buy greener, be greener colleges, universities and green purchasing

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Center for Energy and Environmental Policy BUY GREENER, BE GREENER Colleges, Universities and Green Purchasing Adam J. Smargon, Doctoral Candidate University of Delaware Marriott Inn and Conference Center University of Maryland College Park, Maryland 16-17 April 2012

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Center for Energy and Environmental Policy. BUY GREENER, BE GREENER Colleges, Universities and Green Purchasing. Adam J. Smargon, Doctoral Candidate University of Delaware Marriott Inn and Conference Center University of Maryland College Park, Maryland 16-17 April 2012. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

BUY GREENER, BE GREENERColleges, Universities and Green Purchasing

Adam J. Smargon, Doctoral CandidateUniversity of Delaware

Marriott Inn and Conference CenterUniversity of Maryland

College Park, Maryland16-17 April 2012

The History of Green Purchasing

During World War II, U.S.citizens were asked to:

• ration paper and metal• grow food• join car-sharing clubs

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

The History of Green Purchasing

Resource conservationwas the order of the day.

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

Global Trends

• Global consumption spending has increased six-fold since 1950

• Every item we buy has hidden impacts on the natural environment or on human welfare

• Items we buy require huge inputs of water, wood, energy, metals, and other resources

• The wealthiest one-fifth of the world’s population owns 87 percent of all cars

• One-fifth of humanity lives on less than a dollar a day

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

So What Can We Do About This?

• We can be intelligent about the raw materials needed to make things

• We can re-work the manufacturing processes to use less energy

• We can vote with our dollars to state what things we want and don’t want

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

Why Green Purchasing?

Motivation: how environmental issues relate to people

Administration: increasing efficiency

• Reducing operational expenses

• Reducing demand for natural resources

• Lessening environmental impact

• Leads to making money and/or saving money

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

Why Green Purchasing?

The government needs to lead on this issue

Japan and Denmark

cities and counties in the United States

...but the potential for green purchasing still remains untapped

public procurement is a tool in achieving public policy goals

...why not environmental concerns?

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

Why Green Purchasing?

• “Completing the loop”• US EPA: multiple environmental attributes– recycled content– energy efficiency– low VOCs (volatile organic compounds)– reconditioned or remanufactured parts– bio-based materials–water use efficiency– product disassembly potential

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The Theory of Green Purchasing

• Can achieve environmental policy goalswhile staying within budget constraints

• Large scale users should be discriminating• Can redefine "purchasing power“• Vendor policies can be changed for the better• Natural resources can be available longer• Good publicity for the supplier• “the responsible corporate neighbor”• Positive press can lead to increased sales

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

The Theory of Green Purchasing

• Contracts are negotiated and awarded by the purchasing departments of governments, schools, corporations, and other large organizations– screening the environmental impact of incoming

commodities– screening for the possibilities of outgoing waste

• Environmentally-Sensitive Contract– competitive bidding process–Kevin Lyons, Rutgers University (all three campuses)

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The Power of Procurement

• the world’s institutions are significant consumers• institutions are important in building more

sustainable markets• diverting even a small portion of institutional

spending to more environmentally sound products and services can send a powerful message to the marketplace

• governments: as much as 25% of GDP

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

The Power of Procurement

• businesses buy finished products, raw materials, and packaging– lengthy supply chains that span the globe

• aggregate spending along supply chains far outweigh the consumption of finished products• universities: $250 billion in 2010–equivalent to nearly 3% of U.S. GDP

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The Four Competitive Dimensions of Value

Quality

Dependability

Flexibility

CostCenter for Energy and Environmental Policy

My Experience in Green Purchasing

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)Troy, New York

RPI’s Green Purchasing Coordinator• experimental internship• no formal authority• no access to secured/proprietary data • all I had were my own gentle powers of persuasion

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Recycled Paper

When I started, only 3% of RPI bought recycled paper

Paper is the most visible green product in offices

any change in 3% would be a marked improvement

increase knowledge about prices and availability on campus

increase recycled paper use on campus as much as possible: educate the campus about the prices, availability, and quality

The quality of recycled paper has improved over time…

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

Recycled Paper

Executive Order 12873Federal Acquisition, Recycling, and Waste Prevention

signed in October 1993 by President ClintonThe American federal government must buy and use recycled-

content paperhelped to establish and boost the recycled paper industry in the U.S. and around the world

there are now more paper purchasing options in existenceRPI gets to buy better recycled paper at cheaper pricesRPI gets to buy many different kinds of energy-efficient goods

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The Recycled Paper Ultimatum

““I want all of our future paper purchases changed I want all of our future paper purchases changed permanentlypermanently from virgin stock to recycled stock, from virgin stock to recycled stock,

and I want it at the and I want it at the same pricesame price as virgin stock… as virgin stock…

or I'm changing vendors.or I'm changing vendors.””

