University of California, Santa Barbara
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

UC Sustainable Practices Policy (includes Sustainable Procurement Policy): https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3100155/SustainablePractices
UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines (extension of UC Sustainable Practices Policy): https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/for-ucstaff/sustainable-procurement/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf
UCSB Sustainable Procurement and Use Practices Policy: https://www.policy.ucsb.edu/sites/default/files/docs/policies/sustainable-procurement.pdf
UC Terms and Conditions of Purchase: https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/policies-forms/uc-terms-conditions-12-14-21.pdf
UC Trademark Licensing Code of Conduct: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3000130/TrademarkLicensing
UCSB Associated Students Sustainability Policy: https://sustainability.as.ucsb.edu/files/2019/08/Sustainability-Policy-2019-FINAL.pdf
Purchases of Goods and Services; Supply Chain Management: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3220485/BFB-BUS-43

The UC Sustainable Practices Policy and Guidelines establishes Sustainable Procurement goals, policies and procedures. UCSB is committed to implementing sustainable procurement and use practices that meet or exceed UC’s goals, working within budgetary, regulatory and programmatic constraints.
The University’s sustainable purchasing requirements are:
a. 100% compliance with Required Level Green Spend criteria within three fiscal years of the addition of those products and/or product categories to the Guidelines.
b. 25% Green Spend as a total percentage of spend per product category; target to be reached within three fiscal years after a category is added to the Guidelines.
c. 25% Economically and Socially Responsible Spend as a total percentage of addressable spend; target to be reached within five fiscal years of adoption of this section in the Guidelines.
Detailed criteria for Green Spend, Economically and Socially Responsible (EaSR) Spend, and their combined intersection, Sustainable Spend, can be found in the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines.
The University of California Terms and Conditions of Purchase includes UC’s policies around social and environmental sustainable purchasing through Article 6(I) - UC Trademark Licensing Code of Conduct and Article 22 - Sustainable Procurement Guidelines.

The University has a Low Environmental Impact Cleaning Policy which is used for all LEED-certified buildings, but also applies to all academic and administrative buildings. This policy states four goals:
Maintaining optimal indoor air quality
Improving occupant health
Training University staff to think and act in an environmentally conscious manner
Monitor program outcomes to determine the positive impact of green housekeeping on custodial crew and building occupants (e.g. fewer sick days)
Furthermore, the UCSB Sustainable Procurement and Use Practices states “no or low-VOC adhesives or finishes” for furniture, and “no or low-VOC content” for equipment purchases.
The UC Sustainable Practices Policy states the following:
“The University values the health and wellbeing of its students, staff, faculty and other academic appointees, visitors, and suppliers. The University seeks to provide healthy and accessible conditions for the communities it serves, and this will be considered as a fundamental factor when making procurement decisions. Where functional alternatives to harmful products or impacts exist, they are to be strongly preferred.”
“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.”
The UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines states: “Products and packaging shall be free of hazardous additives, including those mixed into the product and those used as surface treatments, unless no feasible alternative exists, and it is determined that the benefit outweighs the risk. Products and packaging must meet all eleven of the Kaiser Permanente Chemicals of Concern Criteria, including, but not limited to:
a. Cadmium, mercury, lead, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers - All homogenous electronic parts are compliant with all European Union Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (EU RoHS) Directive’s restricted limits (excluding exemptions).
b. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
c. Prop 65 Chemicals - Does not contain intentionally added chemicals listed by the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm that require warning or are prohibited from release to the environment under the California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65). If contains Prop 65 chemicals, supplier must disclose Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) #'s.
d. Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals (PBTs) - All homogeneous materials must contain less than 1000 ppm of PBTs.
e. Organohalogen-based chemicals (bromine, chlorine, fluorine, and iodine)
f. Antimicrobial/antibacterial agents1 - Does not contain intentionally added antimicrobial/antibacterial agents to reduce surface pathogens.”
Furthermore, the Sustainable Procurement Guidelines addresses required chemical criteria in several categories including office furniture and compostable food service ware, and has been included in local and systemwide bids for disposables, furniture, and flooring.
UCSB became the second UC campus to sign the Safer Furniture Pledge (https://sustainability.ucsb.edu/news/uc-santa-barbara-pledges-purchase-safe-furniture) specifying that UC Santa Barbara is committed to ensuring that its furniture suppliers’ products do not contain chemical flame retardants, antimicrobial treatments, any fluorinated compounds used as stain/water resistant treatments, or PVC. The pledge also expresses the preference for products that meet the highest standards for indoor air quality for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde.

