University of Florida
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

Sustainable Procurement

Purpose:

The purpose of this policy is to support campus sustainability at the University of Florida and to provide guidelines, information, and resources in procuring products that will minimize negative impacts on society and the environment to the greatest extent practicable.

Responsibilities of Departments:

- Develop and maintain information about environmentally and socially preferable products. Departments should use the list composed in this document as a guideline and may add or modify the list as needed.
- Inform employees of their responsibilities under this policy; provide them with information about sustainable procurement opportunities. Check the Procurement web page for frequent updates on vendor commitments to sustainability, including new annual contracts and participation in vendor shows.
- Submit new ideas, problems or concerns to Procurement (352) 392-1331 or e-mail procurement@ufl.edu.

Best Practices and Procurement Strategies:

- Reduce waste at the point of purchase.
- Faculty, staff and students can help achieve the university’s waste reduction goals by practicing the three R’s: reducing, reusing, and recycling. Priority should be given to reducing waste upstream by purchasing products made from recycled material that can be reused or recycled.
• Office paper, letterhead stationery, envelopes, and business cards made from recycled paper
• Office supplies
• Recycled, remanufactured, or re-filled toner cartridges
• Furniture made with a percentage of postconsumer or postindustrial material and/or FSC 50% certified wood to reduce disposal costs and waste, choose items that can be remanufactured, recycled, or composted. Many products made from recycled materials are available and are being included in the University of Florida contracts. Contract information is available from the Procurement website under contracts and UF Pricing.
• Purchase durable and reusable goods.
• Using life-cycle cost analysis, rather than automatically choosing goods with the lowest purchase price, can help departments identify the best long-term value. Factor in a product’s estimated life span as well as its energy, maintenance, consumable supplies and disposal costs.
• Consider durability and reparability of products prior to purchase.
• Invest in goods with extended warranties. Conduct routine maintenance on products/equipment.
• Save money and minimize waste by eliminating single-use items, such as non-rechargeable batteries, in favor of rechargeable batteries.
• Lease and rent when appropriate.
• Consider an operating lease or rental rather than a purchase or capital lease. Lease and rental contracts give vendors the responsibility for the upkeep of goods such as computers and copiers, and for managing them at the end of their useful life. Businesses that lease equipment tend to manufacture more durable items, salvage reusable parts, refurbish, recycle, or donate used equipment that can no longer be leased. Renting is a cost-effective option for short-term equipment needs.
• Specify product and packaging take-back.
• Increasingly, product vendors are offering to take back the products they sell when they become obsolete. By utilizing vendors who offer an Extended Product Responsibility (EPR) program, especially take-back, recycle, and disposal programs, departments are ensured equipment and products are disposed of properly whether recycled, donated, refurbished or disposed of without the added cost.
• Other vendors will take back used items, such as carpeting and toner cartridges, when purchasers buy new products. For example, several carpet manufacturers have invested in sophisticated recycling facilities that turn old carpet into new carpet or other goods and toner cartridges are disposed of properly or sent to be recharged and sold at a lower cost.
• Departments should require vendors to assume responsibility for some of their shipping materials, such as wooden pallets and excess packaging materials. When ordering large furniture or computer shipments request products ship blanket-wrapped or using reduced packing material.
• Buy goods in bulk or concentrated form. This practice can significantly reduce the packaging associated with lower product quantities and save costs. Carefully estimate demand when purchasing in bulk; purchasing more than is needed can create excess that becomes waste.
• Manage surplus effectively.
• Clean out your office supply cabinet and post re-usable items for UF Departments on the Property Listserv (you need to be subscribed to post) or donate to local non-profit organizations such as Alachua County’s Tools for Schools. Departments should utilize Asset Management Services for disposing of unwanted, outdated property. Asset Management will effectively redistribute, recycle, or dispose of surplus property by bidding it out over the Internet through surplus on-line bids, police auctions, property warehouse, or federal warehouse. For more information see Asset Management Services Web Site: http://fa.ufl.edu/am/surplus/.
• Procure commodities that are certified to meet sustainability standards.
Paper and Forest Products:
• Forest Stewardship Council – www.fsc.org
• Chlorine Free Products Association – www.chlorinefreeproducts.org
Electronics and Appliances:
• Energy Star – www.energystar.gov/purchasing
• Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) – www.epeat.net. EPEAT has tiers of environmental performance. UF’s bundled computers will meet at least the EPEAT silver standard. UF’s preference is that when the certification is available on the products being purchased, all purchases of computers and monitors meet or exceed the silver EPEAT certification.
Cross-sector: (examples: cleaning supplies)
• Green Guard – www.greenguard.org
• Ecologo – www.ecologo.org
• Green Seal – www.greenseal.org
• Scientific Certification Systems – www.scscertified.com
Carpet, Adhesives and Cushion:
• CRI Green Seal and Green Seal Plus – www.carpet-rug.org
Renewable Energy:
• Green-e – www.green-e.org
Building Practices and Indoor Air Quality:
• Green Building Council (LEED) – www.usgbc.org/leed
Food:
• USDA Organic, Food Alliance Certified, Rainforest Alliance Certified, Protected Harvest Certified, Fair Trade OR Marine Stewardship Council’s Blue Eco-Label
• Procure remanufactured goods and use refurbishing services.
• It is generally much less expensive to buy remanufactured goods such as remanufactured toner cartridges, or to use refurbishing services for computer upgrades, carpet repair, and furniture reupholster, than to buy new items. “Recharged” toner cartridges typically save departments 30 to 50 percent per sheet of paper. Remanufactured items should require no sacrifice in performance. Check with Procurement for current contracts in place for remanufactured products.
• Purchase goods containing fewer toxic constituents.
• By procuring goods with fewer or no toxic chemicals, departments can reduce their hazardous waste disposal, future liability concerns, and the risk of occupational exposure and spills. Low-toxicity products such as mercury-free medical supplies, low mercury light bulbs/lamps with a content of 90 picograms per lumen-hour or less, printing ink low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and chrome and chlorine free cleaning supplies are increasingly available and cost-competitive. See the Cross-sector certifications to help selecting products. The University prefers all cleaning products purchased are either Green Seal or EcoLogo certified.
• Reduce paper use.
• Set all printers, copiers, and fax machines to the default duplex mode if the function is available.
• Purchase office equipment that has duplex capability.
• Purchase paper with recycled content
• Utilize technology to send and store information electronically.
• Utilize internet fax when available.
• E-mail document files instead of faxing hardcopies.
• Instead of having forms preprinted and stored, fill out forms online and print as needed when available and feasible.
• Store documents electronically instead of storing hard copies.

