Workshop Session 4 Specifications

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Workshop Session 4Specifications
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Specifications for sustainable procurement

• Principles
• Quick Wins
• Examples
• Guidance

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Principles

• In many cases the best green specification is
  not buying in the first place
• Before we purchase anything think about
• Do you really need it / do we need to buy it?
• What are the whole life costs of alternatives
• What are upstream and down stream carbon impacts.

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What can you ask for?

• Contract performance clauses specify how a
  contract must be carried out. Environmental
  considerations can be included as long as
• they are explicitly indicated in the contract
  notice or in the contract documents
• they are related to the execution of the contract
• they are not directly or indirectly
  discriminatory (i.e. in principle, any contractor
  should be able to implement them)
• they are verifiable
• verification takes place only after the award of
  contract, as part of the contract management
  regime

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Quick Wins

• Paper
• Cleaning products
• Office Machinery
• Construction
• Transport
• Furniture
• Electrical goods
• Textiles
• Gardening services

• Defra/ Office of Government Commerce has produced
  a range of quick wins that can be applied to any
  purchasing decision from buying 1 pencil to new
  vehicle fleet.
• 'Buy Sustainable - Quick Wins' are comprised of
  both a set of mandatory minimum standards at the
  market average level and best practice
  specifications
• Aimed at Government Depts but applicable to local
  government
• http//www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/wha
  t/priority/consumption-production/quickWins/index.
  htm

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Paper - Specification

• 1.  Copying paper must have 100 recycled content
• 2.  Tissue paper (kitchen and toilet tissue) must
  have 100 recycled content
• 3.  Paper for publications must have 50 recycled
  content. (75 by Oct 9)
• 4. Of the non-recycled content (50 or less), any
  virgin fibre used must be purchased in accordance
  with UK timber procurement policy
• 5. From April 2015, only sustainably produced
  timber will be purchased
• 6. Envelopes - 100 recycled content for general
  use
• 7. Must have 60 recycled content for mailing
  system use

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Office Machinery

• Work stations, Desktop computers, Monitors.
  Laptops, Injet printers , scanners, Laser MFD
• ENERGY STAR
• Information about the energy save function is
  provided with product
• Plastic materials in covers/housing have surface
  coatings that are compatible with recycling or
  reuse, including metal coatings.
• Plastic parts gt100 g consist of one material or
  of easily separable materials.
• Plastic parts gt25 g have material codes according
  to ISO 11469 ISO 1043.
• Plastic parts are free from metal inlays or have
  inlays that can be removed with commonly
  available tools

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LASER MFD

• Upgrading of components can be done (processors,
  memory cards,drives)
• Upgrading can be done using commonly available
  tools
• Spare parts are available after end of production
  for 5 years
• The product meets the chemical emission
  requirements of Blue Angel, Nordic Swan or TCO
• Paper with recycled fibres meeting requirements
  of EN12281 can be used
• All cover/housing plastic parts gt25 g are halogen
  free        
• All printed circuit boards (without components)
  gt25 g are halogen free
• Light sources are free from mercury
• Batteries meet the requirements of the EU Flower
  Eco-Label

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Furniture

• All wood and wood-based materials shall come from
  legally sourced timber. Certificates of chain of
  custody for the wood certified as FSC1, or any
  other equivalent means of proof, will be accepted
  as proof of compliance.
• The legal origin of wood can also be demonstrated
  with a tracing system being in place
• All plastic parts 50g shall be marked for
  recycling according to ISO 11469 or equivalent
  and must not contain other materials that may
  hinder their recycling.
• The products used for surface coating shall not
  contain hazardous substances classified according
  to Directive 1999/45/EC as carcinogenic

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Procura Plus

• 6 groups with high potential for sustainable
  procurement activities
• Buses,
• Cleaning products and services, Electricity,
• Food and catering,
• IT products,
• Building construction and renovation

• For each a set of simple purchasing criteria have
  been developed to
• Address the most significant life-cycle
  environmental impacts related to the product
  group
• Be legally compliant and straightforward for any
  procurer to apply and verify, requiring minimum
  time and effort
• Not lead to a significant increase in costs

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A nice cup of Tea
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Cleaning
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Just one contract clause
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Just one contract clause
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Key Services

• Refuse, recycling and street cleansing
• Grounds Maintenance
• Building Cleansing

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Building cleaning -

• Environmental considerations dont just relate to
  the products being bought but the way the service
  is delivered.
• Products
• recycled paper towels , bin bags etc,
  biodegradable, ozone friendly cleaning agents

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Building Cleaning

• Contractor has EMS
• Identifies opportunities to increase recycling of
  waste
• The contractor should report on inefficient light
  fittings, water leaks, dripping taps and remedy
  these wherever possible
• Wherever the contractor reports problems these
  could be put right in a systematic way by
  replacing existing fittings with
• Water saving taps
• Dual flush toilets, Waterless urinals
• A Fridges and freezers, Energy saving light
  bulbs
• Look for water efficient and energy efficient
  cleaning technologies through contract

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Grounds Maintenance

• Previous standard environmental contract
  conditions
• All leaf arisings are to be removed for
  composting
• All hardscape areas are to be 'spot treated' by
  receiving an application of non residual
  glyphosate weed killer -3X pa
• As and when bedding plants are available to the
  required standard when grown in peat substitutes,
  the Contractor shall investigate and liaise with
  the Supervising Officer to acquire the plant from
  that source

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Grounds Maintenance

• The future cutting schedule should seek to
  reflect the climate change impacts and the
  earlier growing season (starting earlier,
  finishing later, with fewer cuts in between)
• Compost all plant waste not just leaves
• A clause to set out the herbicides permissible
  for the contract
• Alternatively there could be a requirements for
  herbicide free treatment such as the waipuna
  system which uses superheated steam.

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Grounds Maintenance

• A permissive clause could be introduced to
  highlight the opportunities for bio-control of
  the grass especially in managing the thatch.
• A reference to water conservation measures
• A general clause regarding the standards of the
  machinery used in terms of air pollution and low
  emission fuels

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Refuse and Recycling

• Historically separate contracts
• Green Waste Service,
• Kerb Side Collection,
• Multi site recycling services,
• other recycling services and
• Refuse Collection
• Current environmental considerations relate to
  use of recycled plastic bins and duty of care
  related to bulky household waste.

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Refuse and Recycling

• Obvious issues related to fleet performance and
  contractor EMS.
• But 2 key improvements to contract relate to
• the Refuse and Recycling contracts are drafted as
  part of a whole with a common aim of reducing
  waste going to landfill and continuously
  improving recycling rates.
• And to incentivise increased recycling rates, to
  encourage the contractor to come up with better
  solutions and possibly find financial formulae
  where such improvements can be funded by reduced
  land fill requirements.