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Green Purchasing Guide

One of the easiest ways to positively impact the environment is through your purchasing decisions. This document is intended to be a guide for developing environmentally preferable purchasing habits as a routine practice while conducting everyday business at the University.

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  • What is green purchasing?
    a Beautiful Sunflower
    One of the easiest ways to positively impact the environment is through your purchasing decisions. This document is intended to be a guide for developing environmentally preferable purchasing habits as a routine practice while conducting everyday business at the University.

    Green Purchasing refers to the procurement of products and services that have a reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose. This comparison can consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance, and disposal of the product or service. Green purchasing is also known as environmentally preferred purchasing (EPP), environmentally responsible purchasing, green procurement, affirmative procurement, eco-procurement, and environmentally responsible purchasing.

    UCSC is committed to continuous improvement in procuring environmentally preferable products, promoting sustainable practices, managing energy consumption and considering sustainability in all activities. This guide is to be used by UCSC requestors and end users of products and services in an effort to:

    • Conserve natural resources
    • Minimize pollution
    • Reduce water and energy use
    • Avoid environmental health hazards on our campus and within our community
    • Divert material from the landfill
    • Improve the availability and use of environmentally preferable product
    • Encourage Suppliers to reduce their environmental impact and to send that message up their supply chain
    • Support locally produced goods and services
    • Educate and inform ourselves, campus requestors and end users, and suppliers of the best environmentally responsible purchasing choices

    Sustainable/Environmentally Preferred Purchasing is valuable to the campus because it:

    1. Reduces costs and improves the campus environment;
      For example: Paper and cardboard taken from the on campus recycle bins is recycled into new products. Recycling the material saves the campus tipping fees at the landfill.
    2. Strengthens markets for recyclable material.
      For example: Recycling is more than just placing certain materials in a special bin. The recycling loop is complete only when materials that you have separated for recycling are processed and remanufactured into new products, which are then sold. Recycling works only when consumers, businesses and organizations buy products made with recycled material. Economic analysis shows that recycling can generate three times as much revenue per ton as landfill disposal and almost six times as many jobs. (How Recycling Works, by Ed Grabianowski, published in howstuffworks. (http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/recycling2.htm))
    3. Promotes use of less-toxic products that protect the health and safety of students and employees and minimize harmful emissions to our air, land, and water
      For example: Using safer cleaning products can help protect the health of campus our campus community from the staff the use the cleaning products to the students and employees that occupy the space. GreenGuard and Green Seal enable consumers to quickly identify and choose products that are safer to use.
    4. Saves Energy by promoting the purchase of energy conserving products.
      For example: If all copiers sold in the United States were ENERGY STAR-labeled and set to automatically default to duplex, the amount of paper used could be reduced by more than 200 billion sheets. This adds up to a savings of 1 million tons of paper, enough to save an estimated 20 million trees! (Source: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/epp/pubs/copiers.htm)

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  • Before you buy

    The main points under the "What Is Green Purchasing?" section can be easily accomplished by not buying anything at all. This guide is not intended to discourage you from buying the things you need to perform your work here at the University, but rather to present information that may assist you in making informed, empowered purchasing decisions. Therefore, before you buy, consider the following:

    • Is the product available used? Consider purchasing used or remanufactured products such as laser toner cartridges and furniture whenever practical and cost effective without compromising safety, quality or performance.
    • Does another department have a surplus of this product they are willing to share?
    • Does another department have this product but is not using it?
    • Can the existing product be economically and sustainably refurbished?
    • Check UCSC Surplus Services

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  • Your budget and Environmentally preferable purchasing
    a Beautiful Sunflower
    For months I walked past this sit-stand in an unoccupied cube. I finally got the nerve to ask if it was being used or was intended for anyone in particular. The answer was “No, would you like to use it?” The sit-stand was moved to my cube that afternoon—I was stoked!

    While many items look like they are a good price at point of purchase, environmentally preferable purchases take in to account a product’s total life cycle cost. Evaluate total costs expected during the time a product is owned including, but not limited to, acquisition, extended warranties, operation, supplies, maintenance, support, disposal costs or trade-in value, and expected lifetime compared to other alternatives.

    Product Total Life Cycle Cost Analysis goes even further as it includes social, ecologic, and economic costs of producing a product—which begins with raw materials extraction—manufacturing, marketing, transporting and using the product, and finally, disposing of the product.


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  • When to buy

    If a purchase is necessary, look for a product with some or all of the following characteristics. They may be relevant to your acquisition whenever practical and without compromising safety, quality, or your budget.

