Purchasing
Introduction
Collectively, institutions spend many billions of dollars on goods and services annually. Each purchasing decision represents an opportunity for institutions to choose environmentally and socially preferable products and services and support companies with strong commitments to sustainability.
Featured Resources
Latest News from AASHE Bulletin
New Resources
Certified Paper: An Integral Part of Sustainable Practices on Campus
- University of San Diego (CA)
- Domtar Corporation (SC)
Forest certification was launched over a decade ago to help protect forests from destructive logging practices and demonstrate to consumers that a wood or paper product comes from forests managed …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Developing a Large-Scale Solar Project on Campus
- AMSOLAR International (CA)
A large private university entered into a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement in 2010 with a solar development company focused on the education sector. The project was completed in fall 2010 …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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When did Cleaning get so Colorful? Green and Blue Cleaning
- Aramark (PA)
Ever heard of blue cleaning? Technological advances in improving indoor environmental quality are rapidly changing the approach to cleaning in our colleges and universities. First came green cleaning - now …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Greening Your Cleaning - Adopting sustainable cleaning practices that focus on the Triple Bottom Line
- Ithaca College (NY)
This presentation gives the learner a solid understanding of how green cleaning programs can help reduce environmental and economic foot print, reduce labor and bring social and environmental responsibility into …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Beyond Local: Food Purchasing Criteria, Student Farm Audits and the Veg Yourself Pledge
- Luther College (IA)
Food purchasers have ever more considerations to keep in mind when making buying decisions. Which criteria are the most important? At some point it becomes important to define our goals …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Saving Paper with LEAF: Creating and Implementing a Green Education Program
- Southern Methodist University (TX)
What do a cardstock placard, a one-hour discussion, and a "green certification" all have in common? They are all simple ways to transform your campus into a sustainable community. An …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Driving Down Energy Use While Your IT Load Increases
- Stanford University (CA)
In January 2009 Stanford University undertook the challenge of reducing electricity and chilled water usage in the main 20,000 square foot datacenter.
A year later, IT Load is up 10%, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Protecting the Climate and Reducing Waste through Campus Paper Policies
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- National Wildlife Federation (VA)
The RePaper Project, a project of the Environmental Paper Network, recently
released a new resource that complements the theme of conference. "Paper
Steps on Campus: Nine Steps to Protecting the …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Office Supply Tote Program
- University of Notre Dame (IN)
The University of Notre Dame has partnered with Office Depot to launch the first reusable Tote Program in the Midwest and only the second in the nation. The majority of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability Commitments, Actions & Economics: Managed Print Services
- Cleveland State University (OH)
- FirstMetrix Corporation (OH)
- Xerox Corporation (MN)
Cleveland State University committed to a goal of developing, designing and implementing an enterprise wide document output strategy that is consistent with the Unviersity's mission and commitment to environmental stewardship, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Frugality: The Missing Link in the Discussion about Sustainability
- Pepperdine University (CA)
Following a particular interpretation of the Brundtland Report, many politicians, economists, environmentalists and others have opted for a specific type of sustainable development that argues implicitly as well as explicitly …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Migrating Paper Processes into SharePoint
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
Our college uses SharePoint as a web platform for migrating manual paper-heavy planning processes online. Two primary examples of processes we have moved online in this way are Grant Applications …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Purchasing The Sustainable Way
- University of North Texas (TX)
Tackling the task of sustainable procurement in higher education requires a concentrated employee training program, collaboration amongst departments and a guiding team approachable for knowledge and resources. Universities can transform …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Leading the University and Print Vendor Community toward Sustainable Practices
- Grand Valley State University (MI)
Applying sustainability principles to the design of printed material needed by universities must take into consideration a life cycle from raw materials through the manufacturing of paper to design and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Clean & Green - Green Cleaning Custodial Program
- Delta College (MI)
Early in 2007, Delta College Facilities Management embraced the transition toward greater environmental awareness by launching EverGreen. The goal of the program is to systematically incorporate sustainable practices and decision …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Identifying Barriers to Reaching Sustainability Goals: a Case Study of "Green" Paper Purchasing and Commercial Printing
- University of Alberta (AB)
Combing conservation with the use of 'green' products reduces the environmental impact of any institutional administrative unit or department more than one or the other. To prevent greenwashing, thus providing …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Creating a Green Purchasing Policy Roadmap
- National Association of Educational Procurement (MD)
