How Products Get on the SF Approved List

A. Priorities

Th SF Approved List is a reference for San Francisco City government purchasers.  We created it to efficiently share the work we completed with both City agencies and any other interested parties.  It is not intended as an ecolabel or certification, and is also not intended to be comprehensive.  As such, San Francisco Department of Environment (SF Environment) cannot accept requests for reviews of products. 

SF Environment prioritizes its research based on the SF Green Purchasing Priorities List (formerly called the Targeted Product Category List). These priorities are mandated by the Precautionary Purchasing Ordinance (Environment Code, Ch. 2) and by Executive Directive 08-02. They are updated every three years by SF Environment with input from other City departments and the public based on the:

Scoresheet for Evaluating Product Categories
SF Green Purchasing Pilot Program Report & Product Reviews (1999-2003)

B. Goals

The SF Environment Green Purchasing Program recognizes three overriding goals in its selection of SF Approved products:

Performance: Does the product work well? Is it durable?  Does it make efficient use of resources?

Impact: Does the product have impacts on the environment, worker health, or public health?

Cost: Considering all the alternatives - and the full life cycle of the product - is it cost-effective?

SF Environment is primarily involved with determining impacts, but facilitates conversations among City end users and the SF Purchasing Department to address performance and cost issues [Click here for diagram]. 

Generally, SUGGESTED products that City Depts. are encouraged to try have been reviewed for impacts, but may not have not been fully evaluated for cost or performance.

Products that City Depts. are REQUIRED to buy have met all three goals, often by end user feedback and inclusion in a citywide contract.

C. Product Screening - Information Sources

When researching products and services, SF Environment examines the following:

1. Existing literature: Alternatives analyses, life cycle assessments (LCAs), risk assessments by regulators, weight-of-evidence determinations, purchasing guidelines, scientific review papers or other resources that have already been developed.  If these are inadequate, SF Environment sometimes conducts its own alternatives analyses.
2. Existing standards/certifications/ecolabels/specifications
3. Performance data and performance issues
4. Number of certified products available in the local area

D. Product Screening - Processes

For SUGGESTED Products & Services, SF Environment:

1. Conducts preliminary surveys of current products used by the City
2. Researches and selects the best available standards, certifications, or ecolabels.
3. Begins collecting green product reviews from City departments to consider designating SUGGESTED products as as REQUIRED products.

For REQUIRED Products & Services SF Environment completes all steps above, and:

1. Conducts more complete surveys, consultations and meetings with City end users on key product performance issues. This may also include pilot testing.
2. Works with the Purchasing Department to identify cost issues.
3. May work with the Purchasing Department, potential vendors and end users to incorporate standards/certifications/ecolabels into new citywide term contracts. 
4. Adds the product or service to the SF Approved List.