    • Product is durable and expected to last
    • Product is made in whole or in part from recycled material(s) or material derived from a renewable resource
    • Product is made from material that can be fully recycled after use or at end of life
    • Product failure parts can be replaced and recycled or returned to the manufacturer for reuse or remanufacture
    • Product can easily be disassembled for appropriate recycling at end of life
    • Product is energy and water efficient
    • Printed product uses soy-based inks and the paper has a high recycled material content
    • Product has little or no volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, lead or mercury
    • Product will biodegrade readily in an industrial composting system
    • Product is shipped securely with a minimum of packaging; all packaging is made from recycled materials and is itself 100% recyclable; or, Supplier takes back packaging for reuse

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  • Green purchasing with CruzBuy

    CruzBuy is UCSC's online purchasing program - an eProcurement system that automatically routes Purchase Requisitions for approvals. Shoppers can access hosted catalogs, punch-out suppliers such as Dell and Office Max, and are able to request individual purchases of services and complex materials using customized forms. For more information go to: CruzBuy Launch page.

    CruzBuy is still in its infancy, and will eventually become much more helpful with environmentally friendly purchases. One of the biggest challenges we currently face is getting our suppliers to agree to the same standards.

    When purchasing an environmentally friendly product in CruzBuy on a Non Catalog Goods Form, be sure to check the appropriate environmental check box in the health and safety section. This is critical for UCSC to track environmentally friendly purchases. The three environmental check boxes are as follows:

    • Recycle Image RECYCLED: these products are considered environmentally friendly because they can be recycled through established recycling programs, have been manufactured from recycled products, or can be used in “green chemistry” programs.
    • Energy Star Image ENERGY STAR: these are products certified with Energy Star qualification (see: http://www.energystar.gov/ for more information)
    • Green Image GREEN: a Green product or service is one that is both environmentally and socially responsible. The product is accountable to, and respectful of, the places and people that provide and use them (see definition at www.NAEPnet.org).

    When shopping within hosted catalogs look for the “product flags” that specify an environmental preferable product.

    When searching for products, you can also filter for green flags by using the filtering options on the side of your screen.

     

    Encourage suppliers to offer products that minimize waste, have a high recycled content, are produced without harm to people or the environment, are durable, reparable, energy efficient, resource conservative, non-toxic and highly recyclable.

    For additional information about green certifications, please refer to the Third Party Certifications section of this guide.


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  • Governance

    The UC Regents govern the University of California under Article IX, Section 9 of the California Constitution. The 26-member board meets bi-monthly and is responsible for managing UC’s $20 billion dollar operating budget and legislation. Of the 26 voting members, only one is a student. The student regent and student regent-designate serve one concurrent year together before the student regent’s term expires and the student regent-designate advances to the office of student regent.

    Bus 43: How UC Procurement Is Governed

    • UC purchasing policy is based on a combination of Federal Law, California Public Contract Code and the Bylaws and Standing Orders of the UC Regents. The Regents function somewhat as a “Board Of Directors” of the University.
    • The purchasing policies of the University support the teaching and research mission of its campuses while exhibiting sound business judgment. The University is committed to maintaining high standards of performance based upon fair, ethical, and professional business practices.
    • Procurement personnel are the only persons with the authority to commit funds on behalf of the university (see SCDA-BUS0004 at http://www1.ucsc.edu/ppmanual/delegationofauthority.html)
    • It is the practice of the University to meet its need for goods and services at the lowest overall cost, while affording the maximum opportunity practicable to those who wish to become suppliers to the University.
    • In general, purchases under $100,000 are allowable with negotiation only and without formal competition. Competition may be sought if there is a need to develop a source or validate prices.
    • California Public Contract Code (sect 10507, et. Seq) requires that all purchase contracts involving an expenditure of more than $100,000 shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder meeting specifications, or else all quotations shall be rejected. The lowest responsible bidder shall be determined on the basis of one of two methods: (1) cost alone or (2) cost per quality point. In the cost per quality point method, points are awarded for factors other than cost. The proposed cost of the goods, materials or services is then divided by the quality points assigned to the proposal. If the awarded supplier refuses or fails to execute the tendered purchase contract, the award may then be made to the second lowest responsible bidder, and then to the third in the event of further refusal or failure. The lowest responsible bidder is then awarded the right to negotiate with the University.
    • Competition must be sought for any transaction expected to involve an expenditure of $100,000 or more for goods or services, excluding personal or professional services, unless it is determined that the brand, trade name article, thing or product or proprietary service is unique, available from only a sole source, or is designed to match others used in or furnished to a particular installation, facility or location. Requirements should not be artificially divided into separate transactions to avoid competition.
    • All purchasing contracts resulting from such negotiations and/or competition are developed and executed by delegates of the campus Materiel Manager, and reference all appropriate University terms and conditions.
    • Any individual who has not been delegated purchasing authority who makes an unauthorized purchase of goods or services shall be responsible for payment of the charges incurred.