Current Guidelines in Place:

• All University of Florida personnel will purchase recycled and environmentally preferable products whenever practicable.
• University of Florida Departments will purchase hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles.
• The University of Florida will have a recycle container available within a reasonable distance of soda machines and in all dining establishments where canned or bottled drinks are served: https://www.facilitiesservices.ufl.edu/departments/resource-management/recycling/recycling-guide/bottles-cans/. Contact Physical Plant’s Solid Waste Coordinator at 392-7396 or 392-1148 x 301.
• University of Florida should promote the use of recycled and other environmentally preferable products by publicizing its sustainable procurement program. Materials produced for advertising, conferences, trade fairs, press releases, and other communications with clients and citizens can make reference to the University of Florida’s commitment and leadership in the use of recycled and environmentally/socially preferable products.
• The University Procurement and Disbursements Department will make every effort to secure contracts with vendors that are socially and environmentally conscientious, and certified green whenever practicable.

Procurement and UF’s Zero Waste Goal:

• Procuring recyclable or products made out of recycled material is only part of the life cycle, you must recycle whenever possible. If you are not sure about the different recycling programs on campus, visit the Physical Plant Division, Grounds Department website https://www.facilitiesservices.ufl.edu/departments/resource-management/recycling/ or call (352) 392-7396.
Environmentally Preferable Procurement (EPP) Resources:

Resources:
• EPA’s EPP Web Site (www.epa.gov/oppt/epp)
• EPPNet (www.nerc.org)
• INFORM (www.informinc.org)
• Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (https://www.sustainability.gov/)
Examples of environmentally preferred products:
• Recycled paper and paper products
• Remanufactured laser printer toner cartridges
• Energy Star Rated computers and appliances
• Rechargeable batteries
• Re-refined lubrication, hydraulic oils, and antifreeze
• Recycled plastic outdoor-wood substitutes including plastic lumber, benches, fencing, signs and posts
• Recycled content construction, building and maintenance products, including plastic lumber, carpet, tiles and insulation
• Re-crushed cement concrete aggregate and asphalt
• Cement and asphalt concrete containing glass cullet, recycled fiber, plastic, tire rubber, or fly ash
• Compost, mulch, and other organics including recycled biosolid products
• Re-manufactured and/or low or VOC-free paint
• Cleaning products with lowered toxicity
• Energy saving products
• Waste-reducing products
• Water-saving products

