EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
An investigation of the university's procurement system revealed some praiseworthy ìgreen-buyingî strategies such as buying in bulk, reducing or eliminating the use of toxic substances, and buying recycled products. However, the volume of paper consumed annually on campus remains a concern. Recycled paper accounts for only a small percentage of the paper used in printing and copying done on campus. Paper could be used more economically; very few people double-side their copies or laser print-outs. The following are recommendations which would mitigate the environmental impact of the university's policies:
1) The Purchasing Department should renegotiate existing contracts to include more recycled items and to discontinue purchase of nonrecycled items which are of comparable cost to recycled items. Specifically, the university lags behind other institutions in its paper procurement; it should adopt a policy of buying and using recycled paper of a high post-consumer waste content. Recycled paper use should be adopted as the standard for university printing and copying. Contracts should also include specifications for the reuse of packaging materials.
2) Policy guidelines of environmental criteria for purchases should be integrated into the current criteria of cost, quality, and respectability of vendor.
3) The ìclickî system which lumps the cost of photocopier operation together with the cost of paper should be changed so that these costs are listed separately, thereby giving an incentive to reduce paper use and eliminating the current practice of using copy paper for other uses. Double-sided photocopying would save the university money, especially if it was adopted as a campus-wide policy.
4) A system for testing new copier and printer papers should be established. Paper technology is improving rapidly, and a system for testing new paper in one computer or copier cluster would dispel the myths about recycled paper.
In order to accomplish the above recommendations, new university guidelines for purchasing are needed. Such guidelines should mandate university-wide use of recycled products, including paper products, if they cost no more than 5% more than nonrecycled products, an expanded purchasing effort to renegotiate contracts and improve the flexibility of the Purchasing department in finding environmentally friendly products, and a system of educating department managers about the recycled products available through Purchasing.
OVERVIEW
Careful purchasing decisions yield significant influences on the environment by reducing the amount of waste generated, reducing the use of toxic substances, and saving energy. Environmentally-friendly purchasing involves studying the life-cycle costs of products beyond their market price. Products are judged based on the amount of energy consumed, waste generated, and useful work accomplished during their production, use, and disposal. Examples of environmentally-friendly products include white paper made from recycled white paper, Energy Star energy-efficient computers and photocopiers, and latex paints. By definition, environmentally-friendly products save energy and produce less waste, and thus they often save money in utility and disposal costs, especially hazardous waste disposal costs.
Paper Procurement
Copier Paper Use
Marion Wampole, director of the CIT copy center, orders copy machines and copier paper for all departments. Machines are purchased or leased-to-buy from Garden State Business Machines; they are kept until the departments have made enough copies to pay off purchase price. Usually machines are traded in after 5-6 years. Departments also request paper from Ms. Wampole; she forwards the order to Purchasing.
Departments pay for copy machines, maintenance, toner, and paper through a "click" system. The current price is $.035 per click, which is one photocopy (regardless of paper size or whether the copying is double-sided). The actual cost of paper is $.0039 per sheet for Hammermill Tidal, the nonrecycled paper, and $.00449 per sheet for Hammermill Savings, the 10% post-consumer recycled paper. Departments are not charged more for recycled paper because they only pay per click. Although the Ad Hoc Committee on the Environment conducted several surveys of recycled paper use in departments and sent letters encouraging departments to use recycled paper, only 10 million out of 30 million sheets of paper ordered in 1994 were Hammermill Savings. While 58% of academic departments order recycled paper, many large departments, including the School of Engineering, the Woodrow Wilson School, and Molecular Biology, do not order recycled paper. Several staff members surveyed were not aware of the recycled paper option.
In addition, there is a general misconception among departmental staff that Hammermill Savings will jam copiers. Numerous studies conducted at Princeton and at other institutions as well as the experience of departments which do use recycled paper prove otherwise.
The type of copy machine ordered for a given department depends on the volume of copying done and any special needs requested by the department. Purchasing orders the smallest (least expensive) copier which can meet the departmentís needs. Energy Star models with a double-siding capability are standard for medium and large volume copiers, but not for small-volume copiers.
