Toronto, Ontario Environmentally Responsible Procurement Policy

Toronto, Ontario

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Type: Policy

Status: Adopted on 6/19/07

Source File: http://www.toronto.ca/calldocuments/pdf/environment_procurement.pdf

Text:

PURPOSE
To increase the development, awareness and purchase of environmentally preferred products (EPP) and services.

POLICY
In order to increase the development and awareness of environmentally sound purchasing, acquisitions of goods and services will ensure that wherever possible specifications are amended to provide for the expanded use of EPP such as: durable products, reusable products, energy efficient products, low pollution products, products (including those used in services) that contain the maximum level of post-consumer waste and/or recyclable content, and products that provide minimal impact to the environment.

An EPP is one that is less harmful to the environment than the next best alternative having characteristics including, but not limited to the following:

(1) Reduce waste and make efficient use of resources: an EPP would be a product that is more energy, fuel, or water efficient, or that uses less paper, ink, or other resources. For example, energy efficient lighting, and photocopiers capable of double-sided photocopying.

(2) Are reusable or contain reusable parts: these are products such as rechargeable batteries, reusable building partitions, and laser printers with refillable toner cartridges.

(3) Are recyclable: a product will be considered to be an EPP if local facilities exist capable of recycling the product at the end of its useful life.

(4) Contain recycled materials: an EPP contains post-consumer recycled content. An example is paper products made from recycled post-consumer fibre.

(5) Produce fewer polluting by-products and/or safety hazards during manufacture, use of disposal: an EPP product would be a non-hazardous product that replaces a hazardous product.

(6) Have a long service-life and/or can be economically and effectively repaired or upgraded.

It is recognized that cost analysis is required in order to ensure that the products are made available at competitive prices, and that the environmental benefits provided by a product or service does not undermine its overall performance.

Given the environmental and economic importance of infrastructure, environmentally responsible procurement principles should be applied to construction design, processes, tendering and materials; and given that many environmentally preferred products and services can produce a variety of tangible benefits, full consideration should be given to the long-term and complete costs and benefits of environmentally responsible procurement.