    Reasonable cost

    A buyer must assure that a fair and reasonable price is paid for every purchase. A fair price is one that is fair to both the buyer and the seller.

    A reasonable price is one that does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person in the conduct of competitive business.

    A fair and reasonable price need not be the lowest available, but one that, when considering all components of an acquisition, offers the best value to the University.

    In determining best value the buyer takes other variables into consideration, such as delivery, transportation costs, payment discounts, warranty, quality, environmentally preferable manufacturing and/or disposition, total acquisition cost, or any other variable that has value to the University.

    Policies and Guidelines

    For detailed information and access to policy documents, please go to: Procurement Resources to access business practices and policies that apply to *all* UCSC shoppers.

    Section VII of the President’s Policy on Sustainability Regental Sustainability Policy Principles

    The Board of Regents issued sustainability policy principles in July 2003.

    UC Policy on Sustainable Practices

    In June 2004, the President formally issued the Presidential Policy on Green Building Design and Clean Energy Standards. This policy has since been expanded, revised, and renamed as the Policy on Sustainable Practices. With guidelines and goals in the areas of Sustainable Transportation, Climate Protection Practices, Sustainable Operations and Maintenance, Waste Reduction and Recycling, Environmentally Preferable Purchasing, Sustainable Foodservice, Clean Energy, and Green Building, UC's Policy on Sustainable Practices is one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching institutional sustainability commitments in the nation (http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/sustainability/documents/policy_sustain_prac.pdf).

    UCSC Procurement and Business Contracts intends to build upon the President’s Policy to meet and exceed sustainable practices outlined in it.


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  • Energy and water conservation considerations

    Recognizing that electricity generation is a major contributor to air pollution and global warming issues, and clean water is a finite resource, the University values products that minimize the use of these resources. Please work to ensure your purchases support University efforts to reduce the use of electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and water in all campus buildings in one or all of the following ways:

    • Energy-efficient equipment and lighting
    • Products for which the U.S. EPA Energy Star certification is available or equivalent non-certified products
    • Computers that qualify, at a minimum, for bronze EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) certification
    • Water-saving products or processes
    • Support, at a minimum, LEED silver construction goals

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  • UCSC recycling and disposal guide

    UCSC is working hard to reduce the campus waste stream, and the campus community is highly supportive of recycling and waste reduction. By 2012 UCSC hopes to achieve a 75% diversion rate and by 2020 achieve Zero Waste. Go to this site to learn how to dispose of a range of consumer products: UCSC Recycling & Disposal Guide.

    Recycling Disposal Guide


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  • Managing paper use
    a Beautiful Sunflower

    In 2007, 32% of the US Municipal waste stream consisted of paper; 72% of that was recycled. From April 28, 2009, article in Climate EDU, News for the Green Campus, printed by the National Wildlife Federation.

    Double-Sided Printing: Check your printer settings for double sided printing ability and set the default accordingly. If you want help with this, put in an IT Request ticket by emailing help@ucsc.edu or calling 831-459-HELP.

    Margin settings: The default margin settings in MS Word are 1.25” on both sides, and 1” top and bottom. According to Microsoft’s help line, this convention is without technical foundation. If you set your word doc margins to .75” you realize an eighteen percent increase in the printable area on each sheet of paper. Better yet, go to .25” margins all around!

    Print economy: Another way to get the most out of your printed page is to print two pages per paper face. On a PC this can be done by selecting Properties from the Print menu, then selecting two pages per sheet on the Finishing tab. If you are a MAC user, the sequence is Print, Layout, Pages Per Sheet. When you add double-sided printing to this combination you use one piece of paper to print a four page document.

    Use a smaller font to get more on a page.

    If you must distribute hard copies of PowerPoint presentations, print more than one slide per page, print double-sided, and print in grayscale or black & white

    Reduce: “Think before you print” is a great start to reducing paper use. Avoid the temptation to print extra copies “just in case”. A recent study done by Xerox Corporation found that 47 percent of the paper printed in a day ends up in the bin by the end of that same day.

    Proof read your document before printing to eliminate “do-overs”.

    Fax digitally whenever possible.

    Print only the page or passage you need out of a longer document.

    Electronically distribute meeting materials--especially PowerPoint presentations--before or after an event. When we reduce paper use, we also reduce the amount of paper used to wrap each ream, the cardboard used to hold each case, and all the resources required to deliver that case of paper to your desk.