Some departments choose to pay a flat fee for their copiers rather than using the click system. Approximately 20-25 copiers on campus have been purchased in this manner. Departments usually do this so that they can buy a copier with special features which are more expensive; the department would not be able to pay off the cost of the copier using the click system given the volume of copying in the department.
Many departments use the paper which they order through CIT for uses other than copying. The majority of departments regularly use copy paper for their laser printing. They do not pay for this paper because paper is only paid for through the click system. Marion Wampole occasionally reprimands departments whose orders of paper and number of clicks are strikingly different.
Library Photocopiers and Copy Paper
Ted McLaughlin is in charge of Photographic Services, which buys all of the copy machines and copy paper for all libraries on campus. For the past two years, Photographic Services has used only Hammermill Savings, and has noticed absolutely no difference in copy quality between Savings and Tidal. About 6 million copies per year are made through Photographic Services.
Copy machines are bought from many different companies, and are kept until the user fees have paid off the cost of the machine, which usually takes 3 to 7 years. Photographic Services keeps track of all new copiers which come on the market, and has made an effort to purchase new energy-efficient models such as digital copiers. Photographic Services is financially self-sufficient. Copy prices are adjusted to keep costs to a minimum while keeping the department solvent.
Mr. McLaughlin has agreed to investigate whether it is possible to link the double-siding option to the copy card reader, with the goal of charging different rates for single and double-sided copies in order to encourage double-siding.
Printing Services
Fred Plank is in charge of the CIT Printing and Mailing Services, located at the Forrestal Campus. The Printing Services budget is $1.892 million per year, of which $300,000 is allocated for paper.
The Annual Giving campaign and class letters and envelopes currently use Cougar Lynx 50% recycled, 10% post-consumer paper. The University Bond paper, Strathmore Renewal, has been made from 25% post-consumer recycled paper since 1993, and is used for all university letterhead. When departments make printing requests, they may choose recycled or virgin paper. Unfortunately, most departments choose virgin paper because it is less expensive. 14,500,000 photocopies are made each year by Printing Services.
A few years ago Printing Services tested soy-based inks in its printing. Soy inks are more environmentally friendly, more easily recycled, and in some cases cheaper given the volatile prices of petroleum-based products. Unfortunately, the soy-based ink clogged the printers, so Printing Services reverted to the oil-based inks. When a soy-based ink which meets performance needs becomes available, Printing Services will make the switch.
Computing Information and Technology
Computing Information and Technology (CIT) purchases paper and toner for the laser printers, computers, monitors, and printers. CIT recycles used toner cartridges, but does not purchase recycled toner because it was not found to meet performance specifications. The paper currently used is Willcopy Xerographic DP, which is nonrecycled, virgin paper. CIT purchases 5 million pieces of paper per year. Much of this paper is distributed free to students and other users in the computer clusters throughout campus. For this reason, overprinting is a significant problem among students. Students do not pay for paper use in the clusters, so they have no financial incentive to conserve paper. A 1994 PERC survey revealed that students frequently print a number of draft copies (many of which have a shelf life of minutes or hours before they are thrown away). Students also said that people print multiple copies of their final papers rather than pay for photocopying. There are also reports of students running off hundreds of flyers for events rather than paying for them to be copied at Kinko's. In addition, paper use has recently surged with increased Lexis-Nexis access: students are taking advantage of this service and printing out the full text of articles. PERC anecdotal reports suggest that between 25-40% of paper used in computer clusters may be "wasted" paper. The cost of this wasted paper is between $4500 and $7200 per year. CIT also uses a significant quantity of non-recycled "green bar" paper for office use in high speed line printers.
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
Closed Loop Recycling
Another area for investigation is closed loop recycling. In a closed loop system, recyclable items are collected and recycled by a manufacturer who then sells the recycled product back to the University. For example, white paper and plastics can be collected by manufacturers who recycle the used paper into white paper and the plastics into new plastics for use on campus. Such a closed-loop cycles reduce costs by ensuring both sides with a steady supply. In addition, recycling a pure supply of white paper reduces the energy costs of paper recycling as opposed to recycling mixed paper. Closed-loop systems can be established in conjunction with neighboring institutions, further reducing costs by increasing the volume and therefore the stability of supply and by reducing transportation overhead. Although an initial expenditure in establishing the infrastructure for separating white paper and plastics would be needed, in the long run the lower cost of paper would compensate for this cost, given the that the university currently buys over 30 million sheets of white paper per year. Princeton University Dining Services has already established closed-loop recycling of its black plastic plates.
