Sustainable Purchasing GuideSmall Appliances

Purchasing ServicesTel: (306) 966-6704 Email: purchasing.services@usask.ca

Office of SustainabilityTel: (306) 966-1236Email: fmdsustainability@usask.ca

Dematerialization requires that we reduce the amount of materials as much as possible; and that we continually move toward the use of 100% recycled content.

Substitution requires that we find less harmful materials to replace those that currently damage and are not recyclable.

Wherever possible CHOOSE products that employ a combination of characteristics listed in the left hand column, and AVOID products that demonstrate characteristic in the right-hand column.

Sustainable Purchasing Guide

Small Appliances

This section provides information on currently available small appliance options that can help to move the University of Saskatchewan toward its sustainability goals. Living within the boundaries of our sustainability objectives requires us to apply two main strategies:

Sustainable purchasing is about including social, environmental, financial and performance factors in a systematic way. It involves thinking about the reasons for using the product (the service) and assessing how these services could be best met. If a product is needed, sustain-able purchasing involves considering how products are made, what they are made of, where they come from and how they will be used and disposed.

Finally, remember that this is an evolving document – it will change with new information as our understanding of sustainability impacts and potential solutions improves.

IntroductionCHOOSE AVOID• Durableappliances• Applianceswithlowphantom

power loss• Devicestoreducephantom

power loss• Recycledandrecyclablecontent

• Applianceswithalargeamount of plastic components

• Phantompowerloss

Option: Choose durability to reduce appliance wasteStrategy: Substitution – Durability (SO 1, 3)

Using appliances for as long as possible conserves the energy and raw materials required in manufacturing new products, moving us towards SO2. Waste is also reduced reducing the harmful effects of their final disposal in the environment.

CheckConsumerReportstoassesstheaveragelife-spansofcomparableappliancesand to determine if they can be easily and economically serviced and maintained. Look to increase energy efficiency of the small appliance by minimizing excess “frills” such as softtouch-padsandclocksthatconsumeunnecessaryenergy.Regularmaintenanceand cleaning will prolong the life of your appliances, such as regularly removing bread crumbs in toasters, ensuring cords and plugs are intact and removing dust regularly from all systems of air exchange.

Option: Avoid and reduce phantom power consumptionStrategy: Substitution – Energy Efficiency (SO 1)

The term “phantom power” or “leaking power” describes electrical power consumed by household gadgets and home electronics when they left are plugged into a wall outlet while the product is not in use.

AccordingtoTheU.S.DepartmentofEnergy,75%ofpowerusedbysmallappliancesisconsumed while the appliance is not even turned on. There are a few simple methods of determining if your appliance is leaking energy:

• Itgetspowerfromapowersupplyconverter • Ithasaremotecontrol• Ithasasofttouchkeypad • Ithasadigitalclock• Itchargesthebatteryofaportabledevice • Itiswarmtotouch• Itdoesn’thavean“off”switch

Learn how much phantom power a piece of equipment uses before purchasing. In the ResourcessectionbelowthereisalinktotheFederalEnergyManagementProgram’s(FEMP)standbypowerdatasearchutility,whichprovidesinformationfordifferentappliances. Phantom power losses can be further avoid by establishing mechanisms whereby power is regularly cut to the appliance by unplugging it or plugging it into a power strip with a switch. Some power strips are available with special feature such as on/offtimersorspecialplugswithinthepowerbarthatwon’tcutthepowertocertainappliances that need to be left on. Aggressively combating phantom power can resultina7-10%decreaseinenergyconsumptioneachmonth.

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Arrivingat the currently preferred options

Option: Choose recycled and recyclable contentStrategy: Substitution – Energy Efficiency (SO 1)

Choose products that are manufactured using recycled content. If this is not possible, choose products containing materials that have high end-of-life value with more metal and less plastic parts. These are more easily recycled and provide a value incentive for the producer to reclaim used products and incorporate recycling in its manufacturing process.

An appliance generally follows these steps when it is recycled:

• Toxicandhazardoussubstances(includingCFCsandPCBs)are removed and reclaimed or disposed

• Appliancesareshredded;• Magnetscapturethesteel,whichiscollectedandsoldto

steel mills;• Othermetalsareseparatedusingeddycurrents.These

metals are also re-sold for reprocessing

1. Identify the service

Small appliances provide efficiencies in daily activities.

2. Assess the need

The University of Saskatchewan requires small appliances in residences, offices, labs and other facilities.

3. Identify the contents

The most common material found in most small appliances (by weight) is steel, which is easily recycled. The plastics content of appliances is increasing and therefore more plastics are entering the waste stream as a result of appliance disposal.

