Insightful and flexible, Liz Warren of SE2 added real value to our performance gap workshop and as a bonus, her blog of the event was picked up by the media.
Richard John, Knowledge Transfer Network
SE2’s top 10 tips for Sustainable Procurement
Going Green is great for your business as well as the environment! Changing the way you think about purchasing doesn’t necessarily mean spending more money. In fact, it can actually save you a lot of money!
Here are SE2’s top 10 tips for Sustainable Procurement:
- Stationery. Take a look at what green alternatives your office supplies company has to offer. Even better, change to an office supplier who have sustainable business practices. We use the Green Stationery Company. When purchasing, request that the packaging is taken back to the supplier for reuse and you can also request recyclable packaging or packaging made from recycled materials. Also consider buying in bulk to reduce the number of deliveries.
- Furniture. Don’t buy new! Buy second hand or salvage furniture by sourcing them from architectural salvage companies or auction websites.
- Switch to Green Energy. Find Green tariffs in your region here. Some energy suppliers get all their energy from renewable sources, so opting for them means none of the energy you use comes from fossil fuels. All energy suppliers are required by DECC to source some of their electricity from renewable sources and publish the percentage (known as their fuel mix) on their websites. See the latest disclosure data here.
- Electrical equipment. When choosing a new computer, opt for a TFT monitor (flat screen) instead of a CRT model. CRT monitors are much larger with deep casing and are now classified as hazardous waste and are therefore more difficult and costly to dispose of than flat panels. When choosing a printer, opt for a machine with Energy Star accreditation. These printers tend to enter a low-power “sleep” mode after a period of inactivity and can print double-sided pages. Also choose a model which uses individual ink cartridges. This will help optimise printer performance and give you tremendous cost savings; all while helping to reduce the environmental impact of cartridge disposal. Always remember to turn your electrical equipment off when not in use rather than leaving on standby!
- Domestic appliances. Choose wisely. Always buy appliances with good energy efficiency ratings. Remember the more energy efficient an item is, the more money you can save!
- Cleaning products. Consider purchasing non-toxic, eco-friendly cleaners. This will not only benefit the environment but your health too!
- Buy locally. Where possible, cut down your carbon emissions and buy locally; this will boost your local community economically and also lower your transport and packaging costs.
- Share. Can existing equipment be used before buying new? Do you really need that additional stapler, hole puncher or ruler?
- Re-use. Before disposing of an item or even recycling anything, think about how it could be re-used.
- Offset. Calculate your carbon footprint. Even with the most determined efforts there are always unavoidable emissions. Take responsibility for them by buying carbon credits that are invested in renewable energy projects or other responsible carbon projects that result in a reduction of atmospheric CO2. If you buy enough carbon credits you can offset all your emissions and effectively become carbon neutral! Here is a list of UK providers of Carbon Offsets.
Why not share these tips with your colleagues? Even if you don’t make the purchasing decisions, it doesn’t mean you can’t influence them!
Check out our Environmental Policy and our latest Environment report.
We always welcome your suggestions and feedback – email kathryn.todd@se-2.co.uk or tweet @se2limited with your thoughts.