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Database of Environmental Information for Products and Services
Product Vendors and Service Providers
When you search or browse the database you will access vendor lists compiled by other organizations. PLEASE NOTE: Linking to these lists does not constitute "endorsement" of these products or companies on the part of the EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program. The vendor lists can be used to help purchasers obtain additional environmental information about particular product brands.
These vendor lists differ from each other in several ways:
- Some lists include product brands that have had their environmental claims certified by a third party certifier, while others do not.
- Some organizations developed their vendor lists by using a threshold for particular environmental attributes (e.g., 30% recycled content copy paper) and only list those product brands that meet that threshold.
- Some organizations developed their vendor lists by evaluating the environmental attributes for a group of product brands and then listing all of the product brands, sometimes organized by rank.
Go to the home page link of the organization that compiled the vendor list to get more details on how each program generates its lists.
In addition, to get a product brand added to any vendor list in this database, please directly contact the organization that authored the vendor list via the contact information provided in the vendor list table.
Please help us make this database as useful as possible. If you would like to suggest a vendor list to be added to the database, please send the URL to James Darr (darr.james@epamail.epa.gov).
The following programs and organizations maintain vendors lists for environmentally preferable products and services. This listing is organized by product/service category. Sources that cover multiple categories are listed first.
Many of the sites listed on this page are not on the EPA Web site. Please see our disclaimer information. 
Multiple Product and Services Categories
- 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. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program. The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) is a customer-focused organization providing services to other federal agencies to assist them in reducing the cost of government through energy efficiency, water conservation, and the use of solar and other renewable energy.
- 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.
- U.S. General Services Administration Environmental Program Aisle. The General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent agency of the United States government, established to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. GSA Advantage offers thousands of products and services to help meet environmental purchasing goals. Their Environmental page is designed to provide easy access to the wide variety of environmental products and services offered by GSA, including products designated as "Energy Star", "Recycled", "EPEAT" and more.
- 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.
- GREENGUARD. The GREENGUARD Certification Program(SM) is an industry-independent, third-party testing program for low-emitting products and materials.
- American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings makes it easy to find the most energy-efficient products available for the home and includes tips on operating new and existing appliances to reduce energy use and improve performance.
- 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 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 (currently in 19 EPP product categories) are listed on their Web site.
Biobased Products
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, BioPreferred Program. The BioPreferred Program is a resource for producers of biobased products and federal agencies required to purchase them under the 2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act (FSRIA) (Farm Bill).
Cars and Trucks (Vehicles and Transportation Store — Highway Type)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Vehicle Guide. EPA's Green Vehicle Guide gives information about the environmental performance of vehicles, covering both emissions and fuel economy.
- American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Green Guide to Cars and Trucks. The Green Guide to Cars and Trucks ranks cars and trucks based on emission standards and fuel efficiency.
- EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Information Program. The Fuel Economy Guide is published by the U.S. Department of Energy to help consumers compare the fuel economy of similarly sized cars, light duty trucks, minivans, sport utility vehicles and special purpose vehicles.
Hospitals (Scientific/Medical Store — Healthcare Products)
- SustainableHospitals.org. This site provides technical resources to the healthcare industry for selecting products and work practices that reduce occupational and environmental hazards, maintain quality patient care, and contain costs.
Paper and Other Forest Products (Office Store — Paper Products)
- Chlorine Free Products Association. The primary purpose of the Chlorine Free Products Association is to promote Total Chlorine Free policies, programs, and technologies throughout the world.
- Conservatree. Conservatree is a nonprofit advocate for ecologically sustainable paper markets and provides useful purchasing tools.
Carpet (Hardware Store — Carpet)
- Carpet and Rug Institute. The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) lists carpets and associated products that have received the CRI Indoor Air Quality Label.
Electronics (Furniture/Appliances Store — Electronics)
- Electronic Product Environmental Assistance Tool (EPEAT). EPEAT is a system that helps purchasers evaluate, compare, and select desktop computers, notebooks, and monitors based on their environmental attributes.
- California, Electronic Product Management Directory. This directory lists California facilities that collect specific types of electronic equipment for reuse and recycling.
Water Fixtures (Hardware Store — Plumbing [Water Conservation])
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense Program. WaterSense® is a partnership program funded by EPA that qualifies, labels, and promotes the purchase of water-efficient products and services.
Green Power (Industrial Store — Electricity [Green Power])
- Green-e Renewable Electricity Program. Established by the Center for Resource Solutions, environmentalists, consumer advocates, and industry participants, the Green-e Renewable Electricity Program encourages consumer confidence in buying renewable electricity sources.
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.
- McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) is an internationally recognized authority on sustainable design of products and the materials used to create them, having certified products in Canada, France, and Belgium. Manufacturers and consumers from around the globe are encouraged to learn more about MBDC’s Cradle to Cradle Design Principles on their Web site.
- 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.