment (DfE) recognizes safer consumer, industrial, and institutional products. Products that this program has determined are effective and protective of health and the environment carry the DfE logo.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Significant New Alternatives Policy Program. EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program evaluates and regulates substitutes for the ozone-depleting chemicals that are being phased out under the stratospheric ozone protection provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The program identifies products that offer lower overall risks to human health and the environment.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense Program. WaterSense is an EPA-sponsored partnership program that seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by promoting water efficiency and enhancing the market for water-efficient products, programs,
and practices.
- U.S. General Services Administration. The U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) supplies products and communications for U.S. government offices, provides transportation and office space to federal employees, and develops government-wide cost-minimizing policies.
GSA helps customer agencies meet environmental requirements by offering federal agencies thousands of green products and services.
- AbilityOne Program. The AbilityOne Program is a federal initiative to help people who are blind or have other severe disabilities find employment by working for nonprofit agencies (NPAs) that sell products and/or services to the U.S. government. SKILCRAFT product line includes environmentally
preferable products.
- American National Standards Institute. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards
with international standards so that American products can be used worldwide. ANSI has published several standards addressing environmental attributes in products and services.
- ASTM International ASTM International (ASTM) is an open forum for the development of international standards used around the globe. The organization is made up of more than 30,000 technical experts and business professionals representing 135 countries. ASTM has published
several standards addressing environmental attributes in products and services.
- Green Seal. Green Seal is an independent, nonprofit organization promoting the manufacture and sale of environmentally responsible consumer products by setting environmental standards and awarding a "Green Seal of Approval" to products that cause less harm to the environment than other similar products.
- McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) is a recognized authority on sustainable design of products and the materials used to create them. Utilizing a scientific assessment process known as the Cradle to Cradle Design Protocol, manufacturers submit products to be evaluated and, if necessary, redesigned. Successful products that pass rigorous audit by MBDC are granted Cradle to Cradle certification. The criteria utilized to evaluate products as well as those that have attained certification are listed on their Web site.
- Scientific Certification Systems. Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) is a neutral, third-party testing and certification organization evaluating a wide variety of food safety and environmental claims.
Programs in Other Countries
- Canada, Environmental Choice Program. Products and services certified by the Environmental Choice Program are proven to have less of an impact on the environment because of how they are manufactured, consumed or disposed of. Certification of products and services is based on compliance with stringent environmental criteria that are established in consultation with industry, environmental groups, and independent experts and are based on research into the life-cycle impacts of a product or service.
- European Union, Eco-Label Program. The European Union Eco-label Programme is a Europe-wide program that awards eco-labels to products with a reduced environmental impact, in an effort to contribute to sustainable development.
- Germany, Blue Angel Program. The Blue Angel program is a voluntary labeling program. For two decades, the Blue Angel label has signified products with positive environmental features.
- Japan, Eco Mark. The Japan Environment Association develops environmental standards and permits products to bear the Eco Mark symbol.
- Japan, Green Purchasing Network. The Green Purchasing Network was established in February 1996 to promote green purchasing among consumers, companies and governmental organizations in Japan.
- Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, Nordic Swan Program. The Nordic environmental label is a neutral, independent label which guarantees a certain environmental standard. Only products which satisfy strict environmental requirements on the basis of objective assessments are allowed to display the environmental product label.
- Sweden, TCO Development. TCO Development provides certification and environmental labeling of office equipment designed to improve the work environment and the external environment.