Environmental Management and Sustainable Procurement

Introduction

Sustainability is a key theme for Carlisle City Council and is incorporated within the underpinning principles in the Corporate Plan. In addition to this, the Council has an Environmental Policy Statement that specifies our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our procurement of goods and services. It has become apparent to all that, the way we live now is having a detrimental affect on the quality of our lives and on the environment in which we live. To ensure a better quality of life both now and for future generations, we need to look seriously at the way we use the earth’s resources, operate our businesses and live our lives. A sustainable approach recognises the broader impacts of our actions and aims to minimise any adverse effects.

What is Sustainable Procurement?

A more sustainable approach can be achieved through sustainable procurement – this is about taking environmental and social factors into account in purchasing decisions. It’s about looking at what the products are made of, how they were made, where they come from and who has made them. It’s also about considering whether the item is necessary at all. Ultimately it’s about minimising the environmental and social impacts of the purchases we make.

What is a Sustainable Product?

A more sustainable product can be described as being:

Fit for purpose and provides value for money
Energy efficient and resource efficient
Made with minimum use of virgin materials
Made with maximum use of post consumer materials
Non (or reduced) polluting
Durable, easily upgraded, and repairable
Re-useable and recyclable
Ethically sourced

Aims & Objectives

Sustainability in purchasing need not necessarily cost more and there is now a much wider choice of environmentally friendly products. "Green goods" are not necessarily more expensive; often if the ‘whole life cost’ of a product is considered the cheapest product is more expensive in the long run. Whole life costing means taking into account the total cost of an item over its lifetime such as raw materials sourcing, running costs, transportation, admin costs and disposal costs.

The overarching objective is for sustainability considerations to be addressed within the procurement cycle in all instances. This will include ordering stationery with environmentally friendly credentials through to the incorporation of sustainability issues in the most complex of procurement initiatives.

The more specific objectives in terms of sustainable procurement within Carlisle City Council are-

To seek alternatives to products and processes which are detrimental to the environment and social well-being by using more environmentally friendly and ethically traded products and processes
To minimise waste, including any packaging, waste produced by the product (or service) in question, and waste generated by the eventual disposal of the product.
To maximise the reuse and recycling of materials
To stimulate demand for environmentally friendly products by letting manufacturers and suppliers know the environmental performance we expect of our products. This can be done by building sustainability into tender specifications.

General Principles

Before buying any products or services, a number of questions should be considered:

Is the product or service really needed?
Can the need be met in a more sustainable way?
Can the requirement be met by collaborating with other public sector organisations?
Is the quantity requested essential?
Is a suitable product available elsewhere in the Authority?
Can the product serve any useful purpose after its initial use?
What is the ‘whole life cost’ of the product?

Specifications

Careful consideration needs to be given to the way in which products are specified in tender documents and specifications, however, legislation requires that the Council does not indulge in anti-competitive or restrictive practices. To exclude certain sources of supply may be deemed anti-competitive or restrictive.