Green Purchasing
NYS Executive Order 22 (EO22) directs state agencies to meet a wide variety of sustainability targets, including those related to green procurement.
Per EO22, Campus purchasers must reference GreenNY Purchasing Specifications prior to spending state dollars and should strive to make purchases that meet these specifications to the greatest extent possible. Purchasers must follow the order of purchasing priority stated within the NYS Procurement Guidelines:
- Preferred Sources (Corcraft, NYSPSP, NYSID)
- OGS Contracts
- SUNY Contracts
- Other Procurement Methods (as defined on Page 8 of the Procurement Guidelines)
However, it is important to note that compliance with EO22 is considered part of ESF’s “form, function, and utility” requirements. This means that purchasers are able to procure environmentally preferred products (those that meet GreenNY specifications) from lower down the purchasing priority list, assuming that those higher on the list are not able to provide an EO22 compliant product.
The Office of Sustainability offers help in researching, procuring, and in some cases funding environmentally friendly products. If you are planning an event on campus or are gearing up to make a purchase, please contact us.
Green Purchasing Guide
Campus purchasers are encouraged to reference ESF’s Green Purchasing Guide. It is organized by Product Category and each section contains a table of contents. The Guide is designed to make it easy for purchasers to abide by NYS Procurement Guidelines.
Green Purchasing Guide Case Study
Single Use Elimination
SUNY’s Elimination of Single Use Plastics and Preference for Durable and Reusable Alternatives Policy and Procedure bans the purchase and use of many single-use plastics by state-operated campuses and by their campus-affiliated organizations. This ban applies to on campus activities and at campus-sponsored or affiliated activities. Banned product categories include bags, balloons, beverage bottles, food service products, stirrers, straws, utensils and wraps/packaging film. The Policy includes exemptions and a phased implementation timeline.
All purchasers are encouraged to use durable, reusable and washable items to replace single use items. Single use compostable products can be bought with State dollars and used on ESF’s campuses. However, they must be certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute. In all instances, reusable alternatives should be favored over single use compostable items.
A 200-person conference held at ESF served breakfast and lunch to attendees. Reusable dinnerware was used, compost was available and bulk purchasing was prioritized, resulting in the very small amount of trash you see above.