All Office Supplies

Industrial Consumer

San Francisco's Green Purchasing Program works with the citywide office supply vendor (currently Staples) to pre-block products that do not meet our environmental requirements.  This makes buying green easy for City staff. To view the complete set of office supply specifications, scroll down to "Criteria" on this page.

Required

  • Recycled Products Meeting US EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines

    Local agencies that use appropriated federal funds to buy $10,000 or more of products in categories below in a year must buy recycled products that meet US EPA's federal comprehensive procurement guidelines:

    • Automotive: engine coolants, rebuilt vehicular parts, re-refined lubricating oils, retread tires
    • Building materials: building insulation, cement and concrete, consolidated and reprocessed latex paint, floor tiles, flowable fill, laminated paperboard, modular threshold ramps, nonpressure pipe, patio blocks, railroad grade crossing surfaces, roofing materials, shower and restroom dividers/partitions, structural fiberboard, proposed: nylon carpet and nylon carpet backing
    • Industrial supplies: blasting grit, general purpose industrial wipes, industrial drums, manual-grade strapping, mats, pallets, signage, sorbents
    • Landscaping products: compost and fertilizer made from recovered organic materials, garden and soaker hoses, hydraulic mulch, lawn and garden edging, plastic lumber landscaping timbers and posts
    • Office supplies (non-paper): awards, binders, clipboards, file folders, clip portfolios, furniture, plastic desktop accessories and envelopes, printer ribbons, waste bins
    • Paper products: bath and facial tissue, binders, calendars, cardboard boxes, clipboards, easel pads, file folders, index cards, labels, newsprint, notebooks, notepads, packaging, paper (except white copy paper), paperboard, paper towels, shipping (envelopes, mailing tubes), sticky notes, waste bins
    • Park and recreation products: park benches and picnic tables, plastic fencing, playground equipment, playground surfaces, running tracks, waste bins
    • Traffic and sidewalk products: bike racks, channelizers, delineators, flexible delineators, parking stops, traffic barricades, traffic cones
    Manufacturer(s)
    See products
    City Approved Vendor(s)
    Other Vendor(s)
    Product/Service Type
    Consumer, Industrial

Suggested

Limited

Prohibited

  • Styrofoam (Polystyrene Foam) Foodware & Packaging (e.g., Peanuts, Blocks), Coolers, Beach Toys)

    The 2016 ordinance bans everyone in San Francisco from distributing or selling Styrofoam:

    • Foodware
    • Meat and fish trays and egg cartons
    • Packing materials including shipping boxes and packing peanuts
    • Coolers, ice chests, similar containers
    • Pool or beach toys
    • Dock floats, mooring buoys, navigation markers
    Manufacturer(s)
    City Approved Vendor(s)
    Other Vendor(s)
    Product/Service Type
    Consumer, Industrial
  • PVC (Vinyl) Products

    When to Use

    Avoid PVC products such as: 

    • Soft plastic (e.g., food wrap, shower curtains, and office supplies like badge holders, calendars, chair and floor mats, clear binders, coated paper clips, deskpads, envelopes, erasers, file folders and tabs, note book covers, sheet protectors)
    • Fake leather
    • Children’s products
    • Building materials, flooring, carpet backing
    Manufacturer(s)
    City Approved Vendor(s)
    Other Vendor(s)
    Product/Service Type
    Consumer, Industrial
  • Products With Antibacterial/Antimicrobial Coatings

    When to Use

    This prohibition does not include surface sanitizers and disinfectants registered by the US EPA for use in California.

    Manufacturer(s)
    City Approved Vendor(s)
    Other Vendor(s)
    Product/Service Type
    Consumer, Industrial

Info on this product category: All Office Supplies

Criteria for All Office Supplies

Last updated

Last updated: 
October 25, 2019