As stated in UCSB’s Sustainable Procurement and Use Practices,
A. Virgin paper should not be purchased for routine office tasks.
B. At minimum, 30% post consumer waste and recycled content paper should be used for routine office tasks.
C. Faculty are strongly encouraged to require class-work that is submitted to be printed on both sides, where the nature of the work does not demand single sided submittals.
The Sustainable Procurement section of the UC Sustainable Practices Policy states:
Suppliers, when interacting with the University, shall be prohibited from providing hard copies of presentations or other materials. Suppliers will be required to present all information in an electronic format that is easily transferable to University staff, who may choose to print their own copies in accordance with UC Policy if necessary. Materials may be provided if specifically required or requested by a UC representative.
The UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines (pgs. 9-10) establishes further minimum required, and preferred criteria for office supplies:
Copy Paper must be a minimum of 30% PCRC or agricultural residue content (or GS-07 certified), with a preference for being 100% PCRC or agricultural residue content, or FSC Recycled labelled, with additional preference for paper that is PCF.
Paper Office Supplies (other than copy paper) must be a minimum of 30% PCRC, with a preference for 100% recycled content with minimum 50% PCRC, 90% PCRC wire components, water-based or plant-based adhesives, and additional preference for PCF, FSC, and/or SFI labelled products.
Non-paper Office Supplies must meet the minimum CPG recycled-content levels for Non-Paper Office Products, and a minimum 30% recycled content for all writing utensils (dry-erase markers, highlighters, markers, pens, and pencils) or other plastic-based accessories. The preferred criteria for non-paper office supplies states they meet the recycled content specifications in the Preferred EPP Specifications as listed by the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC), and be free of antimicrobial coatings.

Furniture criteria is stated in UCSB’s Sustainable Procurement and Use Policy, as well in the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines, which UCSB was a primary stakeholder in developing.
UCSB Sustainable Procurement and Use Policy:
Furniture purchases should meet the sustainable furniture criteria below. UC strategic sourcing vendors should be used when they are most cost effective. If a department is unable to find furniture which meets the criteria, the department is to work with Purchasing to locate viable options.
Sustainable Furniture Criteria
1. Meet ergonomic standards
2. Contain a high recycled content
3. Features energy efficient lighting
4. Has low or no-VOC adhesives or finishes
5. Are made from renewable resources in a socially responsible manner
6. Travels the least distance to campus, thereby decreasing the environmental impact due to transport
Contract awards to vendors are contingent upon vendors meeting department specifications, competitive pricing, and providing a diverse selection of sustainable options. In addition to price points, weight will be given to each sustainable furniture criteria (above) that is met.
Furniture no longer required by a department shall be evaluated to determine whether it has any further value to the University or can be disposed of as excess property. If deemed as excess property, it shall be disposed of in accordance with the disposition methods and procedures outlined in UC Business and Finance Bulletin Bus-38, Disposition of Excess Property and Transfer of University-Owned Property. Disposition methods include trade-in, sales, recycling, donations, and take-away programs.
Modular furniture systems are not required to have built in lighting; however, systems that contain lighting/task lights must have energy efficient lighting. In some cases, independent energy efficient task lights may be more ergonomic.
UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines
As a minimum mandatory requirement, Indoor Furniture must meet all of the following:
GREENGUARD Gold or SCS Indoor Advantage Gold
Free of the five classes of chemicals of concern (Flame Retardants, VOCs, PFASs, Antimicrobials, PVC as detailed below)
To meet the Preferred criteria, Indoor Furniture must also have at least one of the following additional certifications:
BIFMA Level certified (preference for 2 or 3)
C2C Certified (preference for Silver or Gold)
FSC Certified wood
Textiles certified by one of the recognized certifications
Complete HPD
Complete Declare label
Additional Furniture Specifications:
Furniture includes individual (e.g. task chair) and group seating; open-plan and private-office workstations; desks of all types, tables of all types; storage units, credenzas, bookshelves, filing cabinets and other case goods; integrated visual display products (e.g. markerboards and tackboards, excluding electronic display products); hospitality furniture; and miscellaneous items such as mobile carts, freestanding screens, and movable partitions. Movable partitions include office furniture system cubicle panels that are typically integrated with work surfaces, desks, and storage furniture. Furniture does not include office accessories, such as desktop blotters, trays, tape dispensers, waste baskets, all electrical items such as lighting and small appliances, and accessories such as aftermarket keyboard trays, monitor stands and monitor arms.
