University of Oregon
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

https://sustainability.uoregon.edu/PDF/purchasing.pdf

The University's Comprehensive Environmental Policy states:
"The University will strive to obtain “best value” by balancing, as both appropriate and permissible, life cycle costs and social and environmental impacts when purchasing goods and services. Where both appropriate and permissible, the University will write specific purchasing policies to guide decision-making on frequently purchased items."

This is also emphasized in the University Purchasing and Contracting Procedures, Section, 5.1.3:
"Best Value. This basic concept in UO purchasing and contracting means that UO can consider factors other than Contract Price in making its purchasing decision. Although departments are very sensitive to obtaining the best price, departments are allowed to consider other costs or values, such as warranties, performance, quality, life cycle costs, cost of ownership, cost of acquisition, cost of termination or disposal, sustainability attributes, training, shipping, etc."

The 2019 Sustainable Purchasing Plan establishes among its implementation strategies: "Calculating the total cost of ownership to determine the economic value of procurement over the product and/or services' life-cycle."

Purchasing and Contracting Services is currently in the process of incorporating LCCA analysis into its procurement decision through focusing on two areas:

1. Incorporating language requesting life cycle information into its competitive documents ( RFQ, RFP, etc).

2. Developing online tools, and/or instructional material that will assist department buyers to make purchasing decisions that consider the entire life cycle.

In addition, University Housing Capital Construction team requests information about life cycle and longevity in the sustainability criteria in the furnishings and fixtures RFPs, and take these criteria into account when making large purchases.

Some additional units and department already employ LCCA on their own, especially for potentially high-impact purchases like vehicles.

A Sustainable Action Plan for Hazardous Materials Management is available at:
https://sustainability.uoregon.edu/PDF/SAP2021_HazardousMM.pdf

As part of Safety and Risk Services, the university's Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) maintains several training and compliance programs, which can be viewed at: https://safety.uoregon.edu/environmental-health-and-safety. Programs include: Bio-safety Program, Chemical Safety Assistant Program (EHSA), Chemical Hygiene Plan, Chemical Hygiene Appendices, and Laboratory Safety.

Purchasing and Contracting Services is in the process of reviewing and increasing the visibility of safer and environmentally responsible choices of cleaning solutions and laboratory supplies.

The current Green Office policy is "If office purchases cleaning products, office only purchases Green Seal certified cleaning products."

The University of Oregon requires all office copy paper purchased to contain at a minimum 30% post-consumer recycled content and be certified ECF. https://pcs.uoregon.edu/content/sustainability

See link to Design Standards which include durability criteria for furniture and furnishings: https://cpfm.uoregon.edu/campus-design-standards-0

All computers purchased through official UO purchasing channels are EPEAT certified, and Purchasing and Contracting Services posts preference criteria for EPEAT-certified computers: https://pcs.uoregon.edu/content/sustainability

This description is regarding the university's food service was taken from https://housing.uoregon.edu/dining:

"In addition to sourcing food from local farms, we do our best to make sure our entire dining operation is sustainable.

We encourage the use of reusable plates, baskets, and flatware over single-use disposable items. We compost more than 170 tons of food scraps each year. This waste that would otherwise be sent to a landfill is used in gardens throughout our local area. In addition, all of our spent fryer oil is converted into biodiesel fuels through a local partnership.

All of our dining locations have water refill stations or water spouts on soda dispensers. We encourage students to use refillable coffee mugs—we even reward you with our Choose to Reuse program. Bring your refillable mug in nine times and the tenth drink is on us."

Further information about sustainability dining performance can be found here: https://sustainability.uoregon.edu/food.html

The Green Office Program has the following guidelines for sustainable catering:
1. Office always orders water in reusable pitchers instead of individual bottles.
2. Office offers vegetarian options for all catered meals.
3. Office prefers plattered meals with reusable serviceware. Office avoids individually boxed meals to reduce packaging and waste. When disposables are used, office orders composting services from Campus Zero Waste. Catering has generously agreed to provide china service free of charge for one event to offices participating in the Green Office Certification Program.
4. Office works with Catering to select available certified organic and other sustainable product options for each catering order.
5. Office signs up for Food Cache pilot program, a new initiative to reduce food waste and address food insecurity by offering surplus food from catering to students.

