Compliance
Despite statutes and executive orders requiring agencies to purchase green products, agencies are still a long way from full compliance. Several Federal facilities have instituted monitoring systems to track the effectiveness of their green purchasing efforts and identify areas in need of improvement.

Defense Automated Printing Service. The Defense Automated Printing Service (DAPS) at Fort Belvoir, Virginia instituted a facility-wide policy to use postconsumer recycled content paper in its operations. However, DAPS was notified in May 1998 that some of its newly acquired GSA printing sites had reverted back to virgin paper. This prompted DAPS to initiate a survey of all its paper purchases dating back to October 1, 1997. The survey's results indicated that 63 percent of paper purchases were for virgin paper and that many of its 310 field sites were not using recycled content paper because of some misinformed concerns about jamming and quality.

To improve compliance, DAPS issued an all points bulletin in June 1998 reiterating its policy of using at postconsumer recycled content paper. Within two months, DAPS issued another directive stating that all in-house operations will use at least (the then required) 20 percent postconsumer recycled content paper by October 1, 1998 and that a waiver must be obtained to purchase virgin paper. DAPS currently has a BPA with Boise Cascade to provide DAPS facilities with 30 percent postconsumer content paper.

For more information about DAPS's affirmative procurement program, contact Thelma Williams, thelma.williams@dla.mil, (703) 607-5249.