Procurement

A university's procurement policy is one of its strongest ways of supporting sustainability. English higher education spends over £8 billion a year on non-pay costs, and how that money is spent can have a great social and environmental impact. (HEFCE 2009/03).

Organisations
Resources
HEI sites

Organisations

Fairtrade Foundation
The Fairtrade Foundation aims to promote fair trade with disadvantaged third world producers.

Association of University Procurement Officers
This group promotes the exchange of ideas and development of best practice to support staff working in a purchasing function in the HE sector. It has a Corporate Social Responsibility Group.

Resources

Buy sustainable - Quick wins
A set of sustainable specifications for a range of commonly-purchased products.

Fairtrade Foundation Catering
List of catering fairtrade suppliers, including vending machine operators.

Fairtrade Foundation Retail
List of retail fairtrade suppliers.

Purchasing for Sustainability - HEPS (2003)
Guide to sustainable purchasing in HE.

Sustainable Procurement Project - EAUC
A review and action plan for sustainable consumption and production in further and higher education for staff and students.

Promoting Poverty Aware Procurement on Campus (Adobe PDF)
A new project on Sector Procurement and International Development funded by the Department for International Development.

'Good Food on the Public Plate'
Sustain run a project to increase the amount of sustainable food used in the public sector, including universities.

Centre for Remanufacturing and Reuse
The web-site provides information for reuse and remanufacture of products.

Sustainable ICT procurement
Information on the implications for ICT procurement in universities and colleges.

Sustainable Procurement Centre of Excellence
This HEFCE-funded project aims to help change the way universities embed sustainability into their procurement practices.