University of Pennsylvania
OP-13: Vendor Code of Conduct

In performing quarterly business reviews (and in ongoing business), Penn Purchasing Services asks its strategic preferred suppliers to offer ideas and solutions that positively affect environmental sustainability.

Each of our sourcing managers’ “playbooks”, is required to have a listing of current initiatives that will drive positive impact on sustainability.

On a monthly basis, Purchasing Services reports the status of sustainability initiatives to its leadership.

Recently, Penn put in place a standard set of 3 questions that address social responsibility, including environmental sustainability. In addition, all Purchasing-led RFP’s for computers and electronics will include questions specifically addressing the matter of conflict minerals.

In terms of specific activities, highlights of the impact of the Penn community’s collaborative activities have had on sustainability are as follows:
Sourcing Highlights:
- Penn’s Office Depot tote program has eliminated more than 10,000 corrugated boxes in annual shipments.
- Of the paper purchased at Penn, 50% now contains at least some level of post-consumer recycled content or is sourced from FSC-certified sources (Forestry Stewardship Council). Since transitioning to more recycled content, Penn has eliminated:
- 170 tons of wood usage
- 500 million BTU’s of paper energy production costs
- 50 tons of CO2 output
- 500,000 gallons of water
- 17.5 tons of solid waste

Office Depot has implemented a Green section in its punch-out catalog, and has enabled users to compare green vs. non-green options on most office supplies.

Currently 40% of ink and toner cartridges are either remanufactured or contain at least partially post-consumer content.

In collaboration with Fisher Scientific, Millipore, and select labs at Penn, Penn Purchasing recently came to agreement by which laboratories in the CRB, Stellar Chance, and Translational Research Center buildings will begin recycling deionized water filtration cartridges through Millipore this spring. This will reduce the waste involved with discarding these purification cartridges.

The Quench in-line water filter program now has over 200 point-of-use water units on campus, eliminating vast amounts of water bottle consumption.

eBusiness Highlights
- Penn Purchasing Services has enabled a feature in the Penn Marketplace whereby users can search for recycled items. By checking the Penn Green box in the advanced search feature, users are able to select green items in their search. Green items are considered those items that are recycled, contain recycled content, or are Energy Star rated. Over the last 3 years Penn has purchased over $4 million of green items through Penn Marketplace.
- By utilizing EDI transmission of Purchase Orders (PO’s) it is estimated that over a year Penn eliminates 1.07 metric tons of paper versus printing PO’s. This reduction in paper usage not only impacts the consumption of wood, but also reduces energy consumption, water pollution, and solid waste.
- Ben’s Attic, an online exchange for surplus Penn property, was launched in 2010. Over this time, 182 items, such as desks, lamps, chairs, and tables, have been repurposed within the University. Penn Purchasing is currently implementing enhancements that are expected to expand its use.