The National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP) fashioned a process to harvest the knowledge and expertise of its members to create a green purchasing policy roadmap. The process has concluded …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainable Facilities Management - GS-42
- PortionPac Chemical Corporation (IL)
- Green Seal (DC)
This presentation is designed to introduce you to the background, development and requirements of Green Seal's GS 42 standard, it's implementation on the Cornell University Campus, and to explore some …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Greening the Supply and Purchasing Chain
- Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus (NJ)
- Chlorine Free Products Association (IL)
This presentation will address the need for third party accountability in the process of greening the supply chain. It will describe reliable information sources that are used in setting standards …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Life Cycle Assessment of a Banana Split
- Central Piedmont Community College (NC)
It seems everyone is talking about sustainability. We are bombarded with news, businesses, governments, parents, and academia about products ranging from cars to household cleaning agents. However, when one asks …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Green Power: An Environmental Choice for Leading Colleges & Universities
- ERG Consulting Firm (MA)
This presentation will provide an overview of the green power market, the benefits of a green power purchase, and three case studies of specific green power initiatives. The presentation will …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Looking Past Single-impact Certifications: What Promises do they Really Make?
- Forbo Flooring Systems (PA)
Third-party certification verifies that a product meets specific standards or claims made by the manufacturer. A major benefit of certification is that it can greatly reduce the time and expense …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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New Developments in Green Facilities Management
- Green Seal (DC)
Presenters will discuss several new and important elements of green facilities management including two new Green Seal pilot programs: the Green Facilities Partnership and the Green Purchasing Partnership. These programs …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Power of Purchasing
- Responsible Purchasing Network
The Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN) has produced a series of Guides on institutional procurement of socially and environmentally preferable products ranging from cleaning products to vehicles to computers. This presentation …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Applying Environmentally Preferable Purchasing to a Community Library System
- University of Illinois, Springfield (IL)
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) came about in the 1990's to improve the purchasing habits of the federal government. Since that time, requirements for incorporating EPP at the federal level have …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Reaching Sustainable Research Goals through Co-curricular Learning: An Example in Starch-based Plastics
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
Conventional plastics, derived from petroleum, contribute to the depletion of non-renewable resources and landfill space when recycling or reuse is not viable. Starch, a renewable and abundant polymer, offers an …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Power of Partnership: Redefining Closed-Loop Recycling
- Green Mountain College (VT)
Green Mountain College reaffirmed its commitment to being a leader in sustainability by joining Casella Waste Systems Power of Three™ closed loop recycling initiative. The Power of Three is Casella's …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability = Survival
- Northwestern University (IL)
- Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus (NJ)
- Chlorine Free Products Association (IL)
- Cascades Tissue Group (NY)
We are all working to do our best to move toward sustainable practices that are supported via our purchasing. So we will have a panel made up of managers of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Victorian Centre for Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing (VCSCM)
- Monash University (VIC)
The VCSCM was designed to foster closer ties between manufacturers and researchers through access to practical scientific outcomes and innovative solutions to key issues faced by the industries, hands-on outreach …
- Posted Feb. 25, 2016
- Research Centers & Institutes
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The Benefits of Sustainable Purchasing
- Green Seal (DC)
The credits in the AASHE Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) program can serve as a road-map to more sustainable purchasing policies. Green purchasing can benefit higher education campuses …
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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The Power of Sustainable Purchasing
- Green Seal (DC)
Summer marks the beginning of the new fiscal year on many campuses - this is a good time to do some housecleaning and review your purchasing policies. Green purchasing is …
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Sustainable Procurement Toolkit
- AASHE (MA)
- Ray C Anderson Foundation (GA)
With support from the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, AASHE is pleased to provide this sustainable purchasing toolkit which includes resources that support sustainable procurement at higher education institutions. Included in …
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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AASHE Interview Series: Sam Hummel, Director of Outreach, Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council
- AASHE (MA)
- Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (MA)
Last fall, AASHE partnered with the Green Products Roundtable (GPR) on a pilot project that examined the impacts associated with an average higher education institution's spending. One of the project's …
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Can Higher Ed Lead Institutional Green Procurement into a New Era?
