| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 86.18 |
| Liaison | Chris Adam |
| Submission Date | Dec. 30, 2024 |
Dawson College
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.50 / 3.00 |
Chris
Adam Coordinator Sustainability Office |
Part 1. Institution-wide sustainable procurement policies
A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
The policies, guidelines or directives:
- 2024: By-law 10, Dawson's purchasing guideline that has a distint sustainability clause, is being considered more as the institutional sustainability culture develops.
- By-Law 10 of the College states that sustainability objectives can be considered when not abiding by the provincial guidelines for public institutions to choose the lowest bidder when going to tender for purchased goods and services. This clause in by-law 10, in turn, is associated with a Sustainable Purchasing Guide to help educate purchase agents about the range of sustainability considerations (various eco-logos, certifications, and different environmental, economic and social concerns).
- Section 4.01 of Dawson's General Policy on Procurement:
The College acquires goods and services at the best overall price while meeting the following requirements:
I. Preference is given to:
a. goods and services that are consistent with the Dawson College Sustainability Policy;
b. local suppliers, to the extent permitted by agreements entered into by the Government;
c. group purchasing agreements;
d. partnerships and exchanges of services with other public bodies.
II. Competition amongst suppliers is fostered; and
III. Procurement is transparent, allowing potential suppliers to have ready access to timely information on business opportunities, criteria for assessment of bids and competition results.
By-Law 10 (purchasing):
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Part 2. Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Which of the following best describes the institution’s use of LCCA?:
A brief description of the LCCA policy and/or practices:
Electronics purchasing reviews quality products, including end-of-life costs. This is ever-concerning in Dawson's context because we operate under a 20% space deficit and any storage, temorary or otherwise, is difficult. For this reason, material entry and exit in a sustainble way is being reviewed more than in past reporting.
Computers and monitors are especially reviewed for energy saving and the facilities management team and the Office of Sustainability offer computer repair, donation and recycling options.
Example: Equipment use for printer fleet leasing and and equipment outdoor lawn-care maintenance contracts are being screened for LCCA, with criteria being written into tendering contracts. With dawson's emphasis on Scope 3 emissions, incoming goods and ervices are being screened.
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
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
- Within the public tender process, the lawn-care contractor, cleaning service contract and cafeteria service provider have specific sustainability specifications they must bid on and apply if successful.
- Lawn care: no herbicides, fugicides, or pesticides are used on campus grounds. Electric blowers must be used.
- Cleaning products: biodegradable and eco-products used and are part of contract specifications.
- Cafeteria contractor: Sustainable fisheries, compostable food wrap and containers, no plastic water bottles
- Maintenace of HVAC: All cooling gases are captured and replaced during cooling equipment repair
Consumable office products
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for consumable office products:
This again, is evident in the tendering process. Sustainability criteria can be used to warrant the selection of a higher bid for sustainability reasons.
2024 Update: All ink cartridges, from small to large printers have ink cartridges recycled. 90% of paper is FSI. Flourescent lighting almost phased out and repaced by LED's (100% of flourescent lights recycled with a certified process).
Waste management guide - Facilities Management:
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Batteries, ink cartridges, florescent lights and cell phones are all collected and sent for certified recycling.
Furniture and furnishings
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for furniture and furnishings:
2024 - Minor internal retrofits and furnishings: Covered by the "By-law 10" (purchasing policy) and sustainable procurement guidelines.
Important Provincial Policy: When outside contractors are used, provincial environmental guidelines stipulate the recycling of construction material. generally, 70-75% of material is recycled (e.g. wood, metal, wood, concrete).
Information Technology (IT) and equipment
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for Information Technology (IT) and equipment:
It equipment criteria include energy-efficiency, life-cycle attributes, and packing material.
Data centre used in Canada has 100% renewable energy.
Food service providers
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food service providers:
Within the contract: Compostable serving containers; fish products from sustainable fisheries; Vegan and vegetarian options must be offered daily; fair trade coffee served extensively; fair trade tea and chocolate available daily; frying oils recycled; emphasis on local produce; plastic water bottle ban; no straws, wooden compostable cutlery.
Garments and linens
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for garments and linens:
Although not published, the sports department and the Sustainability Office use Fair Labour guidelines to screen companies providing the bulk of jerseys, t-shirts and other clothing. Dawson Foundation has guidelines set for Living Campus brand. (local fabric production, use of non-bleached cotton, clothing made locally)
Professional service providers
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional service providers:
This is also covered in By-Law 10 and the procurement guidelines. This by-law, which all Colleges are mandated to have, covers all services and goods.
Cafeteria staff: Some employees are hired from social integration programs.
The Foundation Responsible investment committee has an investment policy that contains positive and negative screening for investments.
Carbon Offsetting Companies: Must be Canadian, give back to the college through educational services (workshops, data sharing), and offer known standards of excellence in sustainability (Taking Root & Planetair).
Transportation and fuels
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
- Busing - electric when possible re distance and size.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
- Three companies that supply carbon offsets are chosen yearly and they bid on Dawson's offset criteria. Those that meet all of the criteria, including educational objectives, are chosen and evaluated for best service under Dawson's sustainability objectives.
- All fluorescent lights before the LED retrofit (last report) were certified as recycled at a recycling facility. This is still the case in 2024.
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.