Agnes Scott College
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

Agnes Scott College has adopted a Green Cleaning Policy in accordance with LEED-certification guidelines. This policy was written for a single LEED project, and has since been approved campus-wide. This Policy and Plan addresses environmental best practices for cleaning the interiors of Agnes Scott College. Specifically, it addresses purchasing sustainable cleaning, hard-floor and carpet products; cleaning and care of entryway systems; procuring sustainable cleaning equipment; developing and implementing standard operating procedures for effective cleaning; promoting and improving hand hygiene; developing guidelines for handling cleaning chemicals; developing staffing and employee training requirements; collecting and addressing occupant feedback; and establishing procedures for use of chemical concentrates and dilution systems. Additional information on Agnes Scott's green cleaning procedures can be found in the attached policy below.

On October 31, 2008, the Agnes Scott College Board of Trustees approved a resolution that all new construction and major renovation projects on campus must meet the standards of LEED and be certified LEED Silver or higher. The resolution reads: RESOLVED, that upon the recommendation of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, the Agnes Scott College Board of Trustees adopt LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards as the guiding principles in the design and construction of all Agnes Scott facilities; RESOLVED FURTHER, that the college strive for LEED Silver certification or greater for all new construction and renovation. Construction and renovation purchasing policies are included within the college's procurement policy and include the following procedures: • All new buildings will meet LEED-silver level certification. • All components including mechanical, electrical and plumbing components, lighting, finishes, materials, etc. should be considered in new construction or renovations. • Give preference to durable fabrics made with recycled content. • Give preference to carpet, tiles, and insulation made of recycled and non-toxic materials. • Consider refurbished items, rather than always buying new. • When purchasing wood products, give preference to sustainably harvested, FSC certified wood (Forest Stewardship Council) and with low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) and formaldehyde content. • Preference will be given to the purchase of the highest efficiency lighting whenever possible. • All mercury and fluorescent light bulbs contain toxic contaminants and must be recycled at appropriate disposal centers.

All IT equipment purchased by the college meets EPEAT or Energy Star certifications, and is outlined on the Office of Information Technology Services' (ITS) website. Agnes Scott College is dedicated to sustainability ensuring the technology utilized by the college is energy efficient and made through environmentally responsible methods. Agnes Scott College strives to purchase computers, monitors and laptops that are EnergyStar certified and/or rated EPEAT silver or higher whenever possible. Information Technology also purchases 100% post-consumer recycled paper for use in all academic support local and network printers. Information technology purchasing policies are included within the college's procurement policy and include the following procedures: • All new electronic products should be EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) or Energy Star registered products. • All new printers should have a duplex printing mode. • All new office technology (printers, computers, etc.) shall be purchased or approved through ITS who will ensure products meet the appropriate environmental standards. • All exhausted electronics should be returned to ITS for recycling. • Equipment that uses main electricity is preferable. When batteries are essential, low mercury, cadmium or rechargeable batteries should be purchased. These batteries should be recycled at the end of their useful life.

All janitorial paper products are covered under the college's Green Cleaning Policy as outlined above. ITS is also committed to procuring office paper that is only 100% post-consumer recycled content. This policy is outlined on their website under Printing Services, and under IT equipment purchasing, which is discussed above. Wood and paper purchasing policies are included within the college's procurement policy and include the following procedures: • All paper purchased should be FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified and have the highest post-consumer content available, while in compliance with the EPA recommended minimum of 30 percent when possible. • Purchase recycled content office supplies (folders, writing pads) when available. • Make use of recycled paper. For instance, used paper should be turned into scratch pads for internal use, if it doesn’t contain sensitive information. • All members of the campus community shall be conscious of printing and try to reduce paper usage where possible. • The campus community shall ALWAYS use the duplex (double sided) printing function unless single sided printing is required, or duplex printing is not available. When appropriate, use the multiple sheets per page option. • Offices will reduce their consumption of paper by switching to paperless office technology and practices. • Departments shall use online purchasing and search for products through online catalogs, and discourage the mailing of print catalogs. Advertising and campus postings should use the minimal amount of paper necessary.

The Agnes Scott Green Team is also committed to reducing the quantity of office supplies purchased by the college. They established a Virtual Office Swap site to reduce the amount of items purchased. This information is included in our procurement policy, and also on the Office of Accounting's website. Purchasers should ensure that the product is necessary before making any purchase. Before ordering anything, purchasers should always check for items available free from other departments as shown in the Green Team's Virtual Office Supply Store and look for ways of saving money by reviewing the Office of Accounting web page. Purchasers are encouraged to order in bulk to save on the environmental impacts of shipping, however, purchasers must be certain that all materials purchased in bulk will be put to use and not wasted.