Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 67.18
Liaison Weston Dripps
Submission Date Aug. 19, 2024

STARS v3.0

Amherst College
OP-10: Purchased Goods

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.22 / 4.00 Weston Dripps
Director of Sustainability
Sustainability

Criteria

10.1 Percentage of cleaning products spend that meets sustainability criteria

An institution earns 1 point when 100 percent of its total annual spend on consumable cleaning products is on goods that meet one or more of the preferable sustainability criteria listed below. Incremental points are available and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Cleaning product sustainability criteria

Scope

Sustainability criteria

  • General purpose bathroom, glass, and carpet cleaners

  • Degreasing agents

  • Biologically-active cleaning products (enzymatic and microbial products)

  • Floor-care products (e.g., floor finish and floor finish strippers)

  • Hand soaps and hand sanitizers

  • Disinfectant

  • Metal polish and other specialty cleaning products

An institution may include other types of consumable cleaning and janitorial products, for example, sanitary paper and trash/bin liners, at its discretion, as long as it does so consistently.

A. Preferable

Third party certified to a ISO Type I ecolabel or sustainability standard for cleaning products that is:

  • Developed or administered by an ISEAL Alliance or Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) member organization

AND/OR

  • Recognized as a preferable option by the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) or a green building rating system that is developed or administered by a World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) member organization

An updated list of preferable standards is available in the STARS Help Center.

 

B. Other qualifying

  • Third party certified to an ISO Type I ecolabel or sustainability standard not recognized as preferable

AND/OR

  • 30 percent minimum postconsumer recycled and/or agricultural residue content (for sanitary paper, trash/bin liners, and other cleaning supplies, if included)

Measurement

Report the most recent annual (fiscal or calendar year) data available from within the previous three years. An institution may track purchases over a full one-year time period, report average annual expenditures over a two or three year period, or estimate annual expenditures based on a representative sample. When using a sample, institutions should ensure that the sample recognizes seasonal and other variations that influence purchasing behavior.

Expenditures on goods that meet both preferable and other qualifying criteria may not be double-counted. 
At a minimum, the figures provided must include expenditures by the institution’s central purchasing unit, department, portal, or vendor. Other expenditures may be excluded at the institution’s discretion to simplify reporting. 

Provide information about the methodology used to complete this indicator and any data limitations that may have influenced the results in the public “Notes” field provided in the Reporting Tool.

10.2 Percentage of electronics spend that meets sustainability criteria

An institution earns 1 point when 100 percent of its total annual spend on electronics is on goods that meet one or more of the preferable sustainability criteria listed ibelow. Incremental points are available and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual. 

Electronics sustainability criteria

Scope

Sustainability criteria

  • Computers (desktop computers, notebook computers, integrated desktop computers, portable all-in-one computers, slates/tablets, small-scale servers, thin clients, and workstations)

  • Displays (monitors and signage displays)

  • Servers

  • Data center and networking equipment

  • Imaging equipment (copiers, digital duplicators, facsimile machines, multifunction devices, printers, mailing machines, and scanners)

  • Televisions

  • Mobile phones

An institution may include other types of electronic or electric-powered equipment, at its discretion, as long as it does so consistently. 

Exclude goods that are reused on-site (i.e., not purchased).

A. Preferable

  • EPEAT Gold (Green Electronics Council)

AND/OR

  • TCO Certified

B. Other qualifying

  • EPEAT Silver or Bronze

  • Third party certified to an ISO Type I ecolabel or sustainability standard for electronics not recognized as preferable

  • ENERGY STAR, EU Energy A, or local equivalent

  • Refurbished

AND/OR

  • Extended producer responsibility (e.g., a closed-loop or product take-back program)

Measurement

Report the most recent annual (fiscal or calendar year) data available from within the previous three years. An institution may track purchases over a full one-year time period, report average annual expenditures over a two or three year period, or estimate annual expenditures based on a representative sample. When using a sample, institutions should ensure that the sample recognizes seasonal and other variations that influence purchasing behavior.

