| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.17 |
| Liaison | Ian Johnson |
| Submission Date | March 4, 2020 |
Colorado College
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
George
Eckhardt Campus Planner Facilities Services |
Does the institution have written policies, guidelines, or directives that seek to support sustainable purchasing across multiple commodity categories institution-wide?:
A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
The policies, guidelines or directives:
Colorado College Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines Overview
Colorado College is committed to stewardship of the environment and to reducing the college’s dependence on non-renewable energy. These “sustainable purchasing” guidelines are intended to help the Colorado College community align purchasing decisions with the Colorado College mission objectives. These procurement decisions include economic criteria, environmental criteria, and social criteria.
The goal of these guidelines is to reduce the adverse environmental impact of our purchasing decisions by buying goods and services from manufacturers and vendors who share our commitment to the environment. Sustainable purchasing is the method whereby environmental and social considerations are given equal weight to the price, availability, and performance criteria that colleges and universities use to make purchasing decisions.
College Policies Procurement and Purchasing Overview
Procurement and purchasing activities support the educational and research objectives of the college. Accordingly, individuals across campus are involved in purchasing goods and services as well as entering into contracts on behalf of the college. This policy and these procedures
provide assurance that purchases are made in the best interests of Colorado College and in compliance with any external requirements.
Does the institution employ Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) when evaluating energy- and water-using products and systems?:
Which of the following best describes the institution’s use of LCCA?:
A brief description of the LCCA policy and/or practices:
The college serves as a “model of environmental stewardship and innovation by advancing both the study and the practice of sustainability.” The college strives to reflect innovation in the application and evolution of sustainability practices related both to the built environment and to the management of College resources. The best procurement practice is not to make decisions based on first costs only. The best sustainable practice is to valuate life-cycle costs of design alternatives to reduce long term operating and maintenance costs of major building systems. Life-cycle costs should be based on a “whole-building perspective”, rather than from only the perspective of individual building systems or components.
• Opportunities for achieving energy and water use reductions should be identified by design and engineering professionals in every construction or renovation project and considered for implementation based on life-cycle cost savings; impact on reaching carbon neutrality; and the importance of demonstrating social responsibility by supporting the college core values and taking a leadership role in nurturing the ethic of environmental sustainability.
• New buildings, additions to existing buildings, or existing building renovations should minimize building life-cycle costs, direct and indirect, relating to energy use, maintenance, waste disposal and occupant health & productivity. Life-cycle costs should be based on a “whole-building perspective”, rather than from the perspective of individual building systems or components.
• Minimize environmental impacts throughout the building life-cycle, including product manufacturing, construction activity, use/occupancy, and demolition or renovation/reuse.
• Purchasing of goods and services from manufacturers and vendors shall comply with the Colorado College Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines.
Facility Life Cycle Design Guidelines for Sustainability: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/energy-management/FACILITY%20LIFE-CYCLE%20DESIGN%20GUIDELINES%20FOR%20SUSTAINABILITY%20Rev.%203-16-17.pdf
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating chemically intensive products and services?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
Landscaping & Grounds Maintenance: A green landscaping O&M plan helps to fully realize the intended state of a building‘s landscaping while also protecting the local and regional ecosystem and human health. Landscaping should be maintained to maximize the health of plants and people, while also reducing impacts on the planet and budget. Include strategies to reduce the need for pesticides, fertilizers, water, and maintenance, and to preserve natural resources. The plan should cover all aspects of grounds maintenance including plant care, turf management, irrigation, integrated pest management (IPM), and hardscapes.
Green Cleaning: Green cleaning is a holistic approach to janitorial/housekeeping services. It takes into account the health, safety and the environmental risks of product and processes associated with cleaning, and balances this with need of the facility. Green cleaning involves the use of alternative products, application of the product in different ways, and evaluation and/or behavior shifts associated with how buildings are used to reduce risks, while maintaining a satisfactory level of cleanliness and disinfection. Colorado College custodial services contractor, Sodexo Environmental Services is Green Seal Certified, practicing Green Seal Standards for cleaning methods and using Green Seal products for cleaning. All effective green cleaning programs are built on using best green cleaning practices along with effective product, equipment and green cleaning methods.
Colorado College Facilities Services Sustainable Operations and Maintenance Guidelines Manual: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/plan-design-ops-maint/Facilities%20Sustainable%20O&M%20Guidelines%20Manual,%20Rev.%20%204-6-16.pdf
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating consumable office products?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for consumable office products:
Consumable Office Supplies:
• Eliminate virgin paper by purchasing only recycled content paper when possible
• Print and copy double-sided to decrease paper use when practicable.
