Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 57.85
Liaison Chad Carwein
Submission Date Jan. 17, 2023

STARS v2.2

East Carolina University
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.25 / 3.00 Chad Carwein
University Sustainability Manager
HSC Facilities Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Institution-wide sustainable procurement policies

Does the institution have written policies, guidelines, or directives that seek to support sustainable purchasing across multiple commodity categories institution-wide?:
Yes

A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
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The policies, guidelines or directives:
As a public institution in the UNC System, ECU is directed under Executive Order No. 156 "State Government Environmental Sustainability, Reduction of Solid Waste, and Procurement of Environmentally Preferable Products" to:

(1) In cooperation with the Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance, the Division of Purchase and Contract shall make every effort to identify environmentally preferable goods and services and products made from recycled materials that meet appropriate standards for use by state agencies. When environmentally preferable and recycled-content products are offered that are comparable in quality, availability, and price to products not having recycled content or similar environmental attributes, term contracts shall carry only the environmentally preferable products.

(2) To enable agencies to readily identify the availability of these products, term contracts shall be written in a format that prominently identifies environmentally preferable and recycled-content products, and these products shall be listed in conjunction with any comparable products not having recycled content or similar environmental attributes. The Division of Purchase and Contract shall prepare an electronic listing of all environmentally preferable and recycled-content products available on state contracts and make it available to all state agency purchasers.

(3) State agencies that have delegated purchasing authority shall develop product specifications to encourage vendors to offer environmentally preferable and recycled-content products. Specifications shall be written to ensure that they do not contain restrictive language or other barriers to purchasing environmentally preferable or recycled-content products, unless such specifications are necessary to protect public health, safety, or welfare.

(4) All electronic office equipment, including but not limited to, computers, monitors, printers, scanners, photocopy machines, facsimile machines, and other such equipment purchased by state agencies shall be Energy Star® compliant.

(5) State agencies shall give priority consideration to the purchase of re-manufactured and used equipment, including, but not limited to, such equipment as photocopiers and other office equipment.

(6) State agencies shall give priority consideration to the purchase of fleet vehicles that use less-polluting fuels and that have the highest available miles-per-gallon rating.

Part 2. Life Cycle Cost Analysis 

Does the institution employ Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) when evaluating energy- and water-using products and systems?:
Yes

Which of the following best describes the institution’s use of LCCA?:
Institution employs LCCA less comprehensively, e.g. for certain types of systems or projects and not others

A brief description of the LCCA policy and/or practices:
University adheres to state legislation, Chapter 143, Article 3B Energy Conservation in Public Facilities. Which requires that every new or renovated state "facility" of 20,000 square feet or more must be designed on the basis of life-cycle cost. Additionally our engineers conduct life cycle cost analysis when selecting equipment/systems for smaller in-house projects that do not involve third party consultants. More information is available here: and http://www.nc-sco.com/lifecyclecostanalysis.aspx

Part 3. Product-specific sustainability criteria

To count, the criteria must address the specific sustainability challenges and impacts associated with products and/or services in each category, e.g. by requiring or giving preference to multi-criteria sustainability standards, certifications and labels appropriate to the category. Broader, institution-wide policies should be reported in Part 1, above. 

Chemically intensive products and services

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating chemically intensive products and services?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
Data Source: Carl Thorell

Consumable office products

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating consumable office products?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for consumable office products:
As a public institution in the UNC System, ECU is directed under Executive Order No. 156 "State Government Environmental Sustainability, Reduction of Solid Waste, and Procurement of Environmentally Preferable Products" to:

(1) State agencies are directed to purchase and use recycled paper for all letterhead stationery, reports, memoranda, and other documents when feasible and practicable. All new and re-manufactured photocopy machines and laser printers purchased shall have the ability to use xerographic paper having at least 50% recycled content, 30% of which should be post-consumer content.

