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Key Steps:
Adopting an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program
Step 4:
Establishing a Working Relationship with Vendors
Purchasing departments are the central control point for nearly every product or service that is purchased by a business. This is where the money is transferred from a business to a vendor, contracts are developed, and relationships with vendors are developed. Because purchasing is where money changes hands, it can offer the greatest leverage with vendors to ensure that products are purchased that are less damaging to the environment and human health than competing products. Ask for product samples and equipment demonstrations. Coordinate training sessions for new products, procedures, and equipment. Demand products with less packaging and packaging that can be recycled. To assess the impacts of your purchasing changes, require reporting and analysis from vendors, such as the number of "greener" products purchased yearly, amount of toxic materials avoided, and energy saved or other metrics.
Contact Paul Harding (801-536-4108) or Frances Bernards (801-536-0086) for further information on the content of this page.
