Sustainable Procurement

Sustainable procurement is a process whereby we meet our need for goods, services, works and utilities in a way that achieves value for money on a whole-life basis in terms of generating benefits not only for us but also for society and the economy, whilst minimising damage to the environment.

Responsible procurement

As a council, we wish to buy in a responsible manner by:

• Only purchasing goods and services that reflect best practice specifications or standards for sustainability
• Considering the whole-life cost of products when we select a supplier
• Avoiding products that are harmful to the environment if a less damaging alternative is available
• Specifying goods, products and materials that cause minimum damage to the environment throughout the product lifecycle
• Promoting sustainability within all our contract and tendering documentation
• Continually reviewing our purchasing of goods and services through our contract specifications, with the intention of decreasing our environmental impact and increasing our positive impact on society, the local economy, and producers.

When applying for certain council contracts, you may be requested to supply evidence of your practices and procedures as they relate to the environment. We will take into account your:

• Record of compliance with health, safety and environmental regulations
• Commitment to equal opportunities and workers' rights
• Management approach to environmental and social risk

With your products, we will take into account:

• Fitness for purpose and value for money
• Resource, energy and water efficiency
• Minimum use of virgin and non-renewable materials
• Maximum use of post-consumer materials
• Non (or reduced) polluting with minimum use of toxic chemicals, CFCs, ozone and other pollutants
• Maximum durability, repairability, reusability, recyclability and upgradeability
• Minimum packaging
• Design for disassembly
• Fault controls to prevent unnecessary waste
• Health and safety standards
• Biodegradability

To view or download our Sustainable Procurement Policy, select Related Downloads at the bottom of this page.