For independent food service providers, the following sample clauses are added to the contract:
1. Compliance with Environmental Laws. For the purposes of this Lease, the term "Hazardous Substances" means and includes all hazardous and toxic substances, waste, or materials, any pollutant or contaminant, including, without limitation, PCBs, asbestos, asbestos containing materials, and raw materials that are included under or regulated by any Environmental Laws. For the purposes of this Lease, the term "Environmental Laws" means and includes all federal, state and local statutes, ordinances, regulations and rules presently in force or hereafter enacted relating to environmental quality, contamination and clean-up of Hazardous Substances. References in this Lease to "laws" are deemed to include Environmental Laws. Landlord represents that to the best of its current actual knowledge, the Building is in compliance with all Environmental Laws respecting Hazardous Substances, and that Landlord has received no notice of any pending or threatening lien, action or proceeding respecting any alleged violation of Environmental Laws affecting the Building. Tenant will not cause or permit any Hazardous Substances to be brought upon, kept, used, disposed or discharged, in, on, from or about the Premises by its agents, employees, contractors, customers, clients, guests or invitees except as incidental to Tenant's permitted use of the Premises, and only in quantities that are less than the quantities that are required to be reported to governmental or other authorities under applicable law or regulations.
2. Recycling. Tenant shall actively participate in Landlords efforts to recycle and/or compost cardboard, paper, and plastic goods. Landlord shall provide containers for such in or adjacent to the Building. Tenant shall not use any foam products.
3. Tenant shall not store or use any pesticides without the express written consent of the Director. Landlord acknowledges that extermination services may be vital to the successful operation of Tenant's business and that the damage caused to Tenant's business by infestation of pests or rodents is difficult, if not impossible, to calculate. If it is determined that the existence of any pests or rodents has been caused by Tenant's acts or omissions,Tenant shall be responsible for eradication costs. However, if a licensed exterminator shall determine that any infestation problem in the Premises is caused by other tenants or from parts of the Building that Landlord is required to maintain, then Landlord shall promptly take whatever action is required, including but not limited to, extermination services, to prevent infestation of the Premises. Landlord's failure to perform the necessary extermination actions shall be a material breach of this Lease.

4. In accordance with ORS 279C.845, the Contractor and every subcontractor shall submit written certified statements to the Owner and Tenant,on the form prescribed by the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries, certifying the hourly rate of wage paid each worker which the Contractor or the subcontractor has employed on the Work and further certifying that no worker employed on the Work has been paid less than the prevailing rate of wage, which certificate and statement shall be verified by the oath of the Contractor or the subcontractor that the Contractor or subcontractor has read the certified statement, that the Contractor or subcontractor knows the contents of the certified statement, and, that to the Contractor's or subcontractor's best knowledge and belief, the certified statement is true. The certified statements shall set out accurately and completely the payroll records for the prior week, including the name and address of each worker, the worker's correct classification, rate of pay, daily and weekly number of hours worked, deductions made, and actual wages paid. Certified statements for each week during which the Contractor or subcontractor has employed a worker on the Work shall resubmitted once a month, by the fifth business day of the following month.

5. (Not included) Extensive Section on environmental contamination and handling of spills, releases, and leaks.

Clauses added to our laundry services contract include the following:

RECYCLED PRODUCTS. Unless expressly otherwise provided for in contract, all paper products will be sourced from mills using elemental chlorine-free processes and contain a minimum of 30% post-consumer waste.

MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET. In accordance with the OR-OSHA Hazard Communication Rules in OAR chapter 437, Contractor will provide University with a Material Safety Data Sheet for any Deliverables provided under this Contract which may release, or otherwise result in exposure to a hazardous chemical under normal conditions of use. In addition, Contractor must label, tag, or mark such Deliverables.

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. Contractor will, when applicable, have made good faith efforts to work with or obtain materials to be used in performing the Contract from minority-owned, women-owned, and emerging small business enterprises.

The answers provided in this section are based on the following sources:
Part 1. Institution-wide sustainable procurement policies:
-Sustainable Purchasing Action Plan (attached to part one)
Part 2. Life Cycle Cost Analysis
-Comprehensive Environmental Policy: https://cpfm.uoregon.edu/Policy-Sustainability
-University Purchasing and Contracting Procedures: https://pcs.uoregon.edu/content/policy procedure
-Sustainable Purchasing Action Plan (referenced above)
Part 3. Product-specific sustainability criteria
--Chemically intensive products and services
---Sustainable Action Plan for Hazardous Materials Management (referenced in section)
---Environmental Health & Safety (EHS)(referenced in section)
---Certified Green Office Program (internal documents provided to participants)
--Consumable office products
---Green Office Program (referenced in section)
--Furniture and furnishings
---Green Office Program
--Information Technology (IT) and equipment
---Green Office Program
--Food service providers
---Housing Web Site (referenced in section)
---Green Office Program -Catering Guidelines
---Confidential Leasing Contracts
--Garments and linens
---Confidential Vendor Contracts
--Transportation and fuels
---Sustainable action plan referenced in section