Green Libraries

Certifies a variety of product types. Includes links to their certification criteria.

Directory of ecolabels.

One of the main goals of the ENERGY STAR program is to develop performance-based specifications that determine the most efficient products in a particular category. Products that meet these specifications earn the ENERGY STAR label. Includes certification standards.

EPEAT is the required method of product environmental assessment for desktop computers, laptops and monitors for federal agencies.

FSC certification ensures that products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.

Certifies a wide variety of products and services.

Certifies products and materials for low chemical emissions.

EPA-sponsored program to promote water efficiency. Certifies products and services.

Guide to purchasing green office equipment. Includes a discussion of the environmental impacts of office equipment, how to establish a green purchasing program, and a list of resources.

The Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Registry allows designers, builders and consumers to make decisions about products. The registry includes a certification scorecard, which summarizes levels achieved in five categories: material health, material reutilization, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship and social fairness.

Find all the information you need to choose ENERGY STAR certified products, including rebates, and retailers near you.

EPEAT is the definitive global registry for greener electronics.

Have you ever wondered where chocolate comes from, if antibacterial soap is good for your family, or how to recycle an old computer? If you've had these or other questions about the environmental and social impacts of the products you buy and use, Good Stuff is for you. It contains many of the tips, facts, and links you'll need to start making more informed purchases that benefit your health and the environment. Guide to purchasing everything from appliances to chocolate.

Develops life cycle-based sustainability standards for products, services and companies and offers third-party certification for those that meet the criteria in the standard.

The SF Approved List includes vendors, cost issues, and criteria for over 1,000 safer, more environmentally friendly products to help SF City Depts. and SF Green Businesses be in compliance. While it often includes institutional products only sold in bulk quantities, it also has products to green your home, small business, or large organization. Our list is not comprehensive; it is a summary of the work we've done to identify green products for the City.

UL database of over 100,000 green products.

Staples' portal to green office supplies. Includes links to green buying tips and benefits; resources; key terms; and carbon footprint calculators.

Have you thought about the environmental impact of the swag items that you provide at library programs and other events? From the raw materials used to create the items, to the way that they are used, to their ultimate disposal, promotional items have an effect on people and the planet. Libraries that purchase sustainable swag consider the social, environmental, and economic impacts of the materials that they buy. The rubric below can help you evaluate the sustainability of the promotional materials your library purchases.

Vendors that purchase sustainable swag consider the social, environmental, and economic impacts of the materials that
they buy. The rubric below can help you evaluate the sustainability of the promotional materials your organization purchases.

To help you buy "greener," EPA has summarized information about several categories of products and services, including: Environmental attributes to consider; How to buy; Useful resources.

Database of products that meet EPA's Safer Choice standard.

EPA-sponsored program to promote water efficiency. Certifies products and services.