Sustainable Purchasing
Meet the Sustainable Purchasing Guide: This guide is a helpful tool that gives you the power to transform everyday purchases into action toward a more sustainable future. Whether you are buying for yourself or your whole department, this guide can help you make more informed, sustainable purchases.
Ready to make more informed, sustainable purchasing decisions for your office? Contact rachel_martinez@harvard.edu to request the Sustainable Office Worksheet, a resource designed by the Harvard Office for Sustainability to help purchasers follow best practices.
GENERAL TIPS
Practice Patience
Be mindful about the harms of an immediacy economy (e.g., next-day deliveries may have a higher emissions footprint than a 2-day order).
Right-Size Orders
Avoid excess by right-sizing orders of office materials and food for events.
Choose Reusable & Compostable
Choose BPI-certified compostable products when reusables are not a viable option.
Consider equity in the supply chain
Give preference to companies that have healthier and safer labor practices.
Prioritize durability
Purchase for quality and long-term durability, not quantity.
Reduce unnecessary packaging
Buy in bulk when needed to reduce unnecessary packaging.
Stop Before Your Shop!
Do you need the product?
Can you share or borrow the product instead of purchasing it? Check with your department administrator if this resource already exists.
What will happen to the product when you are done using it?
Can you reuse this product? Donate it? If not, what is the proper and most sustainable way to recycle this product? Learn more about zero waste.
What are the impacts of the product?
What are the upstream resources necessary to create the product (Scope 3 emissions)? What are the supply chain impacts on climate, health, and equity?
Sustainable Purchasing Guide
Purchasing decisions can send signals to vendors, indicating a preference for more sustainable practices. Our community can influence market transformation by considering climate impacts and natural resources, as well as equity, health, and waste prevention when purchasing goods and services.
The Office for Sustainability (OFS) collaborated with Strategic Procurement and others across the University, including faculty and students, to create this Sustainable Purchasing Guide. The categories included represent some of the areas where the University spends the most, as well as categories where University-wide Sustainability Standards (Cleaning, Food, and IT) already exist.
