Green Procurement decisions must include considerations of transportation and packaging costs, which are usually intertwined. As packaging is reduced in volume and weight, transportation costs go down.

Many products, such as cleaning chemicals, can be purchased in concentrate form and diluted on site for use. Also, in many cases, a single product can perform multiple functions, taking the place of several other products.

Packaging should be recyclable. There are many environmentally responsible alternatives to polystyrene packing "peanuts" or molded packaging. Procurement contracts and purchase orders should clearly state that materials packed in non-recyclable packaging will not be accepted.

Buying locally produced products is obviously the easiest way to reduce transportation costs and related greenhouse gas emissions.