Rutgers University has established a separate collection system for its white paper and mixed paper. The white paper is then sold at $200 per ton to International Paper, and Hammermill Savings recycled paper is purchased from the same paper company. The net cost of the paper purchased is 10% lower than the cost of virgin paper. In comparison, Princeton's commingled paper is recycled into low-grade paper products and has negligible market value. Princeton University had an opportunity to collaborate with Rutgers in its paper closed loop recycling, but declinedthe offer. Is is recommended that Princeton future offers for closed loop recycling, especially with local manufacturers and in conjunction with established closed-loop programs at nearby institutions.
Purchasing Department
The university uses a central Purchasing Office for procurement of all department supplies. The director of the purchasing department is Don Weston. Purchases are made through a purchase order, a contract between the university and the vendor stating prices and conditions for the purchase. Individual departments submit a purchase request, and may specify a particular vendor or the department may request that Purchasing find the best source for the item. In either case Purchasing will handle the transaction with the vendor. Departments fill out manual requisitions or make requisitions through the on-line purchasing system, which was initiated in 1990. The computerized purchasing system allows Purchasing to examine buying trends and to consolidate across departments. There are no set purchasing criteria other than cost, quality, availability and history of the vendorís performance. Environmental needs are not considered unless the department specifically requests it.
Purchasing has initiated special contracts for about 50% of items purchased in order to pool the purchasing power of the individual departments and obtain lower prices. Under these contracts, Purchasing negotiates discount prices from a given vendor based on the volume ordered; the volume is determined by past buying trends. The higher the volume, the greater the discount the vendor is willing to give. On some high-volume office supplies, Purchasing has obtained discounts of up to 40%. Purchasing wishes to expand the number of purchases under this type of contract to further reduce costs. In order to set up a contract, Purchasing establishes a list of specifications for the particular item(s), including the type of item, quality requirements and other factors such as delivery, packaging materials, and disposal. These contract specifications are submitted to various vendors who provide bids. Purchasing selects the vendor to receive the contract based on a number of factors including the best bid price, delivery and added value services.
In 1994 Purchasing switched to a new office supply contract with Boise Cascade. This contract includes over 500 items but does not include products such as copy paper, which is still purchased through a contract with Central Lewmar. Boise Cascade offers a wider selection of recycled products than the previous supplier. A catalog listing all products for which Purchasing has a contract with Boise Cascade, as well as items that are not contract items but still receive various discounts, is available to departments, and includes labeling of items with post-consumer recycled content. Although the new catalog is an improvement over the previous catalog: recycled options are listed for products such as tape dispensers, storage boxes, file folders, scissors, loose-leaf binders, and envelopes, the items listed in the catalog do not include all recycled options sold by Boise Cascade, as was discovered by a review of other Boise Cascade catalogs.
Case Studies: The Two Largest Purchasers on Campus
Building Services
George Frierson, the director of Building Services, personally approves all Building Services purchases in excess of $400. Seventy-five percent of their purchases are made through Purchasing, the remaining 25% of purchases are small and are handle directly through Building Services. Frierson is committed to purchasing environmentally-friendly products; in the past three years he has reduced the number of cleaning supplies used by Building Services which contain toxic chemicals and has switched to new products which use less packaging. Building Services currently uses non-toxic varnishes and floor-waxes, citrus-based cleaners, non-chlorine cleaners, and refined motor oil for all vehicles except garbage trucks.