• Purchase recycled content paper goods (i.e., file folders)
• Purchase refillable and reusable products (such as pens and pencils) made from recycled materials.
• Purchase re-furbished and / or remanufactured toner cartridges.
• Purchase low mercury content lamps for lighting.
• Purchase rechargeable batteries.
Colorado College Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/Colorado%20College%20Facility%20Sustainable%20Purchasing%20Guidelines,%20Rev.%2012-21-16.pdf
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating furniture and furnishings?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for furniture and furnishings:
Furniture and Furnishings:
· Require approved furniture vendors to provide a minimum warranty on chairs, office panels, work stations and filing systems.
· Ensure that all wood and wood contained within the products that the college purchases is certified to be sustainably harvested by a comprehensive, performance-based certification system.
· Purchase or use of previously used or salvaged wood and wood products is encouraged.
· Request that the furniture can be fully recycled at the end of its useful life.
· Request sustainable fabrics for modular systems and chairs. Some of these fabrics include recycled content and are designed to be biodegradable after their useful life.
· Specify products that are made from materials containing the maximum amount of post-consumer and post-industrial recycled content.
· Require vendors and installers to provide a recycling or recovery service for the responsible reuse, remanufacture, or recycling of old furniture.
· Require that furniture and furnishings to include flooring, ceilings, walls, and composite wood products are low-VOC of free of flame-retardants.
Colorado College Facility Design Guidelines Manual: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/plan-design-ops-maint/Facility%20Design%20Guidelines%20Manual,%20Rev.%203-16-17....pdf
Colorado College Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/Colorado%20College%20Facility%20Sustainable%20Purchasing%20Guidelines,%20Rev.%2012-21-16.pdf
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating Information technology (IT) and equipment?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for Information Technology (IT) and equipment:
Electronics, Appliances, and Computers:
· Purchase Energy Star rated equipment and EPEAT registered products, and electronics, which specifies that energy saving features, are enabled as the default factory setting.
· Centralize and share appliances such as refrigerators, copiers, printers, and faxes.
· Provide a process for recycling of old computers, electronic devices, and appliances.
· Purchase laboratory products with the ACT label, which is the premier label for environmentally friendly laboratory products, including consumables, chemicals, and equipment. By emphasizing accountability, consistency, and transparency (ACT) around manufacturing, energy and water use, packaging, and end-of-life, ACT makes it easy to choose safe, sustainable products.
Colorado College Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/Colorado%20College%20Facility%20Sustainable%20Purchasing%20Guidelines,%20Rev.%2012-21-16.pdf
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating food service providers?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food service providers:
Food Service Providers:
· Food service contractors, franchises, vending, and catering services providers are required to include sustainability practices and objectives in their contracts with the College.
· Food service contractors for the College are required to pay a living wage to employees in line with the College employee pay scales.
Colorado College Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/Colorado%20College%20Facility%20Sustainable%20Purchasing%20Guidelines,%20Rev.%2012-21-16.pdf
Colorado College works closely with Bon Appetit, our food service provider, to provide local, delicious, healthy meals for our students, faculty, and staff, and the community at-large. Bon Appetit has been a committed partner in working towards a more sustainable campus at Colorado College. The food service provider exclusively serves cage-free eggs, rGBH-free milk, seafood that meets Seafood Watch sustainability guidelines, humanely raised ground beef, and pork raised without gestation crates. In addition to working closely with local farms and producers to increase the amount of “Real Food”, Bon Appetit also largely funded the EcoFund program administered through the Office of Sustainability, which provides grants for student projects that further sustainability across campus.
Bon Appetit Sustainable Food Service Practices: https://coloradocollege.cafebonappetit.com/wellness/ http://www.bamco.com/sourcing/
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating garments and linens?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for garments and linens:
Garments and Linens:
· Purchase clothing and bedding textiles with organic, bio-based, or recycled content.
· Establish textile-recycling processes that involve the donation, collection, sorting and processing of textiles, and then subsequent transportation to end users of used garments, rags or other recovered materials.
· Ensure that the manufacturer of textile products purchased by the College complies with The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which is the Federal law that governs the payment of wages and various workplace practices. This law is enforced by the Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor.
The Colorado College Sustainability Office student interns manage a campus clothing swap store for recycling used clothing and textiles.
