Jefferson Lab earns its fifth recognition in the DOE GreenBuy Award Program
NEWPORT NEWS – The U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility was recently recognized by DOE for its commitment to environmental excellence in procurement. The lab has earned a GreenBuy Award for fiscal year 2021.
Jefferson Lab earned the GreenBuy Award by purchasing nine priority products in six different categories. All federal agencies are required to purchase products that are energy efficient, water efficient, and made from biobased or recycled content. Jefferson Lab purchased items on the list of products compiled by DOE that meet these requirements.
Led by Procurement Officer Barbara Rice, Jefferson Lab’s GreenBuy efforts include engaging lab staff and vendors in purchase decisions to ensure purchased products meet environmental standards.
“We reported eligible purchases in six categories, including custodial, construction, electronics, office, grounds and other to qualify,” she said.
The GreenBuy awards require continuous improvement. The purchase goals for each level increase every year, making the recognition more difficult to achieve from one year to the next.
Even so, this is the lab’s fifth appearance on the list. This distinction also earned the laboratory a Superior Award. These awards are reserved for facilities that have achieved gold-level status for at least five years.
“Purchasing environmentally preferred products has become a part of how we do business at the lab. Our goal is to purchase products that are energy efficient, water efficient and made from biobased or recycled content material,” Rice said. “We continue to achieve mission goals as we reduce the environmental impact of operation, while demanding an improved marketplace for greener products and services.”
The GreenBuy Award Program was launched in 2010 to recognize Department of Energy sites who excel and go above and beyond in the name of sustainable products, or “green purchasing.” Green products must be purchased for a variety of uses and departments on-site to be considered for this award. These include the cafeteria, construction, custodial, electronics, grounds/landscaping, office and operations/fleet management.
Further Reading
Jefferson Lab Aims to Up Its Environmental Game
Jefferson Lab Keeps It Green
Going (and Staying) Green
Jefferson Lab Receives 2017 Gold Level GreenBuy Award
Contact: Kandice Carter, Jefferson Lab Communications Office, kcarter@jlab.org