What Is Responsible Purchasing?

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What Is Responsible Purchasing?
Chris OBrien, DirectorResponsible Purchasing
NetworkNew American Dream Commonwealth of
KentuckyFrankfort, KYJuly 15, 2008
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First, who am I?My 3 biases

• Environmentalistwww.ResponsiblePurchasing.org
• Business Ownerwww.BrewOrganic.com
• Beer Activistwww.BeerActivist.com

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What is the New American Dream?

• More fun, less stuff
• High quality of life
• Harmony with nature
• Social justice

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Quality of Life
The average American works 200 more hours per
year now than in 1970. In 2005, the U.S. savings
rate sunk to its lowest level since the
Depression.More Americans declare bankruptcy
each year than graduate from college(1.6 million
in 2003 - a new record)After US 13,000 in per
person annual income, more money doesnt
correlate with more happiness.
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Harmony with Nature
The US has less than 5 of the worlds
population, but produces ¼ of its CO2
emissions. The average American requires 120 lbs
of natural resources per day. National
Academy of Science
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Social Justice
We would need 4 more planets for all 6 billion
humans to live the American lifestyle.
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What does this have to do with green purchasing?

• Reduce shift consumption to
• improve quality of life, build
• sustainability, create social justice.
• Sounds nice. How?
• 150,000 New Dreamers
• 150 RPN institutional buyers

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Institutional Buying Power

• Big buyers have big power to create justice
  sustainability
• Institutional procurement 1 in 5 spent in
  the U.S.

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• White House Responsible Purchasing Conference,
  2005
• Gathered institutional purchasers from Govt,
  Business, Higher Ed., Faith Communities
• Responsible Purchasing Network
• Launched RPN Feb. 2007Now over 20b in
  purchasing power

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Responsible Purchasing Network

• 150 Members
• Combined annual spend exceeds US 20b
• Employ more than 100,000 people
• 3 of 4 have an environmental purchasing policy
• 2/3rds consider social/enviro issues in some/all
  purchasing
• 94 plan to do more green purchasing in the next
  two years

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Best Practices
1 Rule of Green PurchasingDont buy what you
dont need.
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Cost, Quality, Supply

• Green products are
• Cost competitive
• High quality
• Available today

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How do I know green products from greenwash?
Certifications.
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Codify Green in a Policy

• Dont reinvent the wheel plagiarize
• Define Responsible Purchasing
• Create a green action team
• Establish goals strategies
• Mandate progress reporting

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Model Policies
Federal White House, Environmental, Energy, and
Transportation Management, 2007 House of
Representatives, Green the Capitol Initiative,
2007 State California, Public Contract Code New
York, Executive Order 4, 2008 County Los
Angeles County, CA, Green Purchasing Policy,
2007 Alameda County Waste Management Authority
(StopWaste.org), Model EPP Policy,
2006 City Berkeley, CA, EPP Policy,
2004 Seattle, WA, Sustainable Purchasing Policy,
2003 Educational Duke University, EPP
Guidelines, 2007 University of Florida,
Sustainable Purchasing Directive,
2007 University of California System, Policy on
Sustainable Practices, 2007 Rutgers, Green
Purchasing Policy, 2006 CU Boulder,
Environmentally Responsible Purchasing Policy,
2006
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Products Calculators
Use our certified products database www.Responsibl
ePurchasing.org Use our calculators to quantify
green benefits
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Responsible Purchasing Guides

• Categories in series
• Bottled Water
• Cleaners
• Computers
• Copy paper
• Fleets Vehicles
• Fluorescent Lights
• Green Power
• Office Machines
• Paint
• Remanufactured Toner
• Tires, Wheel Weights
• Others?

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Thank you! Questions?
www.ResponsiblePurchasing.org 1-877-68-DREAM Chr
is OBrien, RPN DirectorRPN_at_newdream.org
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