The University shall prefer furniture meeting specifications for the following hazardous chemical classes:
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
Test results shall be modeled using the open plan, private office, or seating scenario in ANSI/BIFMA M7.1, as appropriate.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Heavy Metals: All furniture shall be free of any heavy metals, including hexavalent and trivalent chromium, in concentrations greater than 100 ppm.

The UCSB Sustainable Procurement and Use Practices state:
Printers and Copiers
All printers and copiers purchased for routine office tasks should include duplex capability. The duplex feature should be enabled when installed and remain enabled for as long as it remains at UCSB.
The Purchasing Department and UC Strategic Sourcing will identify a suite of ENERGY STAR© product options that will print duplex for both printers and copiers and that will work efficiently and hold their warranties in place while utilizing 50% and 100% post consumer waste recycled content paper.
Equipment
Purchases of supplies and equipment that require energy use should be ENERGY STAR© rated products when they are available and meet the researchers’/service units’ required performance standards. For high-value purchases, weight will be given for energy efficiency, quantity of recycled content, proximity of manufacture to UCSB, low or no VOC content, manufacture waste stream data, and price points to make final selections.
For special-purpose equipment/hardware purchases, the goal is to seek energy efficient products and to encourage vendors to seek ENERGY STAR© ratings.
The Sustainable Procurement Section of the UC Sustainable Practices Policy states:
Each University’s Procurement department will integrate sustainability into its processes and practices, including competitive solicitations, in order to satisfy the sustainable purchasing goals outlined above for products, as well as for the procurement of services. The University will do so by…Contracting with suppliers of products (e.g., electronics, furniture, lab consumables) that have established (preferably non-manufacturer specific) end-of-life reuse, recycling, and/or takeback programs at no extra cost to the University, and in compliance with applicable federal, state, and University regulations regarding waste disposal.
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 (e-Stewards for Enterprises).
The US Sustainable Procurement Guidelines include the following:
Electronics are required to be ENERGY STAR and EPEAT Bronze certified, wherever eligible, and must be ENERGY STAR and EPEAT Gold certified to meet the UC’s Preferred Level Green Spend Criteria.
Printers and copiers must have duplex printing capabilities and hold their warranty while using 100% recycled content paper.
Suppliers shall be required to deliver items to the University with energy efficiency and duplex printing functions enabled.
Departments will work with their IT departments to ensure that features remain enabled for the duration of the product’s use.

Below is a list of the published sustainability criteria for food services from the UC Sustainable Practices Policy:
H. Sustainable Foodservices
1. Campus and Health Location Foodservice Operations
a. Food Procurement
Each campus foodservice operation will strive to procure 25% sustainable food products by the year 2030 as defined by AASHE STARS, and each health location foodservice operation will strive to procure 30% sustainable food products by the year 2030 as defined by Practice Greenhealth, while maintaining accessibility and affordability for all students and health location’s foodservice patrons.
b. Education
Each campus and health location will provide patrons and foodservice staff with access to educational and training materials that will help support their food choices.
c. Menu Development
Each campus and health location will strive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of their food purchases through globally-inspired, culturally acceptable plant-forward menus.
i. Each campus and health location will procure 25% plant-based food by 2030 and strive to procure 30% by 2030.
ii. Progress will be tracked annually by reporting the percentage of plant based foods.
2. Foodservice Operations in Leased Locations:
a. Foodservice operations leased in campuses and health locations owned by the University of California and contractors providing food services in campus and health locations will strive to meet the policies in III.H.1.a-c.
b. Campuses and health locations will include Section H of this Policy in lease language as new leases and contracts are negotiated or existing leases are renewed. However, campus and health locations will also work with tenants to advance sustainable foodservice practices as much as possible within the timeframe of current leases..
