Resources to Make Green Purchasing Easier

Transcription

1 Resources to Make Green Purchasing Easier Alicia Culver Responsible Purchasing Network California Green Summit April 8,

2 RPN Nonprofit network; members include: States Local governments Federal agencies Colleges and universities School districts Businesses Non-profits Our Mission Promote and practice responsible purchasing by identifying best practices, developing effective purchasing tools, educating the market, and using our collective purchasing power to maximize environmental stewardship, protect human health, and support local and global sustainability. 2

3 RPN Resources Responsible Purchasing Guides Webinars Hands-on technical Assistance Sustainable purchasing policies Model specifications Cooperative purchasing contracts Model Responsible Purchasing Report Calculators and other tools 3

4 Why Is Green Purchasing Important? 4

5 Environmental Claims Increasing Eco-safe Environmentally friendly Earth friendly Earth smart Environmentally safe Environmentally preferable Essentially non-toxic Practically non-toxic Made with non-toxic ingredients Degradable Natural Environmentally safe CFC-free Ozone friendly Recyclable Original Source: Kirsten Ritche, Gensler 5

6 Manufacturer-created Eco-Labels 6

7 Manufacturer Green Claims 7

8 Retailer-created Ecolabels 8

9 Require Green Claims to be Verified Suppliers citing environmentally preferred product claims shall provide proper certification or detailed information on environmental benefits, durability and recyclable properties. Source: University of California Policy on Sustainable Practices 9

10 Multi-Attribute Certifications 10

11 Green Seal Criteria for Institutional Cleaners (GS-37) Low toxicity No cancer-causing ingredients No asthmagens Not corrosive to eyes or skin or skin sensitizer Won t pollute air or deplete ozone layer Won t kill fish Low phosphorous Will biodegrade Package recyclable Available as concentrate Limits on fragrances used Certain ingredients prohibited Performance tested Vendor training available 11

12 Green Seal-certified Products 12

13 Certifiers Often List Products 13

14 Single Attribute Certifications 14

15 Similar Certifications 15

16 Shades of Green How Much Recycled content Bio-based content Mercury content (in fluorescent lamps) Energy, fuel or water consumption 16

17 Race to the Top Tiered eco-labels set minimum threshold and encourage improvement 17

18 Green Certifications Referenced in Bid Solicitations Products/services purchased under this contract must be certified or provide demonstrable proof of meeting the standard and certification requirements. The standard and certification requirements are available at < >. 18

19 Don t try to do it on your own. Get top level support Best Practice Institutionalize Assemble a Green Team Establish roles/responsibilities Adopt sustainable purchasing policy, standards and best practices See 10 Steps to Starting a Sustainable Purchasing Program on RPN website) 19

20 Best Practice Centralize Green Purchasing Lowers prices by aggregating demand Easier to control/monitor purchases Simplifies education process Saves time on ordering, book-keeping 20

21 Best Practice Plan and Prioritize Largest potential impact Ability to meet environmental/health goals Opportunities for change (contracts re-bid) Ease of implementation (use existing specs and certifications) Potential to save money/create local jobs 21

22 Best Practice Focus on Products that Save Money Lower upfront costs Conserve energy or water Reduce paper or fuel use Lower maintenance costs Reduce replacement costs Avoid disposal/cleanup costs Support the local/regional economy Offset environmental and health program costs 22

23 King County Green Purchases and Savings In 2011, King County, WA purchased $60 million in environmentally preferable products, saving ~$1.5 million. KEY COMMODITIES 2010 Savings Remanufactured Toner Cartridges $544,964 Recycled Road Aggregates $300,000 Green Cleaners $161,496 Tire Retreading $136,320 Paper Reduction $118,265 Electronics Recycling $97,875 EPEAT/ENERGY STAR Computers $91,875 TOTAL $1,541,213 23

24 Toner and Ink Cartridges Remanufactured toner and ink cartridges cost 30-60% less per copy than virgin cartridges Need strict performance standards XL toner and ink cartridges reduce replacement costs Require vendors to take-back empties can reduce disposal costs (& result in rebates 24

25 Can Bottled Water 25

26 Cut Energy Consumption CASE STUDY Chicago, IL public housing authority cut its annual electricity bill $500,000 by purchasing 10,000 ENERGY STAR-rated refrigerators 26

