University of California, Los Angeles
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

Policy Summary: The University will maximize its procurement of environmentally preferable products and services.

As a state agency, the University of California is mandated to engage in environmental preferred purchasing (EPP). State agencies should purchase and use environmentally preferred products that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing goods or services that serve the same purpose, whenever they are applicable, perform well and are cost efficient.

https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3100155/SustainablePractices

https://www.sustain.ucla.edu/our-initiatives/purchasing/

ENERGY STAR® and WaterSense® certified products are required across all applicable product
categories where price comparable (based on a total cost of ownership assessment) and
consistent with the needs of University researchers, faculty, and staff.

The University will work to remove harmful chemicals from products brought onto campus by increasing the purchase of products and materials that disclose known hazards (e.g. in compliance with the requirements of LEED BD+C v4 Building product disclosure and optimization - material ingredients - or updated equivalent) and choosing products with reduced concentrations of chemical contaminants that can damage air quality, human health, productivity, and the
environment.

You don’t have to harm the environment in order to keep your office clean. There are many environmentally friendly cleaners. Green Seal is a non-profit organization devoted to environmental standard setting and certification. There mission is to work towards environmental sustainability by identifying and promoting environmentally responsible products, purchasing, and production. Click here to learn more about Green Seal and their certification process.

Check out these Green Seal Certified Cleaning Products.
https://www.sustain.ucla.edu/housing/staff-resources/

Require a minimum Green Spend, as well as outlines a preferred green spend as follows:
Copy paper must have a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled content (PCRC) or agricultural residue content. The paper would also meet requirements if it is Green Seal certified. Offices should further strive to purchase 100% PCRC, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, and processed chlorine free copy paper. Paper office supplies other than copy paper must also have a minimum of 30% PCRC. Other preferred paper products include 100% recycled content with a minimum of 50% PCRC, 90% PCRC wire components, water or plant-based adhesives, processed chlorine free, FSC certified, and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified.

Non-paper office supplies must meet the minimum EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines. All plastic-based writing utensils and accessories (dry-erase markers, highlighters, markers, pens, pencils, etc.) must also have a minimum of 30% recycled content. Preferably, offices should follow the Preferred EPP Specifications listed by the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) and purchase products that are free of antimicrobial coatings. Toner must meet at least one of the recognized standards for remanufactured toner as specified by the State of California’s Specifications for Remanufactured Toner and Ink Cartridges.

Indoor Furniture must either be certified GREENGUARD Gold, SCS Indoor Advantage Gold, or free of the 6 classes of chemicals of concern listed in Section 7.E of the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines. Offices should strive to purchase toner that is also BIFMA Level certified, Cradle to Cradle certified, Healthier Hospitals Initiative compliant, FSC certified wood, textiles certified, Health Product Declaration completed, and/or Declare label completed.

All foodservice ware must be certified compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) or Green Seal. The products would also meet requirements if they are made 100% from uncoated, unlined, plant-based material, and appears on the Cedar Grove Accepted Items List for Commercial Compostability. Preferably, offices should meet additional criteria as described in Section 7.F of the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines. All water appliances must be WasteSense Certified.

The University shall prefer furniture meeting specifications for the following hazardous chemical classes:
1. Flame Retardants: All furniture shall be free of flame retardant chemicals at levels above 1,000
parts per million in both standard and optional components, excluding electrical components.
a. All upholstered seating subject to TB 117-2013 shall be labeled as not containing flame
retardant chemicals consistent with the manner described in Section 19094 of the
California Business and Professions Code.
b. A product may contain flame retardants if required to meet code or regulation (e.g., TB
133 or ASTM E 1537), in accordance with the following criteria:
i. No halogenated flame retardant chemical may be used at levels above 1,000
parts per million by weight of the homogeneous material, excluding electrical
components.
Revised 1.2.2020 Page 17 of 28
ii. Products that contain flame retardant chemicals that have been fully assessed
using GreenScreen v1.2 (or newer) and meet the criteria for benchmark 2, 3, or
4 will be preferred.
2. Formaldehyde and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): All furniture shall comply with
ANSI/BIFMA e3-2014 Furniture Sustainability Standard, Sections 7.6.1 and 7.6.2, using either the
concentration modeling approach or the emissions factor approach.
a. Test results shall be modeled using the open plan, private office, or seating scenario in
ANSI/BIFMA M7.1, as appropriate.
b. Furniture products that additionally meet ANSI/BIFMA e3-2014 Section 7.6.3 and/or
California Department of Public Health Standard Method v1.1 (emission testing method
for California Section 01350) are preferred.
c. Salvaged and refurbished furniture more than one-year old at the time of re-use is
considered compliant, provided it meets the requirements for any site-applied paints,
coatings, adhesives, and sealants.
d. All composite wood materials, including hardwood plywood, particleboard, or medium
density fiberboard, used in office, classroom, or healthcare furniture shall comply with
Phase 2 of California’s Code of Regulations, Title 17 §93120.2 – Airborne Toxic Control
Measure to Reduce Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products.
3. Per and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) used as stain/water/oil resistant treatments: All
furniture shall be free of any long- and/or short-chain per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl compounds
and fluorinated polymers used as stain, water, or oil resistant treatments above 100 ppm by
weight of the homogenous material.
4. Antimicrobials: All furniture shall be free of any added or built-in chemical antimicrobials.
Antimicrobials added to raw materials for the sole purpose of preserving the product are
exempt, with the exception of triclosan and triclocarban which are explicitly prohibited.
5. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): All furniture shall be free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) greater than 1% of
product by weight, excluding electrical components. Electrical components that are free of PVC are preferred.
6. Heavy Metals: All furniture shall be free of any heavy metals, including hexavalent and trivalent
chromium, in concentrations greater than 100 ppm.

