Corporate Policy - Procurement Services - Green Procurement Policy

Purpose:

As a sustainable development community, the implementation of this policy will support the City’s commitment to sustainability by requiring the procurement of goods and services that will minimize the City’s impact on the environment and provide best value for the corporation.

Policy Statement:

The City of Burlington will endeavor to acquire goods and services that minimize impacts on the environment and perform efficiently and effectively. While evaluating goods and services for purchase (including all aspects related to the production, transportation, use or operation, and replacement or disposal of goods) the following environmental factors will be considered in addition to the specific requirements of the good or service:

• Durable and reusable, as opposed to single use or disposable items
• Non-toxic or least toxic option, preferably compostable or biodegradable
• Reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions
• ENERGY STAR® rated if available or most energy-efficient option
• Recyclable, but if not recyclable, may be disposed of safely, or, vendor will take back good at its end of life
• Made from recycled materials
• If made from raw materials, they have been obtained and manufactured in an environmentally sound, sustainable manner
• Results in minimal or no environmental damage during normal use or maintenance
• Minimum packaging (consistent with the care of the good), preferably made of reusable, recycled or recyclable materials
• The lifecycle cost of the good through the acquisition, operation, and end of good life, including environmental impacts (a cradle to grave approach)
• Re-usable shipping packaging

Monitoring & Reporting

The Finance (Procurement Services) department will report annually on the progress made on the implementation of the City’s Green Procurement Policy.

The annual report may include:

• Corporate green procurement initiatives;
• Quantifiable data where available.

Scope:

This policy applies to the procurement of all goods and services acquired by, or on behalf of, the City of Burlington.

Staff will review contracts and bid request document specifications for goods and services to ensure that wherever possible and, within budget, specifications in a competitive process reflect the intent of this policy.

Note: Through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process, up to ten percent of the points can be awarded to an environmentally sustainable good or service.

Objectives:

• Show community leadership by ensuring that the goods and services acquired by the City are environmentally sustainable, minimizing impacts on air, land and water
• Identify environmentally preferable goods and services
• Support a green marketplace by increasing the use and availability of environmentally preferable goods and services
• Conserve natural resources
• Minimize environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions
• Eliminate or reduce toxins that create hazards to protect the health and safety of workers and the community
• Support recycling markets
• Reduce and divert waste from landfills

References:

• Corporate Energy Policy
• Corporate Sustainable Building Policy
• Greening the Corporate Fleet Transition Strategy
• Toward Zero Waste Strategy
• Implementation Plan to Restrict the Sale of Bottled Water (in city facilities)

Roles:

Accountable:

Manager of Procurement Services is answerable for the timely review, updating and dissemination of the policy in the functional area.

Responsible:

All departments/staff are required to comply with the Green Procurement Policy when making all purchasing decisions.

The Finance (Procurement Services) and Corporate Strategic Initiatives (Sustainability) departments are responsible to develop and deliver a vendor and staff awareness program including the development of guidance documents to support the implementation of this policy.