Socially Responsible/Ethical Procurement Standards:

In demonstrating a commitment to sustainability and seeking to ensure safe and healthy workplaces for the people who make products for the University of Florida, purchasers should strive to ensure that the products they purchase meet International Labor Organization (ILO) manufacturing standards and Fair Trade Labeling standards. Learn more about the importance of ethical purchasing:
• Verité (www.verite.org)
• Workers Rights Consortium (www.workersrights.org)
• Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (svtc.org)

Glossary:

Environmentally Preferable Products are products that have a lesser impact on human health and the environment when compared with competing products. This comparison may consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance, or disposal of the product.
Green Procurement means purchasers take into consideration the environmental impact of products when making purchasing decisions, giving preference to more environmentally friendly products when quality and price are equal or superior.
Recycled Products are products manufactured with waste material that has been recovered or diverted from solid waste. Recycled material may be derived from post-consumer waste (material that has served its intended end-use and been discarded by a final consumer), industrial scrap, manufacturing waste, or other waste that would otherwise have been wasted.
Sustainability means meeting today’s needs without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy their needs.
Waste Prevention means any action undertaken by an individual or organization to eliminate or reduce the amount or toxicity of materials before they enter the municipal solid waste stream. This action is intended to conserve resources, promote efficiency, and reduce pollution.
Reuse means repairing what is broken or giving it to someone who can repair it or use it in its current state.
Reduce means using less of products and utilizing other means of doing business when available to reduce the amount and toxicity of trash discarded.
Recycle means to reprocess and reuse used material.
Life Cycle Evaluation is an evaluation of the major environmental impacts in each life-cycle stage of a product category including resource extraction, production, distribution, use, and eventual disposal or recycling. The evaluation considers energy, resource use, and emissions to air, water, and land, as well as other environmental and health impacts. The purpose of this evaluation is to identify significant life-cycle stages to be addressed.
Life Cycle Cost Analysis is an economic evaluation technique that determines the total cost of owning and operating a building or equipment.
Rechargeable means to replenish the amount of electric power in something, especially a battery.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is vendors taking on the responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products through the entire product’s life cycle; especially the take-back, recycle, and disposal programs.
Leasing is a legal rental contract allowing somebody exclusive possession of another’s property for a specific time in return for a payment.
Certification an official document or seal providing evidence and details of something that is authentic and verified by a third party.
Exemptions
Nothing in this directive should be construed as requiring the purchase of products that do not perform adequately or are not available at a reasonable price.

Life cycle cost analysis shall be used as a design tool to ensure that the design provides the best value to the university. Life cycle cost analysis evaluates investment cost (first cost), utility costs (energy, water use, wastewater disposal), operation and maintenance costs, and periodic replacement costs. Life cycle cost analysis is recommended to guide the following decisions:
High performance building envelope: Test options that create a high performance envelope including high performance glazing, insulation (beyond code required levels), overhangs for sun control, light shelves, etc. Evaluate savings in energy consumption and potential reductions in the cost of mechanical systems that may result. Also consider maintenance and periodic replacement costs of these options.
Energy efficient lighting: Test options that utilize daylighting, energy efficient electric lighting, task-ambient lighting and lighting controls such as daylight dimming and occupancy sensors. Evaluate savings in energy consumption and potential reductions in the cost of mechanical systems that may result. Also consider maintenance and periodic replacement costs of these options.
Mechanical system selection: Test a minimum of three different system options to determine the relationship between first cost and life cycle value. Consider operating costs, maintenance and periodic replacement costs of these options. Depending on the scope of the project, life cycle cost analysis is recommended to guide development of feasibility study(s), to explore potential use of these design strategies and to select the preferred system options prior to engaging in a full life cycle cost analysis.

The University of Florida has a stated preference that cleaning products purchased are either Green Seal or EcoLogo certified. It also prefers certified Chlorine Free Products Association products.

As UF continues to provide a leadership role toward a cleaner and healthier future, staff and building professionals work together to evolve our on-campus experience.

All projects pursuing sustainable certification are to obtain at least a LEED Gold level, or equivalent, certification. Therefore, at a minimum, the following criteria is to be met on each project. Project teams are highly encouraged to assess all aspects of the site and meet early and discuss their overall sustainability approach prior to schematic design.