- AASHE (MA)
Sustainable procurement work has never been more exciting. New data, science and processes are coming together with years of on-the-ground experience to create a new paradigm. A higher education pilot …
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Converting university spending to greenhouse gas emissions: A supply chain carbon footprint analysis of UC Berkeley
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
This senior thesis study calculates a supply chain carbon footprint for UC Berkeley based on procurement expenses in fiscal year (FY) 2009. The study presents recommendations to reduce supply chain …
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
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Should We Do It? An Economic Analysis of the Costs and Benefits of a Local and Sustainable Food System at Davidson College
- Davidson College (NC)
Globalization created the conventional food system and its numerous negative effects such as environmental degradation, the loss of food cultures, antibiotic resistance, unsustainable energy use, increased food insecurity, unfair exploitation …
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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A Guide to Developing a Sustainable Food Purchasing Policy
- Portland State University (OR)
- AASHE (MA)
- Food Alliance (OR)
- Health Care Without Harm (VA)
- Institute for Agricultural Trade and Policy (DC)
This guide is intended to help universities, colleges, hospitals, and other institutions - as well as those advocating for food system change - create, promote and implement practical sustainable food …
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Innovations in Sustainability Curriculum: Teaching Full Cost Analysis through Student-Produced Documentaries
- Furman University (SC)
The David E. Shi Center for Sustainability at Furman University sought to increase teaching of full cost analysis as a suite of tools that can be used as a framework …
- Posted June 4, 2015
- Case Studies
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Paperless Campus Initiative
- St. Edward's University (TX)
In recent years, St. Edward's University has undertaken several paperless initiatives. That which has most directly impacted the entire university community (students, faculty and staff) was spearheaded by Human Resources …
- Posted June 22, 2012
- Case Studies
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Aggieware - Moving to Zero Waste Events within UC Davis Student Housing
- University of California, Davis (CA)
Aggieware, the reusable tableware program, was created by UC Davis Student Housing for use with all student programs in the residence halls to reach the University of California's goal of …
- Posted July 1, 2010
- Case Studies
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Reducing Printing Costs with Century Gothic at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
- University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (WI)
The University of Wisconsin - Green Bay researched typefaces and discovered that the Century Gothic font used the least amount of ink/toner based on a study done by printer.com. In …
- Posted June 30, 2010
- Case Studies
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Implementing Large Scale Solar in the Land of Cheap Coal
- Colorado State University (CO)
Colorado State University is home to one of the largest solar plants on a U.S. university campus. The fact that Colorado State has been able to expand renewable energy sources …
- Posted June 23, 2010
- Case Studies
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.
OP 11: Sustainable Procurement
- Institution-wide policies, guidelines or directives (upload)
- Institution-wide policies, guidelines or directives (description)
- LCCA policy and/or practices
- Published standards for chemically intensive products and services
- Published sustainability criteria for consumable office products
- Published standards for furniture and furnishings
- Published standards Information Technology (IT) and equipment
- Published standards for food service providers
- Published standards for garments and linens
- Published standards for professional service providers
- Published standards for transportation and fuels
- Sustainable procurement website URL
OP 12: Electronics Purchasing
OP 13: Cleaning & Janitorial Purchasing
- Percentage of expenditures on third party certified cleaning and janitorial products
- Website URL - cleaning & janitorial purchasing
OP 14: Office Paper Purchasing
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.