Green Purchasing Guidelines

• Purchase cleaning products certified by recognized standards, including: Green Seal® ECOLOGO™ (UL Environment), Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Products Program, EU Ecolabel, Blue Angel (German Federal Environment Agency), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA), Nordic Swan (Nordic Ecolabelling Board), U.S. EPA Safer Choice
• Purchase cleaning products certified by other multi-criteria sustainability standards and ISO Type 1 ecolabels administered by the Global Ecolabelling Network or ISEAL Alliance members.
• All disinfectants must be EPA-registered and should contain only the following active ingredients: hydrogen peroxide, citric acid, lactic acid, caprylic (octanoic) acid, or thymol. 
• Avoid disinfectants containing: chlorine bleach (hypochlorites), quaternary ammonium compounds (quats), phenolic compounds, or peroxyacetic acid.
• Cleaning and janitorial contractors must use green cleaning products. Hazardous chemicals must be removed upon request. A list of approved cleaning agents and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) must be kept up-to-date and submitted to relevant offices annually.
• Cleaning and janitorial contractors are required to provide an annual report detailing all cleaning products used, including their sustainability certifications, to the institution’s sustainability office.

• Promote the planting of native species and support low-maintenance, environmentally sensitive landscapes that minimize the use of resources.
• Minimize the use of harsh chemicals in landscaping and grounds maintenance products.Landscaping products should be OMRI Ecologically Preferable Materials certified.
• Landscaping practices should refer to at least one of the following third-party standards: US EPA Integrated Pest Management Principles, IFOAM Organic Standards, NOFA Standards for Organic Land Care.

• Prioritize the purchase of materials and products that are FSC® or LEVEL certified.
• Continue to purchase products such as
• paint, carpeting, adhesives, furniture, and casework that are low in VOCs, high recycled content, free of flame retardants, and low formaldehyde.
• All carpet and flooring adhesives must have at least one of the following third-party certifications: Green Seal®, UL EcoLogo, SCS FloorScore, UL GREENGUARD® Gold, or Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Green Label Plus. 
• Resilient flooring, tile, wood flooring, laminate flooring, and stone-related products must be certified by one of the following: Cradle to Cradle Certified™, NSF-332 Gold standard or higher, SCS FloorScore, UL GREENGUARD® Gold, or FSC certified.

• Paper must be FSC certified or demonstrate equivalence.
• Paper must contain at least 30% post-consumer recycled content, with a preference for 100% recycled content or sustainable alternatives such as sugarcane paper (made from the waste product of sugar refining, containing no wood material).
• Process chlorine-free (PCF) paper shall be used for system-wide use in copiers, printers, and fax machines.
• Office supplies should be reusable or refillable wherever possible.
• Post-consumer recycled content shall be maximized in purchased products.
• Lamps must be certified Energy Star® or demonstrate equivalence.
• Lamps must not contain mercury or contain low mercury, where applicable.
• Prioritize the use of non-toxic chemicals in office products such as toners and inks, avoiding materials with hazardous substances.
• Prioritize products that are rechargeable, have extended use, or are remanufactured products.

• Appliances and hardware must be  ENERGY STAR®, TCO Certified, Blue Angel, or EPEAT® certified products.
• Laboratory products must be ACT-labeled to ensure sustainable lab purchases.
• Implement measures to reduce equipment demand, prioritizing multifunctional devices and reducing the presence of individual printers wherever possible.
• Longevity and durability must be considered in all purchasing decisions, balancing the equipment’s lifespan with cost and technological functionality.

• Include sustainability objectives in contracts with on-site food service providers.
• Dining service contractors must pay a living wage to employees.
• Reduce and eliminate the purchase and resale of bottled water on campus.
• Consolidate and reduce tank-fed water dispensers and replace them with in-line water filtration systems.
• All disposable products must be certified compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) or Green Seal® GS-35, meeting American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards D6400 or D6868.
• Products must not contain polyethylene liners, PVC, ABS, polycarbonate, polyurethane, or fluorinated chemicals.
• Paper-based container products should contain 40% post-consumer recycled content or 100% total recycled content, with at least 10% post-consumer recycled content for hot beverage cups.
• Use chlorine-free processing for all products, and ensure that fiber-based products are certified by FSC, EcoLogo, or Green Seal.
• Prioritizing the use of locally and sustainably produced, fair-trade food and beverage products across campus.
• Purchase compostable or recyclable plates, cups, containers, and cutlery for disposable applications, and eliminate non-recyclable single-use plastics like straws.

