Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 75.01
Liaison Jen Crothers
Submission Date Aug. 4, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of British Columbia
OP-14: Office Paper Purchasing

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.48 / 1.00 Michael Frost
Manager Supply Management
Payment & Procurement Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have an institution-wide stated preference to purchase office paper that has recycled content and/or is certified to meet multi-criteria sustainability standards for paper?:
Yes

A copy of the paper purchasing policy, directive or guidelines:
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The paper purchasing policy, directive or guidelines:

Payment & Procurement Services works directly with the University’s incumbent supplier to ensure paper order is a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content with active discussions to promote higher ratio (e.g., 50%) or alternative fibre-product (e.g, wheat-based). The University promotes this via the Payment & Procurement Services UBCBuySmart website (http://www.supplymanagement.ubc.ca/ubcbuysmart/goods-services/504) , UBC Sustainable Purchasing Guide (http://sustain.ubc.ca/sites/sustain.ubc.ca/files/uploads/CampusSustainability/CS_PDFs/Purchasing/UBCSustainablePaperPrintingServices.pdf), and through the Sustainability Coordinators Toolkit (http://sustain.ubc.ca/get-involved/staff/sustainability-coordinators/toolkit/purchase-recycled-paper).


A brief description of steps the institution has taken to ensure that the purchasing policy, directives, or guidelines are followed :

UBC’s preferred paper supplier offers a broader offering of PCR stock at better pricing, including more competitively priced 30-100% PCR content paper as well as alternative fibre paper (e.g. wheat-based). Sustainability criterion are incorporated as part of UBC’s RFP process. In 2012, UBC negotiated as part of the new paper supply contract for more competitive pricing on 30-100% PCR paper, which is now cheaper than virgin paper. The UBC BuySmart site highlights the 30%, 50% and 100% PCR paper options.

As part of UBC’s Payment and Procurement Services (PPS) Sustainability Framework, PPS has set the target to eliminate the use of virgin paper and promote a minimum of 50% PCR content and alternative fiber for paper purchases on campus.


Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (expenditures on office paper)?:
Yes

Expenditures on office paper with the following levels of post-consumer recycled, agricultural residue, and/or FSC certified content::
Expenditure Per Level
10-29 percent 0 US/Canadian $
30-49 percent 178,618 US/Canadian $
50-69 percent 4,007 US/Canadian $
70-89 percent (or FSC Mix label) 0 US/Canadian $
90-100 percent (or FSC Recycled label) 13,620 US/Canadian $

Total expenditures on office paper :
290,061 US/Canadian $

The website URL where information about the paper purchasing policy, directive, or guidelines is available:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

UBC has reduced paper consumption by a total of 70% per capita since our 1999 baseline. In 2014, 79% of total paper purchases by volume contained 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content or better, an increase of 8% from 2013. UBC also tripled its purchases of wheat paper, a forest-free paper alternative that uses waste wheat straw instead of wood fiber.


UBC has reduced paper consumption by a total of 70% per capita since our 1999 baseline. In 2014, 79% of total paper purchases by volume contained 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content or better, an increase of 8% from 2013. UBC also tripled its purchases of wheat paper, a forest-free paper alternative that uses waste wheat straw instead of wood fiber.

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