Procurement criteria for consumable goods

In a nutshell

This tool provides guidance to set out criteria for reduced use and impact of chemicals and consumable goods in the public procurement of catering services, based on the EU Green Public Procurement (GPP) criteria. The tool provides the minimum criteria for technical specification and award criteria for this purpose. Its implementation positively impacts on water quality, biodiversity, waste reduction, and climate protection.

Necessary Steps

  • In preparation for public procurement, market consultations are carried out on the supply of eco-labelled chemical products and consumable goods.
  • When preparing documents for procuring catering services, the criteria below can be included to ensure the procurement of environmentally friendly chemicals and consumable goods. These criteria are based on the EU’s GPP criteria for food and catering services. There are two criteria models to choose between, which can also be used in combination:

Technical specification (minimum criteria)

  • Non-disposable tableware (such as plates, mugs, glasses, cutlery), gloves, and tablecloths must be used on a general basis.
  • At least X% of chemical products for handwashing, dishwashing, and routine cleaning used in catering services must meet the requirements of an EU Ecolabel for that specific product or its equivalent.
  • At least X% of consumable goods (kitchen rolls, kitchen paper, napkins, etc.) used in catering services must meet the requirements of an EU Ecolabel for that specific product or its equivalent.
  • Note: exemption from the ecolabel requirement may be granted if no eco-labelled products are available on the market.
  • Verification: The tenderer must supply a list of disposable and non-disposable items, chemical products, and consumable goods used in the execution of the contract, clearly indicating which products comply with the criteria.

Award criteria (for giving proportionally additional scores)

  • This can be applied to tenders in which more than the required % of the purchases of chemical products and/or consumable goods meet the requirements of an EU Ecolabel for the specific product or equivalent.
  • It can also be applied to tenders in which:
    • cleaning agents and hand soaps are dispensed by an automatic dispenser or dosage pump
    • other actions are taken to significantly reduce the consumption of chemical products, such as steam cleaning
    • the kitchen is equipped with dispensers that dispense paper towels or fabric hand towel rolls .
  • Verification: The tenderer must supply information about the dosing systems and dispensers to be used as well as their maintenance (if needed) in the execution of the contract.

More Issues To Consider

The impact of water quality on the consumption of dishwashing chemicals is also to be considered. Water hardness in a particular area determines the percentage of eco-labelled detergents that can be used in dishwashers.

Further Information

Disclaimer

The information on this page about the use of the tool “Procurement criteria for consumable goods” is only provided as a general guide and is not intended as a substitute for the user to check the respective public procurement regulations. We compiled the content to the best of our knowledge, but do not assume any liability for completeness and correctness. We do not assume any liability for the user to verify the applicable procurement law provisions in the respective national state.

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