Responsible Purchasing

Generally, responsible purchasing promotes the use of free, pre-owned items available from within the Stanford community, thoughtful consideration of small, local, and/or climate-friendly suppliers, and use of search tools, filters, and other sustainable practices to identify and package/ship products.

Determine whether a brand new item is necessary
Utilizing pre-owned items from within Stanford that are available for free over ordering new goods supports the university’s ability to advance its sustainability goals while also supporting excellence in financial stewardship.

The following Stanford resources provide the ability to both request and/or post surplus goods or pre-owned items available free of charge for reuse within the university community. 

Also consider whether an existing item can be repaired, reupholstered, or otherwise updated rather than purchasing new.

If pre-owned or updated goods are not available, or for services, refer to the sections below for preferred purchasing methods that support compliant and responsible purchasing.

Before booking travel, review the Travel Tips section below for sustainable travel considerations, which includes attending conferences virtually, if possible. 

Departments should first explore the university’s centralized programs, for applicable purchases:

• The Stanford Travel Program for university-sponsored travel.
• Cardinal Print for printing devices.
• UIT’s Stanford University Hardware Program for work computers and accessories.
• Cardinal Temps centralized program for temporary workers

If pre-owned goods are not available, purchasers should review catalog methods (Amazon Business and SmartMart Catalog Suppliers), which are preferred for common goods because the pricing is established through a competitive process, there is no supplier request/setup required, and financial approval occurs before the purchase is finalized. 

After checking centralized programs or catalog options, purchasers should review the university’s best practices for selecting a supplier or independent contractor and consider suppliers who have one or more of the following features, which can factor into the total value of the purchase:

• Their own sustainability and/or greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.
• Active sustainability initiatives and demonstrated progress towards climate goals.
• Fair and ethical labor practices in the manufacturing process or supply chain.
• Are locally-owned or a small business, if that provides a total value consideration for your department. (e.g., a local printer may cost more but provides added value by offering the ability to view samples before large print runs)

Tools available to support supplier selection

Supplier Explorer Tool

When the above preferred purchasing methods do not meet the need, departments may need to make the purchase through a PCard or Non-Catalog request. For both of these purchasing methods, endeavor to start the supplier selection process early to include a broad array of suppliers in your search, optimizing both responsible purchasing and competitive sourcing.  Departments can use the Supplier Explorer Tool to support the supplier selection process with:

• New supplier discovery: Identify new suppliers that align with business needs and responsible purchasing priorities.
• Stanford supplier identification: Quickly find existing Stanford suppliers that support responsible purchasing, along with reviewing and verifying their certifications.

Refer to the Supplier Explorer system page for key features, guidance on using Supplier Explorer filters and classifications, and access instructions. The Supplier Explorer tool can also be used to build a pipeline of suppliers for future needs while supporting responsible purchasing.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) process

Departments can also consider whether an Request for Proposals (RFP) is appropriate and solicit responses from multiple suppliers, including small and local businesses, and request information, such as:

• Ownership certifications (refer to Understanding Supplier Explorer Filters & Classifications for examples of various certifications)
• Greenhouse gas emissions reductions to date
• Climate targets
• Circular economy principles
• Supply chain sustainability
• Sustainable packaging and shipping practices
• Environmental product declarations

After selecting the supplier, departments can also include responsible purchasing language in the contract to support monitoring of the supplier’s compliance with responsible purchasing values.

Regardless of purchasing method, purchasers could consider the following questions when purchasing goods, which support responsible purchasing by positively contributing to the circular economy, and total value.

• Is the product energy-efficient?
• Is the product manufactured with recycled content?
• Can a reusable product be used instead of disposable products?
• Are the product and its packaging components recyclable or compostable? (At Stanford, cardboard and thin film plastic are recyclable; Styrofoam is not).
• What material is the good made of? Is there an Environmental Product Declaration or life cycle assessment that measures the embodied carbon in the product and how it compares to similar products?
• What negative upstream or downstream effects might this good or service have?
• Can the product be provided by a local business? How will the goods or service be transported or delivered? Will travel be involved?

