Santa Monica has long been considered a pioneer for the sustainable local government movement. In 2009, the city was recognized by the Alliance in its annual Sustainability Showcase Awards for its commitment to adopting sustainable practices. One key focus on Santa Monica's sustainability efforts is its environmentally preferable purchasing program.
Adoption of Municipal Code Language that Supports Environmental Purchasing
Santa Monica has a municipal code that does not require the city to purchase products based exclusively on first cost. In addition to price, city staff may utilize other criteria such as “the quality of the material or services offered” when evaluating purchases. The city’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment uses this municipal code language to help it implement environmental purchasing.
Comprehensive Purchasing Process
Santa Monica’s environmental purchasing process is comprehensive in its approach to green procurement, going far beyond simply writing specifications and bids. For example, in developing a green cleaning products program, the city undertook a rigorous process to identify and adopt products which best fulfilled its green mission.
- Pilot Program
The city performed a 10-month pilot study on janitorial cleaning products before switching to the selected alternative cleaners citywide. The Environmental Programs Division held an initial meeting with custodial managers and supervisors to create awareness of the program, and soon thereafter provided training. Feedback about the products was solicited at a series of meetings and at an in-depth focus group composed of interested custodial staff. The pilot program was essential to assessing the efficacy of the products and determining how the product should be applied (i.e. the type of rag used). Additionally, it exposed custodial staff to alternative products through special training and helped ease the transition to using green cleaners.
- Research Products
Before drafting specifications for alternative cleaning products, the city compiled information from Green Seal, the Washington Toxics Coalition, and a local independent consultant. It also reviewed the work of Canada’s Environmental Choice program and Germany’s Blue Angel program in the area of custodial products. Specifications drafters also reached out to the custodial staff to take into account their insights and concerns before drafting specifications.
- Draft Specification
Based on the research collected, the city prepared a comprehensive list of specifications for alternative cleaning products and required vendors to provide information on a wide range of environmental criteria, including toxicity, air quality, corrosiveness, packaging materials use, and biodegradability. These criteria were then prioritized to reflect the city’s concerns.
- Obtain Vendor Information
The city received information from a number of vendors interested in providing alternative cleaning products. When it came time for the formal bid process, Santa Monica included these vendors in its RFP mailing list.
- Evaluate Bids and Test Products
The city reviewed the bids received based on its established criteria. For certain high-priority criteria, the city required that vendors provide lab tests. It provided guidelines for these tests, but did not require the vendors to go to an external testing lab. Products that fulfilled the established environmental and human health criteria were then tested for efficacy by the city’s custodial staff. Finally, the tested products were evaluated for cost.
- Redraft Specification
The criteria for the cleaning products were simplified for future use and for sharing with other communities; they were also revised to address challenges revealed during the first round of bids.
- End-User Training
Because the city’s research and pilot testing revealed that alternative cleaners need to be applied differently than standard cleaners, the city instituted a training program for its entire custodial staff with small group training sessions featuring hands-on demonstrations.
- Evaluate the Product and Process
The city conducts evaluations of both cleaning products used and the purchasing process. Two years into the program, the city developed a formal report evaluating the program that discussed the lessons learned and successes achieved.
As a result of this initiative, the city prevents the use of 3,200 pounds of hazardous materials annually while reducing spending on custodial products by five percent.
In addition to greening its cleaning products, Santa Monica has also been effective in greening its procedures for purchasing products for fleet maintenance, pest management, and recycled products. The details of these processes can be found in the U.S EPA’s “The City of Santa Monica’s Environmental Purchasing: A Case Study.”
Key to Success
- Support from the top officials including the City Council, city manager, and department heads
- End-user involvement in decision-making processes
- Specifications and bid evaluations incorporating baseline research
- Partnership between the Environmental Programs Division, which conducts product research and drafts specifications, and the Purchasing Division
- Pilot programs testing products’ efficacy
- Expert, hands-on training to city custodial staff
- Flexible programs that can evolve and respond to lessons learned
