| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.20 |
| Liaison | Denice Koljonen |
| Submission Date | Feb. 17, 2022 |
Boston College
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.50 / 3.00 |
Bruce
Dixon Sustainability and Energy Specialist Facilities |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Part 1. Institution-wide sustainable procurement policies
No
A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
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The policies, guidelines or directives:
Not institution-wide, but BC Facilities Services has a Sustainable Operations Guidelines 1.0 that was developed in 2015-2016 which includes guidelines for eight key areas that do a significant amount of purchasing: Landscape Management, Sustainable Purchasing, Refrigerant Management, Green Cleaning, Indoor Environmental Quality, Materials Management, Vehicle Use and Energy & Water Use. The link is at the end of this section.
Part 2. Life Cycle Cost Analysis
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
Yes
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
All Facilities Operations personnel must meet or exceed the requirements of the Sustainable Operations Guideline 1.0 (attached below) created for all campus and off-campus properties. This guideline pertains to all Custodial, Trades, and Grounds operations.
When purchasing cleaning products–including general-purpose bathroom,
glass, and carpet cleaners; floor care products; disinfectants; odor removers;
laundry detergents; hand soaps and hand sanitizers; and specialty cleaning
products–Facilities Services Operations employees give preference to
products that are Green Seal or ECOLOGO certified or that meet the EPA’s
Safer Choice Standard.
When purchasing cleaning products–including general-purpose bathroom,
glass, and carpet cleaners; floor care products; disinfectants; odor removers;
laundry detergents; hand soaps and hand sanitizers; and specialty cleaning
products–Facilities Services Operations employees give preference to
products that are Green Seal or ECOLOGO certified or that meet the EPA’s
Safer Choice Standard.
Consumable office products
Yes
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for consumable office products:
Paper: When purchasing janitorial paper products–including bathroom tissue and
paper towels–Facilities Services Operations employees give preference to
products that are Green Seal or ECOLOGO certified and/or are derived from
post-consumer fiber, fiber from forests certified to be managed according
to Forest Stewardship Council standards, or tree-free fiber (e.g., bamboo,
sugar cane).
When purchasing office paper–including copier paper and stationery–
Facilities Services Operations employees will give preference to paper
products that contain a high percentage of post-consumer recycled
content; are chlorine-free; and/or are certified by the Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC).
Wood:Wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council;
paper towels–Facilities Services Operations employees give preference to
products that are Green Seal or ECOLOGO certified and/or are derived from
post-consumer fiber, fiber from forests certified to be managed according
to Forest Stewardship Council standards, or tree-free fiber (e.g., bamboo,
sugar cane).
When purchasing office paper–including copier paper and stationery–
Facilities Services Operations employees will give preference to paper
products that contain a high percentage of post-consumer recycled
content; are chlorine-free; and/or are certified by the Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC).
Wood:Wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council;
Furniture and furnishings
Yes
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for furniture and furnishings:
The Office of Capital Construction specifies to all Design Engineering and Architecture firms that they must meet the City of Boston's mandate to construct new buildings or renovate existing buildings to meet one of four LEED Certifications and LEED for Existing Building Operation and Maintenance on our campus. There are additional guidelines for purchasing of construction products and furnishing in the Sustainable Operations Guidelines (link at end of this section).
When purchasing construction materials, Facilities Services Operations employees give preference to:
• Wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council;
• Products that contain recycled content;
• Materials that are Cradle to Cradle certified;
• Paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants that are Green Seal certified and/or have low-VOC content.
When purchasing construction materials, Facilities Services Operations employees give preference to:
• Wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council;
• Products that contain recycled content;
• Materials that are Cradle to Cradle certified;
• Paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants that are Green Seal certified and/or have low-VOC content.
Information Technology (IT) and equipment
Yes
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for Information Technology (IT) and equipment:
https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/offices/its/about/sustainability.html
This includes: Printing, Digital Documents, Recycling & Disposal, Energy Savings, and Other Sustainability Resources.
This includes: Printing, Digital Documents, Recycling & Disposal, Energy Savings, and Other Sustainability Resources.
Food service providers
Yes
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food service providers:
Boston College Dining Services Commitment to Sustainability
Boston College Dining Services seeks, within fiscal parameters, to enrich its procurement of regional, sustainable and socially just food and food products, as defined below, with a preference for grown, raised, or harvested food from the six New England states (Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire).