Expenditures on goods that meet both preferable and other qualifying criteria may not be double-counted. 
At a minimum, the figures provided must include expenditures by the institution’s central purchasing unit, department, portal, or vendor. Other expenditures may be excluded at the institution’s discretion to simplify reporting. 

Provide information about the methodology used to complete this indicator, the scope of the analysis (e.g., product types included/excluded), and any data limitations that may have influenced the results in the public “Notes” field provided in the Reporting Tool.

10.3 Percentage of furniture spend that meets sustainability criteria

An institution earns 1 point when 100 percent of its total annual spend on office furniture is on goods that meet one or more of the preferable sustainability criteria listed below. Incremental points are available and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Furniture sustainability criteria

Scope

Sustainability criteria

  • Individual and group seating

  • Workstations, desks, and tables

  • Storage and shelving units

  • Filing cabinets and cases

  • Integrated visual display products (e.g., markerboards and tackboards)

  • Hospitality furniture

  • Miscellaneous items such as mobile carts, freestanding screens, and movable partitions

An institution may include other types of furniture, at its discretion, as long as it does so consistently. 

Exclude goods that are reused on-site (i.e., not purchased). 

A. Preferable

Third party certified to an ISO Type I ecolabel or sustainability standard for furniture that is:

  • Developed or administered by an ISEAL Alliance or Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) member organization

AND/OR

  • Recognized as a preferable option by the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) or a green building rating system that is developed or administered by a World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) member organization

An updated list of preferable standards is available in the STARS Help Center.

 

B. Other qualifying

  • Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) or Health Product Declaration (HPD)

  • Extended producer responsibility (e.g., a closed-loop or product take-back program)

AND/OR

  • Third party certified to an ISO Type I ecolabel or sustainability standard not recognized as preferable

Measurement

Report the most recent annual (fiscal or calendar year) data available from within the previous three years. An institution may track purchases over a full one-year time period, report average annual expenditures over a two or three year period, or estimate annual expenditures based on a representative sample. When using a sample, institutions should ensure that the sample recognizes seasonal and other variations that influence purchasing behavior.

Expenditures on goods that meet both preferable and other qualifying criteria may not be double-counted. 
At a minimum, the figures provided must include expenditures by the institution’s central purchasing unit, department, portal, or vendor. Other expenditures may be excluded at the institution’s discretion to simplify reporting. 

Provide information about the methodology used to complete this indicator, the scope of the analysis (e.g., product types included/excluded), and any data limitations that may have influenced the results in the public “Notes” field provided in the Reporting Tool.

10.4 Percentage of office paper spend that meets sustainability criteria

An institution earns 1 point when 100 percent of its total annual spend on office paper meets one or more of the preferable sustainability criteria listed below. Incremental points are available and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Office paper sustainability criteria

Scope

Sustainability criteria

Standard office printing and copier paper

An institution may include other types of paper products, for example, folders and envelopes, at its discretion, as long as it does so consistently.

A. Preferable

  • 100 percent postconsumer recycled and/or agricultural residue content

  • Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Recycled label

AND/OR


B. Other qualifying

  • 30 percent minimum postconsumer recycled and/or agricultural residue content

  • Third party certified to an ISO Type I ecolabel or sustainability standard not recognized as preferable (e.g., FSC Mix)

AND/OR

  • Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) or Totally Chlorine Free (TCF)

Measurement

Report the most recent annual (fiscal or calendar year) data available from within the three years. An institution may track purchases over a full one-year time period, report average annual expenditures over a two or three year period, or estimate annual expenditures based on a representative sample. When using a sample, institutions should ensure that the sample recognizes seasonal and other variations that influence purchasing behavior.

Expenditures on goods that meet both preferable and other qualifying criteria may not be double-counted. 

At a minimum, the figures provided must include expenditures by the institution’s central purchasing unit, department, portal, or vendor. Other expenditures may be excluded at the institution’s discretion to simplify reporting. 

Provide information about the methodology used to complete this indicator, the scope of the analysis (e.g., product types included/excluded), and any data limitations that may have influenced the results in the public “Notes” field provided in the Reporting Tool.

Applicability

Applicable to all institutions.

Scoring

Measurement

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.