Low RiskFARenvironment

52.223-23Sustainable Products and Services.

Researched by the BidStride Research Team

What This Clause Requires

FAR 52.223-23 — Sustainable Products and Services.. This clause is part of the Federal Acquisition Regulation and may be included in government contracts as a solicitation provision or contract clause.

Official Regulation Text

52.223-23 Sustainable Products and Services. As prescribed in 23.109(a), insert the following clause: Sustainable Products and Services (MAY 2024) (a) Definitions. As used in this clause— Biobased product means a product determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to be a commercial product or industrial product (other than food or feed) that is composed, in whole or in significant part, of biological products, including renewable domestic agricultural materials and forestry materials, or that is an intermediate ingredient or feedstock. The term includes, with respect to forestry materials, forest products that meet biobased content requirements, notwithstanding the market share the product holds, the age of the product, or whether the market for the product is new or emerging. (7 U.S.C. 8101) (7 CFR 3201.2). Recovered material means waste materials and by-products recovered or diverted from solid waste, but the term does not include those materials and by-products generated from, and commonly reused within, an original manufacturing process. (42 U.S.C. 6903). Sustainable products and services means products and services that are subject to and meet the following applicable statutory mandates and directives for purchasing: (1) Statutory purchasing programs. (i) Products containing recovered material designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (42 U.S.C. 6962) (40 CFR part 247) ( https://www.epa.gov/smm/comprehensive-procurement-guideline-cpg-program#products ). (ii) Energy- and water-efficient products that are ENERGY STAR® certified or Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)-designated products (42 U.S.C. 8259b) (10 CFR part 436, subpart C) ( https://www.energy.gov/eere/femp/search-energy-efficient-products and https://www.energystar.gov/products?s=mega ). (iii) Biobased products meeting the content requirement of the USDA under the BioPreferred® program (7 U.S.C. 8102) (7 CFR part 3201) (

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR 52.223-23 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-48/section-52.223-23)

Compliance Checklist

  • (2) Required EPA purchasing programs.
  • (2) The Contractor shall ensure that the sustainable products and services required by this contract are— (i) Delivered to the Government; (ii) Furnished for use by the Government; (iii) Incorporated into the construction of a public building or public work; and (iv) Furnished for use in performing services under this contract, where the cost of the products is a direct cost to this contract (versus costs which are normally applied to the Contractor's general and administrative expenses or indirect costs).
  • This includes services performed by contractors performing management and operation of Government-owned facilities to the same extent that, at the time of award, an agency would be required to comply if an agency operated or supported the facility.
  • (3)(i) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(3)(ii) of this clause, sustainable products and services must meet the applicable standards, specifications, or other program requirements at time of quote or offer submission; and (ii) Sustainable products and services must meet the EPA Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels in effect as of October 2023.

Flow-Down to Subcontractors

No flow-down required

This clause applies only to the prime contract and does not need to be flowed down to subcontractors.

Frequently Asked Questions

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This summary is for informational purposes only and reflects the BidStride Research Team's plain-English interpretation of the regulation. It is not legal advice and does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Always consult the official Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) or Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) text and qualified legal counsel for compliance decisions.