| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 57.03 |
| Liaison | Kristyn Achilich |
| Submission Date | Oct. 4, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Saint Michael's College
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 3.00 |
Does the institution have written policies, guidelines or directives that seek to support sustainable purchasing across commodity categories institution-wide?:
A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
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.
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:
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)?:
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.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating construction and renovation products (e.g. furnishings and building materials)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for construction and renovation products:
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)?:
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.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating food services (i.e. franchises, vending services, concessions, convenience stores)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food services:
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:
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.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating professional services (e.g. architectural, engineering, public relations, financial)?:
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)
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)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating wood and paper products?:
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.
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?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for other commodity categories:
The website URL where information about the programs 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.