By Chet Warner, USCM Intern
August 13, 2007

Founded in 1996, U.S. Communities (USC) is a non-profit partnership between the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, the National Association of Counties, the National League of Cities, and the Association of School Business Officials International. USC is the government purchasing alliance that sponsors the largest national buying cooperative for local governments.

The mission of USC is to save local governments’ time and money while still providing the highest quality products available. Among the many products that the partnership offers are certified “green” products.

There is a myriad of products offered from building materials to paper and they all are guaranteed, environmentally certified by agencies, such as the EcoLogo Program, Green Seal, and Scientific Certification Systems. In addition, its products meet all of the standards required by EnergyStar, the GreenGuard Environmental Institute, The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, the Chlorine Free Products Association, and the Forest Stewardship Council.

There is a common misconception that “green” products are either more expensive or not as reliable as conventionally made products. However, this view is inaccurate, according to Scot Case, an expert in the field and the Vice President of the EcoLogo Program. “The basic premise is this: twenty years ago when people first began to develop green products, there were a lot of shoddy products on the market. Now there are a vast amount of higher quality products that governments can purchase at a more affordable price. If you think ‘green’ products don’t work, then you are living in a distant past,” he said.

In addition to Case’s staunch support of “green” products, USC requires that all of its products be competitively priced to fulfill its mission of saving money for local governments. All of its “green” products are also quality assured, meaning that they must be equal or greater in quality than their conventional counterparts. This guarantee means that local governments do not have to choose between price and quality when shopping for “green” products. This certification and readily available information make it easy for cities to buy “green.”

USC will continue marketing its “green” products as the avenue of the future for its partnership. Since 1996, the partnership has been local governments’ greatest resource for a variety of products. Its incorporation of “green” products to its current product lines will further assist local governments in efforts to use procurement to promote environmentally-friendly products. Mayors now have available to them a service that can provide their city with "green," high quality and cost-competitive goods.

For information on the USC Program “Going Green” program, visit the website www.uscommunities.org or www.gogreencommunities.org. For further information, contact Kathryn Kretschmer-Weyland at 301-460-5251 or send e-mail to kweyland@usmayors.org.