CAMPUS SITES
-Landscape design will meet the Landscape Master Plan plant selection guide and be drought tolerant
- Buildings are to incorporate bird-friendly techniques
- Exterior lighting is to reduce light pollution by following the Landscape Master plan and be night sky compliant

ENERGY
- Each project is expected to be 30% more energy efficient than the Florida Building Code
- To reduce heat island, building roof and hardscapes are to have a solar reflectance index (SRI) of at least 78
- All appliances and commercial kitchen equipment are to be ENERGY STAR certified
- Projects are to follow ASHRAE 0-2005 commissioning requirements
- Projects to strive to be “solar ready”
- Intelligent sub-metering is encouraged

WATER
- All flush and flow water fixtures are to meet the MaP requirements specified in our construction standards AND be WaterSense Certified Projects are to utilize reclaimed water for irrigation

INDOOR ENVIRONMENT
- IEQ Policy: New Construction and Renovation is to conduct an indoor environmental quality test to ensure prior to occupancy
- All projects are to have MERV15 filters
- Lighting controls are to vary light levels to meet occupants needs
- NO SMOKING, NO VAPING and NO TOBACCO IS ALLOWED on the construction site or within the building

MATERIALS
- A recycling plan and layout to be provided
- In effort to reduce the amount of waste being generated from construction and demolition activity, ALL projects (new construction and major renovations) are to divert at least 75% of waste (by either volume or weight) from entering our local landfills. Verification of this effort supports the University’s waste reduction goals
- Construction materials, systems and components are to be sourced as local as possible. Ideally within 100 miles from the project site and not more than 700 miles.
- Interior finish materials, paints, and adhesives are to contain either no or minimal volatile organic content (VOCs).
- Sourced products must obtain some level of sustainable practice such as:
--Extended producer responsibility
--Bio-based materials
--Sustainable forest certified
--Material reuse
--Material with either postconsumer or pre-consumer recycled content
-Where available, sourced material must include environmental product disclosures (EPD) during submittal process
-Where available, sourced material must include a chemical inventory and or sustainability label such as:
--ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard
--Cradle to Cradle
--Declare
--NSF/ANSI 336: Sustainability Assessment for Commercial Furnishings Fabric
--Health Product Declaration (HPD)
--Living Product Challenge
--or equivalent

https://facilities.ufl.edu/sustainability/uf-green-building-goals/

UF’s bundled computers will meet at a minimum the EPEAT silver standard. UF’s stated preference is that when the certification is available on the products being purchased, all purchases of computers and monitors must meet or exceed the silver EPEAT certification.

The primary food service provider at the University of Florida is Gator Dining Services. They require that employees be paid a living wage for all full-time employees. They also employ a Gator Dining Sustainability Manager who is charged with helping employees to learn, inform and take action with our operations and among other employees. For more information, see link: https://gatordining.com/sustainability-2/

In demonstrating a commitment to sustainability and seeking to ensure safe and healthy workplaces for the people who make products for the University of Florida, purchasers should strive to ensure that the products they purchase meet International Labor Organization (ILO) manufacturing standards and Fair Trade Labeling standards. Learn more about the importance of ethical purchasing:

The University of Florida's Small Business & Vendor Diversity Relations Division is responsible for overseeing the University’s Supplier Diversity Program which focuses on ensuring equal access for Small/HUB Zone/Minority/Small Disadvantaged/Veteran/Service-Disabled Veteran/& Women-Owned businesses, by providing them equal opportunity to compete for procurement and contracting opportunities at the University.

The University aims to purchase vehicles with the highest fuel efficiency and therefore lowest greenhouse gas emissions. This includes hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles. The stated goal is to transition 10% of the fleet to alternative vehicles by 2025.

Procurement Services, with assistance from the UF Office of Sustainability, maintains a listing of Approved Vehicles almost half of which are alternative fuel vehicles (both hybrids and EVs).

The University of Florida has a stated preference for FSC certified products and other recycled content paper products. The UF Procurement office, in partnership with the Office of Sustainability, also provides a Sustainable Paper Purchasing Guide as a means of educating and encouraging departments to purchase these products. There is also encouragement from the Procurement office to reduce overall paper consumption in UF workplaces.

UF also has a stated preference for furniture made with a percentage of post-consumer or postindustrial material and/or FSC 50% certified wood to reduce disposal costs and waste, choose items that can be re-manufactured, recycled, or composted.

https://procurement.ufl.edu/contracts/departmental-vehicles/
https://sbvdr.admin.ufl.edu/about-us/
https://procurement.ufl.edu/about-us/sustainability/
https://facilities.ufl.edu/sustainability/uf-green-building-goals/