Western University
OP-12: Electronics Purchasing

The following is taken from the document "From Purple to Green: Western's Sustainable Procurement Guidelines" (2014): Looking for environmentally friendly features among computers, cell phones and other electronics may not be as intuitive as other items being purchased on a more regular basis; however, the following sections can guide more energy efficient and ‘greener’ choices. Preparing to Buy •Find items in the office that can be used instead of purchasing new. •When purchasing, try to buy used. •Select PVC free products. •Look for items made with reduced hazardous materials and substances. •Opt for energy efficient models and chargers. •Look for durability and long lasting products. •Check for items made with post-consumer recycled material. •Choose products with minimal packaging, recyclable packaging, or packaging that can be re-used. Look for these Labels: -EPEAT -RoHS Compliant Energy Star Preferred Suppliers: Dell Canada, Compudata Systems, Stronghold Services.

At the time of the last STARS submission (2011) Western had recently gone through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to select a preferred vendor(s) for desktop and laptop technology. As part of this process, Western awarded 3 vendors. All monitors and notebooks awarded as part of this contract are at a minimum silver EPEAT level. Desktops purchased as part of this contract are at a Gold Level from our tier 1 supplier. Desktops purchased from our Tier 2 suppliers have not registered with the EPEAT program at this point - but Western anticipates a Silver rating or higher once this is completed.