27 Choose Long-Lasting Lighting Equipment Last 15-25X longer (reduce replacement costs) Use 75% less energy than incandescent light bulbs Mercury-free 27

28 Cut Paper Consumption Seattle s Paper Cuts Program Set 30% paper reduction goal (vs. 2004) Established duplex printing standard Copy paper spec = 100% post-consumer recycled content/processed chlorine-free 2010 => 36% reduction ~$80K annual savings (2009) 28

29 Cut Battery Use and Waste Batteries increase price and environmental impact of equipment Factor in cost of battery replacement and disposal when ordering equipment Rechargeable batteries work well for many applications and have quick payback Use industry-financed battery recycling program to reduce disposal costs 29

30 Buy Locally Grown Food CASE STUDY Multnomah County, OR bought 45% local produce and eggs for its county jail at no extra cost 30

31 Best Practice Performance Test Engage end-users early Set performance criteria Should be no trade-off Request product samples Conduct pilot tests Try innovative products Approve only what works 31

32 Green Cleaners Save Money CASE STUDY: Hennepin County, MN medical center switched to green cleaners, non-corrosive (peroxide) disinfectant, and microfiber mops 7% reduction in cost of cleaners 80% reduction in chemical injuries Pilot test financed by Hennepin County Leading by Example Fund 32

33 Best Practice Green Your Market Basket List Add green products to your core/market basket lists so they become eligible for vendor s deepest discounts Remove non-green products from core/market basket list (or contract) to get better price breaks on green products 33

34 Best Practice Favor Certified Green Services Construction Pest Management Landscaping Custodial Services Painting Building Maintenance Food Services Printing Lodging Fleet Maintenance/Rental Car Services Recycling 34

35 Best Practice Purchase Cooperatively Collaboration among public agencies can: SAVE TIME by not reinventing the wheel by sharing research, specifications, bid solicitation documents, and vendor lists to create new green contracts SAVE MONEY by aggregating demand from multiple entities 35

36 Piggy-back on Other Jurisdiction s Contracts Santa Clara County, CA is saving ~$40,000 annually by procuring API-certified re-refined motor oil using a contract issued by the City of San Jose 36

37 Consider Green Products on Cooperative Purchasing Agreements 37

38 Consider Green Products on State Contracts 38

39 Sustainable Purchasing 101 Model Green Cleaners Contract Cleaning chemicals & hand soaps (Green Seal, EcoLogo or EPA s Design for Environment) Janitorial Paper Products (Green Seal, EcoLogo or high post-consumer recycled content) Vacuum cleaners (Carpet & Rug Institute) Compostable Food Service Ware (Biodegradable Products Institute) 39

40 Best Practice Publicize Sustainable Products Offered on Your Contracts 40

41 Best Practice Direct Suppliers to Clearly label products that meet YOUR EPP criteria (using data from eco-labeling organizations) Require greenest products to be listed first via online searches Substitute (or suggest) EPPs when conventional items ordered Periodically report $ amount of compliant/ non-compliant purchases sold on your contract 41

42 Use Green Purchasing Resources from Vendors 42

43 Green Purchasing Resources Green Schools Buying Guide National Association of Counties Green Purchasing Toolkit urchasing.aspx EPA s EPP website SFApproved List Responsible Purchasing Network 43

44 EPPNet Product specifications Vendors of green products Pricing information Strategies to meet green procurement goals nerc.org/eppnet Not available for private vendors 44

45 Green Cleaning Supplies Low-Toxicity Paints EPEAT-Registered Electronics ACMI AP Art Supplies PVC-free/Recycled Office Supplies Low-Emitting Furniture 45

46 Use Existing Calculators calculator.environmental paper.org/home 46

47 47

48 EPP Fact Sheet 48

49 RPN s Responsible Purchasing Guides Bottled Water Carbon Offsets Cleaners Computers Copy Paper Fleet Vehicles Fluorescent Lights Food Services LEDs Graffiti Remover Green Power Office Machines Paint Toner Cartridges Tires, Wheel Weights 49

50 Past Purchasing for Climate Protection RPN Webinars Future Sustainable Food Procurement Compostable Food Service ware Fair Trade Purchasing Office Supplies Roundtable Janitorial Paper Products Model Green Cleaning Supplies Contracts Green Hardware Supplies Safer Disinfectants Green Electronics Green Paint Environmentally Preferable Deicers 50

51 Questions? Comments? Alicia Culver Responsible Purchasing Network