| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 52.66 |
| Liaison | Grace Afflerbach |
| Submission Date | March 8, 2024 |
Purchase College - State University of New York
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.50 / 3.00 |
Grace
Afflerbach Sustainability Coordinator Facilities |
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:
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul passed Executive Order 22 (EO 22 here and below) in September 2022 which adopts the green procurement directives that were established by previous Executive Order 4.
EO 4 guidelines directs State Agencies to:
-Reduce or eliminate the health and environmental risks from the use or release of toxic substances;
-Minimize the risks of the discharge of pollutants into the environment;
-Minimize the volume and toxicity of packaging;
-Maximize the use of recycled content and sustainably managed renewable resources; and
-Provide other environmental and health benefits.
Approved specifications can be found here: https://ogs.ny.gov/greenny/approved-greenny-specifications
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:
EO22 requires LCCA tools for embodied carbon calculations.
https://ogs.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2023/08/eo22-embodied-carbon-guidance_aug-2023.pdf
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:
EO 22 directs State Agencies to reduce their use of toxic substances: "Affected Entities shall evaluate and incorporate toxics use reduction strategies into their operations, to the extent practicable, to achieve pollution prevention. The Council will, at a minimum, provide agencies with information on healthy buildings, green cleaning and disinfection, integrated pest management and green procurement."
The New York State Office of General Services also passed a green cleaning law for the "procurement of environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products."
https://ogs.ny.gov/green-cleaning/green-cleaning-policies-and-guidelines
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:
EO 4 (which EO 22 adopted) specifies the following:
Copy paper: "All white copy paper purchased by each affected entity shall be composed of 100% PCRC and all white copy paper shall be process chlorine-free unless such products do not meet required form, function or utility, or the cost of the product is not competitive."
Batteries: "All affected entities are encouraged to purchase electronic products that do not need batteries to operate if there is a viable alternative that does not require them. If an electronic product that an affected entity is purchasing does need to be powered by a battery, they are encouraged to purchase a model that includes a multi-use rechargeable battery."
Additional procurement information can be found under "Approved GreenNY Specifications." https://ogs.ny.gov/greenny/approved-greenny-specifications
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 furniture specifications set by OGS can be found here https://ogs.ny.gov/greenny/furniture.
These specifications include guidelines for surplus and refurbished furniture consideration and new furniture. New furniture must follow specific material and chemical content guidelines.
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:
All Computers and Displays are required to have achieved Bronze registration or higher in the EPEAT system in the United States. Packaging must comply with Environmental Conservation Law section 37-0205.
More procurement guidance can be found here: https://ogs.ny.gov/greenny/computers-and-displays
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:
It's not published, but we have added a specification in our vending contract to convert plastic bottles to aluminum cans where feasible.
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:
Purchase follows the SUNY System's anti-sweatshop policy and a corresponding anti-sweatshop procedure. SUNY shall comply with existing state law on procurement and set practical and attainable requirements for SUNY campuses, and their affiliated organizations, with the goal of avoiding purchases of products from or licensing of the University’s valuable marks to companies that fail to eliminate sweatshop conditions in manufacturing.
Policy: It is the policy of the State University of New York (University) to require contractors, subcontractors and licensees to certify to the adherence by manufacturers to fair labor standards in connection with working conditions, compensation, employee rights to form unions and the use of child labor. The policy applies to procurement by state-operated campuses of the University and their campus-affiliated organizations, including but not limited to Auxiliary Services Corporations. Campuses may join appropriate independent labor rights monitoring organizations, associations, consortia, or other groups that would assist in the process of certifying compliance with labor standards addressed to eliminating or avoiding sweatshop working conditions in factories around the world.
The University shall establish a procedure that will set appropriate standards for the purchase of goods and the licensing of university trademarks to achieve the above goal.
The community colleges operating under the program of the University are encouraged to adopt the University procurement policy and guidelines.
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:
The college participates and complies with NYS Executive Law article 15-A that sets a goal that 30% of purchases must be from MWBE (Minority and Women Owned Businesses) vendors.
https://www.suny.edu/meansbusiness/mwbe/
https://www.dec.ny.gov/about/48854.html
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:
E)22 directs all state agencies to convert their campus fleet's light duty vehicles to electric by 2035, and medium and heavy duty vehicles by 2040.
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.