Facilities & Procurement
In order to leverage the incredible purchasing power of UF to drive sustainable choices, it is important that all members of the UF community remember to take advantage of the Purchasing Department’s services whenever possible. If you do decide to make a purchase on your own, remember to reference the Sustainable Purchasing Directive and to consider the tips listed below.
- Always consider sharing, renting, or leasing as an alternative to buying new equipment. For everyday office supplies, consider using the "online swap meet," a place for UF staff and faculty to re-purpose unneeded or unwanted office supplies. This site was created by Asset Management in collaboration with Facilities, Planning & Construction and the Office of Sustainability.
- Use a life-cycle cost analysis, rather than automatically choosing goods with the lowest purchase price, to help your department identify the best long-term value. Consider the following characteristics when purchasing new materials or equipment:
- Energy efficiency (e.g., Energy Star)
- Recycled content (pre and post-consumer), remanufactured goods, and/or use of refurbishing services. For information on environmentally-friendly paper, visit Conservatree.
- Durability
- Minimized packaging (e.g., buying in bulk or concentrated form)
- Minimized toxic ingredients or components, e.g., chlorine-free paper and volatile organic compounds (VOC)
- Sustainable harvesting and third-party certification marks, e.g.:
- Forest Stewardship Council for paper
- Certified Organic and Fresh from Florida for food
- Certified Fair Trade for coffee and other goods
- Multi-sector certification and other resources for environmentally preferable purchasing:
- Seek vendors who offer a take-back program (“Extended Product Responsibility Program”) to ensure that equipment and products are disposed of properly.
- For electronics, ensure they are Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Certified.
- Use environment and worker-friendly non-toxic cleaning products (e.g., Green Seal Environmental Standard).
- Make purchases from local and minority vendors when feasible. For more information, visit UF’s Division of Small Business and Vendor Diversity Relations.
- Consider the rights of workers. For resources on purchasing products which are produced humanely, visit: Verite, The Worker Rights Consortium, and the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
- For departments considering purchasing or leasing a vehicle, think about using Zipcar as an alternative. If you must buy a vehicle, seek out the most fuel-efficient options available (see UF’s “Purchasing Directive for Departmental Vehicles”).
- Make sure the printing of major publications are as cost-effective and environmentally-friendly as possible. Visit the Think Before You Ink website, and read “How to Go Green with Print Design,” compiled by one of our Green Team captains.
