Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 52.25
Liaison Sarah Fortner
Submission Date March 20, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Carleton College
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.50 / 3.00 Alexandra Miller
Sustainability Program Coordinator
Energy and Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1: Institution-Wide Policies 

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

A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
The policies, guidelines or directives:
These guidelines detail purchasing recycled products, local vendors, minority-owned or woman-owned businesses, and environmentally committed vendors. We encourage employees to purchase Energy Star appliances as well.

Part 2: Life Cycle Cost Analysis 

Does the institution employ Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) when evaluating energy- and water-using products and systems?:
Yes

Which of the following best describes the institution’s use of LCCA?:
Institution employs LCCA less comprehensively, e.g. for certain types of systems or projects and not others

A brief description of the LCCA policy and/or practices:
Carleton evaluates energy conservation projects and energy/water aspects of new construction or renovations on the basis of LCCA. We do not, however, have a formal policy or procedure document to this effect.

Part 3: Commodity-Specific Sustainability Criteria

To count, the criteria must address the specific sustainability challenges and impacts associated with products/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 (e.g. building and facilities maintenance, cleaning and sanitizing, landscaping and grounds maintenance)?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
When we do need to apply herbicides to turf areas on campus to manage weed infestations - we are very sensitive to using chemicals that provide no negative effects on pollinators. We also apply materials very early in the morning where wind speed is virtually non-existent. This reduces or eliminates the risk of herbicide drift onto non-target plants. In the Design and Construction Standars, we try to "Maximize areas of landscape that increase plant/animal biodiversity and habitat while decreasing use of fuel, fertilizers and pesticides for maintenance"

Construction and Renovation 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating construction and renovation products (e.g. furnishings and building materials)?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for construction and renovation products:
In our building construction standards for all construction, we outline various sustainability-related requirements including sustainable building requirements, stormwater management, water use efficiency, etc. https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/facilities/assets/Construction_Design_Standards___January_2016.pdf

Information Technology (IT) 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating Information technology (IT) products and services (e.g. computers, imaging equipment, mobile phones, data centers and cloud services)?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for IT products and services:
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Food Services 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating food services (i.e. franchises, vending services, concessions, convenience stores)?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food services:
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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 Services 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating professional services (e.g. architectural, engineering, public relations, financial)?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional services:
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Transportation and Fuels 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating transportation and fuels (e.g. travel, vehicles, delivery services, long haul transport, generator fuels, steam plants)?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
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Wood and Paper 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating wood and paper products?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for wood and paper products:
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Other Commodity Categories 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating products and services in other commodity categories that the institution has determined to have significant sustainability impacts?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for other commodity categories:
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Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs 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.