Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 65.69
Liaison Alan Turnquist
Submission Date July 24, 2023

STARS v2.2

Michigan Technological University
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.25 / 3.00 Alan Turnquist
Director of Sustainability and Resilience
Office of the President
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Institution-wide sustainable procurement policies

Does the institution have written policies, guidelines, or directives that seek to support sustainable purchasing across multiple commodity categories institution-wide?:
No

A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
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The policies, guidelines or directives:
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Part 2. Life Cycle Cost Analysis 

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

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating chemically intensive products and services?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
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Consumable office products

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating consumable office products?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for consumable office products:
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Furniture and furnishings

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating furniture and furnishings?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for furniture and furnishings:
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Information Technology (IT) and equipment

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating Information technology (IT) and equipment?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for Information Technology (IT) and equipment:
I spoke with Deputy Chief Information Officer Jarrod Karau. Jared notes that all IT purchases are chosen based on LCCA and "total cost of ownership" criteria that include energy use and cost of replacement, as well as a priority for EPEAT materials. This is internal policy that is communicated verbally to individual departmental purchases, but there is not a formal written policy for departmental purchases.

Food service providers

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating food service providers?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food service providers:
Sustainability Focus
The University is interested in the extent to which the Business Partner will impact sustainability goals. Please address the following criteria within your proposal:
-Climate Impact: Other ways to reduce climate emissions not covered in the other sustainability focus areas.
-Regionally Sourced Food Purchases, defined as foods produced within 250 miles of Houghton, Michigan
-Sourcing foods with sustainable attributes such as increasing plant-based options or purchasing certified sustainable products as defined by programs such as Certified Humane, Cage Free, Certified Fair Trade, Certified Organic, MSC Certified, non-GMO, Seafood Watch Best Choice or Good Alternative.
Menu Innovation, Marketing and Education: Increase the awareness of the impacts of food waste and sourcing, and availability of sustainable food choices.
-Food Waste Reduction: Reductions in pre-consumer and post-consumer food waste, including waste from catered events and concessions.
-Packaging waste reduction: Reducing single-use items and increasing waste diversion through recycling and composting.

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 service providers

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating professional service providers?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional service providers:
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Transportation and fuels

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating transportation and fuels?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
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Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable procurement program or initiatives is available:
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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.