Purchasing For Green Hotels Purchasing For Green

Purchasing For Green Hotels

Purchasing For Green Hotels Solutions for Revenue, Health and Communication Heidi Siegelbaum Steve Gersman

In 20 minutes… • The Story of Stuff • What is Green Purchasing • Product Categories • Standards and Certification • Benefits • The Process • Where to Go for Help

What is Purchasing Really About? THE STORY OF STUFF • http: //www. storyofstuff. com • This is the story of everything your hotel buys. That story? • Extraction, Production, Distribution, Consumption and Disposal

Production of Stuff includes People • Along the way of making products or “stuff”, we affect societies, cultures, environment and people • We live in a finite planet which means the resources are not endless and will in fact run out if not managed for long term use • Drinking water and food are great examples

Changing The Face of Production

What is Green Purchasing? • Environmentally Preferable Purchasing products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose

Drivers • Reduce costs, increase profit • Reduce storage and handling • Reduce worker risks and liabilities • Respond to guest interests in your green practices • Help protect local environment • Marketing differentiation • Improve associate and guest health • Reduce environmental impacts overall

Product Categories • Office supplies: all paper, office equipment • F&B: electronics, kitchen equipment, and food • Hotel wide: Lighting, carpets, interior design elements, cleaning products • Rooms: bedding, furniture, drapes, amenities

Getting Started Ideally, a green purchasing strategy should fit into an overall environmental management plan– otherwise, choices tend to be opportunistic or champion driven

Steps 1. Create a baseline- what are you purchasing now. Who is involved and how are decisions made? 2. Determine objectives and priorities and draft a purchasing policy 3. Form a cross-department team with dedicated lead 4. Look at existing lists 5. Pilot test products with users

Barriers • Habit- people don’t like change • Product love- users develop unusually strong commitments to certain products they don’t want to give up • No user testing of new green products • Supplier love- your suppliers may feel threatened and you really like your suppliers • Perception: green products don’t perform or are tacky

Greenwashing • Misleading claims by sellers or manufacturers about the green attributes of product or service • You are particularly vulnerable: early stages of innovation, green explosion of products and you know what else

Six Sins of Greenwashing A Terrachoice 2007 Report revealed that most products didn’t live up to their green claims. • No Proof • Irrelevance • Fibbing • Hidden Trade-Off • Vagueness • Lesser of Two Evils

Criteria • Less toxic • Recycled content and recyclable locally • Remanufactured or reconditioned • Durable with warranties • Energy efficient • Water efficient • Take back potential • Biobased • Reduced life cycle impacts

Standards and Certification Orgs • EPA: Environmentally Preferable Purchasing program (Comprehensive Purchasing Guidelines), Energy Star and Design for Environment • Green. Seal • Eco. Logo • Responsible Purchasing

Performance Standards Orgs • National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) • ASTM International • ISO • Scientific Certification Systems • Master Painters Institute

Local Help Seattle www. seattle. gov/environment/purchasing. htm King County www. metrokc. gov/procure/green Ecology www. ecy. wa. gov/beyondwaste/epp/stand_certifications. html

Product Specific Criteria • Electronics: EPEAT • Green Building Products: US Green Building Council • Forest Products: Forest Stewardship Council • Recycled Content Products: EPA’s CPG • Food: Organic Trade Association • Low Emission: Greenguard

Priority: Electronics • Loaded with the nasties: mercury, cadmium, lead, hexavalent chromium, PVCs • Planned obsolescence • Exploding number of gadgets/upgrades • Many recyclers export it as a product with value but it’s really electronic trash

Electronics In Context Environmentally Preferable Electronics Assessment Tool: www. epeat. net Northwest Product Stewardship Council www. productstewardship. net Electronics Take back Coalition www. computertakeback. com Basel Action Network www. ban. org

Cleaning Chemicals: Priority • Indoor air quality- corrosive chemicals, solvents, asthmagens • Chemicals in products very poorly regulated - most chemicals used in products and personal care products have never been tested • Raises workmen’s compensation and liability issues

Energy Star Calculator www. energystar. gov/index. cfm? c=bulk_purchasing. bus_purchasing This tool covers commercial appliances, foodservice, heating & cooling, lighting, electronics, office products and construction products

Building Tools and Programs Seattle Green Building Program www. seattle. gov/dpd/greenbuilding BEES www. bfrl. nist. gov/oae/software/bees Building Energy Software Tools Directory www. eere. energy. gov/buildings/tools_directory/ subjects_sub. cfm Whole Building Design Guide Tools Index www. wbdg. org/tools. php

Paper tools Paper Calculator http: //www. edf. org/papercalculator. org Paper Choices www. conservatree. org Forest Stewardship Council: www. fscus. org

Carpets Spanking brand new standard National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) 140 -1007 (low VOCs, recycled content)

Other Subjects Cleaning www. ofee. gov & www. ewg. org Paper www. edf. org/papercalculator Renewable Energy www. green-e. org Low Emissions Products www. greenguard. org

Sleeping Lady • Office supplies purchased through Corporate Express • Green. Seal, Energy Star, and Green Hotel Association used to identify products • Local, wild, hormone free and organic food served where possible • Compostable disposable cups

Sleeping Lady • Indoor Air quality and Health: Furniture is low VOC, easily upholstered and solvent/formaldehyde free • All natural latex foam, jutte webbing, formaldehyde free stains and FSC wood among other • Some of their practices qualify for LEED points as well

The Umbrella Tells All Life cycle and consumption: THE STORY OF STUFF (FAB) www. storyofstuff. com

Gracious Thanks • Eco. Logo- Scot Case • Ecology EPP program- Tina Smimich • King County Procurement- Karen Hamilton • Pacific NW Pollution Prevention Resource Center • King County/Seattle Public Health- Tracee Mayfield • Responsible Purchasing • Seattle Sustainable Purchasing- Shirli Axelrod • Sleeping Lady, Rebecca Darley

Thank you! Cascadia Sustainable Tourism Heidi@cascadiasustain. com (206) 784 -4265 Steve@cascadiasustain. com (425) 922 -0102