Green Purchasing

On April 28, 2008, New York Gov. Paterson signed an Executive Order establishing a New York State "Green Procurement and Agency Sustainability Program," to promote policies within state agencies and authorities that reduce the consumption of materials and energy and reduce potential impacts on public health and the environment. As a result, SUNY is required, where applicable, to purchase environmentally-friendly commodities, services and technology and develop sustainability and stewardship programs.

Executive Order 4 established an Interagency Committee on Sustainability and Green Procurement that is co-chaired by the Commissioner of General Services (OGS) and the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). OGS hosts the NYS State Green Procurement and Agency Sustainability Program website.  Additionally, Environmentally Preferable Purchasing information is available on the OGS site.

Information about Executive Order No. 111, "Directing State Agencies, State Authorities, and Other Affected Entities to be More Energy Efficient and Environmentally Aware;" and Executive Order No.142," Directing State Agencies, and Authorities to Diversify Fuel and Heating Oil Supplies Through the Use of Biofuels in State Vehicles and Buildings can be found on NYS Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) website. 

OGS offers two additional websites NYS Green Cleaning Program and Green Purchasing that may be helpful in your efforts to comply with these Executive Orders.

New York State is also member of the Northeast Recycling Council whose "mission is to advance an environmentally sustainable economy by promoting source and toxicity reduction, recycling, and the purchasing of environmentally preferable products and services."

Executive Order 4

Governor David A. Paterson signed Executive Order 4 (EO4) on April 24, 2008.  EO4 establishes a state green procurement and agency sustainable program.  The goals of EO 4 include the conservation, improvement and protection of natural resources, the promotion of effective methods to reduce energy and resource consumption and the procurement of commodities, services and technology that minimize the potential environmental and health impacts of these activities.  Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the Executive Order.

On October 7, 2008, the University distributed a list of general guidelines and to began the process of implementing them in to the normal course of campus operations.  Those guidelines include the following:

•  The use of copy paper, janitorial paper and other paper composed of 100% post-consumer recycled content and processed chlorine-free to the extent practicable.
•  The use of 100% post-consumer recycled content paper to the extent practicable in all University publications.
•  The implementation of programs to separate recyclable materials.
•  The implementation of programs to reduce waste.

The Office of Purchasing has identified products that the campus community can consider when purchasing commodities include in the Executive Order. Please contact Purchasing for more information.   We are always happy to know if you have discovered another commodity that complies with the Executive Order.

Additionally, the Copy Center (located in 4 Bray Hall) uses a wide range of papers that contain the maximum percentage of post-consumer recycled content that is currently available.  Please consider the Copy Center for your copying needs.  James Wheeler is the contact for the the Copy Center and he can be reached at 470-6705.

Executive Order 6

Governor David A. Paterson signed Executive Order 6 (EO6) on June 4, 2008.  EO6 is designed to ensure the cost-effectiveness of contracts for personal services.  More specifically, pursuant to EO6, the University must justify, with compelling reason(s), why the state work force of public employees wasn't used to carry out the services associated with the contract.

EO6 stipulates that state agencies should enter into private vendor contracts only after consideration of whether state employees can practicably meet the same need by providing services of the same or better quality for equivalent costs.

To that end, the University's Office of Purchasing and Contracts will now require any department requesting to enter into a Qualified Personal Service Contract that meets the minimum criteria of the EO6 to justify in writing, why the state work force wasn't utilized in the implementation of the services provided in the contract.

A Qualified Personal Service Contract shall mean any contract entered into by the University with any private party pursuant to State Finance Law 163, under which (a) the University believes that a majority of the costs of the contracts are attributable to compensation of the contractor's personnel; and (b) the University can reasonably anticipate that it will incur costs for the compensation of personnel of $1 million or more. 

A Qualified Personal Service Contract shall include contracts whose primary purpose is evaluation, research and analysis, data processing, computer programming, engineering, environmental assessment, health and mental health services, and accounting, auditing or similar services.

A member of the Office of Purchasing and Contracts will contact the end-user in all cases where a department wishes to conduct a procurement involving a service as describe in the EO6.  Please access Executive Order 6 for additional information.

Water Products

The purchase of water products for consumption by faculty, staff, and students is not an appropriate use of State funds. The only departments that are permitted to use State funds for water products are those that have a justifiable requirement for such in support of a student recruitment and/or retention need.

Any department that wishes to purchase water products with State funds must forward a justification to the Purchasing Office, Bray Hall 100, describing how water products are needed to support their departmental mission of recruitment and/or retention. The justification will be reviewed by the Director of Business Affairs and/or the VP of Administration for appropriateness, and departments will receive written notification of the status of their request within five (5) business days.

Please be advised that no departments may use or purchase bottled water per New York State Governor's Executive Order No 18: Restricting the Use of Bottled Water at State Facilities and Promoting Executive Agency Sustainability.

Sustainability related policies can be found on the SUNY ESF Website.