The Policy also includes the reduction and elimination of single-use items in line with the UC's Zero Waste goals, including the following language:
The University is committed to the reduction and elimination of single-use items in line with the University’s and the State of California’s Zero Waste goals and in recognition of the severe environmental impact single-use products have globally. In recognition of this commitment, locations will reduce single-use products by taking the following actions:
a. The distribution of plastic bags is prohibited in all retail and foodservice establishments in campus facilities or located on University owned land.
b. Replace disposable single-use plastic foodware accessory items in all foodservice facilities with reusables or locally compostable alternatives and provide only upon request no later than July 1, 2024.
c. Provide reusable foodware items for food consumed onsite at dine-in facilities and to-go facilities no later than July 1, 2024.
d. Replace single-use plastic foodware items with reusable or locally compostable alternatives at to-go facilities no later than July 1, 2024.
e. Phase out the procurement, sale and distribution of single-use plastic beverage bottles. Non-plastic alternatives will be locally recyclable or compostable.
i. Foodservice facilities will provide alternatives no later than January 1, 2024.
ii. Locations are encouraged to prioritize the installation of water refill stations to support the transition from single-use plastics to reusables.
iii. Locations will consider eliminating single-use plastic beverage bottles when contracting with suppliers, or upon contract renewal and/or extension if current contract terms prohibit (e.g., vending machines, departmental purchases, etc.).
f. When selecting prepackaged, sealed food that is mass produced off premises and resold at University locations (e.g., grab-and-go items, such as chips, candy, prepackaged sandwiches, etc.), preference should be given in contract award and negotiations to suppliers that utilize locally compostable or locally recyclable packaging options.
The UC Sustainable Practices Policy also establishes Packaging criteria that applies to all suppliers, including those of food service ware:
Packaging for all products procured by the University are required to be designed, produced, and distributed to the end-user in a sustainable manner.
The University Standards for all packaging materials will be outlined in all solicitations. Suppliers will be required to demonstrate how their standards and practices for packaging materials meet the UC Standards.
Additional consideration in bid evaluations will be given to suppliers who meet more than one criteria listed for packaging, and with preference given to suppliers that use reusable packaging (e.g., totes reused by delivery service for next delivery).
The University has prohibited the sale, procurement, or distribution of packaging foam, such as food containers and packaging material, other than that utilized for laboratory supply or medical packaging and products. The University seeks to reduce, reuse, and find alternatives for packaging foam used for laboratory and medical packaging products.
No packaging foam or expanded polystyrene (EPS) shall be used in foodservice facilities for takeaway containers.
The University requires that all packaging be compliant with the Toxics in Packaging Prevention Act (AB 455) as to be free of any intentionally introduced lead, cadmium, mercury or hexavalent chromium, and containing no incidental concentrations of these regulated metals greater than 100 parts per million (ppm) by weight. In addition, the University requires that all packaging meet at least one of the criteria listed below:
Uses bulk packaging;
Uses reusable packaging (e.g., totes reused by delivery service for next delivery);
Uses innovative packaging that reduces the weight of packaging, reduces packaging waste, or utilizes packaging that is a component of the product;
Maximizes recycled content and/or meets or exceeds the minimum post-consumer content level for packaging in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines;
Uses locally recyclable or certified compostable material.
The UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines include the following criteria for compostable food service ware:
Compostable food service ware must be certified compostable by BPI or GS-35, or made 100% from uncoated, unlined, obviously plant-based material, and appears on the Cedar Grove Accepted Items List. Compostable food service ware must also meet the following specifications in order to meet the UC’s Preferred Green Spend Criteria.
Compostable food service containers and packages that have recycled and/or sustainably harvested content are preferred wherever possible.
All products must be certified compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) or Green Seal GS-35, proving that the finished product meets ASTM standards D6400 or D6868 for compostability. Documentation may be required.
Products made 100% from paper, wood, bamboo or other obviously plant-based material, that are uncoated, unlined, or clay-coated (such as wooden stir sticks or uncoated paper plates) automatically meet this commercial compostability requirement without certification, so long as they appear on the Cedar Grove Accepted Items list for commercial compostability (https://cedar-grove.com/compostable/accepted-items), and the material type is disclosed.
Products with polyethylene liners are not compostable, and therefore do not meet the intent of these specifications.
Products shall not contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polyurethane (PU), or any fluorinated chemicals. If product is fiber-based (including paper), ask for identification of the type of grease barrier or coating used.
Product is manufactured entirely with chlorine-free processing, meaning that no chlorine or chlorine compounds were used during manufacturing. Products may be unbleached or whitened in a chlorine-free process (if certified process chlorine-free).
