Here are some tips to sustainable procurement:

• Agree on sustainable purchasing objectives and integrate them into a simple sustainable procurement policy that clearly states your intentions.
• Set up a ‘preferred products’ list with your consumables supplier so when ordering, the greenest and pre-approved products are delivered.
• Incorporate sustainable procurement criteria into all key contracts, starting with those that are high spend, have a high environmental impact and are easily influenced.
• Award new contracts on the basis of value for money and whole life costing, not at the lowest price; green purchases may have lower operating or disposal costs.
• Regularly review your purchases to assess their impact regarding emissions to air and water, waste to landfill, resource use and environmental quality.
• Engage existing suppliers who may be able to provide products or services to fit in with your new procurement policy. Seek their feedback before targeting new suppliers or contractors. Ask your supplier for sample products.

The tips to sustainable procurement are:

• buy less stuff
• hire rather than buy
• buy stuff that is made from sustainable materials
• buy stuff that looks after its workers well, including a fair price paid to raw material providers
• buy stuff that can be re-used
• buy stuff that can be recycled
• buy stuff that is low energy to make and to run
• buy stuff that doesn’t use lots of water to grow/manufacture
• buy stuff that is non toxic – in its growing, manufacture, use and disposal