What is Green Purchasing?

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP), or Green Purchasing, refers to the procurement of products and services that have a reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose. This comparison may consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance, or disposal of the product or service.

Iowa State University Procurement Services is committed to continuous improvement in procuring environmentally preferable products, promoting sustainable practices, and managing energy consumption, while fully supporting the University's mission to create, share, and apply knowledge to make Iowa and the world a better place. 

Supplier Sustainability Code of Conduct

The University strives to manage its business in a sustainable and responsible way. We seek to do business with suppliers who share our concerns for, and commitment to, sustainable business practices. Suppliers shall meet all applicable environmental rules, regulations, and laws in the countries where they do business and shall consistently look for new and better ways to conserve resources, reduce pollution and waste, and enhance the communities in which they operate.
 

Definitions

Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP): A product that has a lesser or reduced negative effect on human health and the environment when compared to competing products that serve the same purpose. This comparison may consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance, and disposal of the product. This term includes recyclable products, recycled products, and reusable products.

Energy Star: A voluntary partnership among the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, product manufacturers, local utilities, and retailers. Partners help promote efficient products by labeling with the Energy Star® logo and educating consumer about the benefits of energy efficiency.

Life Cycle Analysis: The comprehensive examination of a product's environmental and economic effects throughout its lifetime, including new material extraction, transportation, manufacturing, use, and disposal.

Practicable: Satisfactory in performance and available at a fair and reasonable price.

Post-consumer Content: The percentage of materials collected from end-users and recycled into the new product.

Products with Recycled Content: Recycled content products contain "recovered materials" or "postconsumer materials" or both. "Recovered materials" means materials that have been removed or diverted from solid waste - in other words, trash - including solid waste created by manufacturers. "Postconsumer materials" are materials that we discard at home and at work that are separated or diverted for recycling instead of going to a landfill.

Recyclable Product: A product that, after its intended end use, can be demonstrably diverted from the University's solid waste stream for use as a raw material in the manufacture of another product, preferably higher value uses.

Reusable Product: A product, such as a washable food or beverage container or a refillable ballpoint pen, that can be used several times for an intended use before being discarded.


Green Products/Information

Catering/Event Planning

When planning an off-campus conference or event, you should consider taking a few extra steps to minimize its environmental impact. See the Event Planning checklist below for ideas to "green" your event. If using ISU Dining for your event, they are utilizing sustainable practices in their catering, dining, and café operations.

 

"Green" Event Planning Checklist

  • Table Presentation
    • Use cloth tablecloths and napkins if possible. If not, at least use paper napkins that are made from recycled paper. 
    • Use sustainable table centerpieces such as potted plants, candles, or fruits that guests can take home and reuse. If food or flowers are used and not reused, make sure they are local and pesticide free so they can be composted. 
    • Request reusable dishes, cutlery, and glasses/cups.
  • Food
    • Ask caterers to use locally grown/produced foods and foods that are in season and organic. 
    • Use fair trade coffee and teas. 
    • Serve foods that need not be individually packaged nor require utensils.
  • Caterers
    • If hiring drop-off caterers, ask that food be packaged in reusable containers that they will come back and pick up after the event. This eliminates the need for individually packaged foods. 
    • Ask caterers to minimize the use of disposable packaging. 
    • Ask caterers to refrain from using individually wrapped condiments, sugar and salt packets, etc.

 

Promotional Products/Materials

  • Use electronic communication for invitations and confirmations instead of printed materials. 
  • Consider not providing programs to each attendee, but rather posting a few in central locations. 
  • Provide paper recycling bins in strategic locations for the programs and other paper that you provide. 
  • Consider giving away items that attendees can use for the rest of the conference, such as travel mugs or tote bags.

 

Additional Resources to Green Your Meeting

Office Equipment

11% of all commercial electric usage is consumed by office equipment including computers, monitors, printers, scanners, and fax machines.

If you are about to requisition office equipment, ask for Energy Star and look for the Energy Star label on these products. Energy Star certified office equipment generates less heat, so the university may also realize savings on air conditioning and maintenance.

If you are considering a new desktop, laptop, or monitor, you may also want to consult EPEAT, The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool.

 

Paper

When you purchase copy paper from Central Stores, you will be using paper that is FSC certified and has a 30% recycled content.