Manyappliancesalsocontainsmallamountsofaluminumandcopper. There are often some glass components but the glass is usually treated so it is resistant to heat. This is done by mixing some form of a heavy metal with the glass which reduces its recyclability.Somelead,PCBsandotherpotentiallyharmfulmaterials are usually found in trace amounts as well.

4. Identify sustainability impacts

i. …systematically increasing concentrations of substances from the earth’s crust?

• Smallappliancesuseelectricitytooperate.Iftheelectricityused to operate the device and equipment is derived from the combustion of fossil fuels, it leads to an increase in concentrationofsubstancesfromtheearth’scrustinnature(CO2, CO and SOx). Increasing concentrations of these substances in nature can contribute to a number of negative outcomes such as climate change and acid rain as well as negative human health impacts. In Saskatchewan, most electrical energy is generated from the combustion of coal, a fossil fuel.

• Thepetroleumornaturalgasusedasfeedstockformostplasticsisextractedfromtheearth’scrustataratemuchgreaterthanitisre-depositedbackintotheearth’scrust.

• Fossilfuelsarealsocombustedtoprovideenergyduringthe extraction of raw materials, transportation and the production of large appliances.

continued on page 3 …

• Residualmaterials(“shredderfluff”containingplastics,foam,rubber and so on) are sent to landfill.

The shredding process is a highly efficient process resulting in almost 100% recovery of metals, including aluminum, copper, brass, zinc and steel. Of these metals, aluminum, copper and brass are by far the most valuable, with steel having the least value.

Integral to the effectiveness of this option is the need to secure a mechanism whereby the products can actually be recycled, whether through the manufacturer or through local programs.

Option: Choose products that are shipped sustainably

Please refer to the Sustainable Transportation Guide.

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ii. …systematically increasing concentrations of substances produced by society?

• Iftheplasticusedinsmallappliancesisnotrecyclable,itusually ends up in landfills or incinerators. The plastic persists in the environment after it is used and discarded, contributing to an increase in concentration of complex human-made substances in nature. While it is true that over time and under the right conditions plastics will oxidize, fragment and disintegrate – with continued strong growth in the use and disposal of plastics, the timeline is too long to prevent their accumulation in nature.

• Thecombustionoffossilfuels(seeabove)producesanumber of chemical compounds (e.g. nitrogen oxides) that build up in the atmosphere.

iii. …systematically degrading nature by physical means?

• Theextractionoffossilfuelsandvirginmetals/mineralsmaysystematically degrade nature, particularly where mining disturbs land that is not reclaimed and restored.

iv. …systematically undermining people’s ability to meet their basic human needs?

• Anumberofthecompoundsproducedbythecombustionof fossil fuels (e.g. nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, particulate matter) have a negative effect on human health.

• Millionsofsmallappliancesaresenttothelandfillseachyeardisplacing humans, ecosystems and natural resources.

5. Envision sustainable small appliances

In principle, sustainable small appliances would feature:

• nocomponentsthatarederivedfromtheearth’scrust(e.g.petrochemicals and metals), unless those ingredients are 100% captured and reused.

• nocomponentsthatarepersistentinnature(eg.plastic),unless those substances are 100% captured and reused.

• aproductionprocessthat:- does not contribute to the increased concentrations of substancesfromtheearth’scrustorthebuildupofpersistent compounds in nature,

- uses only sustainable renewable energy or energy produced in a carbon-neutral manner;

- does not rely on practices that systematically physically degrade land and ecosystems; and

- doesnotrelyonpracticesthatunderminepeople’scapacity to meet their basic needs.

Resourcesand Additional Information1. EcoOfficeEnergySavingAppliance. www.ecooffice.com.sg/templates/madeyourweb/pdf/

ecooffice01_proc_guide.pdf

2. RutgersPurchasingGuide. www,purchasing.rutgers.edu/green/images/

Rutgers%20Green%20Purchasing%20Policy.pdf

3. ReducingPhantomPower. www.ehow.com/

how_4781905_reduce-phantom-power.html

4. EnergySavingforHomeAppliances. www.energysavers.gov/your_home/appliances/index.

cfm/mytopic=10060

6. Identify and prioritize alternatives

To identify the best options, review the Current Options on page one and choose the most appropriate alternative by us-ing the following three criteria for assessment:

a)Doestheproductorservicemoveusintherightdirectionwith regards to our four Sustainability Objectives?

b)Doestheproductorservicecreateaflexibleplatformforthe next step toward sustainability?

c) Is the decision financially viable?

This guide was made possible through the generosity of the Whistler 2012 project, which shared its template and much of its research.