Sustainable procurement practices; a green procurement system for the education sector

Good practice

Greener or more sustainable procurement principles can reduce the environmental impact of the goods you purchase and could reduce your costs.

The main theme of green procurement is to consider the life cycle of products as a whole, not just their purchase price. This includes thinking about the:

materials used in manufacture
methods of production and embedded energy
energy use of the product over its life span
eventual disposal costs and environmental impacts
potential for re-use or recycling.

You can apply the same principles to a range of goods which are commonly used in the education sector.

Consider using supplies of foodstuff from local suppliers and developing a sustainable food procurement policy.

Further information

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