Guidance for sustainable choices when making campus purchases.

• Before you buy consider whether you can use something you already have (unless it's an outdated energy hog) or share equipment with another department. Be mindful of the energy use, maintenance and repair requirements, life span until replacement, and possible water efficiency as part of the product cost. Avoid wasteful packaging that can't be recycled.
• For a selection of green products that help us meet Zero Waste and Sustainable Purchasing goals, use the Green Events/Products Catalog on AggieBuy. The catalog can be found under the category of Office/Furniture/Giftcard/Other; just look for the green tile.

This catalog is a collaboration between Sustainability, Supply Chain Management, and the ASUCD Environmental Policy and Planning Commission (EPPC). The catalog, which contains items sold by Office Depot, was created to help campus event planners and other buyers easily find compostable, reusable, and other sustainable products that help the campus move towards its Zero Waste goals and meet the UC Sustainability Purchasing Guidelines criteria. Additional green event items (such as compostable plates, cups and bags) may be available for purchase locally from the ASUCD Coffee House. Please check back here for future updates on this.

• Bundle orders and buy in bulk whenever possible. This can significantly reduce shipping impacts and packaging waste.
• Look for Green Seal® or Energy Star® certification when shopping for products. Green Seal is an independent, non-profit organization that identifies and promotes products and services that cause less toxic pollution and waste, conserve resources and habitats, and minimize global warming and ozone depletion. Energy Star is the U.S. government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.
• The University of California has a system-wide group working on sustainable procurement. Learn more about their efforts.
• Ecomedes is a software platform that provides sustainability data on specific products, making it easier for shoppers to make environmentally conscious buying decisions on an individual basis.