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Procurement and packaging decisions have ripple effects that impact the environment both upstream and downstream. The impacts of sustainable procurement can be felt globally, from helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation, to improving the livelihoods of small developing world producers through supporting fair trade. Supporting “lean packaging” by altering and refining internal practices and through suppliers, reduces your environmental footprint and has other cost savings benefits. From the difficult to recycle Styrofoam to excessive bubble wrap, packaging is quickly filling up the Hartland landfill and is costly to properly dispose of.

Conducting a purchasing analysis is one of the most effective ways to assess environmental impact. By making sustainable purchasing and packaging decisions, your organization can improve its public image, realize financial savings, facilitate compliance, contribute to global sustainability, and save hours using that exacto-knife! A purchasing analysis is a sure way to benefit from smart changes in your business.

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OutlineA. Purchasing

• SevenStepstoaSustainablePurchasingProgram• SustainablePurchasingPrograms• PaperProducts• CleaningProducts• TakeoutContainers• Buyingused:FurnitureandEquipment• OfficeIdeas

B. Packaging

• PreferredPackaging• ReducingPackaging• RetailPackaging• CaseStudy

A. PURCHASING “Procurement and sustainable procurement should be one and the same”.

–Procura+Smartpurchasingdecisionscanbeassimpleasexcludingcertainchemicalsinthetendertechnicalspecificationsforcleaningproducts,orascomprehensiveasreassessingtheentirecleaningplanforyouroffice.Nomatterwhereyouareinthisprocess,makingsustainablepurchasingdecisionswillpositivelyimpactyourbottomlineandimproveenvironmentalsustainability.

A Good Start: 7 Simple Steps to Establishing a Sustainable Purchasing Program

1. Re-thinkyourpurchase2. Chooseadurableorlongerlifeproduct3. Chooseproductsorservicesdesignedtoaddressspecificenvironmentalorsocialconcerns4. Rent,lease,orbuyitsecondhand5. Choosesupplierscommittedtosustainability6. Calculatethetotalcost7. Reducetransportationimpacts(Metro Vancouver Sustainable Purchasing Guide)

SuStAinABlE PurchASinG ProGrAmS the Procura+ manual

TheProcura+Manualisdesignedtoprovideclearguidanceonhowtoimplementsustainableprocurement.Themanualwaspreparedbyexpertsinsustainablepracticesandpurchasing.Thecomprehensivemanualtouchesonallareasofprocurement.Althoughtargetedforgovernmentoffices,themanualgivesreadersabroadsenseofsustainableprocurement.

Did you know?Whencomparingcostsbetweenregularandeco-friendlyproducts,onemustconsiderthelifecyclecostsoftheproduct.Thisincludesthecostsofpurchasing,operating,maintaining,anddisposingoftheproduct.Withthisexamination,itbecomesclearthatalthoughgreenproductsoftenhaveahigherpurchasingprice,theyendupcostingless.

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ocean Wise

OceanWiseisaprogramoutoftheVancouverAquariumandisoneofthebestsustainableseafoodprogramsoutthere.OceanWiseworksdirectlywithrestaurants,markets,foodservicesandsuppliersensuringthattheyhavethemostcurrentscientificinformationregardingseafoodandhelpingthemmakeocean-friendlybuyingdecisions.BycarryingOceanWiseseafood,youaresendingaclearmessagetoyourcustomersthatyoucareabouttheworld’soceans.

“Currently there are over 300 participating Ocean Wise members, for a total of over 2,700 locations. All of these participants have committed to providing ocean friendly alternatives to their customers.”- Ocean Wise

SomedowntownbusinesseswhichhavepartneredwithOceanWiseinclude:BigBadJohn’s,CanoeBrewPub,MapleleafAdventures,NauticalNellie’sSteakandSeafoodHouse,RedFishBlueFish,TheReefandmanymore.

SyscoFoodServicesisanOceanWiseapproveddistributer.What’smore,theirdistributionfacilitywasdesignedtobeenergyefficientandtheyreceivedthe2009PowerSmartExcellenceAwardforInnovationinSustainableBuildingDesign.Theyrecentlyconductedanecologicalimpactstudytoreducetheireffluentsandtoxicitylevels.

Tojoin,requestanapplicationformfromtheOceanwisewebsite.AlsocheckoutOceanwiseiPhoneAp!

PAPEr ProDuctS Recycledpaperuses55%lesswatertoproduceascomparedtovirginpaper.Recycledpaperalsotakes60-70%lessenergytoproducethanpaperfromvirginpulp.-Treehugger

Paperplaysanintegralroleinanybusiness.Theaverageofficeworkergoesthrough10,000sheetsof8?”x11”paperperyear!Herearesomethingstolookoutforwhensearchingforeco-paper:

1. Ahighpercentageofpost-consumercontent2. Sourcedfromalternativefibressuchashemp,kenaf,bagasse,wheatstraw,orricestraw3. Manufacturersthatdisplaytheircarbonfootprintandgreeninitiatives4. Certifications:FSC(ForestStewardshipCouncil),5. Unbleached,chlorine-freeprocessing

CascadesmakespaperfromFSCcertified100%post-consumerfibersusingbiogas energy.TheirRollandEnviro100PrintpapercanbefoundatMonkOffice.

