University of Maryland, College Park
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

The University of Maryland, College Park will procure all supplies, services, maintenance, construction and architect-engineer services in a manner consistent with the promotion of sound environmental stewardship and, in particular, promoting the reduction of carbon emissions as envisioned by the University’s Climate Action Plan. Consideration of the environmental impact of products and services must be an integral part of the procurement process and should be weighed along with price and other factors when making procurement decisions.

For building projects to be fully cost effective, energy conservation measures require careful consideration and are expected to be introduced early during the project's design phase. Energy modeling is required for all new construction and/or major renovation projects that affect greater than 25% of the gross building space or greater than $2 million in total project cost. Projects that fall below this threshold will be considered on a case by case basis. For more information refer to the Energy and Energy Analysis section of the university's Design Criteria/Facilities Standards at https://www.facilities.umd.edu/DCFS/Documents/dcfs/dcfs2016/01_86_26.pdf

The Policies and Procedures for Environmentally Preferable Procurement state the specifications and statements of work prepared by Departments and units of the University for procurement under delegated authority or for forwarding to the Department of Procurement and Strategic Sourcing for procurement shall: (1) promote the procurement and use of the following, where available and within limitations of existing laws and regulations: recycled biosolids for use as mulch or compost; biodgradable-biobased, non-hazardous, and/or "Green Seal (or equal)" certified cleaning products; Low (or no) VOC painting products, adhesives and solvents. (2) discourage to the maximum extent feasible and within the limitation of existing laws and regulations, the procurement and use of: asbestos-containing materials; mercury-containing materials; chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs); hazardous substances requiring special handling and disposal; polystyrene products and packaging; bleached, virgin paper with 0% post-consumer recycled content.

The Policies and Procedures for Environmentally Preferable Procurement state the specifications and statements of work prepared by Departments and units of the University for procurement under delegated authority or for forwarding to the Department of Procurement and Strategic Sourcing for procurement shall: (1) promote the procurement and use of the following, where available and within limitations of existing laws and regulations: energy efficient lighting fixtures and bulbs, Energy-Star (or equal) rated appliances and equipment and this is mandatory when such products are available; EPEAT certified green electronic equipment; re-crushed/recycled concrete and asphalt materials; products made from recycled tire rubber; low noise emitting equipment and appliances; carpeting and flooring products which are manufactured from recycled-content materials and are recyclable; green furniture products containing materials from renewable sources or recycled-content; building products containing recycled material content; Low (or no) VOC painting products, adhesives and solvents; LEED Silver (or equal) or higher design standards for eligible new facilities and major renovations along with incorporation of sustainable design features to the maximum extent possible, on facilities projects not eligible for LEED; local sources for goods and services. (2) discourage to the maximum extent feasible and within the limitation of existing laws and regulations, the procurement and use of: asbestos-containing materials; mercury-containing materials; chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs); hazardous substances requiring special handling and disposal; polystyrene products and packaging; bleached, virgin paper with 0% post-consumer recycled content.

The Policies and Procedures for Environmentally Preferable Procurement state the specifications and statements of work prepared by Departments and units of the University for procurement under delegated authority or for forwarding to the Department of Procurement and Strategic Sourcing for procurement shall promote the procurement and use of the following, where available and within limitations of existing laws and regulations: Energy-Star (or equal) rated appliances and equipment and EPEAT certified green electronic equipment. Procurement of Energy Star (or equal) rated equipment and appliances is mandatory when such products are available.

The Policies and Procedures for Environmentally Preferable Procurement promotes the procurement of biodegradable and/or compostable food service packaging and service items where available and within limitations of existing laws and regulations. All of the convenience stores and most of the concessions on campus are operated in house by UMD's Dining Services to whom these Policies and Procedures apply. In addition, Dining Services has a published Sustainable Food Commitment which specifies annual increases in sustainable food purchases (see http://dining.umd.edu/sustainability/sustainable-food-commitment/).

Section IX of The University System of Maryland (USM) Procurement Policies and Procedures addresses socio-economic policies and includes the following language which applies to professional services, including architectural and engineering services: Pursuant to Chapter 515 of the Laws of 1999, the University System of Maryland shall to the maximum extent practicable comply with the provisions of Title 14, Subtitles 1 (Preferences to Benefit Disadvantaged Individuals) and 3 (Minority Business Participation) of the State Finance and Procurement Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. The USM Procurement Policies and Procedures are available online at https://www.usmd.edu/regents/bylaws/SectionVIII/VIII300.pdf The

The Policies and Procedures for Environmentally Preferable Procurement state the specifications and statements of work prepared by Departments and units of the University for procurement under delegated authority or for forwarding to the Department of Procurement and Strategic Sourcing for procurement shall: (1) promote the procurement and use of the following, where available and within limitations of existing laws and regulations: Low emission, fuel efficient vehicles; Alternative fuels for use in vehicles including ethanol, biodiesel, CNG, electric and other fuel types as may become available and associated infrastructure.

The Policies and Procedures for Environmentally Preferable Procurement state the specifications and statements of work prepared by Departments and units of the University for procurement under delegated authority or for forwarding to the Department of Procurement and Strategic Sourcing for procurement shall: (1) promote the procurement and use of the following, where available and within limitations of existing laws and regulations: Post-consumer recycled-content paper products from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified sources (see uploaded document for details); Recycled biosolids for use as mulch or compost; Green furniture products containing materials from renewable sources or recycled-content.