Electronics includes any product for which an EPEAT certification is available. EPEAT currently includes
product ratings for PCs and Displays (including tablets), Imaging Equipment (which includes printers,
copiers, scanners and multifunction devices) and Televisions. Environmental leadership standards are
currently under development with the intent to form the basis of future EPEAT categories for Mobile
Phones, Servers and other electronic products (https://www.epeat.net/about-epeat/). Registration
criteria and a list of all registered equipment are provided on the EPEAT registry.
In addition to the criteria established in Table 1, the University will ensure the following:
1. In accordance with Policy, all recyclers of the University’s electronic equipment must be eSteward certified by the Basel Action Network (BAN) (www.ban.org). In cases where the
University has established take-back programs with a manufacturer, the University will require
the manufacturer to become a BAN-certified e-Steward Enterprise (e-Stewards for Enterprises).
2. Printers and copiers must have duplex printing capabilities and hold their warranty while using
100% recycled content paper.
3. Suppliers shall be required to deliver items to the University with energy efficiency and duplex
printing functions enabled.
a. Departments will work with their IT departments to ensure that features remain
enabled for the duration of the product’s use.

All recyclers of the University’s electronic equipment must be e-Steward certified by the Basel Action Network (BAN) (www.ban.org). In cases where the University has established take-back programs with a manufacturer, the University will encourage the manufacturer to become a BAN-certified e-Steward Enterprise (eStewards for Enterprises).

H. Sustainable Foodservices
- Campuses and Health Locations

1. Campus and health location foodservice operations subject to this Policy shall include both self-operated and contract-operated foodservices.

2. In the context of this Policy, sustainable food is defined as food and beverage purchases that meet one or more of the criteria listed below, which are reviewed annually by the UC Sustainable Foodservices Working Group (under the UC Sustainability Steering Committee).
i. Locally Grown
ii. Locally Raised, Handled, and Distributed
iii. Fair Trade Certified
iv. Domestic Fair Trade Certified
v. Shade-Grown or Bird Friendly Coffee
vi. Rainforest Alliance Certified
vii. Food Alliance Certified
viii. USDA Organic
ix. AGA Grassfed
x. Grass-finished/100% Grassfed
xi. Certified Humane Raised & Handled
xii. American Humane Certified
xiii. Animal Welfare Approved
xiv. Global Animal Partnership (steps III, IV, V)
xv. Cage-free
xvi. Protected Harvest Certified
xvii. Marine Stewardship Council
xviii. Seafood Watch Guide “Best Choices” or “Good Alternatives”
xix. Farm/business is a cooperative or has profit sharing with all employees
xx. Farm/business social responsibility policy includes (1) union or prevailing wages, (2) transportation and/or housing support, and (3) health care benefits
xxi. Other practices or certified processes as determined by the location and brought to the Sustainable Foodservices Working Group for review and possible addition in future Policy updates.

3. With the goal of achieving 20% sustainable food purchases, all Food Service Operations should track and report annually the percentage of total annual food budget spent on sustainable food.

4. If cost effective, each campus and health location will certify one facility through a third-party green business certification program through one of the following: (1) city or county’s “green business” program, (2) Green Seal’s Restaurants and Food Services Operations certification program, or (3) the Green Restaurant Association certification program.

5. Campuses, health locations, and retail foodservice operations will provide an annual progress report on these goals. Annual reports should include the individual campus and health location’s goals as well as the progress and timelines for the programs being implemented to reach those goals.

6. Campuses and health locations are encouraged to form a campus-level foodservices sustainability working group to facilitate the campus goal setting and implementation process.

7. The stakeholders who are involved with the implementation of the Sustainable Foodservice section of this Policy will participate in a system-wide working group to meet, network and to discuss their goals, best practices, and impediments to implementation.

8. Campuses and health locations are encouraged to implement training programs for all foodservice staff on sustainable foodservice operations, as well as, where applicable, on sustainable food products being served to patrons, so that staff can effectively communicate with the patrons about the sustainable food options.

9. Campuses and health locations are encouraged to participate in intercollegiate and national programs that raise awareness on dietary health, wellness and sustainability (e.g. the MyPyramid.gov Corporate Challenge and the Real Food Challenge).

10.Campuses and health locations are encouraged to develop health and wellness standards for food service operators, including eliminating the use of trans-fat oils or products made with trans-fat.

