Construction Contracts and Specifications - Template Language for Environmentally Preferable Materials and Products

Sep 11, 2026

Template language for construction contracts and specifications covering environmentally preferable materials and products for U.S. federal projects. It defines procurement requirements for recycled content, biobased products, energy efficient items (ENERGY STAR/FEMP), ozone-depleting alternatives, water efficient products (WaterSense), and waste prevention and recycling targets. It also provides contractor reporting expectations, permitted justification criteria, and guidance for desired environmentally preferable materials through life-cycle considerations, including low-VOC paints and certified wood. Key resources and contract-language databases are referenced for implementation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Recycled Content Construction Materials and Products

Biobased Materials and Products

Energy Efficient Products

Ozone-Depleting Alternatives

Waste Prevention and Recycling

Water Efficient Products

Desired Environmentally Preferable Construction Materials

Resources

Required

Template Language for Construction Contracts and Specifications Environmentally Preferable Materials and Products Required Recycled Content Construction Materials and Products The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (Section 6002) requires all federal projects and facilities to preferentially purchase certain products with recovered material content (see “Resources” below for a list of these products and guidelines for purchasing them) . The Comprehensive Procurement Guideline program (CPG authorized by Congress under Section 6002 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) is the tool used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to designate which products shall be purchased with recovered material. The requirements for [name of construction project] are: • All designated products shall be purchased with the highest recovered (recycled) material content level practical, meeting at least the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recycled products requirements (see “Resources” below). The only justifications allowed for not purchasing the designated products with recycled content are the CAP: o Cost excessively high compared to the virgin version o Not Available o Performance does not meet the specifications required for the project. • To help [name of your site] meet reporting requirements, the contractor will provide us with the dollar amount and recycled content of designated product purchases at the submittal phase and at the completion of the project whether the products contained the required recycled content or not. When the contractor cannot purchase a designated product with recycled content, they need to submit a justification form (see “Resources” below) to [name of site] to report the comparative prices of the recycled versus the non-recycled material, the suppliers contacted for availability, or the specification restricting the purchase. Biobased Materials and Products The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act and Executive Order 13423 require all federal projects and facilities to preferentially purchase products certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to contain biobased content (see “Resources” below). The only justifications allowed for not purchasing the certified products with biobased content are the same as for recycled products—the CAP. In case of conflict with RCRA, RCRA prevails. Energy Efficient Products Energy policy acts of 1992, 2005 , 2007 and 2015 require the purchase of energy efficient products--either those labeled “ENERGY STAR” or designated by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). The requirement applies both to direct purchases and contracted services, including contracts for design, construction, renovation, or maintenance of a public building. For contracted services, the contractor must provide ENERGY STAR, FEMP qualified, or other energy efficient products. Ozone-Depleting Alternatives The Clean Air Act (Title VI) requires giving preference to the purchase of safe alternatives to ozone-depleting substances as approved by EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program. Waste Prevention and Recycling As required by The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act,[name of your site] must meet certain waste prevention and recycling targets. The requirements for [name of construction project] are: • All contractors are encouraged to minimize the waste generated during construction and demolition projects and maximize the amount of material that is reused and recycled. Contractors should take full advantage of all reuse and recycling programs available. • At the end of each quarter and at the completion of the project, the contractor will provide [name of your site] with information on all materials that were dispositioned, denoting the weight or volume of each material and whether it was reused, recycled, or disposed of. Water Efficient Products Energy policy acts of 1992, 2005, 2007 and 201

FAQs

What are the justification reasons allowed when not purchasing designated recycled-content products?

Justifications allowed are: cost excessively high versus the virgin version, not available, or performance does not meet the required project specifications.

How does the contractor report recycled-content and related purchases to the site?

The contractor provides the dollar amount and recycled content of designated product purchases during the submittal phase and at project completion, and when recycled-content products cannot be purchased, they submit a justification form with comparative pricing, suppliers contacted, or the specification restricting the purchase.

Which products and labeling programs are referenced for energy and water efficiency requirements?

Energy efficient products must be labeled ENERGY STAR or designated under the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). Water efficient products should bear the WaterSense label to help meet water reduction requirements.

Sep 11, 2026

Uploaded by Berry Peter