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Sustainable Purchasing

• Introduction
• What is EPP?
• How Can I Practice EPP?
• Tools for Finding Environmentally Preferable Items
• Complete the Cycle

How Can I Practice EPP?

Before making a purchase, think about how the proposed item will be used and its long-term effects on our environment. Ask yourself:

• Is the purchase truly necessary?
• Are there existing items within the department that can meet the need?
• Is this a long-term need? Or will renting/borrowing fulfill a temporary need?
• Is it an item that has to be new?

In some cases, another department may have a similar item that can be shared. Making maximum use of equipment already available on campus saves money and saves resources that would be needed to manufacture and ship the item. The Capital Asset Lookup screen, accessible from the Capital Asset Maintenance screen can be used to search for like items on campus, using the Commodity Code, Manufacturer, and Model Number fields.

The goal of the Bargain Barn is to return into circulation equipment, furniture, and supplies no longer needed by departments. Items at the Bargain Barn are generally available at a much lower cost than purchasing brand-new. Purchasing items from the Bargain Barn saves you money, and keeps items out of local landfills.

A good way to purchase for a sustainable future is to choose items that have a high-level of recycled content:

• UCD Buy: Products designated as "environmentally preferable" will be listed first in hosted catalog search results. You can also include the word "recycle" in your search, to retrieve items that include recycled components. Look for this symbol in your results:
  

  UCD Buy also features biodegradable utensils/plates/napkins for hosting a "Zero Waste Event." See the Help Resources in UCD Buy to learn more.

• Recycled-Content Product Directory: This State of California resource lists vendors who sell recycled products as well as products containing recycled materials.