Northland College
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.75 / 3.00 |
Alan
Brew Dean Academic Affairs |
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:
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's procurement policy requires suppliers to document the supply-chain impacts of their products and consideration for the life cycle cost to the College, the environment, and the global economy.
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:
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:
See https://my.northland.edu/sustainability/#paper-purchasing-policy
Policy Statement
Northland College will purchase paper with post-consumer recycled content or with a third party sustainability certification.
Policy
All multi-use office paper purchased by the College shall contain 100% post-consumer recycled content, or agricultural residue content. Paper must also be certified to meet sustainability standards of one or more of the following: Forest Stewardship Council, Chlorine Free Products Association, or Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
All other office paper products purchased by the college will contain some post-consumer recycled or agricultural residue content if the option is available.
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:
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:
See https://my.northland.edu/sustainability/#electronics-purchasing-policy
Northland College has a preference for purchasing refurbished electronics, when available and appropriate for the intended use.
All units of Northland College will purchase new electronics (computers, monitors, laptops, tablets, phones, printers, and scanners) that are EnergyStar certified and rated at least EPEAT silver.
This policy excludes specialized equipment for which no EPEAT or EnergyStar certified products are available.
This does not include servers, mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, or specialized equipment for which no EnergyStar or EPEAT certified products are available.
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:
See https://my.northland.edu/sustainability/#food-procurement-sustainable-dining
Northland College, a committed leader in higher education sustainability, will continually work to develop a robust and visionary food procurement and sustainable dining program that is healthy, inclusive, seasonal, local, and sensitive to impacts on climate and the environment.
Procurement: We are committed to sourcing food sustainably, which is the central pillar of this policy. In addition to the longstanding commitment to hyper-local (within 50 miles) purchasing, Northland adopted the REAL Food Standards in 2019 to guide procurement for dining operations. We have committed to expanding the proportion of food served that is classified as REAL meeting at least one of four categorical standards of the Real Food Challenge: local; ecologically-sound; humane; and fair. Because one metric doesn’t capture the complexity of the food system, we will continue to use additional criteria, such as supporting community based businesses, consideration of the climate and environmental impact of our food choices, and purchasing from hyper local farmers.
Dining Experience: We are committed to enhancing the dining experience of our students by providing healthy, nutritious food that meets the dietary needs of all students, is prepared in appealing and diverse ways. Transparent information about food that is served is another critical element of the dining experience so that students can make choices informed by health considerations and personal values.
Waste Reduction: We are committed to reducing waste associated with campus dining and catering operations. This includes food waste reduction, composting food waste, and eliminating packaging and the use of single use disposables.
This policy applies to all contracted on-campus food services (cafeteria and catering) intended for the Northland College community
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:
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:
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:
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:
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.