Purchasing has a contract with Scott Paper Company for the paper products, including paper towels, tissue, and toilet paper, used by Building Services. Due to the higher cost of Scott 100% recycled products, Building Services purchases products with only 10-20% post-consumer content. Other companies, such as Marcal, offer 100% post-consumer unbleached products at comparable prices. As 100% recycled products meet the same quality specifications for these items as well as 10% recycled products, Purchasing should reopen the contract with Scott Paper and begin purchasing unbleached 100% post-consumer recycled paper towels, toilet paper, and tissue paper.
Building Services purchases a number of items which are delivered on wood pallets. Disposal of these pallets is a problem, due to the high cost of disposing of solid waste ($117 per ton). Currently, the best solution found to avoid the disposal costs is to burn them at bonfires on Cannon Green or to chop them into wood chips for composting. Building Services supports the idea of requiring suppliers to reuse pallets and other packaging materials.
Grounds and Building Maintenance
Grounds and Building Maintenance, directed by Bob Smart, is the largest purchaser on campus. All purchases except for construction contracts are made through Purchasing. A large portion of these supplies come from Hamilton Building Supplies, with whom the university has an annual contract.
Grounds and Building Maintenance continues to seek new ways to make more environmentally-sensitive purchases. For example, the use of oil-based paints is gradually being phased out as new latex paints come on the market. The use of latex paints minimizes the emission of volatile organic compounds and saves the cost of hazardous waste disposal for leftover oil-based paint and used paint containers. Batteries must also be disposed of as hazardous waste, and therefore Grounds and Building Maintenance is trying to reduce its use of batteries in emergency exit lights and other emergency systems by installing backup generators. When the cogenerator plant is completed, current battery powered emergency systems will be converted and powered by the cogenerator plant instead of by the batteries.
The university has found that it is cheaper to recycle CFCs for air conditioning than to buy new CFCs. CFCs in the HVACs and automobiles are recycled as much as possible. By recycling, the university also delays the costs of switching to cooling systems which use coolants other than CFCs until a later date when such coolant systems will have been greatly improved over the present alternative coolant systems.
While the department recycles all packaging materials, such as making wood chips out of wood pallets and recycling cardboard boxes, the packaging is not reused. The university recycles 296.89 tons of cardboard per year, and while no data is available for how much of this comes from departments as opposed to students, a reasonable estimate is that 10% of this, that is, approximately 30 tons, could be reused instead of recycled. As mentioned in the section on Purchasing, contracts should be renegotiated to provide for reuse of packaging.
Currently, the university throws away large quantities of old doors, sinks, faucets, etc., because there is no storage facility to allow them to be sold and university policy forbids the taking of discarded items by employees. According to Mr. Smart, ways to resell these materials have often been discussed but never enacted due to the lack of storage facilities and staff to oversee such a resale operation. Reusing these materials would reduce disposal costs and increase the volume of materials recycled by the university. As a result of this audit investigation, a system for such reuse is being established through the student volunteer organization, Habitat for Humanity. Habitat members will be notified prior to construction projects by Grounds and Building Maintenance, select those materials they need, and transport them using SVC vans to Habitat's storage facility in Trenton, thereby obtaining free building materials for their construction projects.
RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1 Reopen Boise Cascade contract to evaluate the following observations:
ï Very few recycled options are listed for post-it labels, calendars, staples and staplers, bulletin boards, and trash cans.
ï In many product categories, such as loose-leaf binders, report covers, envelopes, notepads, and file-folders, recycled items are offered at prices comparable to or even cheaper than those of non-recycled. The non-recycled products should perhaps not be included in the catalog at all.
ï The catalog is deficient in reusable office supplies, such as refillable pens. Using reusable products such as refillable pens saves money and landfill space.
ï Purchasing made a special contract with Boise Cascade for frequently purchased items. However, due to the higher cost of many recycled products, especially paper, the list of special-contract items contains very few recycled products. Thus, these recycled items appear even more expensive to departments in comparison with the special contract items, and there is no incentive to buy recycled products. Purchasing needs to add more recycled items to the special contract list. As mentioned above, special contracts are more easily made for items for which there has historically been a large demand. Therefore, there is no incentive to change buying practices. Purchasing has explained past contracts for nonrecycled products with the excuse that it fears that if large quantities of recycled products, especially paper products, are contracted for, departments will be left with unused supplies. Purchasing must change this policy with respect to those recycled items which meet the same performance specifications as nonrecycled. If the items have the same performance standard, departments will use the recycled product just as they would have the virgin product.
