| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 71.19 |
| Liaison | Margaret Bounds |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2024 |
Connecticut College
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.50 / 3.00 |
Margaret
Bounds Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have written policies, guidelines, or directives that seek to support sustainable purchasing across multiple commodity categories institution-wide?:
A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
The policies, guidelines or directives:
Does the institution employ Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) when evaluating energy- and water-using products and systems?:
Which of the following best describes the institution’s use of LCCA?:
A brief description of the LCCA policy and/or practices:
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating chemically intensive products and services?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
The College has a stated preference for Green Seal-Certified products in the Sustainable Operations Policy.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating consumable office products?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for consumable office products:
All paper purchased by the College must be at least 30% recycled content. In partnership with Trinity College and Wesleyan University the 2020 joint contract for office products specifically covers the requirement for all products to be green and sustainable whenever feasible. The contract language specifically addresses this for all three institutions. We also have built in criteria in Amazon Business that will mark sustainable suppliers and products as Organizational Preferred and float those choices to the top of the page.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating furniture and furnishings?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for furniture and furnishings:
The College has a stated preference for sustainable building materials and recycled materials in the Sustainable Building Policy. The college also uses the following criteria for construction and renovation materials (as stated in the Sustainable Operations Policy):
Adhesives and sealants will have volatile organic compound (VOC) contents that are within Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines;
Non-carpet floor finishing meets the requirements of Green Seal -37;
Carpet meets requirements of Carpet and Rug Institution (CRI) Green Label Plus Carpet Testing;
Program and carpet cushion meets requirements of CRI Green Label Testing Program;
Composite panels and agri-fiber products contain no added urea-formaldehyde resins.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating Information technology (IT) and equipment?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for Information Technology (IT) and equipment:
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating food service providers?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food service providers:
The College has partnered with America-To-Go to centralize food purchases from off-campus restaurants onto our procurement platform. The restaurants that were included in the platform all had to meet the following guidelines:
No plastic single use water bottles (bulk and aluminum preferred)
No plastic straws
No Styrofoam
Restaurants that met these additional standards were marked as "sustainable" and spending at them is tracked:
Certified Green Restaurant
Uses local produce used whenever possible
Offers Compostable Flatware
Offer Reusable To Go Containers
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating garments and linens?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for garments and linens:
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating professional service providers?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional service providers:
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating transportation and fuels?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable procurement program or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.