Environmentally Preferred Purchasing is the procurement of products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment over the life cycle of the products and services when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose.  Finding products made from recycled materials can be easy.  Try to select products with the highest recycled content, if the product can be competitively sourced.

Extensive help is available from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  The EPA has issued a set of guidelines called the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG).  The CPG designates items that must contain recycled content when purchased by federal agencies, or by government contractors using appropriated federal funds.  In some cases, state and local governments must also follow the recycled-content guidelines when purchasing certain items using federal funds.