3.2 Adopt a 5% purchasing criteria for recycled products.
The State of New Jersey has a purchasing policy under which agencies must buy recycled products whose cost is within 10% of that of the comparable virgin products. This policy gives departments the flexibility to make environmentally friendly purchasing decisions. This will not create a significant drain on Princeton's resources for several reasons. First, several of the recommendations listed above will actually save money in the long term, so these cost savings would offset the extra spending on recycled products. Second, the higher cost of recycled goods is currently due primarily to low demand. In many cases, recycling plants have not yet reached economies of scale due to low demand. Therefore, by changing the buying practices of a university as large as Princeton,will encourage the fledgling recycling industries in New Jersey and reduce the cost in the long run. Finally, while many environmentally friendly products cost more initially, their energy- and waste-saving characteristics save money in the long term (for example, compact fluorescent lights and bulk purchasing). Third, many other institutions (e.g. Rutgers, University of Washington)have made the switch, evidence that recycled paper is feasible and affordable on a large scale. Using recycled paper would demonstrate the university's commitment to the conservation of natural resources.
3.3 Change the click system to more accurately reflect the amount of paper used.
It is recommended that departments pay separately for paper and copier services. The click system would remain to pay for maintenance, toner, and cost of the copier. The price of the click would be 3.5 cents minus the cost of one sheet of paper. Departments would then order paper through Purchasing. This change could be easily implemented since departments already order everything else through Purchasing. Such a system would also eliminate the need for Marion Wampole to spend time tracking down those departments that use copy paper for other uses. The price of Savings and Tidal would need to be the same, so that there would be no incentive to choose Tidal. If departments were to buy paper from Purchasing they would actually see the economic cost of copying and laser printing. This would encourage more double-sided copying and laser printing as well as paper savings through the use of email.
3.4. Increase the use of recycled copier paper.
Several experiments at Princeton and other institutions have shown that using Hammermill Savings in high-volume copiers results in no greater number of jams than using Hammermill Tidal. In the surveys of departments, the most common reason for not using Savings was the fear that it would jam. While repeated letters have informed department managers that such fears are unfounded, few large departments have switched to requesting recycled paper. Therefore, it is recommended that only Hammermill Savings be delivered to those departments using high-volume copiers, such as New South and the Woodrow Wilson School, even if these departments do not request Savings.
3.5 Use less colored paper.
Due to the higher amounts of energy needed to recycle colored paper, it is recommended Printing Services restrict printing and photocopying on colored paper unless the department gives a valid reason for the necessity of colored paper.
3.6 Refit printers for double-sided capability with the defaults set for double-sided printing, but with a single-sided option available if desired.
The Computer Science Department reports that Hewlett Packard Laser Jet printers can be fitted with such a capability by adding a $415 part to the existing printer. Two printers in the CS Department have this option, and users report complete satisfaction. According to the cost of wasted paper, the cost of refitting 45 printers would be recouped by paper savings within three years.
3.7 Encourage faculty members to accept double-sided papers.
3.8 Encourage CIT to use recycled paper.
There are a number of excellent recycled laser printer and greenbar papers. Greenbar paper is an especially easy switch since it is not necessary that the paper have a virgin "white" color. It is recommended that CIT begin a regular testing procedure in which recycled papers are tested and evaluated at CIT locations. Specifically, Great White™, made by Union Camp is an example of a high performance recycled paper appropriate for laser printers and copiers. As papers are identified that meet the necessary performance standards and are of comparable cost with virgin paper, it is suggested that CIT purchase the recycled paper. If the university adopts a 5% purchasing criteria, this would encourage the purchase of recycled paper and further develop the market, helping to reduce the cost so that it is competitive with virgin paper prices. As new papers are developed, testing should continue to find the highest post-consumer content recycled paper that meets our performance and cost standards.