Regional: Whole or minimally processed foods grown, raised or minimally processed in New England.
Sustainable & Socially Just:
a) Farms with agricultural practices which nourish the long-term health and viability of the soil and natural resources such as no till, crop rotation, green manures, IPM (integrated pest management) and on-farm composting.
b) Animal farms with humane welfare practices such as pasture raised, hormone-free and no CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations).
c) Fair and equitable labor practices which ensure that farmers and their workers receive a living wage and fair price for their labor and product.
d) Farms or food producers that are women-, minority-, and/or cooperatively-owned.
Boston College Dining Services seeks, within fiscal parameters, to enrich its procurement of regional, sustainable and socially just food and food products, as defined below, with a preference for grown, raised, or harvested food from the six New England states (Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire).
Regional: Whole or minimally processed foods grown, raised or minimally processed in New England.
Sustainable & Socially Just:
a) Farms with agricultural practices which nourish the long-term health and viability of the soil and natural resources such as no till, crop rotation, green manures, IPM (integrated pest management) and on-farm composting.
b) Animal farms with humane welfare practices such as pasture raised, hormone-free and no CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations).
c) Fair and equitable labor practices which ensure that farmers and their workers receive a living wage and fair price for their labor and product.
d) Farms or food producers that are women-, minority-, and/or cooperatively-owned.
Garments and linens
No
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for garments and linens:
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Professional service providers
Yes
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional service providers:
Supplier Diversity Program
In recent years, higher education institutions have made commitments to explore and create a strategic plan to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion within their organizations. Procurement Services supports the mission of the University by promoting a culture that embraces diversity and inclusion for all members of the Boston College community.
The social justice movement and string of recent systematic injustice events have expedited the need for Sourcing & Procurement across institutions to establish a formal Supplier Diversity Program to create a more diverse and inclusive supplier base and to provide increased access and opportunity to underrepresented diverse businesses, both locally and nationally, to provide products and service to each institution's community. Boston College will in 2021 and 2022 identify and implement a third-party capable of helping the university to establish a baseline of current, contracted spend with diverse businesses. Establishing a “current state” is critically important in bringing credibility to a potential program, and it serves as the launching point in establishing key performance indicators to measure the programs continuous improvement.
Rev Date: 2/2021
Link:
https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/offices/financial-vice-president/departments/procurement.html#tab-supplier_diversity
In recent years, higher education institutions have made commitments to explore and create a strategic plan to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion within their organizations. Procurement Services supports the mission of the University by promoting a culture that embraces diversity and inclusion for all members of the Boston College community.
The social justice movement and string of recent systematic injustice events have expedited the need for Sourcing & Procurement across institutions to establish a formal Supplier Diversity Program to create a more diverse and inclusive supplier base and to provide increased access and opportunity to underrepresented diverse businesses, both locally and nationally, to provide products and service to each institution's community. Boston College will in 2021 and 2022 identify and implement a third-party capable of helping the university to establish a baseline of current, contracted spend with diverse businesses. Establishing a “current state” is critically important in bringing credibility to a potential program, and it serves as the launching point in establishing key performance indicators to measure the programs continuous improvement.
Rev Date: 2/2021
Link:
https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/offices/financial-vice-president/departments/procurement.html#tab-supplier_diversity
Transportation and fuels
Yes
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
When purchasing motor vehicles–including cars, carts, trucks, tractors, and buses–Facilities Services employees give preference to the cleanest and most fuel efficient options for the desired function. This includes consideration of electric, hybrid electric, and other alternative fuel vehicles.
When purchasing liquid fuel–including gasoline and diesel fuel–Facilities Services Operations employees give preference to biofuels (e.g., biodiesel or ethanol) and biofuel blends.
When purchasing liquid fuel–including gasoline and diesel fuel–Facilities Services Operations employees give preference to biofuels (e.g., biodiesel or ethanol) and biofuel blends.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Please see link for the Sustainable Operations Guidelines.
https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/offices/sustainability/pdf/11-25%20-15%20sust%20ops%20guidelines.pdf
https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/offices/sustainability/pdf/11-25%20-15%20sust%20ops%20guidelines.pdf
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.