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Did you know: Youcansourcecorelesstoiletpaper?Thereisnohardpaperrollattheendofitsuseandtheyhavemorepaperoneachroll,sotheyarereplacedlessfrequently.

Tryoutthepapercalculator,whichhelpsyouquantifythebenefitsofbetterpaperchoices.

cool idea! Gatherone-sidedpaperthatwouldotherwiseberecycled,andbindthemintonotepads.

Thenotepadsarecheap,green,andindividual!CopyPlus,MonkOfficeandotherdowntownpapercompaniescanbindthispaperwithglueorcoil.

rEcyclED AnD PoSt conSumEr ProDuctSWhat’s better: recycled or Post-consumer? Let’sbreakthisdown.Recycledproductswerelikelymadefromremnantsofaproductionprocessorfrom‘recoveredmaterials’.Althoughtheremnantswouldhaveotherwisegoneintoalandfill,theyareconsideredpre-consumermaterial.Onceamaterialorfinishedproducthasserveditsintendeduseandhasbeendivertedorrecoveredfromwastedestinedfordisposal,itisthenconsideredpost-consumermaterial.

Buyingpost-consumerhasahigherenvironmentalvaluebecauseyourpurchaseisfacilitatingaclosed-loopcycle,ultimatelyturningendconsumerwasteintoanewproduct.Allinallrecycledisgood,butpost-consumerisbetter.

Cleaning Products Indoor air pollution levels can be up to 100 times higher than outdoor air

pollution levels. –US EPA Cleaningproductsareeverywhereatwork:oncountertops,desks,clothes,floors,windows,andfloatingthroughtheair.Mostoftheconventionalcleaningproductsarepetroleum-basedandhavedubioushealthandenvironmentalimplications.Instead,optfornon-toxic,biodegradableandpH-balancedcleaningproductsthataremadefromrenewableresources.

SoapX

SoapXisacommercialenvironmentalcleaningproductline,anextensionfromTheSoapExchange.Allofthecleaningproductsarebio-degradable,eco-friendly,pH-balancedandnaturallyderived(manufacturedinSaskatchewan).

SynergysuppliesanddeliversSoapXrighttoyourdoor.Refillingyouremptycontainerswilldrasticallyreducingplasticconsumptionandwillreducecost.SoapXisalsoaffordable,generallyat1/3ofthepriceofstore-heldcleaningproducts.

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cool idea! Waterandvinegarisacheapmulti-purposecleaner.DuetothehighpH,whitevinegarishighlyeffectiveinkillingmoldsandbacteria.Aspraybottlewith1:4VinegartoWateractsasagreatsurfacesanitizerorwindowcleaner.SeeVinegarTips.comfornaturalcleaningrecipes.

Takeout ContainersAstheownerofarestaurant,bistro,orcaféyouareservingupdeliciousgoodiesto-go.TheStyrofoamtakeoutcontainersandnon-recyclablecoffeecupshavetogo.RecyclingcompaniesalloverGreaterVictoriahavemadeoneunanimouscalloutforpapercups:“Nobodywantsthem.Theyaredifficulttorecycleanddonnotmakegoodcompost.”Whilethebestsolutiontotakeoutisreusablecontainers,therearesomefantasticsingleuseproductsthathavealowerenvironmentalimpactthantraditionaltakeoutcontainers.

Unbelievablebuttrue,Greenware’sclearplasticcupsaremadecorn!Ratherthanusingapetroleum-basedcupthathasaone-timeuse,howaboutprovidingyourbeveragesinacontainerthat’sas biodegradable asthedrinkitself?Acaseof100012oz.cupscostsabout$125.

Values in Action: noodle Box

Since2004,theNoodleBoxhasmadeabigefforttoreducethewastetheysendtolandfillsbypurchasingpaperandconsumerproductsthatareeitherbiodegradableorrecyclable.Becauseofthis,theirfrontendservicehasbecome100%biodegradable!

TheNoodleBoxes,chopsticksandnapkinscanbebrokendownandturnedintocompostenrichedsoilmixes.Theymadetheswitchtosustainablepaperproducts,suchaspapertowelsandnapkins,choosing100%post-consumer,unbleachedproducts.

tip:Insteadofstackingyourcustomers’to-gocontainerswithserviettesandplasticcutlery,tryaskingifcustomersneedthemaspartofthereceiptprocess.

Buying Used: Furniture and Equipment Purchasingsecond-handgoodsextendsthelifeofproduct,deferringtheuseofresourcesfornewproducts.Whatismore,thecostsavingsareastronomical.Ausedofficedesktypicallyrunsat40%-80%lessthananewdesk.IndowntownVictoria,therearemanyplacestobuyused.

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Office Ideas Somereallyinnovativeeco-productsarecomingtomarketasbusinessesarerespondingtoconsumerdemand.

EXAmPlES

1) Pilot’s B2P Pen –refillablepensmadefrom89%post-consumerwastefromplasticbottles.

