Green Purchasing: Zero to 60

1
Green Purchasing Zero to 60

• Sam Hummel
• Environmental Sustainability Coordinator
• Duke University
• www.duke.edu/sustainability

Smart Sustainable Campuses Conference - Nov
3rd, 2005
2
Talk Outline

• What is Green Purchasing?
• Overview of Dukes Work and Successes
• Motivations
• How exactly did Duke do it?
• Lessons Learned
• Next Steps

3
What is green purchasing?

• A lot of different names
• Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
• Sustainable Purchasing
• Socially Responsible Purchasing
• Dukes DefinitionPurchasers take into
  consideration the impact of products and services
  on the environment and human health, giving
  preference to more environmentally friendly
  products and services when quality and cost
  performance are equal or superior.

4
Talk Outline

• What is Green Purchasing?
• Overview of Dukes Work and Successes
• Motivations
• How exactly did Duke do it?
• Lessons Learned
• Next Steps

5
Brief History
Procurement Services hires Green Purchasing
Specialist
Implementation in office products category
Duke Officially Adopts Environmentally
Preferable Purchasing Guidelines
Students and Procurement Services host green
purchasing conference
Students Read Buying for the Future and engage
Procurement staff
Fall 03 Spring 04 Summer 04 Fall-Spring
05 Summer 05
6
Overview of Successes

• Office Products
• 38 of purchases are now Earthsaver products (up
  from 11 one year ago)
• 30 of contract items are now Earthsaver products
• Remanufactured Toner auto-substitution
• On track to save 290,000 this fiscal year
• Saving 2,300 gallons of petroleum per year
• Hired Full-time Green Purchasing Specialist
• 87 ENERGY STAR policy compliance
• Green Labs purchasing program
• Purchasers dispersed throughout many departments
  are learning quickly and catching purchasing
  decisions that are environmentally poor (and
  incorporating sustainable principles into their
  personal lives!)

7
Talk Outline

• What is Green Purchasing?
• Overview of Dukes Work and Successes
• Motivations
• How exactly did Duke do it?
• Lessons Learned
• Next Steps

8
Motivations

• Confirms Dukes commitment to environmental
  stewardship
• Save money
• Gives Procurement professionals opportunity to
  differentiate themselves
• Capture recognition for ad hoc green purchasing
  already happening
• Encourages suppliers to find and promote green
  products
• Green products can offer superior quality and
  performance
• Close the loop
• Market development Economic development
• Aid other campus sustainability initiatives
  (green building, waste mgmt)
• Educate!

9
Talk Outline

• What is Green Purchasing?
• Overview of Dukes Work and Successes
• Motivations
• How exactly did Duke do it?
• Lessons Learned
• Next Steps

10
Initiation

• Student initiated at Duke (Rutgers is proof it
  can be initiated by staff)
• Long listening process(7 months of small
  meetings with various stakeholders)
• Brought in outside experts to give credibility
  and attract diverse stakeholder group together in
  one place(Power of Environmental Purchasing
  Greening the University Supply Chain Conference)
• Convened small group to draft guidelines and 30
  person stakeholder group to revise and approve
  guidelines

11
Guidelines Thinking Beyond Recycling

• Source Reduction
• Reusable, remanufactured, durable
• Take-back programs, minimal recyclable
  packaging
• Material efficiency (double-sided printers)
• Energy Water efficiency
• Low flow plumbing
• ENERGY STAR certified appliances and electronics
• Right-size systems for use
• Operating costs taken into account

12
Guidelines Thinking Beyond Recycling

• Landscaping
• Contract pest management by performance rather
  than chemical applications
• Use organic fertilizers
• Purchase native plantings
• Impervious pavement
• Toxics Pollution
• Non-toxic/biodegradable cleaning products
• VOCs, formaldehydes, PVCs
• Products that contribute to pollution (bleached
  products, vehicles)

13
Guidelines Thinking Beyond Recycling

• Forest Conservation
• Certified sustainably managed
• Local Products!
• Cuts out transportation
• Supports local economy
• Encourages
• Transparency
• Call on vendors to give you reports on the
  origins, manufacture and environmental impacts of
  the products you buy from them
• Expect a flood of glossy greenwash brochures!
  Demand substance!

14
Implementation

• Decided to pilot implementation in one category
• Needed early success
• Started with one product category office
  products
• Partnered with Corporate Express, our preferred
  office product vendor
• Offered internship
• Made multiple personal visits to largest
  purchasers
• Sent out e-mails
• Created green shopping list
• Incorporated into online ordering system

15
(No Transcript)
16
Worked with CEXP and EPA to get more green
product labeling programs incorporated into E-way.
17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19
Beyond Office Products

• Leveraged office products success to get funds
  for a Green Purchasing Specialist.
• Job Description Assist purchasers in Procurement
  Services and other departments in identifying and
  buying green products and services.
• Began by creating Comprehensive Impact Guidelines
  for each purchasers product area (based on
  purchase histories)
• Launched Green Labs program
• Rolled out ENERGY STAR Policy
• Given spot on agenda at each Procurement Services
  staff meeting
• Visits other staff meetings with area-specific
  presentations
• Setting up quarterly and annual reporting of
  performance measurements

20
Talk Outline

• What is Green Purchasing?
• Overview of Dukes Work and Successes
• Motivations
• How exactly did Duke do it?
• Lessons Learned
• Next Steps

21
Lessons Learned (1)

• Important to respect professional culture of
  Procurement Services
• Purchasers dont unilaterally make purchasing
  decisions
• Find product and service options for on-campus
  buyers and facilitate the contract
• LISTENING is critical
• Many, many personal visits with purchasers and
  other stakeholders
• TONS of greenwash out there
• You have to know what information you want and
  demand substance
• Encourage Life Cycle Costing
• Life Cycle Assessment can be a headache
• Problem separation of capital and operating
  budgets

22
Lessons Learned (2)

• Dont expect your purchasers to memorize your
  green purchasing policy
• Gives direction and shows top-level commitment
• Used primarily by vendors and Green Purchasing
  Specialist
• Medical Center is problematic
• Patient safety
• Little customer demand for it
• Cost-driven
• You have to ask vendors for their green product
  line
• Most companies have a green product line.
• But, reps often wont offer it (and may not know
  about it) unless you ask.

23
Lessons Learned (3)

• Local is often the most sustainable
• Transparency
• Transportation impact Biodegradable cups made
  in China
• It does take more work
• But procurement professionals feel good about
  doing it, if given the time
• If you advertise it, they will come
• Distribute your green purchasing policy widely
• A number of win-win opportunities have been found
  this way
• Reach out to your suppliers other customers
• EPA, NC State Gov, other universities

24
Retail Consideration Duke Stores

• Bookstores, convenience stores, computer store,
  vending
• Adopted its own green purchasing policy that
  particularly addresses the need to market green
  products
• Look for the green leaves.
• Remember. We stock what you buy.
• Shop Smart
• 100 of laundry vending and refrigerator rentals
  are ENERGY STAR

25
Talk Outline

• What is Green Purchasing?
• Overview of Dukes Work and Successes
• Motivations
• How exactly did Duke do it?
• Lessons Learned
• Next Steps

26
Next Steps

• Must get purchasers and buyers to adopt
  comprehensive life-cycle thinking
• Win funding for continuation of Green Purchasing
  Specialist position
• Need to create incentives/rewards for purchasers
  and buyers that embrace green purchasing
• Address systematic obstacles to transparency

27
Thank you

• Additional information
• www.duke.edu/sustainability