Duke University - March 22nd, 2004                 

  The Power of Environmental Purchasing:
                                 Greening the University Supply Chain




Green Purchasing 101 Dr. Kevin Lyons
Powerpoint Slides, Helpful Definitions
Kevin will present the case for environmentally preferrable purchasing, citing real world examples of the economic, environmental and professional paybacks it can have. It is vital that everyone attend this presentation as Kevin will introduce the terminology and outline the methodology of green purchasing which will be discussed in increasing detail throughout the day.
   
Why Green Purchasing is Important to the University Cindy Pollock Shea
At institutions of higher education decision-making power is often distributed widely across departments, schools and constituency groups. Unfortunately, decisions made in one place can limit the environmentally responsible options available in another place. For this reason, participants in this conference have been invited from a wide array of positions within a University. Cindy will discuss the synergies and savings that can be generated when we "connect the silos" through green purchasing.
   
Best Practices: Universities and Their Major Suppliers Dr. Kevin Lyons
Working with Major Suppliers, Novel Partnerships
While green purchasing is a relatively new strategy for most schools, several institutions and suppliers have led the way, demonstrating the benefits and uncovering the common pitfalls involved with implementing a green purchasing policy. Kevin will present case studies of the best practices around and lessons learned for universities interested in charting similar courses.
   
EPP and other Green Purchasing Tools Rachel Eckert
Powerpoint Slides, Rachel's List of Online Resources
Not surprisingly, the Environmental Protection Agency has conducted research and compiled resources for purchasers. Rachel will introduce some of the EPA's tools, such as the Environmentally Preferable Products (EPP) database, and other resources available online.
   
Green Purchasing from a Supplier’s Perspective Panel discussion
Representatives from 6 major university and hospital vendors will present a quick overview of what their company is doing to reduce the environmental impact of its products and services. Chosen to represent a variety of product categories, the vendors speaking will be Dell Computers, Interface Carpet, Herman Miller, Corporate Express, Glaxo Smith Kline, and VWR.
   
Getting End-user Buy-in Rachel Eckert
As purchasers serving an often demanding community, how does one get end-users to buy into a new, green product or service? Experience has demonstrated several strategies that ultimately increase satisfaction between purchasers and end users. Rachel will share those strategies in this workshop.
   
Formulating and Implementing a Green Purchasing Policy Dr. Kevin Lyons
Powerpoint Slides, Model Policies
Many institutions are already doing green purchasing in an ad hoc fashion. Formalizing an institution's commitment to green purchasing in a policy has several advantages that greatly augment the number of environmentally preferable and cost cutting options available to the school. However, without a strong implementation strategy, the policy will be of little use. This session will be especially important for Duke community members who will be participating in the afternoon policy drafting session.
   
Writing Good Performance Specifications Ralph Edelberg
The key to finding the best green products and services is writing good "performance" specifications. Ralph, an engineer with the NC Division of Purchase & Contract, will compare and contrast the traditional method of writing "design" specifications with performance based specs.
   
Opportunities with Office Supplies Adam Williams
As an associate of GreenOrder, Adam has been conducting a review of all Duke's office product purchases in order to make recommendations to the school. If you've ever wanted to get the final word on recycled vs. virgin paper or remanufactured ink cartridges vs. new cartridges, Adam is ready to demystify the office products category for you.
   
Purchasing for Green Buildings and Interiors Deborah Dunning
Powerpoint Slides
Nearly 40% of all landfill waste is produced by construction, demolation and renovation projects. Making wise decisions about what we use in these projects is not just good for our communities and the environment, it is good for the bottom line. Deborah will introduce the terminology and methodology of "green building" and the tools available to designers and purchasers wanting to reduce the cost and impact of their buildings.
   
Drafting a Green Purchasing Policy for Duke University and Health System Round table session
All stakeholders in purchsaing decisions at Duke are asked to participate in this round table session. With the guidance of Kevin Lyons and sample green purchasing policies, the goal of the round table is to draft a preliminary green purchasing policy and implementation strategy for Duke University and Health System. This is an ambitious goal, but we think it is doable if everyone participates in the day's workshops with this ultimate goal in mind.
   

Welcome Letter
Top Ten Reasons for Green Purchasing
Environmental Alliance Handout
Duke Stores Green Purchasing Policy
City of Seattle Policy
Alameda Model Policy
Short Cases Studies from Santa Monica

Rachel Eckert's Awesome EPP Links


Calculating your school's Ecological Footprint (via Procurement)
State and Local Government Pioneers
Supply Chain Environmental Management: Thinking Outside the Box
Going Green Up Stream... The Promise of Supplier Environmental Management
Environmentally Preferable Carpet Certification

 

Presented by Duke Environmental Alliance in conjunction with
Duke University Procurement Services and Supply Chain Management
Sponsored by the Duke Green Grant Fund