News Release

For Immediate Release: January 31, 2002
For More Information Contact: Terra Schmookler (202) 387-8030

Survey Explores States' "Green" Purchasing of Wood

Washington, DC- The Resource Conservation Alliance (RCA) and the Government Purchasing Project (GPP) will survey initiatives state governments are taking to buy "forest-friendly" products.

"Government purchasing accounts for nearly 20 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product," says Terra Schmookler, Outreach Director of GPP. "This tremendous purchasing power can be leveraged to stimulate the market for products such as recycled paper, reduce demand for timber, and consequently help to conserve forests."

"When officials spend taxpayer money to buy paper, furniture or thousands of other products, they need not passively accept the choices that industry offers. Instead, they can encourage industry to produce more imaginatively," said Ralph Nader, founder of GPP. "Government buyers need to consider the long-term economic, environmental and societal costs associated with products and services," he added.

Nearly 100 procurement officials in all 50 states will be surveyed. State government officials will be asked to identify any state policies and practices that call for the procurement of environmentally preferable wood products or wood alternatives in five product categories: paper, packaging, furniture, pallets and "green" building. The results of the survey will be published in a report, which will be released to the public and sent to state governments.

"We hope to discover what state governments are doing to address the crisis forests face due to over-logging for wood products," says Schmookler. "Most importantly, we want to identify state officials who are interested in furthering their 'green' procurement practices. That is where we can be of assistance."

The need to reduce wood consumption is now more pressing than ever; global wood use is projected to increase by more than 50 percent by 2050. The world currently consumes more than 3.5 billion cubic meters of wood, contributing to the destruction of nearly 40 million acres annually.

According to Schmookler, governments can reduce wood consumption by buying products containing wood substitutes, such as kenaf paper, bamboo flooring, sugar cane building panels and hemp carpeting. Governments can also specify wood products which are recycled, reclaimed, remanufactured, or sustainably harvested.

The Government Purchasing Project (GPP) has been promoting responsible government procurement since 1988. Resource Conservation Alliance (RCA), started in 1994, works to protect natural forests and other ecosystems through market?based conservation strategies.

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