Sustainable Purchasing GR001A

Procurement ServicesAngela Longoria-Shahjahan

Updated 12/4/2012

Key Concepts

• Sustainability: Meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

• Sustainable Purchasing: A process where we meet our needs for goods and services in a way that provides the best value on a life cycle basis while minimizing negative impact on society and the environment.

Triple Bottom Line

• People (Social Impact)– Human Health, Use of Local and

M/WBE, Impact on Employees and Community.

• Planet (Environmental Impact)– Life Cycle Assessment of energy

consumption, GHG emissions, waste generation, depletion of natural capital, impact on biodiversity, etc.

• Profit (Economic Impact)– Life Cycle Assessment of the cost of

performance, quality, and economic/human resource usage.

Goal

The goal is to minimize or eliminate negative impacts to the environment and society while at the same time promoting responsible and sustainable budget practices.

Goals of Sustainable Purchasing

• Conserve natural resources.• Reduce costs by encouraging conservation and responsible

purchasing.• Minimize pollution, GHG emissions, and landfill waste.• Reduce consumption.• Support strong recycling markets.• Increase the use and availability of sustainable products.• Support vendors who follow sustainable practices.• Support locally produced goods and services.• Encourage cost avoidance by promoting life cycle analysis of

purchases.

Life Cycle Assessment

• Life Cycle refers to the life of a product beginning with the extraction of raw materials from the earth and ending with the final disposal of the product.

• Used to determine the total economic cost and/or environmental impact of a product over its life cycle.

• Cradle to Cradle (C2C) is a product design approach in which waste is entirely eliminated.

Guidelines for Sustainable Purchasing

• Total cost of ownership• Durability• Reconditioned or

remanufactured• Non-toxic• Biodegradable• Recyclable• Sustainably sourced raw

materials• Energy efficient• Water efficient

• Reusable• Take-back program• Minimal environmental

impact over product LC• Minimal packaging• Recycled content• Locally produced• Supports women,

minority, & local vendors• Ethical business practices• Biobased

Total Cost of Ownership

• Purchase cost• Cost of supplies• Performance

relative to cost• Reliability

• Energy consumption

• Warranty and service

• Reuse/recycling options

• Disposal costsProcurement Services can provide guidance on Total Cost of Ownership and Product Life Cycle.

Eco-labels• An eco-label identifies a product

that meets a wide range of environmental performance criteria or standards.

• Not all eco-labels are created equal. Certification may be first party (self-declaration), second party (industry /special interest), or third party.

• Only robust, independent, third-party certification based on stringent standards and verification requirements ensures truthful and credible messaging to help customers make healthy and sustainable product choices.

Eco-Label Reference

Eco-Label Reference

Current DePaul Initiatives

Paper• 30% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR)

content paper on contract through Staples Advantage! 100% PCR content paper is also available.

• DePaul's stationary products (business cards, letterhead, envelopes, notepads and more) are made from 30% recycled material.

• Distribution Services provides copier paper that is FSC certified.

• E-fax (IS) and ImageNow(RM) are helping to reduce paper consumption across campus.

• Using the Pro-Card can reduce paper used “per transaction.”

Toner Cartridges

• Purchasing remanufactured toner purchased through Staples Advantage saves departments money!

• One remanufactured toner cartridge saves .5 gallon of oil and eliminates 2.5 lbs. of metal and plastic from landfills.

• DePaul recycles used toner cartridges. Proceeds go to the General Scholarship Fund.

• Don’t forget that printing less saves toner too!

Other Initiatives and Resources• eco-Friendly Office Supplies

Staples Advantage offers a line of eco-friendly office supply products.

• Electronic Bid ProcessesProcurement conducts all bid processes electronically, issuing RFPs and collecting responses via e-mail.

• Electronic Training MaterialsAll Procurement training materials are available online and rarely printed out for training sessions.

• Gold Level EPEAT Computer purchasesAll standard computer purchases through Dell are certified Gold standard from EPEAT.

• Leasing and Salvage PickupsProcurement recently consolidated salvage pickups and lease returns, reducing the number of trucks and manpower needed.

More Initiatives and Resources

• Pens and Writing Instruments Recycling ProgramMany departments collect used pens and other writing instruments for recycling. Not only does the program help keep waste out of the landfill, but DePaul receives $0.02 for every writing instrument accepted. (Not in the program? E-mail Procurement to get a box and more information!)

• Salvage Program / University Salvage StoreThe Salvage Program collects unneeded equipment and recycles, resells or donates it to keep the items out of landfills. In FY11, over 3,000 pieces of equipment came through the program.

• Shredding RecyclingR4 shreds and recycled all materials collected in its secure boxes. As of March 2012, over 1,700 trees were saved because of DePaul's shredded materials. Contact Procurement for additional information.

For More Information

Mission and Values provides an excellent overview of Sustainability at DePaul and link to the Institutional Sustainability Plan:

http://mission.depaul.edu/Programs/Sustainability/Pages/default.aspx

Questions and Feedback

Angela Longoria-ShahjahanProcurement Services

alongor1@depaul.edu

312-362-6992