Paper products are made from 40% post-consumer recycled content or 100% total recycled content (pre- or post- consumer), unless intended for hot beverages, in which case they are made from a minimum of 10% post-consumer recycled content. Bidder should disclose the amount and type of recycled content.
Product shall not contain added engineered nanomaterials.
Product materials were sustainably produced and are certified as one of the following:
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
Protected Harvest
Rainforest Alliance
Fair Trade USA
Feedstock and final product are produced in North America.
Product material grown without genetically modified organisms and certified to be GMO-free by one of the following:
Non-GMO Project Verified (www.nongmoproject.org)
CERT ID NonGMO
ProTerra Certifications (www.geneticid.com/services/certification)
Product is made from sustainably grown, non-food agricultural resources such as perennial biomass crops and sustainably harvested residues (for more information, see the Sustainable Bioplastic Guidelines: https://healthybuilding.net/uploads/files/sustainable-bioplastic-guidelines.pdf
Fiber-based product are additionally certified by one of the following, as applicable:
EcoLogo CCD-084 (Table Napkins),
EcoLogo CCD-085 (Kitchen Towels),
EcoLogo CCD-086 (Hand Towels),
Green Seal GS-1 (Sanitary Paper Products),
Green Seal GS-9 (Paper Towels and Napkins),
Inks for printing and graphics are vegetable-based and approved for use by U.S. Food and Drug Administration, where required.
The UCSB Associated Students Sustainability Policy states the following for Food, Drinks, and Serviceware:
A. All events where food is provided that are either open to the public or have 30 or more
expected attendees must have sufficient vegetarian and vegan options that are
comparable to non-vegetarian options, unless doing so would significantly impair the
cultural value of the event.
B. Absolutely no single-use water bottles may be purchased. The AS Sustainability Coalition
is responsible for ensuring that 5-gallon water jugs and dispensing pumps are available
for purchase by student groups for event hydration stations.
C. All coffee and tea must be certified Fair Trade and/or USDA certified organic.
D. Single-use coffee pods are not permitted in AS spaces. Reusable pods and traditional
coffee filters are allowed.
E. All disposable plates, utensils, cups, et cetera must be 100% certified compostable. The
AS Sustainability Coalition is responsible for maintaining a bulk supply of certified
compostable serviceware (utensils, cups, plates, and napkins) that is available for
purchase by student groups with an AS account.

The University of California Trademark and Licensing Code of Conduct stipulates that Licensees and their Contractors must provide wages and benefits that comply with all applicable laws and regulations and that match or exceed the local prevailing wages and benefits in the relevant country. In addition, such wages and benefits must constitute a “fair/living wage,” which requires meeting the basic needs for the worker and two dependents to have access to resources, including food, safe drinking water, clothing, shelter, energy, transportation, education, sanitation facilities and access to health care services.
UC Code of Conduct for Trademark Licensees: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3000130
The UCSB Associated Students Sustainability Policy further states the following for Apparel and Promotional Items:
Clothing may only be purchased from vendors approved by designated representatives
of the AS Sustainability Coalition. To be approved, clothing must either meet the Global
Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), be Fair Trade certified, or be Made in the USA out of
100% recycled materials.
The AS Sustainability Coalition is responsible for maintaining a reference list of
recommended vendors for promotional items including but not limited to clothing,
pens, water bottles, notebooks, et cetera.

The Sustainable Procurement section of the UC Sustainable Practices Policy states that “Each University’s Procurement department will integrate sustainability into its processes and practices, including competitive solicitations, to satisfy the sustainable purchasing goals outlined above for products, as well as for the procurement of services. The University will do so by:
a. Allocating a minimum of 15% of the points utilized in solicitation evaluations to sustainability criteria. Criteria may include, but is not limited to, sustainable product attributes, supplier diversity, supplier practices, contributions to health and wellbeing, and materials safety. Exceptions to this policy may only be granted by the appropriate Policy Exception Authority. Decisions to grant an exception shall be made in the context of a location’s need to support teaching, research and public service when there is a demonstrable case that the inclusion of a minimum of 15% of the points utilized in solicitation evaluation for sustainability criteria will conflict with the project teams’ ability to execute a competitive solicitation.
b. Supporting outreach, education, and providing equal access to small, diverse, and disadvantaged suppliers for all applicable University procurement opportunities in accordance with BUS-43 policy.
c. Comparing the Total Cost of Ownership when evaluating costs for goods and services in the selection of suppliers, whenever feasible.