    Reuse: Save those single sided docs and use the clean, other side to print working documents. Or, cut them up to use as note paper in lieu of a sticky note.

    Recycle: Put all your waste paper in a recycling bin. To make paper recycling convenient keep a small, under-the-desk box that you can fill up then empty into a larger, blue, paper recycling bin.

    Buy recycled: Post Consumer Waste (PCW) content products use what you have previously put in the recycle bin. The higher the PCW content, the smaller the virgin tree content.

    Consider this: When you reduce printing, you save ink, power, and printer wear and tear as well as paper. You also save storage space and some of the labor to file and retrieve that document. Think of the extra floor space we could enjoy without filing cabinets!

    A Penn State University study (www.bio.psu.edu/greendestiny/publications/1.pdf) found that reducing all margins to .75” would result in an 18% increase in the printable area of each sheet of paper. The authors of the Penn State study found that simply by changing default margin settings on MS Word, Penn State could save approximately $123,000 per year in paper costs.


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  • Common Claims and Deceptions

    Not everything you read is true! Learn how to see behind the claim...

    NOTE: The following information is taken and adapted—with permission—from The Sins of Greenwashing website published by TerraChoice Group, Inc. (http://sinsofgreenwashing.com)

    Green-wash (green’wash’, -wôsh’) – verb: the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

    Fibbing

    Environmental claims that are simply false. The most common examples were products falsely claiming to be Energy Star certified or registered.

    Environmental claims that are simply false. The most common examples were products falsely claiming to be Energy Star certified or registered.

     
     
    Irrelevance

    An environmental claim that may be truthful but is unimportant or unhelpful for consumers seeking environmentally preferable products. ‘CFC-free’ is a common example, since it is a frequent claim despite the fact that CFCs are banned by law.

    An environmental claim that may be truthful but is unimportant or unhelpful for consumers seeking environmentally preferable products. ‘CFC-free’ is a common example, since it is a frequent claim despite the fact that CFCs are banned by law.

    Lesser of Two Evils

    A claim that may be true within the product category, but that risks distracting the consumer from the greater environmental impacts of the category as a whole. Organic cigarettes could be an example of this Sin, as might the fuel-efficient sport-utility vehicle.

    A claim that may be true within the product category, but that risks distracting the consumer from the greater environmental impacts of the category as a whole. Organic cigarettes could be an example, as might the fuel-efficient sport-utility vehicle

    No Proof

    An environmental claim that cannot be substantiated by easily accessible supporting information or by a reliable third-party certification. Common examples are facial tissues or toilet tissue products that claim various percentages of post-consumer recycled content without providing evidence.

    An environmental claim that cannot be substantiated by easily accessible supporting information or by a reliable third-party certification. Common examples are facial tissues or toilet tissue products that claim various percentages of post-consumer recycled content without providing evidence.

    Hidden Trade-off

    A claim suggesting that a product is ‘green’ based on a narrow set of attributes without attention to other important environmental issues. Paper, for example, is not necessarily environmentally-preferable just because it comes from a sustainably-harvested forest. Other important environmental issues in the paper-making process, such as greenhouse gas emissions, or chlorine use in bleaching may be equally important.

    A claim suggesting that a product is ‘green’ based on a narrow set of attributes without attention to other important environmental issues. Paper, for example, is not necessarily environmentally-preferable just because it comes from a sustainably-harvested forest. Other important environmental issues in the paper-making process, such as greenhouse gas emissions, or chlorine use in bleaching may be equally important.

    Vagueness

    A claim that is so poorly defined or broad that its real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by the consumer. ‘All-natural’ is an example. Arsenic, uranium, mercury, and formaldehyde are all naturally occurring, and poisonous. ‘All natural’ isn’t necessarily ‘green’.

    A claim that is so poorly defined or broad that its real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by the consumer. ‘All-natural’ is an example. Arsenic, uranium, mercury, and formaldehyde are all naturally occurring, and poisonous. ‘All natural’ isn’t necessarily ‘green’.

    Misleading Labels

    A product that, through either words or images, gives the impression of third-party endorsement where no such endorsement exists; fake labels, in other words.

    A product that, through either words or images, gives the impression of third-party endorsement where no such endorsement exists; fake labels, in other words.


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  • How to Spot a Valid Claim

    Credit goes to Wikipedia for this definition of Greenwashing and the explanation of FTC Guidelines. We all want to do the right thing by the planet, don’t we? “Going green” is all the rage. We all have a heightened awareness of sustainability and environmental issues and we are constantly bombarded by information and marketing from suppliers of goods and services. Some of the information is factual and some of it is fallacious, relying on ill defined concepts and our emotional response to sustainability issues. The rest of this page has been copied from Wikipedia's article on Greenwashing 1. Sources are subject to change, and have been cited here.

