| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.52 |
| Liaison | Ruairi O'Mahony |
| Submission Date | Aug. 10, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Massachusetts Lowell
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.25 / 3.00 |
Ruairi
O'Mahony Executive Director Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy |
Does the institution have written policies, guidelines or directives that seek to support sustainable purchasing across commodity categories institution-wide?:
A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
The policies, guidelines or directives:
The University of Massachusetts system has a general purchasing policy that sets the framework within which each of the campus' operate. Section 2 of this policy states:
The University’s commitment to the principles of Affirmative Action shall be applied to purchasing with the objective of achieving and fostering greater minority and women-owned business enterprise participation in University procurement activity and encouraging socially or economically disadvantaged business owners to respond to invitations to bid on University business.
UMass Lowell has used this framework to develop specific purchasing policies across commodity categories that are applied institution wide. Examples include paper purchasing, IT equipment, electronic equipment and green seal certified cleaning products.
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:
LCCA is considered for projects that involve design/purchase of equipment that uses energy and/or water. LCCA is not required as part of the Request for Proposal (RFP) process but is considered along with project budget requirements. For example, when purchasing computers the life cycle cost associated with the energy consumption of various computer models is considered along with other purchasing criteria such as memory, screen size, industry reviews, etc.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating chemically intensive products and services (e.g. building and facilities maintenance, cleaning and sanitizing, landscaping and grounds maintenance)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
UMass Lowell uses a third party vendor for housekeeping services. The requirement to use exclusively Green Seal products is identified specifically in the bid package. UML also has a Green Housekeeping Policy dated December 2014 which also outlines the requirement for sustainable cleaning products. However, the majority of the housekeeping services are completed with UMass Lowell staff, while the outsourced cleaning is limited to a small number of buildings.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating construction and renovation products (e.g. furnishings and building materials)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for construction and renovation products:
Yes, the university has publish design standards for all construction and renovation projects. These standards incorporate sustainability into each of the specific sections and In addition a whole section on sustainability exists.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating Information technology (IT) products and services (e.g. computers, imaging equipment, mobile phones, data centers and cloud services)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for IT products and services:
UMass Lowell has an electronic products and appliances purchasing policy. Specific criteria consist of the following:
• Preference should be given to the purchase of electronic products that are EPEAT gold registered when available and to the extent possible.
• Purchased appliances shall be Energy Star rated, if available.
• The Office of Sustainability will serve as a resource to support on-campus electronics products and appliance purchasing with the selection of acceptable and preferred products.
• The Procurement Services department, with support from the Office of Sustainability, will track and measure electronic products and appliance purchases that meet and exceed the guidelines outlined in this policy.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating food services (i.e. franchises, vending services, concessions, convenience stores)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food services:
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 services (e.g. architectural, engineering, public relations, financial)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional services:
UMass Lowell does have policies, guidelines and/or agreements that require adherence to minimum environmental standards. For example, the UMass Lowell ‘no idling’ policy applies to all vendors coming on campus. In some specific cases, vendors are asked to submit a copy of their sustainability plan.
The rules associated with UMass Lowell transportation (both by UMass Lowell contracted employees and its transportation vendor) consists of the following:
Idling Law: Massachusetts State law requires that a vehicle not idle for more than 5 minutes. As an initiative to help reduce greenhouse gases, our requirement is to shut the vans/shuttles/buses off if we idle for greater than 3 minutes at any giving stop.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating transportation and fuels (e.g. travel, vehicles, delivery services, long haul transport, generator fuels, steam plants)?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating wood and paper products?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for wood and paper products:
UMass Lowell has a paper purchasing and printing policy. UMass Lowell is committed to purchasing paper with a goal of 50% or more recycled content for printing and copying and processed without chlorine compounds and printed with environmentally preferable inks to the extent possible.
Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating products and services in other commodity categories that the institution has determined to have significant sustainability impacts?:
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for other commodity categories:
The website URL where information about the programs 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.