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Recycled Paper

• It’s easy in theory, but it was challenging in practice at RPI

• I could not break contracts and change vendors

• Different methods of on-campus delivery of boxes of paper

• Should you buy paper elsewhere to sidestep the contract? NO!

– Volume is diluted– Campus traffic is increased– Negotiation strength is weakened

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Recycled Paper• There is probably an

established relationship between your organization and the paper provider

• All systems are firmly in place and are well-oiled machines

I could not change paper providers

I was lucky that RPI’s provider did offer recycled-content paper: Great White

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Supply and Demand

To increase demand, I contacted every department on campus; over one hundred financial managers have decentralized purchasing ability

I gave them choices:– virgin and recycled– white and colored– letter size and legal size

…with all the prices for every kind of paper.

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

Supply and Demand

some were concerned about the extra cost per box

some were concerned about the quality of the paper Reassurance: “18 departments on campus have already made

the change from virgin paper to recycled paper…”Testimony: “A local city school district ran over two million

pages on Great White with no problems at all…”

I increased recycled paper use on campus from 3% to 38%...

in only four months.

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

Energy Star

EPA created Energy Star for “superior energy efficiency”“If you can reduce the amount of energy your product uses by

at least half… then we will slap an Energy Star logo on your product.”

motivator for the manufacturerscustomers will see it when they shopenergy efficiency is one more

criterion for American consumersto consider when buying products

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Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs)

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75% less energy than incandescent bulbscan last six to ten times longer

incandescent bulbs operate at 350º FCFLs operate at 90º F

I retrofitted my entire apartment with CFLsI save on my utility bill, month after monthpayback system: you pay more than normal up front,but long-term savings over time… it pays for itself in a few monthsthe prices of CFLs have come down over time… save more if you buy in bulk4-pack of 14-watt Sylvania CFLs are $6.97 at Home Depot: only $1.74 per bulb!You can recycle up to six CFLs per visit at IKEA, Ace Hardware, Home Depot,

and True Value Hardware

What to Buy?

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• Paint: low/no VOCs (volatile organic compounds)• Paper: high percentage of post-consumer recycled content• Compact fluorescent light bulbs• Appliances with the Energy Star label• Produce: organic, local, and in-season

Fair Trade products

Tea, chocolate, bananas, sugar, rice, olive oil,coffee, flowers, wine, vanilla, and spices

Meaningful Environmental Claims

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

• What type of environmental claim is being made?– single environmental attribute vs. multiple attributes

• Is a copy of the standard/protocol available for review?– Does it refer to appropriate national/international standards?

• How was the standard/protocol developed?– Preferred: open, public, transparent processes (examples: ANSI, ASTM, ISO)

• Who developed the standard/protocol?– Preferred: consensus-based process by broad stakeholder groups

• What process is used to verify that the product meets the standard?– Self-certification– Self-certification with Random Audits– Independent Third-Party Certification– Independent Third-Party Certification with On-Site Audits

Driving Less… and Driving Better

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

• Best: walk, use public transit, and/or use a bicycle• Better: purchase an electric car or a hybrid• Good: look for a car with excellent gas mileage

• keep it tuned up: change spark plugs, air filters• appropriate levels of oil, antifreeze, washer fluid, other fluids• check the alignment and brakes / check your tire pressure• check your filters and systems• avoid fuel with alcohol in it

Paper or Plastic?

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

Paper or Plastic?

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

Paper or Plastic?

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

Paper or Plastic?

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

Paper or Plastic?

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

Furnishings

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FurnitureCarpeting and interior decorations Chairs, desks, and other office equipmentDraperies: organically grown cotton!Recycled Carpeting

Example: Collins & Aikman

Less Toxic Alternatives to Common Products

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

Ever read the back of cleaning bottles?

borax instead of bleachvinegar instead of Windexclub soda instead of a Shout wipe…baking soda has dozens of uses!

for more information, search the ‘Net for “alternatives to toxic household products”

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy

BUY GREENER, BE GREENERColleges, Universities and Green Purchasing

QUESTIONS AND

COMMENTS

Adam J. Smargon302 561 4585

[email protected]