Environmentally friendly products and services - further information
There are several organisations that provide guidance and toolkits you can use to help introduce sustainable procurement in your business. They can help you to work out your priorities, assess environmental and social impacts and identify how to reduce your impact.
WRAP / WRAP Northern Ireland (Waste & Resources Action Programme) is a government organisation that aims to reduce waste and resource use across supply chains. See:
Zero Waste Scotland is a government organisation that aims to reduce waste and resource use across supply chains.
- Zero Waste Scotland: Circular procurement
- Zero Waste Scotland: Procuring resource efficient construction projects
- Business Energy Scotland: Make your Business Greener
- Business Energy Scotland: Five ways to become a greener office
- British Standards Institution (BSI) : Built Environment
- CISP: Socially responsible procurement
- International Organisation for Standardisation: ISO 20400
- WWF: Responsible sourcing of forest products
Public sector procurement standards, tools and guidance
Guidance and toolkits designed for public sector organisations may also help you to consider social and environmental factors in your purchasing decisions.
NIBusinessInfo.co.uk: New public procurement policy for Northern Ireland – social value scoring
Sustainable NI: Social Value Toolkit To help public sector organisations in Northern Ireland embed social value principles into their procurement approaches
Northern Ireland Department of Finance: Procurement
Scottish Government: Sustainable Procurement Tools to help Scotland’s public sector organisations embed sustainability into their procurement processes.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is the government department responsible for environmental policy, including encouraging sustainable procurement.
- DEFRA: Sustainable procurement tools
- DEFRA: Sustainable procurement: the Government Buying Standards (GBS)
- European Commission: Green Public Procurement
- European Commission: Buying Green! Handbook
- Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges: Sustainable Procurement