Version 1.

Nov 09

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Sustainability Guidelines
Introduction
Sustainability considerations are increasingly being Finally, an important element of any tender is to
incorporated into the procurement process. From establish your own needs and objectives. All products
improved efficiency, to reduced waste and financial must be fit for purpose, within budget, and suited to the
savings, suppliers are now being asked about the needs determined by your Council. For this reason it is
sustainability features of the products and services they important to establish and prioritise these needs and
sell. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the objectives before you develop sustainability criteria.
tendering process.
This guide has been developed in collaboration with
Tenders offer a unique opportunity to; staff from councils across NSW – both large and small,
• Incorporate sustainability into the purchasing urban and rural. The material is drawn from tender
process in a structured and systematic manner documents currently being used by NSW Councils. This
• Embed sustainability for the duration of a contract guide will be updated periodically so please send any
period feedback or suggestions for future versions to
• Request sustainability data and information directly Sustainable Choice.
from suppliers
• Demonstrate that your organisation takes
sustainability seriously
• Focus on the issues and criteria most relevant to
your council.

NSW councils are not alone in this newly emerging

area. Many large and multinational companies
practice sustainable procurement and supply chain
management themselves. These same companies
are well prepared for their customers to do like
wise. Many suppliers are able to provide detailed
information about the manufacture, use and
disposal of their products.

It is good practice to ask questions in your tender

documents about both the product, and the
suppliers internal processes and systems.

This guide is designed as a short-cut to help

council staff identify key sustainability issues, and
to formulate relevant questions for tender
documents. It is intended as a starting point only.
Choose only what is useful for your purposes and
tailor the material to your own circumstances.

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TENDERING:sustainability guidelines

General Company • Does the company support any community

initiatives?

Considerations Remember to always ask for documentary

evidence for any claims being made by a supplier.

Large companies and multinational organisations

often have sophisticated internal environmental
management systems. These may be more
elaborate and formal than anything a smaller
company could afford (or need). Your questions
and evaluation therefore need to be mindful of this.
Small organisations may not have the capacity to
respond to complex questions with the same level
of detail as large companies.

Potential questions may include;

• Does the company have an Environmental
Management Strategy (EMS), Policy or Plan?
• Is the EMS independently certified or managed?
(large company’s only)
• Does the company produce a publicly available
Annual Sustainability or Environmental Report?
(large companies only)
• Does the company have a Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) Plan or Policy (large
companies only)
• What policies or initiatives does the company
have to reduce environmental impacts in key
areas such as greenhouse, water and energy
use, waste production, air and water pollution,
etc. Are these initiatives independently audited?
• What systems does the company have to
monitoring its own performance? (audits, annual
reports, etc.)
• To what extent does the company manage and
evaluate its supply chain?
• Has the company ever been convicted of an
environmental breach or crime? (If so, request
details)
• Does the company or product have any kind of
eco-certification?
• Does the company currently use any rare or
endangered materials in the manufacture of any
of its products? (if so, request details)
• Does the company currently manufacture any
products that are hazardous to human health?

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TENDERING:sustainability guidelines

General Product Packaging and Transport

Considerations • Where are products manufactured?
• How are products transport from place of
manufacture to where they are used?
• Can the supplier list all packaging materials and
components?
A number of general sustainability issues are
• Are products re-packaged at any point in the
common to many products and services.
supply chain? If yes, request details.
• What percentage of packaging is reused?
Potential questions may include;
• What percentage of packaging is made from
• Have products been designed for maximum
recycled material?
durability and ease of repair and maintenance?
• What percentage of packaging is recycled at
• Has a full life cycle and/or carbon footprint
end-of-life?
assessment been conducted?
• What percentage of packaging is
• Can the supplier provide comprehensive data
biodegradable?
on operation and maintenance inputs?
• Does the company take back packaging for
• Can the manufacturer provide data on life cycle
reuse or recycling?
impacts and costs?
• Does the product have any type of rating (ie,
water, energy, greenhouse, etc.). For products
with energy or water star rating, consider
stipulating minimum 4 star rating.
• Does the product have any type of eco-
certification (ie, Good Environmental Choice
Australia, Fair Trade, etc.)
• Is the product non-toxic?
• Does manufacture or use of the product help
reduce the consumption of natural resources?
• Does manufacture or use of the product help
enhance or protect biodiversity or habitat in any
way?

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TENDERING:sustainability guidelines
Specific Product
Considerations
Many sustainability issues are specific to a
particular product or service. Below is a list of
potential questions/issues for a range of popular
products.
Computers
• Request power consumption details in all
modes of operation.
• Is the equipment Energy Star compliant?
• Are computer monitors LED?
• Does the supplier have a take back at end-of-
life program?
• Currently, what percentage of the product can
be recycled at end-of-life?
• Currently, where and how would the supplier
recycle this product?
• Can the equipment be easily upgraded to
incorporate additional capacity or new
functionality?
• Request a list and description of all packaging.
• Request details of all warranty conditions.
• Are there any other sustainability features of
this product? If so, please provide details.
Printers & Copiers
• Does the equipment guarantee include use with
most standard recycled papers?
• Does the equipment guarantee include use with
remanufactured toner/ink cartridges?
• Does the supplier participate in a cartridge
recycling program?
• Does the equipment have default duplex
(double siding) function?
• Does the equipment print multiple pages to
one?
• Has lead free soldering been used in the
manufacturing process?
• Does the supplier have a take back at end-of-
life program?
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Printers & Copiers Continued…
• Currently, what percentage of the product can
be recycled at end-of-life?
• Currently, where and how would the supplier
recycle this product?
• Does the equipment produce ozone or VOC
emissions when in use? If yes, request details.
• Request a list and description of all packaging.
• Request details of all warranty conditions.
• Are there any other sustainability features of this
product? If so, request details.
Cleaning Products/Services
• Please identify the extent of biodegradability as
specified in the relevant Australian Standard
(AS4351-1996)
• Does the product contain any hazardous or
potentially hazardous compounds? If so, please
list.
• Please specify the level of phosphates.
• Please specify the level of VOCs.
• Please list all fragrances and dyes used in the
product.
• Please provide all relevant Data Safety Sheets.
• Please provide a statement of compliance with
all OH&S requirements.
• Please provide details of all safety procedures
and equipment necessary for use with this
product.
• Is packaging reusable or recyclable?
• Are there any restrictions on packaging
disposal? If so, please provide details.
• Are there any other sustainability features of this
product? If so, please provide details.
TENDERING:sustainability guidelines
Specific Product
Considerations
Office Furniture
• Please list all the materials and components of
each furniture item.
• Please list the country of origin of each major
component.
• Please list all recycled materials with recycled
content percentages.
• Is the upholstery able to be repaired and/or
replaced?
• Does your company repair or maintain the
product?
• Please list all timbers used (see also Timber
Products)
• Please provide details for all operation and
maintenance requirements.
• Please provide details of all warranty conditions.
• Please provide a statement of compliance with
all safety, Australian Standards, and OH&S
requirements.
Janitorial Paper Products
• Please provide details on the source of all paper
pulp used in the product.
• If virgin pulp is used, please provide details of
any certification.
• What is the recycled content percentage of the
product.
• If recycled, please detail the pre and post
consumer waste percentages.
• Is the product bleached? (unbleached is
preferable).
• If bleached, please provide bleaching details
(totally chlorine free is preferable).
• Please provide details of all dyes and fragrances
used.
• Is packaging made from recycled material?
• Is packaging biodegradable?
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Printing Papers
• Please provide details on the source of all pulp
used in the product.
• If virgin pulp is used, please provide details of
any certifications.
• What is the recycled content percentage of the
product.
• If recycled, please provide details of pre and
post consumer waste percentages.
• Please provide details of bleaching (totally
chlorine free is preferable).
• Please provide details of country of
manufacture.
Food & Catering
• Request organic food where feasible and
affordable.
• Request local and seasonal foods where
feasible and affordable.
• Request the use of Fair Trade beverages and
food where feasible and affordable.
• Minimise the use of meat and request vegetarian
options.
• Stipulate no foods made from rare or
endangered species (such as Blue Fin Tuna and
Orange Roughy fish)
• Avoid imported foods where possible.
• Minimise the use of disposable packaging and
utensils.
• Avoid the use of disposable plastics or styro-
foam.
• Try not to over-cater.
• Does the caterer participate in organic waste
disposal?
•
Timber Products
• Does the product contain any reused timber?
• Are virgin timbers sourced from plantation or
virgin forests?
• What eco-certification does the timber have?
(FSC and PCFC certified timbers are
preferable).
• Request the species and place of origin of all
virgin timbers.
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Specific Product Vehicles

