ST PETER’S GREEN PURCHASING POLICY
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this Green Purchasing Policy are to:
A. Eliminate unnecessary purchasing;
B. Reduce our impact on the environment;
C. Reduce our impact on human health;
D. Promote using environmentally preferred products;
E. Develop a green purchasing culture throughout our school.
IMPLEMENTATION
To achieve the above objectives, St Peter’s will:
A. Establish a staff education program to raise awareness about this policy;
B. Ensure that all staff, where appropriate have access to information on environmentally preferred products;
C. Require that all contractors and consultants are aware of the current purchasing policy and green
purchasing options and work with our school community to meet the objectives of the Green Purchasing
Policy within their contracts;
D. Establish a system to track and report on the outcomes of this policy;
E. Actively promote environmental purchasing to the community.
F. Encourage staff to find and share information about recycled and environmentally preferable products and
specifications;
G. Encourage innovativeness among staff for environmental purchasing.
GUIDELINES
St Peter’s aims to purchase environmentally friendly products whenever they prove to perform
satisfactorily and are available at a reasonable price. Purchasing decisions shall be made in the context of the
waste ideals to: avoid, reduce, reuse and recycle.
AVOID – Identifying ways of carrying out a function or task without using materials that generate waste.
An example is sending information electronically instead of on paper.
REDUCE – Using less in the first place and avoiding waste. Examples of this include purchasing in bulk to
reduce packaging and the purchase of printing equipment that prints double sided copies.
REUSE – Using the same item more than once, and extending the useful life of products and equipment
before replacing an item. Aim to re-use or repair an existing product. Ensure that new purchases are
durable, have a long service life and are easy to maintain and upgrade.
RECYCLE – Purchasing products that contain recycled materials or those that have or can be remanufactured
or recycled.
Tips to save money so green purchasing can be a reality!!
TIP 1:
At the end of each school day, check that your PCs, printers, photocopiers and other stand-by appliances
are turned off at the wall.
TIP 2:
Keep your classroom doors closed whenever possible. This will help to prevent cool or warm air from
escaping.
TIP 3:
Don’t overheat or overcool. In winter, set your school’s thermostat to 18°C–20°C and in summer set it
to 24°C–27°C.
TIP 4:
Remind staff and canteen manager to turn off appliances at the wall in the canteen and staff
room when they are not in use.
TIP 5:
Remember to turn the lights off when you leave a classroom. If it’s bright outside, think about whether
you need the lights on at all.
TIP 6:
Check that none of your taps around the school are dripping. If they are, get them fixed to save water and
energy. Hot water uses a large amount of energy to heat.
TIP 7:
Set up a recycling station at your school. If you have one already, look at new things you could recycle.
Recycling paper, aluminium cans and plastic bottles saves on the raw materials and energy needed to
make new paper, cans and bottles.
TIP 8:
Walk, ride or catch a bus to school if you can. This reduces the carbon emissions released into the
atmosphere.
TIP 9:
Check your school’s appliances such as computers, fridges and kitchen appliances, to see how they
measure up in terms of energy efficiency. Compare annual consumption readings to see how efficient
they are.
Produced by Environmental Sustainability Branch, Projects Division. Copy courtesy of Synergy
(www.synergy.net.au) May 2011