Stanford Procurement Services offers the following preferred purchasing methods to support responsible purchasing:

• Amazon Business provides:
  • Climate Pledge Friendly label to denote items that are certified through one or more reputable, transparent, external sustainability certification programs. Examples include the Forest Stewardship Council and EPEAT. Search results can be filtered to show only products with this label.
  • Ownership Certification filters to explore items sold by small, local, and other types of businesses.
  • Amazon Day delivery option to consolidate deliveries to one day per week and reduce the number of trips required to deliver items.
  • Frustration-Free Packaging to reduce the use of additional and unnecessary packaging materials. Search results can be filtered to show only products that meet this criteria, and adjustments can also be made during checkout.
  • Sustainable shopping list featuring products from renewable sources and recycled materials as well as reusable, compostable, or recyclable options. To access the list:
    • Log in to Oracle Financials
    • Access Amazon Business in iProcurement
    • Click on the Lists section on the top right
    • Navigate to the Shared with your groups section and select the Stanford University folder, which will then display the Stanford Sustainable Office & Breakroom Supplies list.
       
• SmartMart Catalog Suppliers: The “Green,” “Recycled,” and “Energy Star” filters can be used when searching for products across all of SmartMart. In individual catalog supplier punchouts, look for green filters in the search results and/or green icons to denote sustainable products. Sustainability information and filtering options will vary.
• Non-catalog requests: Refer to general considerations for selecting goods above.

Planning the shipment

Purchasers may consider the following shipping considerations to support responsible purchasing.

• Plan the purchase early to allow for more shipping time. While ground transportation is slower, it is much more environmentally friendly than air transport.
• Select local suppliers or those with nearby warehouses for faster, sustainable shipping.
• Consolidate orders into a single shipment rather than shipping items as they become available.  
• When comparing similar products, select those shipping from closer locations.

Supplier packaging guidelines

Sustainable packaging is a key component to achieving Stanford’s goals of net zero carbon emissions in university operations by 2050 and zero waste by 2030. Refer to Topic Overview: Delivering Goods and Services to Stanford for packaging guidelines to reduce environmental footprint and potentially reduce costs. 

For many individuals, emissions from travel comprise the largest portion of their personal carbon footprint. At Stanford, emissions from collective student, faculty, and staff travel are equivalent to the annual energy use of nearly 20,000 homes. Individuals traveling on university business have several options to reduce their travel footprint. 

Determine whether travel is necessary:

• Consider attending conferences and events virtually if the attendee does not need to be there in person.
• Students can consider staying on campus during breaks and over the summer and explore Bay Area professional opportunities and Stanford events and activities.

If travel is necessary, refer to the Stanford Travel Program to learn how the program simplifies travel logistics by providing a streamlined process, preferred suppliers, and dedicated support. With this program, Stanford travelers can enjoy a smoother, more convenient experience every step of the way. Below are tips to reduce carbon emissions, by mode of transportation.
 

Air travel

• Planning the trip/route:
  • The university highly encourages travelers to take the most direct route by choosing direct flights (e.g., fewer stops or nonstop) to support sustainability efforts, reduce complexity, and lower risk from travel complications. If a nonstop flight is not available from the traveler’s primary airport, consider expanding your search to other nearby airports.
  • Combine multiple trips  to nearby destinations into a single trip with multiple legs.
• Searching for the flight:
  • Most Stanford Travel booking channels and airlines website searches provide carbon estimates in flight searches, allowing travelers to pick the lowest emissions option.
• Selecting the flight fare/class and taking the flight:
  • Fly economy instead of business class when you have the choice and it is within policy.
  • Pack light. Added luggage weight  increases carbon emissions.

Ground transportation

• Take the train whenever possible. Amtrak has a station in San Jose with train routes to many California and western state destinations.
• Consider sustainable driving options. Depending on the trip distance, driving may be more efficient, economical, and sustainable than flying if you drive with a colleague going to the same place or use an electric vehicle.
• Carpool, take public transportation, or consider rideshare options to get to the airport. Reference these maps for public transit directions from the main campus to SFO, SJC, and OAK.
  • If using rideshare options, look for compliant green or electric vehicle options, such as Uber Green.
    More information is available on the Topic Overview: Planning and Booking Travel page. 

The Responsible Purchasing team advances the university's commitment to responsible purchasing goals. Through programs, services, and tools, the team works directly with campus purchasers to:

• Promote broadly applicable responsible purchasing recommendations
• Identify tailored solutions for specific purchasing needs
• Engage suppliers to align with responsible purchasing priorities and signal market expectations
• Refine strategies and drive continuous improvement using a data-driven approach

To connect with the Responsible Purchasing team, submit a support request.