Greener purchasing has a key role in reducing the negative environmental impacts of consumption by focusing on reducing procurement and selecting greener alternatives. Its application within local authorities is being driven by Local Agenda 21.A survey of 410 local authorities in England and Wales was used to establish the status of greener purchasing policies, assess methods used to implement such policies and evaluate the success of such policies. The rate of return was 44%, although the majority of questionnaires were not fully completed.It is apparent that many local authorities have integrated environmental considerations into purchasing policies. However, the majority of green purchasing policies were only rated as moderately successful, mainly due to the increased cost of greener products. It appears that local authorities are experiencing difficulties with implementation and maintenance of greener purchasing policies. Although limited guidance is available on greener purchasing, national guidance would be beneficial. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment