Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 57.03
Liaison Kristyn Achilich
Submission Date Oct. 4, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Saint Michael's College
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 3.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1: Institution-Wide Policies 

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

A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
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The policies, guidelines or directives:
Individual departments have established sustainable purchasing policies, but there is no sweeping, written purchasing policy for the whole institution. Purchasing recycled items and acknowledging and supporting sustainability on campus is the preferred practice for most departments (though not a written mandate). For example, the HVAC department purchases energy star equipment as a default, offices/departments are encouraged to purchase "green" office supplies through the campus vendor WB Mason (environmentally friendly products are specifically categorized as such), the bookstore purchases recycled cap and gown attire for commencement, etc.

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: Commodity-Specific Sustainability Criteria

To count, the criteria must address the specific sustainability challenges and impacts associated with products/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 (e.g. building and facilities maintenance, cleaning and sanitizing, landscaping and grounds maintenance)?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
Custodial Services: Custodial Services has initiated a comprehensive program in each of the college's buildings using a new line of environmentally preferred & eco-label certified clean products that directly contribute towards a cleaner environment through reduced toxicity, improved indoor air quality and worker safety while providing a healthier enviroment for our employees, students, staff and visitors. The majority of the cleaning products Custodial Services uses to maintain bathrooms, carpeting & floors are biodegradable, non-toxic and phosphate-free. They are also free of chlorine bleach, ammonia and petroleum by-products. These products are also certified by an independent 3rd party organization, such as Green Seal and Environmental Choice. Saint Michael's College uses Clean by Proxy, which in addition to being Green Seal certified, has also replaced the use of 5 additional cleaning products (reducing the amount of materials from the waste stream)! http://www.smcvt.edu/on-campus/green-campus/sustainability-initiatives/custodial-services.aspx For Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance refer to OP 9.

Construction and Renovation 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating construction and renovation products (e.g. furnishings and building materials)?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for construction and renovation products:
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Information Technology (IT) 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating Information technology (IT) products and services (e.g. computers, imaging equipment, mobile phones, data centers and cloud services)?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for IT products and services:
The Information Technology department has a strict protocol of energy efficient equipment. The department only purchases EPEAT certified products, and we have preference for gold.

Food Services 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating food services (i.e. franchises, vending services, concessions, convenience stores)?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food services:
---

Garments and Linens 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating garments and linens?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for garments and linens:
The College is a member of the Fair Labor Association and works to make sure garment vendors follow the FLA's strict code of conduct. For all garments sold in the Campus Bookstore: we keep letters from all our vendors on file that explain their fair labor practices, and we will not buy from a vendor that cannot give us in writing a letter of compliance to the standards.

Professional Services 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating professional services (e.g. architectural, engineering, public relations, financial)?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional services:
The Trash/Recycling RFP (Request for Proposals) clearly stated a desire that our trash/recycling hauler needed to be a partner with the college in terms of tackling waste diversion on campus (such as providing materials/resources to help with education campus occupants about waste and recycling; providing data to the Office of Sustainability to help track tonnage of materials sent to recycling and the landfill, etc)

Transportation and Fuels 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating transportation and fuels (e.g. travel, vehicles, delivery services, long haul transport, generator fuels, steam plants)?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
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Wood and Paper 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating wood and paper products?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for wood and paper products:
The College does not have one for wood products but we do for paper. The paper we buy is all from material harvested in New England and New York and converted into paper in local mills who replant their forests annually.

Other Commodity Categories 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating products and services in other commodity categories that the institution has determined to have significant sustainability impacts?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for other commodity categories:
---

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs 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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