Purpose statement
The purpose of this procedure is to promote sustainable purchasing to achieve continuous improvement to the corporation’s resilience to climate change, waste diversion rates and indoor and outdoor air quality while reducing resource (energy, fuel, and water) consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and impact on the environment.
Scope
This procedure applies to all Town staff making purchasing decisions.
Procedure
The procedure recognizes that the environmental benefits of a product or service cannot undermine its efficacy or overall performance.
All purchasing decisions shall consider:
- Making efficient use of all resources in support of existing town policies including but not limited to the Sustainable Building Guidelines, Green Fleet Procedure, Energy Conservation and Demand Management Strategy and 2015/2016 Water Conservation Strategy.
- Minimizing waste by adhering to the 2015 Towards Zero Waste Procedure that includes giving preference to high quality renewable or recyclable materials that can be repaired, reused or upgraded as required.
- Minimizing toxicity to protect health, air and water quality.
- Incorporating climate change considerations to increase the town’s resiliency to extreme weather impacts including flooding, wind damage, loss of biodiversity and canopy cover, heat and cold stresses and increased freeze/ thaw cycles.
Outreach and education will be updated on an ongoing basis to incorporate emerging sustainable purchasing practices, products, services and education initiatives.
Responsibilities
All Departments/Staff are required to comply with the Sustainable Purchasing Procedure and Handbook when making all purchasing decisions.
The Purchasing Department is responsible to assist with vendor outreach and education, maintain the vendors list of pre-approved companies, amend the Purchasing By-law as required, assist to create compliant purchasing documents, provide input on the SPH and participate in the GTA-Clean Air Council Procurement Community of Practice.
The Environmental Policy Department is responsible to promote, track, evaluate and report on the implementation of the procedure, to maintain the SPH and to participate in the GTA-Clean Air Council Procurement Community of Practice.