• Clothing suppliers must adhere to published labor and human rights standards.
• Prioritize purchasing sustainably and responsibly produced apparel for staff uniforms and branded merchandise.
• Prioritize the purchase of textiles with organic, bio-based, or recycled content.

• Minimize the size of the campus fleet and reduce the impacts of travel and transport.
• Prioritize the purchase of fuel-efficient or alternative fuel campus vehicles.
  • When purchasing new fleet vehicles, prioritize options for clean-fuel (e.g., hybrid, electric) vehicles over fossil fuel-powered vehicles. Evaluate vehicle ENERGY STAR® labels for fuel efficiency and lifecycle costs, as well as greenhouse gas emissions.

• For delivery services, packaging must be reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and vendors should minimize packaging where possible.
• Consolidate orders and deliveries when possible.
• Request palletized shipments on corrugated cardboard pallets instead of plastic pallets.

• LCCA must be used as a standard practice when evaluating all energy and water-using products and systems.
• Prioritize the use of environmentally preferable materials in construction and renovation projects. This includes building materials, furnishings, lighting, HVAC systems, and appliances.
• Use the LEED checklist as a framework for sustainability objectives in construction projects. 
• Design new major projects to UH Sustainable Design Requirements with specifically required LEEDcredits.
  • Refer to the Sustainable Design Requirements for Technical Specifications (Section 01361). 
• Continue converting interior and exterior lighting to LED or other energy-efficient options to reduce energy consumption. 
• Prioritize the procurement of water-efficient appliances, including toilets, faucets, shower heads, and washing machines, to conserve water resources.
• Where practical, phase out products containing chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and halon for HVAC, refrigeration, insulation, and fire suppression systems.

• Prioritizing Local Companies 
• Encourage disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, or B Corporations.
• Encourage participation of small and minority-owned firms in solicitations for professional service providers.
• Require service providers to adhere to sustainability policies and support sustainability goals. This includes ensuring that investment managers incorporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) analysis in their processes and architecture/engineering firms integrate green building practices.
• Prioritize working with off-campus vendors who are FSC certified, Green-e® certified, carbon neutral, or use alternative energy

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED): LEED provides a framework for healthy, efficient, and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership. The LEED framework informs all building types including new construction, interiors, operations and maintenance, and core and shell.

Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA): Total cost of ownership (TCO) estimates the total life cycle direct and indirect costs of an asset in a single monetary figure. Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) is the process used to estimate an asset’s TCO. In addition to purchase price, LCCA incorporates future costs such as maintenance, replacement of parts, energy use and disposal, and evaluates them on the basis of Net Present Value. LCCA can also be used to incorporate environmental and social life cycle costs, such as the cost of purchasing pollution offsets or monitoring labor practices.

LCCA is employed as a matter of policy and practice when evaluating energy- and water-using products, systems, and building components (e.g., HVAC systems). Practices may include structuring requests for proposals (RFPs) so that vendors compete on the basis of lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) in addition to (or instead of) purchase price.

Furniture & Furnishings: Furniture, flooring, ceilings, walls, composite wood.

Consumable Office Products: Includes batteries, lamps, paper, toner cartridges.

Information Technology (IT) & Equipment: IT and equipment includes computers, imaging equipment, mobile phones, data centers, cloud services, laboratory products, scientific and medical equipment.

Food & Beverage Service Providers: Contractors, franchises, vending and catering services.

Garments & Linens: Includes clothing and laundry services.

Transportation & Fuels: Transportation and fuels include travel, vehicles, delivery services, long haul transport, generator fuels, steam plants.

Professional service providers: Include architectural, engineering, public relations, and financial services.