SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS Products and Services for Sustainable Schools
Through the Doorway Practical ways to help schools through the sustainable schools doorways
Doorway 4: Purchasing and Waste
By 2020 the DCSF would like all schools “
...to be models of resource efficiency, using low impact goods that minimise (or eliminate) disposable packaging from local suppliers with high environmental and ethical standards, and recycling, repairing and reusing as much as possible.
In Theory: Sustainable Procurement should form the cornerstone of a successful Sustainable Schools policy, however it is not always fully understood or utilised by Bursars and School Business Managers. The DCSF defined Sustainable
Procurement as “the process of making and managing buying choices which take into account the impact of those choices on sustainable development”. This highlights the importance of taking into consideration the environmental impact of your purchases alongside evaluating, not only short-term factors such as initial cost and quality, but also long-term factors such as durability, running costs and disposal issues. The Waste element of this Doorway
is equally important as primary and secondary schools in England throw away in excess of 250,000 tonnes of waste every year, but is somewhat easier to implement. A whole school approach to reducing
waste can quickly have an impressive impact, saving on disposal costs, making money through recycle schemes and reducing the school’s negative impact on the environment.
In Practise: The Sustainable Development commission have calculated that 42% of carbon emissions from schools results from procurement, in areas such as construction, food
and freight, making this area a major contributor to a schools carbon footprint. Developing procurement expertise
within your school will help ensure you are making sustainable buying decisions and also help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your buying processes. You could even utilise continued professional development opportunities to encourage all staff to develop good sustainability behaviours. Consider the following to help your
school achieve the objectives of the purchasing and waste doorway:
1. Plan your purchases. Leaving plenty of time to shop around will ensure you get the best deal as, not only will you be able to research pricing and delivery options but you could also consider rental options or see if you can borrow what you need from local businesses or social groups.
2. Don’t spend hours saving a pound. Sustainable procurement takes into account the total cost of procurement and makes the most efficient use of all available resources – including you and your time. It’s false economy when a small saving takes hours to achieve.
3. Negotiate the best deal for your money. Sustainable procurement is about ‘getting the right product at the right price’ while still taking into consideration the environmental impact of your purchasing decisions. This includes researching your suppliers’ environmental policies, considering bulk buying to save money and also negotiating extra services such as ongoing maintenance and support. Regularly maintaining equipment can help increase longevity, reducing the need to dispose of and replace items, making it more cost effective in the long-run.
4. Proactively manage your waste. The easiest way to manage your waste is to not produce it in the first place! Encourage pupils and staff to reduce the amount of waste they create by asking them to use refillable drinks bottles, print double-sided as standard, refill their used print cartridges and use paper responsibly.
5. Make money from your waste. Many schools sell their recyclable waste to local recycling companies to raise valuable funds however you could also consider selling unwanted furniture or electrical items on classified websites or at car-boot sales.
School Management Today • 57
SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS
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