Colorado College Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/Colorado%20College%20Facility%20Sustainable%20Purchasing%20Guidelines,%20Rev.%2012-21-16.pdf
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating professional service providers?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional service providers:
Contractors and Professional Service Providers Selection Process:
· The College process for selection of contractors and consultants shall include requests for services from disadvantaged businesses, defined as A Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), which is a small business that is at least 51 percent owned by one or more individuals who are both socially and economically disadvantaged.
· The College process for selection of contractors and consultants shall include requests for services from social enterprises or social businesses, defined as a business that has specific social objectives that serve its primary purpose. Social enterprises seek to maximize profits while maximizing benefits to society and the environment.
· The College process for selection of contractors and consultants shall include requests for services from Certified B Corporations, defined as businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
Request for Proposals or Quotes, Contracts, and Purchase Orders:
Include sustainability language and specifications for environmentally preferable products and services into the documented purchasing processes. By including such criteria, vendors will be required to accommodate these needs in an agreed upon manner. Creation of a general clause that is included in all agreements, and incorporating the appropriate language as needed on a commodity-by-commodity basis is intended to increase the flow of sustainable products to the College Campus.
Green Building Materials Purchases
Green purchasing concepts shall be integrated into architectural designs, final construction documents for construction and renovations of buildings or facilities owned by the College. All buildings and renovations undertaken by the College shall follow green building practices for design, construction, and operations, where appropriate, as described in the LEED Rating System.
Colorado College Facility Design Guidelines Manual: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/plan-design-ops-maint/Facility%20Design%20Guidelines%20Manual,%20Rev.%203-16-17....pdf
Colorado College Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/Colorado%20College%20Facility%20Sustainable%20Purchasing%20Guidelines,%20Rev.%2012-21-16.pdf
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating transportation and fuels?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
Transportation and Fuels Usage Guidelines:
· The College manages the vehicle fleet in a sustainable manner, providing adequately sized vehicles to efficiently transport larger groups in fewer vehicles for out-of-town trips to reduce the environmental impact of travel.
· The College provides energy efficient fleet vehicles and alternate fuel/hybrid vehicles for small groups to reduce the environmental impact of travel.
· Academic departments in the College are required to plan field trips in a sustainable manner that minimizes the travel and environmental impact of travel. An internal carbon tax used for sustainability projects is added to the mileage rate charged for fleet vehicles to help provide awareness by the users of the carbon footprint of their trips.
· The College grounds, maintenance, and service vehicles include alternate fuel electric vehicles and small fuel-efficient carts for maintenance workers to reduce the environmental impact of travel on campus.
· Larger purchased items requiring pallets, or large packaging, for shipping to the College are routed on long-haul transport carriers efficiently hauling aggregated loads destined for the same delivery area.
· Emergency building generators for campus buildings are required to be powered by clean natural gas rather than diesel fuel.
· The College Central Heating Plant is required to use the latest and most efficient control technologies, and heat recovery systems, to minimize the natural gas fuel usage required for heating major campus buildings.
Colorado College Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/Colorado%20College%20Facility%20Sustainable%20Purchasing%20Guidelines,%20Rev.%2012-21-16.pdf
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable procurement program or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Facility Life Cycle Design Guidelines for Sustainability: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/energy-management/FACILITY%20LIFE-CYCLE%20DESIGN%20GUIDELINES%20FOR%20SUSTAINABILITY%20Rev.%203-16-17.pdf
Colorado College Facility Design Guidelines Manual: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/plan-design-ops-maint/Facility%20Design%20Guidelines%20Manual,%20Rev.%203-16-17....pdf
Colorado College Facilities Services Sustainable Operations and Maintenance Guidelines Manual: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/plan-design-ops-maint/Facilities%20Sustainable%20O&M%20Guidelines%20Manual,%20Rev.%20%204-6-16.pdf
Facility Life Cycle Design Guidelines for Sustainability: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/energy-management/FACILITY%20LIFE-CYCLE%20DESIGN%20GUIDELINES%20FOR%20SUSTAINABILITY%20Rev.%203-16-17.pdf
Colorado College Facility Design Guidelines Manual: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/plan-design-ops-maint/Facility%20Design%20Guidelines%20Manual,%20Rev.%203-16-17....pdf
Colorado College Facilities Services Sustainable Operations and Maintenance Guidelines Manual: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/plan-design-ops-maint/Facilities%20Sustainable%20O&M%20Guidelines%20Manual,%20Rev.%20%204-6-16.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.