Considerations
Consulting Services
• Does the service provider produce a publicly
available environmental report?
• Does the service provider have an
environmental policy or Environmental
Management System (EMS)?
• Does the service provider have established
objectives or targets to improve environmental
performance?
• What programs or practices are in place to
achieve waste minimisation and resource
• efficiency?
• What programs or practices are in place to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated
with the service delivery and/or service provider?
Playground & Sporting
• Request greenhouse and air pollution data for
vehicles in all modes of operation.
• Is the vehicle able to be operated with biofuel? If
yes, please provide details.
• Is the vehicle able to be operated with recycled
oil? If yes, please provide details.
• Request details of all warranty conditions.
• Are there any other sustainability features of the
vehicle? If so, please provide details.
Garbage Bins
• Please list all the materials and components of
each bin.
• Please provide details of all recycled material,
and recycled content percentages for all
material.
• Are bins recycled at end-of-life? If yes, please
provide details.
• Does the supplier repair damaged bins? If yes,
please provide details.
• Please provide details of all maintenance
requirements.

Apparatus
• Please list all the materials and components of
each apparatus or product.
• Please list the country of origin of each major
component.
• Please list all recycled materials providing
recycled content percentages.
• Is the equipment/product able to be repaired
and/or replaced?
• Does your company repair or maintain the
equipment/product?
• Please provide details of all required
maintenance.
• Please provide details of all warranty conditions.
• Please provide a statement of compliance with
all safety, Australian Standards, and OH&S
requirements.
• Please list all timbers used (see also Timber
Products)

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TENDERING:sustainability guidelines
Evaluation
How you evaluate the information provided by
suppliers will be determined by how your
organisation has prioritised the specific
sustainability issues relevant to a given product.
It may be helpful to set benchmarks, or minimum
requirements (for example a minimum 4 stars
energy or water rating, or ‘no chlorine bleaching’).
Beyond this, it may be helpful to assign a rating for
how each tender/product helps deliver key
sustainability considerations such as energy
saving, water saving, non toxic, low maintenance,
recycled at end-of-life, minimal packaging, etc. etc.
It is therefore advisable when formulating tender
questions to have a combination of yes/no
questions as well as open ended questions. For
example, ‘Is the bleaching process totally chlorine
free?’ is a simple yes/no question, while ‘please
provide details of the bleaching process’ is an
open ended question.
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Tools and
Resources
Australian
NSW Government Procurement Guidelines: Envi-
ronmental Management
http://www.nswprocurement.com.au/PDF/Policy/
Environmental-Management.aspx
NSW Government It’s a Living Thing resources
http://www.livingthing.net.au/Go/Default.aspx?
tabid=1388
Local Government Procurement
http://www.lgp.org.au
International
European Commission Green Public Procurement
Tool Kit
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/toolkit_en.htm
European Commission Fact Sheets (useful for cri-
teria and developing clauses)
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/toolkit_en.htm
Norwegian GRIP Office Materials
http://www.grip.no/Innkjop/English/
available_material.htm
Norwegian GRIP Tender Evaluation Tool
http:// www.gri p.no/ Innkjop/ English/Do wn%
20load%20documents/2007-05-
24_GRIP_evaluation_tool.xls
International Green Purchasing Network
http://www.igpn.org/guideline/organizations.html