
Full Circle staff are recognized for our pioneering work in green procurement, particularly at the federal level. In some projects—as with our National Parks work, or market development for recycled-content paper and re-refined motor oil—purchasing is front and center. In other projects—whether with green schools or green business assistance—we work closely with clients and program targets to incorporate green purchasing principles and messaging.
Purchasing is integral to all aspects of an organization’s operations. Procurement staff serve as gatekeepers for the materials that flow into and out of an organization, and therefore have tremendous influence over product and service choices. This selection of goods and services is unavoidably intertwined with raw material extraction, manufacturing, use and disposal of products. Procurement staff, and the policies and guidelines under which they operate, therefore have the potential to minimize environmental impacts associated with the life-cycle of the products and services they specify.
Related Projects

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program provides all children in participating Seattle Public Elementary schools with a variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables throughout
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EnviroStars is a free program that offers rebates, resources, and incentives to businesses who take action to protect the environment and employee health and safety.
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EPA is looking to apply LCA methods and tools to identify the environmental impacts of packaging materials, and support the adoption of Sustainable Materials Management
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The City of Santa Monica has long been a pioneer in sustainable purchasing. The City’s early efforts were documented in a thorough 1998 report
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The West Coast Climate and Materials Management Forum — created by EPA Region 9 — developed a “toolkit” of resources and strategies to help public
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We provided direct technical assistance to King County’s Green Schools Program—now comprising over 400 schools and 11 school districts. Participating schools receive recognition for improving
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“This guidebook—written by lawyers for lawyers—is concise, well-written, and full of creative ideas about waste prevention,” said a Seattle City Council member of this guide.
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Full Circle has devoted considerable time to used oil policy and program development. Core projects included expansion of used oil collection infrastructure, developing award-winning public
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This broadly recognized program—documented in a peer reviewed journal and a nationally-distributed trade magazine—has achieved a recycling rate above 90% for used motor oil from
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Full Circle staff works closely with the National Park Service to expand implementation of environmental purchasing activities at headquarter and regional levels as well as
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