11.Campuses and health locations are encouraged to undertake additional initiatives that encourage healthy and sustainable food services operations. Examples include tray-less dining, beef-less or meat-less days, and preservative minimization programs

Expenditures on products supplied by businesses holding at least one of the UC-recognized certifications and standards outlined under Recognized Certifications and Standards, see Table 2 below, will be
considered EaSR Spend for the purposes of calculating the percent EaSR and Sustainable Spend.
Recognized Certifications and Standards - These are reputable government or nationally
recognized certifications and criteria the UC recognizes for identifying suppliers that may have a
positive impact on society and/or the economy. Suppliers with these certifications should be
flagged as a color or symbol differentiated like ‘green spend’ such as yellow in hosted and
punchout catalogs.
Preferred Certifications - These are reputable government or nationally recognized
certifications and criteria the UC recognizes for identifying suppliers that may have a positive
impact on society and/or the economy within California specifically. Suppliers with these
certifications should be flagged as a color or symbol differentiated like ‘green spend’ such as
yellow in hosted and punchout catalogs

The University will require suppliers to clearly identify products with UC recognized certifications, as defined by the Guidelines, in both hosted and punchout catalog e-procurement environments.
a. Commodity/Contract Managers will work with all contracted suppliers to ensure that contract items that meet the UC criteria for Green and EaSR Spend as outlined in the Guidelines will be prioritized in all product searches.
b. Unless locations request otherwise, products that do not meet the University’s minimum criteria requirements will be blocked in all hosted catalogs and punchout catalogs upon contract award.

The University will require all strategically sourced suppliers to report annually on their sustainable business operations, and quarterly on the University’s sustainable purchasing activity. Quarterly sustainable spend reports will be collected by the appropriate University of California Procurement Services department. Quarterly spend reports must be filterable, include all products and services purchased, use an Excel compatible software, include information on a single sheet and include the following fields:
i. Campus
ii. Department and/or delivery location
iii. SKU and/or manufacturer number
iv. Item description
v. 8-digit UNSPSC code
vi. Product category/Title of UNSPSC code
vii. Quantity
viii. Unit of measure
ix. Price
x. Third-party sustainability attribute or certification as recognized in the
Guidelines

D. Sustainable Transportation
The University will implement transportation programs and GHG emission reduction strategies that reduce the environmental impacts from commuting, fleet and business air travel related to achieving the Climate Protection section of this Policy (see Section III.C.).

The BruinBus transit program includes 13 compressed natural gas fueled buses and five all-electric buses. The clean-fueled electric buses produce zero emissions; run for up to 145 miles; are equipped with portable electric chargers that can be fully charged in two and a half hours; and are five times more efficient compared to diesel, CNG, and hybrid technologies.

UCLA Transportation requires the selection of battery electric (BEV) or plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) for all new University vehicle purchases if they are available in the classification needed by a campus user. As such, no traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) sedans or minivans have been purchased by UCLA in over two years. Further, all new low-speed micro-vehicles (LSV) purchased for passenger and cargo transportation within the UCLA campus have full battery-electric propulsion, as they have for the last 12 years.
Currently, 30% of UCLA vehicles operate on battery-electric or plug-in hybrid engines, meaning that they generate negligible carbon emissions. Of the remaining 70%, roughly half have other types of alternative fuel engines, including traditional gasoline-electric hybrid, FlexFuel (high Ethanol content unleaded fuel blend-capable, otherwise known as E-85), or Renewable Natural Gas (RNG).

UCLA Transportation retrofitted the primary campus fueling station to dispense E-85 fuel in early 2019. Switching vehicles with FlexFuel engines from regular unleaded to E-85 fuel will result in a modest decrease in overall fuel cost (12.5%) and provide a substantial improvement in carbon emissions for this portion of the Fleet (20.76%).



1. Each location will reduce GHG emissions from its fleet and report annually on its progress. Locations shall implement strategies to reduce fleet emissions and improve fuel efficiency of all university-owned or operated fleet vehicles and equipment where practical options exist through acquisition and fleet operation protocols.
A. By 2025, zero emission vehicles or hybrid vehicles shall account for at least 50%of all new light-duty vehicle acquisitions.

2. The University recognizes that single-occupant vehicle (SOV) commuting is a primary contributor to commute GHG emissions and localized transportation impacts.
A. By 2025, each location shall strive to reduce its percentage of employees and students commuting by SOV by 10% relative to its 2015 SOV commute rates;
B. By 2050, each location shall strive to have no more 40% of its employees and no more than 30% of all employees and students commuting to the location by SOV.

3. Consistent with the State of California goal of increasing alternative fuel – specifically electric – vehicle usage, the University shall promote purchases and support investment in alternative fuel infrastructure at each location.
A. By 2025, each location shall strive to have at least 4.5% of commuter vehicles be ZEV.
B. By 2050, each location shall strive to have at least 30% of commuter vehicles be ZEV.

4. Each location will develop a business-case analysis for any proposed parking structures serving University affiliates or visitors to campus to document how a capital investment in parking aligns with each campus’ Climate Action Plans and/or sustainable transportation policies.