d. Targeting sustainable products and services for volume-discounted pricing to make less competitive or emerging sustainable products and services cost-competitive with conventional products and services.
e. Leveraging its purchasing power and market presence to develop sustainable product and service options where not already available.
f. Requiring packaging for all products procured by the University be designed, produced, and distributed to the end-user in a sustainable manner.
g. Contracting with suppliers of products (e.g., electronics, furniture, lab consumables) that have established (preferably non-manufacturer specific) end-of-life reuse, recycling, and/or takeback programs at no extra cost to the University, and in compliance with applicable federal, state, and University regulations regarding waste disposal.
h. Requiring sustainability-related purchasing claims to be supported with UC-recognized certifications and/or detailed information on proven benefits,durability, recycled content, and recyclability properties, in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Green Guides for the use of environmental marketing claims.
i. Working with its suppliers to achieve greater transparency and sustainable outcomes throughout the supply chain. This may include maximizing the procurement of products that optimize the use of resources from extraction through manufacturing and distribution (e.g., EPA’s SmartWay Program).
6. All procurement staff will consult the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines document for minimum mandatory sustainability requirements to be included in solicitations for a given product or service category.
The Sustainable Procurement Guidelines Best Practices section also states the following:
Incentivize consolidated deliveries whenever feasible (e.g. deliveries only on certain days of the week or reduced pricing for consolidated shipping).
Document or illustrate how the delivery consolidation method reduces the UC and supplier’s carbon footprint (e.g. reduction in fossil fuel use, carbon emissions, packaging materials, or on-site vehicle traffic).
Use only delivery service companies that are participants in EPA’s Smartway Program.

UCSB’s Sustainable Procurement and Use Practices set the following criteria for Alternative Fuel and Ultra-Efficient Vehicles:
75% of the light-duty university purchases should be alternative fuel and/or ultra-efficient vehicles (35.5 MPG to match Corporate Average Fuel Economy CAFE standards) by 2016.
Departments planning to purchase or lease vehicles are to consider and balance need, vehicle duty, fuel type, availability, the CO2 impact of the vehicle and the alternative fuel and/or ultra-efficient standards, and cost. The vehicle selected for purchase or lease should have the lowest CO2 impact (preferably all electric), while meeting performance and budgetary constraints.
UCSB will routinely assess the need for electric vehicle charging stations on campus and develop strategic plans for their location, including incorporating them into new parking lot construction projects or major parking lot renovations as justified.
The UC Sustainable Practices Policy states that:
After July 1, 2023, zero-emission vehicles, plug-in hybrid, or dedicated clean transportation fueled vehicles will account for at least 50% of all vehicle acquisitions (including both leased and purchased vehicles).
All sedans and minivan acquisitions will be zero-emission or plug-in hybrid vehicles, except for public safety vehicles with special performance requirements.
In applications where zero-emission vehicles are not available, regardless of vehicle size class, the use of clean transportation fuels and other low emission fuels will be prioritized.
Vehicle acquisitions plans should meet the State's goal (outlined in Executive Order N-79-20) that all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks (under 8,500 lbs.) acquired after January 1, 2035, and all medium-and heavy-duty vehicles acquired or operated after January 1, 2045, will be zero-emission.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will follow federal fleet requirements in the case where federal and UC fleet requirements conflict.
The University recognizes that single-occupant vehicle (SOV) commuting is a primary contributor to commute-related GHG emissions and localized transportation impacts.
By 2025, each location will strive to reduce its percentage of employees and students commuting by SOV by 10% relative to its 2015 SOV commute rates.
By 2050, each location will strive to have no more than 40% of its employees and no more than 30% of all employees and students commuting to the location by SOV.
Recognizing that flexible work arrangements, including telecommuting, are a low cost, effective way to reduce emissions and carbon footprint, each location should review and update local employee telecommute and flexible work policies, guidelines, procedures, and other applicable documents to normalize and promote telecommuting options and other flexible scheduling, as aligned appropriately based on business needs.
Consistent with the State of California goal of increasing alternative fuel – specifically electric – vehicle usage, the University will promote purchases and support investment in alternative fuel infrastructure at each location.
By 2025, each location will strive to have at least 4.5% of commuter vehicles be zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV).
By 2050, each location will strive to have at least 30% of commuter vehicles be ZEV.
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.