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Purchasing

"Sustainable purchasing" means that, when you buy something, you consider the environmental, human and financial sustainability of product and process from raw material to end of product life

Sustainability Goals Progress Campus Actions

Sustainability Goals

Systemwide policy goals for purchasing address the sustainable content of products, the degree of fiscal, social and corporate responsibility in production and delivery of purchased goods and sustainability practices of vendors.

  • 100% compliance with required level green spending minimums within 3 years after a product and/or product category is added to the University of California Sustainable Procurement Guidelines.
  • 25% of spending in any product category must be “green.” This target must be reached within 3 fiscal years after a category is added to the Sustainable Procurement Guidelines.
  • 25% of total spending must be from economically and socially responsible sources. This target must be reached within 5 fiscal years of adoption.
  • A minimum of 15% of the points used to evaluate purchase proposals must be sustainability criteria.
  • Packing materials should be non-toxic, biodegradable, 100% post-consumer recycled content that is recyclable or reusable, or not excessive.

Progress
 

  • 74% of cleaning supplies are "green" – UC Davis has met the green spend goal for cleaning supplies.

Campus Actions
 

  • UC Davis Supply Chain Management practices Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) to procure products and services with a reduced or minimal environmental impact as compared to other products or services that serve the same purpose.

  • Aggie Buy the campus's online purchasing system, enables departmental shoppers to filter search results for energy-efficient and environmentally-preferable options which can be saved as favorites.

  • AggieSupply Scientific Store creates sustainable efficiencies for researchers and labs by centralizing receiving and distribution and reducing the number of courier trucks on campus.

  • Replacing inefficient equipment. The university frequently offers incentives to replace old, inefficient equipment with new technology. Ultra low temperature (ULT) freezers are a prime example. In 2016, UC Procurement Services teamed up with campus sustainability and facilities managers to negotiate a special UC price on energy efficient ULT freezers. Older freezers require an average 19 kWh/day to run. That's about as much as it takes to power an entire single family home! The systemwide negotiated price made new 9 kWh/day models more affordable for labs. UC Davis Supply Chain Management can help departments find current incentives, rebates and deals. They also host periodic printer exchange events to make acquisition of new, energy efficient printers easy for departments.