Date published:
Last revised:
Issued by:
May 4, 2012
May 4, 2012
Purchasing
Part 7. Purchasing - Table of Contents
7.12. SUSTAINABILITY
The University of Texas at Austin is committed to encouraging and supporting sustainable practices throughout the supply chain. Purchasing processes are reviewed by the Purchasing Office in order to identify opportunities to purchase products from sources that use recycled content, minimize the use of hazardous materials, and enable more efficient operations.
A. Supplier Selection
The Purchasing Office encourages evaluation teams to include sustainability as a scored component when using best value criteria to determine awards on requests for quotations.
The Purchasing Office collaborates with Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) to promote and evaluate sustainability in contracts awarded by the GPOs.
B. UT Market Preferred Suppliers
The Purchasing Office collaborates with UT Market suppliers to develop goals and track performance for sustainable practices in the areas of:
- paper products
- computer products
- laboratory supplies, chemicals, and equipment
- product packaging
C. Order Consolidation
The Purchasing Office develops new processes and works with vendors and departments to implement solutions to consolidate orders for efficient delivery to the university. This includes continued leverage of the university’s central receiving function. Delivery services are encouraged to use sustainable energy sources for delivery vehicles.
D. Purchase Locally
The Purchasing Office encourages all departments to purchase products locally to minimize the use of energy in the delivery of products to the university.
E. Education
Purchasing and the Office of Sustainability create awareness of sustainable purchasing opportunities, goals, and results by including sustainability in their procedures, training, and general communications to the university community.
