Sustainable procurement

The Department is committed to integrating sustainability factors into its procurement activities. We will use our purchasing power to maximise environmental, social and economic benefits and to minimise waste, securing value for money in the long term.

Through our many roles as an employer, partner, estates manager and purchaser, we contribute in many ways towards a range of sustainability issues. These include energy efficiency, waste reduction through re-use and recycling schemes, and minimising vehicle emissions and greenhouse gases.

Equally, our main business contributes to wider economic and social objectives by encouraging children to develop skills and knowledge that will equip them for life and work.

Purchasers should continue to seek value for money, providing evidence sustainability has been addressed in their decision-making.

Procurement activity can have a considerable influence. Department purchasers take a proactive approach and can encourage colleagues to consider procuring sustainable products where appropriate.

Environmental procurement

The Department is committed to operating efficiently and with minimal negative environmental impact. Procurement can have a considerable influence by:

  • conserving energy, water, wood, paper and other resources, particularly those that are scarce or non-renewable
  • reducing waste through re-use and recycling and by using refurbished and recycled products and materials
  • ensuring products derived from wildlife, such as wood, paper and leather goods, are from sustainable sources and comply with EC and international trading rules
  • encouraging suppliers, through specifications, to develop environmentally preferable goods and services at competitive prices
  • phasing out or minimising substances such as greenhouse gases and vehicle emissions that are damaging to health and the environment
  • working with suppliers to improve environmental performance where it is relevant to the contract and consistent with the achievement of value for money
  • meeting all relevant current and foreseen statutory regulations and official codes of practice and asking suppliers to do the same.

Green Claims Code

This code sets out the standard of information the public can expect to receive about the environmental impacts of consumer products. The Government first launched the code in 1998 and updated it in 2000 to take account of the international standard (ISO 14021) on environmental claims.

In summary, the code states a green claim should be:

  • clear, accurate and capable of being supported by scientific evidence
  • relevant to the product or service and used only in an appropriate context
  • clear about what aspect of the product or service the claim refers to
  • significant in terms of its overall impact on the environment during its lifecycle
  • open about any significant doubt or division of scientific opinion over the issue in question
  • explicit about any symbol used in the claim
  • written in plain language.

More information on the code is available on the DEFRA website.