Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 64.13
Liaison Michael Kensler
Submission Date Feb. 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

Auburn University
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.75 / 3.00 John Corgill
Assistant Director
Procurement & Business Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Institution-wide sustainable procurement policies

Does the institution have written policies, guidelines, or directives that seek to support sustainable purchasing across multiple commodity categories institution-wide?:
Yes

A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
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The policies, guidelines or directives:
Broad-based purchasing guidelines can be found at https://www.auburn.edu/administration/business-finance/pbs/supplier-diversity.html, https://www.auburn.edu/administration/business-finance/pbs/sustainability.html, and at http://sustain.auburn.edu/learn/sustainable-purchasing-at-auburn/.

Part 2. Life Cycle Cost Analysis 

Does the institution employ Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) when evaluating energy- and water-using products and systems?:
No

Which of the following best describes the institution’s use of LCCA?:
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A brief description of the LCCA policy and/or practices:
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Part 3. Product-specific sustainability criteria

To count, the criteria must address the specific sustainability challenges and impacts associated with products and/or services in each category, e.g. by requiring or giving preference to multi-criteria sustainability standards, certifications and labels appropriate to the category. Broader, institution-wide policies should be reported in Part 1, above. 

Chemically intensive products and services

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating chemically intensive products and services?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
Auburn University has incorporated sustainable cleaning practices/products into its contracts for custodial services; includes on-contract pricing for Green Seal, UL ECOLOGO, US EPA Safer Choice, and Forest Stewardship Council products in its Maintenance, Repair, & Operations contract with Grainger; and incorporates sustainable cleaning practices/products into its own in-house campus operations.

Consumable office products

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating consumable office products?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for consumable office products:
Auburn University maintains a preference for the purchase of post-consumer waste recycled content copier paper. As such, the office supply preferred vendor contract with Staples offers 30, 50, and 100% recycled-content paper options with on-contract pricing for all campus units.

Furniture and furnishings

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating furniture and furnishings?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for furniture and furnishings:
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Information Technology (IT) and equipment

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating Information technology (IT) and equipment?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for Information Technology (IT) and equipment:
Auburn has a stated preference for EPEAT Silver and Gold products in the following categories: desktop computers, notebook/laptop computers, displays, thin clients, tablets, TVs, and imaging equipment. The vendor contract with GovConnection allows for on-contract pricing for EPEAT-certified products.

Food service providers

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating food service providers?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food service providers:
The call for bids and final executed agreements for on-campus vending included sustainability performance as a selection criterion, and requires sustainability practices as a part of the contract performance and review.

Garments and linens 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating garments and linens?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for garments and linens:
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Professional service providers

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating professional service providers?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional service providers:
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Transportation and fuels

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating transportation and fuels?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
Auburn University Procurement & Business Services works with preferred vendors to acquire both products and services. As a result of these efforts, Auburn University has entered into a contract agreement with Enterprise/National for the procurement of vehicle rental services for university operations. As a result of this contract, Auburn University travelers are expected to rent Compact or Midsize class vehicles unless sharing the rental with more than 2 other AU business travelers. Rental of sport utility vehicles, minivans, or other kinds of specialty vehicles require justification and prior authorization from the PBS travel auditor. University travelers are highly encouraged to rent hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles when there is availability.

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable procurement program or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.