(2) State agencies shall attempt to meet the goal that, as of Fiscal Year 2000-01, 100% of the total dollar value of expenditures for paper and paper products be toward purchases of paper and paper products with recycled content. In addition, state agencies shall attempt, to the extent feasible and practicable, to purchase recycled paper and paper products with the highest percentage of post consumer content.

Furniture and furnishings

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating furniture and furnishings?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for furniture and furnishings:
We are currently in the process of revising our Construction Guidelines; however there are state mandates that require certain materials to be sourced within North Carolina.

Information Technology (IT) and equipment

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating Information technology (IT) and equipment?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for Information Technology (IT) and equipment:
Departments using state-appropriated funds to purchase computer desktops and laptops are now required to order through a new bulk IT purchasing program, the Combined Pricing Initiative (CPI). Approved in 2010 by the UNC-General Administration, the Combined Pricing Initiative saves money through the combined purchasing power of the entire UNC system. Like all UNC institutions, ECU is now purchasing through this mandatory program. Currently, only desktops and laptops/notebooks are purchased through this program. Tablets are not included in the CPI program at this time. Standard desktops and laptops meet diverse computing needs, but reduce the total cost of ownership. They also meet EPEAT/Energy Star requirements.

More information is available here: https://ecu.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/1409/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=67450

Food service providers

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating food service providers?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food service providers:
In 2018, ECU put out a Request for Proposals for our Dining Services Management. On page 19, ECU highlights Sustainability Requirements as follows:
- Implementation of initiatives that will further the sustainability efforts of the Dining Services Program to become a campus leader in this area.
- A directed plan to purchase locally sourced food when possible
- Demonstrated commitment to a pre/post-consumer food waste management program including, but not limited to donation to local farms/businesses, and composting programs.
- Commitment to measurable, year over year improvement in the use of agricultural products grown or processed within the state of North Carolina
- Incorporation of sustainable design principles in construction projects undertaken on behalf of the University.
- Management of Dining Services Program to grow and use food items from the Freight Farms container and other university-owned grow containers.

Garments and linens 

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating garments and linens?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for garments and linens:
ECU Athletics Department has adopted a "Don't Do Indonesia" policy that prohibits the purchase or sale of apparel goods manufactured in unsafe workshops and factories in the country of Indonesia.

Professional service providers

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating professional service providers?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional service providers:
According to the Guide to Materials Management & Purchasing, A vendor may be classified as a HUB (Historically Underutilized Business) vendor if their business is minority-owned, female-owned, a disabled business enterprise, or a non-profit workshop for the blind or severely disabled. Departments are encouraged to solicit competition from small and historically underutilized businesses when making any purchase.

More information is available here: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/purchasing/materialmgmt/upload/Guide-to-Materials-Management-Purchasing_Oct2016-2.pdf

Transportation and fuels

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating transportation and fuels?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
As a public institution in the UNC System, ECU is directed under Executive Order No. 156 "State Government Environmental Sustainability, Reduction of Solid Waste, and Procurement of Environmentally Preferable Products" to:

(1) To reduce air pollution, particularly ground-level ozone, resulting from state fleet vehicle usage, it shall be the goal of the State that on and after January 1, 2004, at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the new or replacement light duty cars and trucks purchased by state agencies will be alternative-fueled vehicles or low emission vehicles. The Departments of Administration, Transportation, and Environment and
Natural Resources, shall jointly develop a plan to achieve this goal and to fuel and maintain these vehicles.

(2) To the extent feasible, and within guidelines established jointly by the Office of State Personnel, and the Departments Administration, Transportation, and Environment and Natural Resources, state agencies shall implement measures to reduce the number of vehicle miles driven by state employees in personal and state fleet vehicles resulting from job-related travel including commuting to and from work. These measures may include car-pooling, vanpooling, public transportation incentives, flex-time scheduling to avoid travel during peak traffic, telecommuting, teleconferencing, and other appropriate strategies.

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable procurement program or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Data Source: Chad Carwein provided the information to complete this credit.

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