Southern Oregon University
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

SOU has published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products detailed in the Green Purchasing Policy, as presented below: 3. Toxins and Pollutants a. Cleaning solvents shall be biodegradable, phosphate-free, and citrus-based where their use will not compromise quality of service. b. Industrial and institutional cleaning products that meet Green Seal certification standards shall be utilized by custodial staff and outside custodial contractors. c. All surfactants and detergents shall be readily biodegradable and shall not contain phosphates. d. Vacuum cleaners shall meet the requirements of the Carpet and Rug Institute “Green Label” Testing Program. e. Products and equipment shall not contain lead or mercury. For products that contain lead or mercury, preference shall be given to those products with lower quantities of these metals and to vendors with established lead and mercury recovery programs. f. When maintaining buildings and landscapes, Facilities shall manage pest problems through prevention and the use of environmentally-friendly products. Facilities shall adopt and implement an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy and practices using the least toxic pest control as a last resort. From the Green Building clause of the Green Purchasing Policy: c. When purchasing materials such as paint, carpeting, adhesives, furniture and casework for building maintenance, products with the lowest amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the highest recycled content, and low or no formaldehyde shall be used. Paint used on the campus shall meet the Green Seal GS-11 Standard for Low VOC content.

SOU has published sustainability criteria for construction and renovation products detailed in the Green Purchasing Policy, as presented below: 8. Green Building a. Green building concepts shall be integrated into architectural designs, construction documents, and the construction of and renovations to all SOU buildings. b. All new buildings and major renovation projects shall achieve the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver Certification, at a minimum. New buildings shall target LEED Gold or Platinum Certification. c. When purchasing materials such as paint, carpeting, adhesives, furniture and casework for building maintenance, products with the lowest amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the highest recycled content, and low or no formaldehyde shall be used. Paint used on the campus shall meet the Green Seal GS-11 Standard for Low VOC content. d. The distributors and/or manufacturers of all carpet installed at SOU shall have a carpet recycling plan. e. The use of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and halon-containing refrigerants, solvents, and other products shall be phased out. New purchases of heating, ventilating, air conditioning, refrigeration, insulation, and fire suppression systems shall not contain these chemicals. From the Recycling clause of the policy: c. Recycled, reusable, or reground materials shall be used for parking or road construction projects.

SOU has published sustainability criteria for IT products detailed in the Green Purchasing Policy, as presented below: a. All new purchases of desktop computers, notebooks and monitors must meet, at a minimum, all Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) environmental criteria designated as “required” (bronze registration) or higher as contained in the IEEE 1680 Standard for the Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products. Exceptions shall be approved by Information Technology (IT). b. Additional consideration shall be provided for electronic products that have achieved EPEAT silver or EPEAT gold registration. The registration criteria and a list of all registered equipment are provided at: http://www.epeat.net c. All copiers and printers purchased or leased shall be capable of double-sided copying/printing. d. Copiers and printers shall be compatible with the use of recycled content products.

SOU has published sustainability criteria for Food services detailed in the Green Purchasing Policy, as presented below: 10. Food a. When purchasing agricultural products, all food contractors shall purchase Oregon-grown products if the products are available and if the vendor can meet the applicable quality standards and pricing requirements. b. All food contractors shall work with their food distributors to purchase a minimum of 15% locally grown products and shall purchase as much local produce and product as possible.

Southern Oregon University requires business partners on all capital projects to comply with BOLI wages for their employees and to meet certain environmental standards, aligned with USGBC LEED guidelines. SOU also prioritizes minority, women, and emerging small businesses in all contracts and subcontracts.

SOU has published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels as detailed in the Green Purchasing Policy, as presented below: Under the Energy clause: i. University purchasing units replacing vehicles shall consider less-polluting alternatives to gas and diesel such as compressed natural gas, bio-based fuels, hybrids, electric batteries, and fuel cells, as available. Under the Bio-Based Products clause: c. Vehicle fuels made from non-wood, plant-based contents such as vegetable oils shall be encouraged.

SOU has published sustainability criteria for wood and paper products as detailed in the Green Purchasing Policy, as presented below: 5. Forest Conservation a. Ensure that all wood and wood contained in products purchased by SOU is certified to be substantially harvested by a comprehensive, performance-based certification system. The certification system shall include independent third party audits, with standards equivalent to, or stricter than, those of the Forest Stewardship Council certification. b. Purchase or use of previously used or salvaged wood and wood products is encouraged. 6. Recycling a. Purchase recycled paper with 30% post-consumer waste composition for all applications.

SOU has published sustainability criteria for appliances and lighting as detailed in the Green Purchasing Policy, as presented below: Within the Energy clause of the policy: g. All energy-using appliances purchased by the University shall meet the U. S. EPA Energy Star certification when available. When Energy Star labels are not available, all purchasing units shall choose energy products that are in the upper 25% of energy efficiency as designated by the Federal Energy Management Program. h. Energy-efficient equipment shall be purchased with the most up-to-date energy efficiency functions. This includes, but is not limited to, heating and cooling systems. j. Facilities shall phase out inefficient interior lighting (incandescent and T-12 fluorescent light sources) and replace with energy-efficient equipment. Halogen torchiere lamps shall not be allowed. k. Facilities shall phase out inefficient exterior lighting and replace with energy-efficient equipment. Exterior lighting shall be minimized where possible while providing adequate illumination for safety and accessibility. Within the Water clause of the policy: a. Purchase only the most water-efficient appliances available, including, but not limited to, high-efficiency toilets, low-flow faucets and aerators, and upgraded irrigation systems.