University of North Carolina, Greensboro
OP-14: Office Paper Purchasing

In support of and to remain compliant with the Governor’s Executive Order No. 8 and General Statute 143-58, it is the policy of the University to promote and, to the maximum extent feasible, purchase and use products with recycled content. The University’s goal is to acquire one hundred percent (100%) of its paper and paper products purchases with recycled content, effective June 30, 1997. Accordingly, Buy-Recycled purchases will occur where it is found economically practicable and cost effective to do so. ”Recycled content” products are those which incorporate waste materials and by-products that have been recovered or diverted from the solid waste stream, but does not include those materials and by-products generated from, and commonly reused within, an original manufacturing process. The purchase of recycled content products fosters the growth of the availability of this type product and the closure of the cost variance between recycled content and ‘virgin’ products. The following actions will continuously be taken to further foster this program and meet the program objectives:

- All campus departments are to purchase and use products manufactured from or containing recycled materials whenever feasible. In particular, recycled content paper and paper products should be used.

- Requirements’ specifications will be continuously reviewed and revised, as appropriate, to eliminate any discrimination against materials and supplies with recycled content, except where health, safety and welfare would be placed in jeopardy.

- Solicitation documents will be written so as to encourage vendors and contractors to offer products having recycled content and to propose prices for such products. Pricing obtained by the campus will similarly conform. Recycled product proposals will be considered in the evaluation for award, and, where the product is comparable in quality, availability and price,

- Where available, consideration will be given to products which are reusable, refillable, repairable, more durable, less toxic, and use minimal packaging. State term contracts will be used, as well, where recycled content products are listed.

- Public documents published for the University printed on recycled paper will contain a printed statement or symbol indicating that the document was printed on recycled paper.

- Purchases of recycled content paper and paper products are to be reported to the Purchasing Department to support State mandated annual reporting requirements.

- Announcements and correspondence will be made to emphasize the significance of the Buy-Recycled program, where and when appropriate.

The Purchasing Department will serve as the administrator and coordinator of this “Buy-Recycled” program.

Promotion and awareness via the Sustainability Office website, the Green Office Program, and other sustainability outreach efforts. Environmentally preferred options, including those for paper, are identified on the university's online purchasing site as well.

Information received from Trace Little, Director of Purchasing and John Guffey, Spartan Printing. These are the results of the information captured via UNCG's central purchasing points; purchases made by some individuals/departments cannot be captured through this system. Therefore, these results should be viewed as a large, representative sample of UNCG paper purchases.