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guidelines

Recognizing our impact as a significant purchaser of goods and services, Iowa State University's goal is to give preference to environmentally friendly products whose sustainability, function and quality are equal or superior to more traditional products and whose cost is equal or less. This policy will:

  • Conserve natural resources 
  • Minimize pollution
  • Reduce the use of water and energy
  • Reduce or eliminate environmental health hazards on our campus and in our community
  • Support markets for recycled content products
  • Reduce materials sent to landfills
  • Increase the use and availability of environmentally preferable products
  • Encourage suppliers to reduce environmental impacts within the supply chain
  • Create a model for successfully purchasing environmentally preferable products while maintaining fiscal responsibility, quality, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations
  • Support locally produced goods and services
  • Educate ourselves, suppliers, and campus community 

Areas of Focus

Source Reduction

Reducing unnecessary waste at the source allows the University to both mitigate the inefficient use of our natural resources and benefit economically from decreased handling and disposal costs. Procurement activity may include:

  • Purchase used/surplus or remanufactured products such as laser toner cartridges, furniture, equipment, etc., whenever practicable and cost-effective over its life cycle, without reducing safety, quality, or effectiveness.
  • Consider short-term and long-term costs when comparing product alternatives. Evaluate total costs expected during the time a product is owned, including, but not limited to: acquisition, extended warranties, operation, supplies, maintenance, support, disposal costs, trade-in value, and expected lifetime compared to other alternatives.
  • Specify and purchase products that are durable, long lasting, reusable, or refillable whenever practicable, but without reducing safety, quality, or effectiveness.
  • Request packaging that is reusable, recyclable, or compostable when suitable uses and programs exist.
  • Consider products from rapidly renewable sources.
  • Analyze and consider leasing versus buying for short-term needs. 

 

Recycled Content Products

The University recognizes that recycled content products are important to an environmentally responsible production system. Procurement activity may include:

  • Products addressed in Iowa laws and Executive Orders. Iowa State University shall purchase and use recycled printing and writing paper for 90% of total use. 100% of their tissue products shall be recycled product.
  • Requiring information on recycled content shall be requested on all bids for paper products and on other products which could have recycled content such as oil, plastic products, including not limited to starch-based plastic products, compost materials, aggregate, solvents, soybean-based inks, and rubber products.
  • Identify and purchase other recycled content products and packaging whenever practicable, but without reducing quality or effectiveness.

 

Energy and Water Savings

Recognizing that electricity generation is a major contributor to air pollution and global warming issues and that clean water is a finite resource, the University values products that minimize the use of these resources. Procurement activity shall support University efforts to reduce the use of electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and water in all state office buildings and may include:

  • Energy-efficient equipment and lighting.
  • Products for which the U.S. EPA Energy Star certification is available or equivalent non-certified products.
  • Water-saving products or processes.
  • Support LEED silver construction goals. 

 

Toxins and Pollution

The use of toxics and the generation of pollution should be minimized to reduce risks to health, safety, and the environment. Procurement activity may include:

  • The purchase of degradable disposable plastic products to the maximum extent practicable when those products are determined to be reasonably available, cost and quality competitive.
  • The purchase of products covered by Executive Orders to include trash liners with recycled content and degradable foam or plastic products for containers unless recycled or reused.
  • Restricting the purchase of foam products manufactured with chlorofluorocarbons and phasing out chlorofluorocarbon-containing refrigerants, solvents, and similar products.
  • The purchase of soybean-based inks for printing services.
  • The purchase of environmentally preferable cleaning products, when practicable, but without reducing quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness.
  • Identifying and using products with the lowest amounts of volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, lead, or mercury.
  • Provide for recycling of products containing toxic materials such as fluorescent lamps, ballasts, lead acid batteries, waste oil, electronics, etc.

 

Forest Conservation

The use of environmentally preferable paper and wood products to conserve forests, water, and energy, prevents pollution and helps to protect biodiversity. Procurement activity may include:

  • Giving preference to wood products that are certified to be sustainably harvested by a comprehensive, performance-based certification system similar to that of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (FSI), whenever practical, but without reducing quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness.
  • Purchasing locally harvested/extracted and processed wood, whenever practical, but without reducing quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness. 

 

Waste Minimization

The University recognizes the importance of waste minimization in being a good steward of the environment. Iowa State University collaborates with the City of Ames to minimize waste in the community. A strong recycling program is in place at the university, and any waste not recycled is disposed of at the city's Resource Recovery Plant, where recyclable materials are separated, and other waste is used for creating electricity in the city's Power Plant. 

Sustainable Facilities Tool is about efficient, healthy buildings and environmentally responsible purchasing. Their Green Procurement Compilation is a helpful guide to green purchasing choices. https://sftool.gov/greenprocurement.

Useful Links

Energy Star is a government program offering energy-efficient solutions. http://www.energystar.gov/

Energy Star certified products. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_find_es_products.

 

EPEAT is a system to help purchasers compare and select desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based on their environmental attributes. EPEAT also provides a consistent set of performance criteria for the design of products. http://www.epeat.net/

 

Green Seal is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment and changing the marketplace by promoting the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and services. http://www.greenseal.org/

 

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world's forests.http://www.fscus.org/

 

Greenguard is an independent, third-party testing program for low-emitting products and materials. http://www.greenguard.org/

 

LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a green building rating system, developed by the US green Building Council, providing a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable building construction. https://www.usgbc.org/leed

 

Environmental Choice - Home of ECOLOGO. EcoLogoM is North America's most widely recognized and respected multi-attribute environmental certification mark. http://www.ecologo.org/en/