| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 60.35 |
| Liaison | Cody Friend |
| Submission Date | May 6, 2024 |
University of Nebraska at Omaha
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.25 / 3.00 |
A.T.
Miller Chief Diversity Officer Office of Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion |
Part 1. Institution-wide sustainable procurement policies
A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
The policies, guidelines or directives:
https://procurement.unl.edu/policies#sustainable-purchasing
Sustainable Purchasing
University of Nebraska Procurement Services pursues the promotion, development and procurement of environmentally preferred goods and services whenever possible. Procurement Services will work with departments, employees, contractors and suppliers alike to seek out and provide resources and information that will enable our customers to make informed purchasing decisions, while promoting environmental stewardship.
Procurement Services is committed to buying more environmentally preferable goods and services as long as they meet our performance needs and they are available within a reasonable period of time at a reasonable cost. By including environmental considerations in our procurement decisions, along with our traditional concerns with price, performance and availability, we will remain fiscally responsible while promoting products and services that have a reduced effect on human health and the environment.
Our “Green Purchasing” strategy is to develop policies consistent with the following:
Minimize the consumption of natural resources by reviewing current and proposed future usage and evaluating the pros and cons of alternatives.
Seek alternatives to products and processes that are detrimental to the environment by using more “environmentally friendly” products and processes.
Minimize waste, including any packaging, waste produced by the product (or service) in question, and waste generated by the eventual disposal of the product.
Maximize the reuse and recycling of materials.
Stimulate demand for “environmentally friendly” products by letting manufacturers and suppliers know the environmental performance we are looking for in products.
Part 2. Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Which of the following best describes the institution’s use of LCCA?:
A brief description of the LCCA policy and/or practices:
The University of Nebraska System applies a Life Cycle Cost Analysis when evaluating each design decision that significantly impacts long-term energy for incorporating construction, energy, and operating and maintenance costs.
https://bf.unl.edu/policies/foam-free-campus
Part 3. Product-specific sustainability criteria
To count, the criteria must address the specific sustainability challenges and impacts associated with products and/or services in each category, e.g. by requiring or giving preference to multi-criteria sustainability standards, certifications and labels appropriate to the category. Broader, institution-wide policies should be reported in Part 1, above.
Chemically intensive products and services
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
The University's Custodial Services has a sustainability initiative to use environmentally responsible cleaning products, equipment, and sustainable processes. The goal is to use environmentally preferred products, practice conservation, and support sustainability by using products and procedures which allow for the systematic reuse of materials and reduction of waste. More information can be found at
http://fmo.unl.edu/custodial-services/custodial-services-sustainability-initiative.
Consumable office products
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for consumable office products:
University System community members are encouraged to purchase sustainable office products. A number of University Prime Vendors offer filters for purchasers to use to identify sustainable product options.
Furniture and furnishings
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for furniture and furnishings:
Information Technology (IT) and equipment
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for Information Technology (IT) and equipment:
All bulk purchases are coordinated through the Information Services (IS) department, which enforces the guidelines they developed. All central computing on campus is under the direction of IS, which ensures that the University adheres to these guidelines.
http://www.unomaha.edu/sustainability/_docs/UNO_IT_GreenGuidelines_v2.pdf
Food service providers
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food service providers:
On January 1st, 2016, The NU System adopted its Foam Free Campus Policy which prohibits the sale, procurement, or distribution of packaging foam or expanded polystyrene (EPS) in food containers and discourages packaging materials. More information is available at https://bf.unl.edu/policies/foam-free-campus.
Garments and linens
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for garments and linens:
Professional service providers
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional service providers:
Transportation and fuels
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Beginning last year the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln as part of a joint effort to consolidate resources, decided to merge both campus's procurement services. As part of the University of Nebraska System, UNO, UNL, among the NU system's other campuses (the University of Nebraska Kearny and the University of Nebraska Medical Center) has begun combining certain administrative services into one central office at our flagship campus, UNL. Since procurement services are now managed by our office at UNL, we have cited their procurement policies.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.