2) metal-free staplers-Insteadofaddingawastefulpieceofscrapmetaltoyourdocuments,astaplefreestaplercutsasmallstripofpaperandthreadsthestripthroughtheotherdocuments.TheycanbefoundatMonkOfficefor$9.99.

Greatatthetillforreceipts!

3) Stainless Steel compost holders-Agreatoffice,lunchroomorcoffeestandoption.YoucanpurchasetheseatTheGoodPlanetCo.orfromSynergy.

Note:AffordablecompostpickupisavailablethroughtheDVBA’sreCYCLISTSprogram.

B. PACKAGING Nearly 80 million tons of waste is generated from packaging and containers annually. – US Environmental Protection AgencyUnfortunately,excessivepackagingisstillprevalent,particularlyonitemssuchaselectronics,furniture,andfoods.Packagingisawasteofcarboneverystepoftheway,frommanufacture,throughdistribution,tocollectionanddisposalaspartofthewastestream.

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Preferred PackagingWhenchoosingpackagingtypes,thebelowspectrumgivesageneralideaofwheretoshiftyourpackagingchoices.Thespectrumbelowisbasedontheprocessingrequiredtomaketheproduct,itsrecyclabilityandend-of-lifeenvironmentalimpact.Itdoesnottakeintoaccountoriginoftheproduct.

BESt WorSt RecycledPaperRecycledPlastics VirginPlastics

VirginPaperRecycledStyrofoamPeanuts Styrofoam

Reducing Packaging: Internally and from SuppliersIfyouarepackagingitemsinternally,hereare5waysofmakingyourpackaginggreener:

1. reduce packaging! Reducedpackagingtranslatestocostsavingsinmaterial,transportation,anddisposal.

2. look for ‘recycled material’ , not to be confused with ‘recyclable material’ Aproductlabeled‘recyclable’maystillendupinalandfill.Trytouseasmuchrecycledmaterialaspossibleinpackaging.

3. use biodegradable materials. Biodegradableplasticsandpolyestersareavailableandsoarepapercontainers,papercups,etc.Askyourlocalproviderfortheseoptionsandhavethemsourceforyou.

4. Do not mix products that are incompatible for recycling. Iftwoormorematerialsconstituteapackage,itmaynotbepossibletorecyclethepackage.Ifyoumustuseplastics,trytosticktoonetypesothatitiseasilyrecyclable.

5. Steer away fromStyrofoam,softplastics,andfoillineditems.Whenyoureceivesuchproductsinmaterialswhichyouhaveordered,pleasecalltheDVBACleanTeamwhichwillremoveanysuchmaterialsatareasonablecost(www.downtownvictoria.ca)

Callyoursuppliersandrequestthatpackagingbereducedand/ormoresustainableoptionsbeutilized.Styrofoamisnowconsideredthemaincomponentofmarinedebris.Itisespeciallyaconcernforcoastalcommunitiesasittakesover500yearstobreakdown(accordingtoastudybyWashingtonUniversity).

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Retail Packaging Retailpackagingquicklyendsupinlandfillsorrecycling.Rarelyreused,thisisawastefulprocessthathasplentyofroomforcreativity.

chose packaging that a customer will reuse.Thiswillincreaseyourbrandawarenessandcustomerloyaltywhilereducingtheenvironmentalimpactofyourpackaging.

SeeAmbalajblogforinspiration

change communication at the till.Wouldyoulikethiswrapped?Doyouneedabag?Simplequestionsthatgivecustomerstheoptiontohavepackaging,ratherthandefaultwrappingandbagging,willreduceconsumption.

Pick your packaging carefully.Chosepackagingthat,ifleftinaditch,willcompostbackintotheearth.Eliminatebubblewrapandplasticbagsfromyourretailpackagingandchosesustainableoptionssuchasrecyclednewspaper,orpostconsumertissuepaperandcompostablebags.

Ditch those fabric-handled bags.Theseareagiantpaintorecycle.Howmanyofyourcustomerswillripoffthefabrichandlesandputtherestofthebagintomixedpaperrecycling?Notmany.Thefabrichandlesmakerecyclingprocessesdifficult.Often,thesebagswillendupinlandfills.

cost Savings.Switchingtonon-defaultpackagingwillimmediatelysaveyourbusinessmoney,butthebigsavingscomefromdesign.Creativelydesigningyourpackagingforasecondfunctioncanreduceyourmarketingandpromotionbudget.Source: Ambalaj Blog. http://ambalaj.se/category/re-use/

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Case StudiesRatherthanbeingshippedwithplasticbagsoneachindividualitem,MountainEquipmentCo-ophast-shirtsrolledandwrappedinapieceofrecyclabletwine,thereforeeliminatingtheuseofthousandsofplasticsbags!

MonkOfficeencouragesvendorstoreducetheuseofStyrofoampackagingandcollectsshippingtraysandemptytonercartridgesfromcustomers,amongotherinitiatives.TheyareISO14001:2004certified,aninternationalrecognizedcertificationforongoingcommitmenttotheenvironment.

LinksMetroVancouverGuidetoSustainablePurchasing

Eco-paperdatabase

Papercalculator

Procura+Manual

AmbalajBlog

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