Sustainable Purchasing GuidePromotional Items

Purchasing ServicesTel: (306) 966-6704 Email: purchasing.services@usask.ca

Office of SustainabilityTel: (306) 966-1236Email: fmdsustainability@usask.ca

Wherever possible CHOOSE products that employ a combination of characteristics listed in the left hand column, and AVOID products that demonstrate characteristic in the right-hand column.

Sustainable Purchasing Guide 1

Dematerialization requires that we reduce the amount of materials as much as possible; and that we continually move toward the use of 100% recycled content.

Substitution requires that we find less harmful materials to replace those that currently damage and are not recyclable.

Promotional Items

This section provides information on currently available promotional item options that can help to move the University of Saskatchewan toward its sustainability goals. Living within the boundaries of our sustainability objectives requires us to apply two main strategies:

Sustainable purchasing is about including social, environmental, financial and performance factors in a systematic way. It involves thinking about the reasons for using the product (the service) and assessing how these services could be best met. If a product is needed, sustain-able purchasing involves considering how products are made, what they are made of, where they come from and how they will be used and disposed.

Finally, remember that this is an evolving document – it will change with new information as our understanding of sustainability impacts and potential solutions improves.

IntroductionCHOOSE AVOID• Alternativestoconventional

promotional products• Supplierswithsustainabilitypolicies• Recycledorrecyclableproducts• Naturalandorganicfibres• CompliancewithFairLabour

Association’sCode

• Plastics• One-time-useordisposableproducts• Syntheticfibres

Option: Consider alternatives to promotional productsStrategy: Dematerialization (SO 1, 2, 3, 4)

If our brand is on it, it represents our University regardless of what it is or what it costs. Purchasesthatdon’treflectthevaluesoftheUniversityofSaskatchewanwillreflectpoorlyon our institution. What message do we want to communicate about our University?

In some cases, we need to consider whether a promotional product is the best way of gettingthemessageout.Alternativescouldincludeaccesstoservicesorevents,orconsumable products that support local agriculture.

Inothercases,asustainablepromotionalproductcouldincludeinformationonthe‘story’of the supplier or the product (e.g. locally manufactured, uses recycled plastic) as a way to give the product value beyond just its functional use.

Option: Choose suppliers that have sustainability soliciesStrategy: Substitution and Dematerialization (SO 1, 2, 3, 4)

Include corporate commitment to sustainability as part of the evaluation criteria for quotation or proposal processes. Look for evidence of social/environmental programs, social or environmental codes of conduct, and compliance monitoring. Many suppliers of promotional products have a “green line,” but this is not the same as having standards that ensureminimumstandardsforallproducts.Avoidgettingcaughtupin“greenwashing,”or attempts to appear green in order to cash in on the current interest in sustainability.

Option: Reused and recycled productsStrategy: Dematerialization (SO 1, 2, 3, 4)

The best options are products made with re-used components or from post-consumer content where input materials are post-consumer waste (e.g. newsprint from blue box programs). The next best option are products made of pre-consumer waste such as ‘scraps’frommanufacturingthatarerecycledintonewproducts(e.g.plasticshavingsthat are re-melted and molded).

It is important to substantiate claims of recycled content with the manufacturer or distributor.

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Option: Choose natural and organic fibresStrategy: Substitution – Nature-like (SO 2, 3)

Many synthetic materials are made of petro-chemicals, a non-renewable resource. In addition, they can off gas chemicals since they are made of petroleum. Synthetic fibres also often do not breakdown readily at the end of the useful life.

The term organic describes a method of farming without the use of toxic and persistent farm inputs, sewage sludge, irradiation or genetic engineering, and are certified by an accredited indepen-dent organization. The most common organic fibre available is cotton,althoughalternativefibressuchashempandflaxarebecoming available.

Option: Choose products that are re-usable, recyclable or compostableStrategy: Substitution and Dematerialization (SO 1, 2, 3, 4)

Many promotional products are used for only a short period of time before making their way to the landfill. The toys given away by many fast food outlets are a good example.

The best options are products that are useful and re-usable over a long period of time, such as cloth bags. EcoLogo provides criteria for assessing re-usable bags.

When choosing products that are recyclable or compostable, ensure there are local facilities to do this. For instance, many products are technically recyclable, but there is no easily acces-sible infrastructure to do so (e.g. Polystyrene #6).

Option: Know your plasticsStrategy: Substitution (SO 1, 2)

If you must purchase plastic products, choose carefully: not all plastics are created equal. While all conventional plastics represent issues in terms of recyclability and bio-accumulation in the environ-ment, some represent a greater risk in terms of human health.

Plastic # Name CommonUses Rating Issues

1 PET – Polyethylene Teraphthalate Pop Bottles Good Antimony

(Heavy Metal)

2 HDPE – High Density Polyethylene Milk Jugs Best

3 PVC – Polyvinyl Chloride Plumbing Pipes Bad Dioxins (known

Carcinogen)

4 LDPE – Low Density Polyethylene Grocery Bags Best

5 Polypropylene Yoghurt Cups Best

6 Polystyrene CD Cases, Styrofoam Good Difficult to find recycling services

7 Other Polycarbonate Water Bottles Bad

Bisphenol A (BPA) an endocrine disrupter

If plastic is selected, choose those that represent less of a health risk.Avoidpolycarbonatebottles(#7);consider#2and#5plasticsinstead.Aluminumisoftentoutedasa‘safe’alternativetoplasticfor products such as water bottles. However, aluminum bottles haveaplasticbasedfilmliningthatoftencontainsBPA–thesamechemicaladditivein#7polycarbonatebottles.Currently,stainlesssteel is the preferred alternative as no plastic lining is used.