3.9 Include Energy Star compatibility in Purchasing's contract specifications for computer products.
The Ad Hoc Environmental Committee presented a report to the Provost's Office in 1992 suggesting that the University encourage the purchase of Energy Star rated computers and peripherals. Since then many manufacturers have moved computers and particularly monitors and printers to Energy Star standards so that when the machines are not in use they power down to a "sleep mode" to conserve energy.
Environmental Criteria
This audit recommends that Purchasing adopt a set of environmental criteria for all purchases. The current product criteria include cost, quality, and history of the vendorís performance. The definitions of quality and vendor performance should be revised to include environmental quality and consciousness. It is suggested that purchases be made based on the satisfaction of the greatest number of the following product goals. At the same time, with many products a trade-off must be made; it may often be the case that a product may violate one criterion in order to better fulfill another. Although such trade-offs are often very difficult to make, the following list will aid Purchasing in making purchasing decisions which are friendlier to the environment.
(1) Long life span
(2) Reusability
(3) The product will not eventually need to be disposed of as hazardous waste, i.e. preference for nontoxic products, specifically for products which do not contain chlorine, especially chlorine bleach; polyvinyl chlorine; and petrochemicals.
(4) Energy efficiency, such as in office machine products awarded the EPA Energy Star and water efficient fixtures.
(5) Maximum recycled content while still meeting performance quality standards.
(6) Minimal dyes. This audit notes that many departments have a fondness for colored paper. However, colored paper takes much more energy to recycle, and if the university were to begin separating white paper, large use of colored paper would detract from the amount of white paper the university would be able to recycle. This audit suggests that Purchasing decrease the amount of colored paper offered in the office supply catalog.
(7) Minimal packaging. Packaging that must be disposed of costs the university solid waste disposal fees of $117 per ton. Currently, this is not being taken into account in the purchasing process or as part of the specifications for establishing contracts. We
recommend that whenever possible, contracts with vendors include specifications about packaging. These specifications should be designed to:
a) Require those vendors with regular delivery contracts to pick up old packaging materials such as boxes and wood pallets and reuse them.
b) Require the vendor to use packaging (such as corn starch peanuts) that can be composted or that do no have to go out into our solid waste stream.
c) Examine the extended costs of packaging and use that analysis as an additional decision factor in selecting vendors. Easy-to-use formulas are readily available for calculations in comparisons of life cycle costs.
d) Develop a general policy for packaging requirements for the university which includes an analysis of liability for the use of reused packaging materials and guidelines for the storing of packaging materials between deliveries.
(8) Not made from tropical hardwoods. The buying of recycled furniture should be considered when new purchases of furniture are made. While the aesthetics of furniture are important, tropical hardwoods made from trees cut from the rapidly disappearing rainforests are no longer aesthetically pleasing.
(9) Flexible buying options. Although Purchasing has established a number of contracts with the goal of consolidating orders and reducing costs, some of these contracts are actually limiting the university. For example, all copy paper is currently bought through a contract with Central Paper. However, Central Paper has a very limited selection of copy paper, has no unbleached copy paper although such papers are priced comparably to virgin bleached paper, and has been known to completely run out of recycled paper for weeks at a time.
REFERENCES
University Contacts
Don Weston, Purchasing Office
Fred Plank, CIT Printing and Mailing Services, Forrestal Campus
Marion Wampole, Copy Center, Dillon Gymnasium
Ted McLaughlin, Photographic Services, Firestone Library
Other Sources
Recycled Products Guide, American Recycling Market, Inc.
P.O. Box 577, Ogdenburg, NY 13669 (315) 471-0707.
Green Seal, P.O. Box 1694, Palo Alto, CA 94302 (415) 327-2200
"Recycling, Recycled Products Procurement, and Waste Reduction." Campus Admini-strative Manual. Urbana-Champaign: U. of Illinois, Use of Services and Stores Policies.
Task Force Members
Karen Thomas '96, coordinator Rick Curtis, Assistant Dean of Students
Anne-Lise Francois GS Tommy Carr '98
This material may be used for educational and non-profit use. Commercial use of this information is prohibited without written consent. Copyright © 1995, Princeton Environmental Reform Committee, Princeton University.