Duke University
IN-4: Innovation 4

Duke Green Purchasing and Supplier Diversity Program -- The Duke Green Purchasing Program helps Duke purchasers and employees make environmentally responsible choices. By conserving resources, preventing pollution, and opting for safe materials, we can make a positive impact on our environment and community. Our purchasers take into consideration the impact of products on the environment and human health, giving preference to more environmentally friendly products when quality and cost performance are equal or superior. We have implemented several innovative practices within Procurement that help us achieve our goals of both environmental and social responsibility. The following processes have been designed to reduce waste and excessive resources, extend product life, encourage minority supplier development and contribute to community development: • “Donation-Only” Business Model for Surplus Furniture, Computers and Medical Equipment • Standardized Furniture Purchasing • Standardized Computer Purchasing • Diverse Supplier Identification and Inclusion • Departmental and Supplier Education of Green Practices, Products and Social Responsibility • Monthly Green Vendor and Diverse Supplier Networking Events • Annual Green Purchasing Speaking Engagements with Local Agencies • End-of-Life Supply Chain Management with Central Oversight • Complete Asset Disposition Tracking • Reintroduction of Surplus Property into Supply Chain • Promotion and Encouragement of Non-Purchasing As a result of these innovative practices, we are changing the culture of purchasing at Duke. We now impact over 330 area non-profit agencies by donating upwards of 12,000 furniture items and computers annually and are the sole computer donation source for Durham Public Schools. We feel that the full supply chain cycle is often overlooked and we have taken accountability for goods we’ve procured at end-of-life. Additionally, our work with diverse suppliers and local supplier diversity/governmental agencies has allowed us to develop a more creative, competitive, strategic sourcing program with inclusion and equitable opportunities.