Depending on the type of product, biopolymers can also be considered. Biopolymers are a class of polymers (a building block of plastics) produced from corn or other agricultural products. They are considered bio-degradable, meaning they breakdown in natural conditions. Positive attributes include that they are made from naturally renewable resources (unlike oil based plastics) and that they are compostable under the right conditions. Biopolymers areaconcerninthattheymayrepresenta‘contaminant’tomainstream recycling streams. There is also significant debate about using food based feed-stocks to create plastics and the life-cycle energy impacts of bio-polymers.

For plastic bags, compostable options have been evaluated by EcoLogo.

Option: Apply the Fair Labour Association’s (FLA) CodeStrategy: Substitution (SO 4)

TheFairLabourAssociation’sCodereflectstheInternationalLabourOrganization’scorelabourstandardsandtheUNDeclarationofHumanRightsandcertifiesthatfairandproperlabourstandardsare being applied.

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Arrivingat the currently preferred options

1. Identify the service

Promotional products are used to reinforce brands, to communicate messages about missions and/or goals, or for event/conference promotion.

2. Assess the need

Promotional products are considered a marketing tool, and are thus considered integral to the promotion of our University.

3. Identify the contents

Promotional products can be made from a wide variety of products, including plastics, ferrous and non-ferrous metals and fibres.

4. Identify sustainability impacts

i. …systematically increasing concentrations of substances from the earth’s crust?

• Fossil fuels are combusted to provide energy during the extraction of raw materials, transportation and the produc-tion of promotional products.

• Thepetroleum or natural gas used as feedstock for most plasticsandsyntheticfibresisextractedfromtheearth’scrust at a rate much greater than it is re-deposited back into theearth’scrust.

ii. …systematically increasing concentrations of substances produced by society?

• Ifplastic products are not recycled, they usually end up in landfills or incinerators. The plastic persists in the environment after it is used and discarded, contributing to an increase in concentration of complex human-made substances in nature. While it is true that over time and under the right conditions plastics will oxidize, fragment and disintegrate – with continued strong growth in the use and disposal of plastics, the timeline is too short to prevent their accumula-tion in nature.

• Thecombustionoffossilfuels(seeabove)producesanumber of chemical compounds (e.g. nitrogen oxides) that build up in the atmosphere.

iii …systematically degrading nature by physical means?

• Theextraction of fossil fuels and virgin metals/minerals may systematically degrade nature, particularly where mining disturbs land that is not reclaimed and restored.

• Also,dependingonthedurabilityandusefulnessofthepromotional product, it may quickly end up in the landfill, adding to the degradation of land.

iv. …systematically undermining people’s ability to meet their basic human needs?

• Anumberofthecompoundsproducedbythecombustionof fossil fuels (e.g. nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, particulate matter) have a negative effect on human health.

• Somelowcostpromotionalproductsareproducedinfactories in developing countries that do not meet international labour or health and safety standards.

5. Envision sustainable promotioinal products

Truly sustainable promotional products would be durable and be useful beyond just their promotional value. They would be made from renewable, recyclable and compostable materials.

For example, a sustainable writing instrument would feature:

• nocomponentsthatarederivedfromtheearth’scrust(e.g.petrochemicals and metals), unless those ingredients are 100% captured and reused.

• nosyntheticcomponentsthatarepersistentinnature,unless those substances are 100% captured and reused.

Andaproductionprocessthat:

• doesnotcontributetotheincreasedconcentrationsofsubstancesfromtheearth’scrustorthebuildupofpersistentcompounds in nature,

• usesonlysustainablerenewableenergyorenergyproducedin a carbon-neutral manner;

• doesnotrelyonpracticesthatsystematicallyphysicallydegrade land and ecosystems; and

• doesnotrelyonpracticesthatunderminepeople’scapacityto meet their basic needs.

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6. Identify and prioritize alternatives

Toidentifythebestoptions,reviewtheCurrentOptionsonpageone and choose the most appropriate alternative by using the following three criteria for assessment:

a) Does the product or service move us in the right direction withregardstoourfourSustainabilityObjectives?

b)Doestheproductorservicecreateaflexibleplatformforthenext step toward sustainability?

c) Is the decision financially viable?

ResourcesandAdditionalInformation

1. NationalResearchCouncilCanada.(2002). www.irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/cbd/cbd019e.htm

2. FairLabourAssociation. www.fairlabor.org/about_us_code_conduct_e1.html

3. EnvironmentalProtectionAgency WasteConservation.

www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/tools/cpg/index.htm

4. SustainablePurchasingNetwork. www.buysmartbc.com/resources.html

5. GreenSealTMEnvironmentalStandardfor ReusableUtilityBags.

www.greenseal.org/certification/standards/ reusable_utility_bags_GS_16.pdf

6. BuySmartBC,SustainablePurchasingGuide. www.buysmartbc.com/UserFiles/File/SPN_

BusinessCaseGuide_Mar07.pdf

7. FairwareGuidetoSustainablePurchasing. www.fairware.ca/index.php

This guide was made possible through the generosity of the Whistler2012project,whichshareditstemplateandmuchofits research.