    The term greenwashing was coined by New York environmentalist Jay Westerveld3, 4 in a 1986 essay regarding the hotel industry's practice of placing placards in each room promoting reuse of towels ostensibly to "save the environment". Westerveld noted that, in most cases, little or no effort toward waste recycling was being implemented by these institutions, due in part to the lack of cost-cutting affected by such practice. Westerveld opined that the actual objective of this "green campaign" on the part of many hoteliers was, in fact, increased profit. Westerveld hence monitored this and other outwardly environmentally conscientious acts with a greater, underlying purpose of profit increase as greenwashing.

    The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides guidelines for environmental marketing claims. These guidelines give the FTC the right to prosecute false and misleading advertisement claims. The green guidelines were not created to be used as an enforceable guideline but instead were intended to be followed voluntarily. Listed below are the green guidelines set by the FTC.

    • Qualifications and disclosures: The Commission traditionally has held that in order to be effective, any qualifications or disclosures such as those described in these guides should be sufficiently clear, prominent and understandable to prevent deception. Clarity of language, relative type size and proximity to the claim being qualified, and an absence of contrary claims that could undercut effectiveness, will maximize the likelihood that the qualifications and disclosures are appropriately clear and prominent.5
    • Distinction between benefits of product, package and service: An environmental marketing claim should be presented in a way that makes clear whether the environmental attribute or benefit being asserted refers to the product, the product's packaging, a service or to a portion or component of the product, package or service. In general, if the environmental attribute or benefit applies to all but minor, incidental components of a product or package, the claim need not be qualified to identify that fact. There may be exceptions to this general principle. For example, if an unqualified "recyclable" claim is made and the presence of the incidental component significantly limits the ability to recycle the product, then the claim would be deceptive.5
    • Overstatement of environmental attribute: An environmental marketing claim should not be presented in a manner that overstates the environmental attribute or benefit, expressly or by implication. Marketers should avoid implications of significant environmental benefits if the benefit is in fact negligible.5
    • Comparative claims: Environmental marketing claims that include a comparative statement should be presented in a manner that makes the basis for the comparison sufficiently clear to avoid consumer deception. In addition, the advertiser should be able to substantiate the comparison.5

     

    1Wikipedia: Greenwashing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing. Access Date: Dec 5, 2010.
    3"The Jakarta Post". Thejakartapost.com . Retrieved 2009-09-11.
    4"ABS-CNB News".     Abs-cbnnews.com. 2008-09-17. . Retrieved 2009-09-11.
    5GUIDES FOR THE USE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MARKETING CLAIMS. (n.d.). Received November 14, 2009, from     ftc.gov


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  • Where to get help

    For additional assistance and questions, you may contact the Procurement and Business Contracts office at buy4me@ucsc.edu or 831-459-2311


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  • Third Party Certifications

    EcoLogoEcoLogo™ Standards are developed in an open, public, and transparent process spanning approximately 12-18 months, and are designed so that only the top 20% of products available on the market can achieve certification. EcoLogo standards are especially stringent because they address multiple environmental attributes throughout the entire life cycle of the product or service. Perhaps even more encouraging is the fact that all EcoLogo certified products must also meet performance requirements to ensure they perform as well as their conventional alternative.

    EPEATEPEAT is a system to help purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based on their environmental attributes. EPEAT assesses lifecycle environmental standards and ranks products as gold, silver or bronze based on a set of environmental performance criteria. EPEAT®-registered electronic products meet environmental measures referred to as criteria. All of the criteria used in EPEAT are based on ANSI-approved public standards, which provide technical details for every criterion and specify how a manufacturer must demonstrate compliance.

    Energy StarEnergy Star is an international standard for energy efficient consumer products originated in the United States of America. It was created in 1992 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Devices carrying the Energy Star service mark, such as computer products and peripherals, kitchen appliances, buildings and other products, generally use 20%–30% less energy than required by federal standards.

    FSCFSC is an international not for-profit, multi-stakeholder organization established in 1993 to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. Its main tools for achieving this are standard setting, independent certification and labeling of forest products. This offers customers around the world the ability to choose products from socially and environmentally responsible forestry.

    GreenGuardThe GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, part of UL Environment, was founded in 2001 with the mission of protecting human health and quality of life by improving indoor air quality and reducing chemical exposure. The GREENGUARD Certification Program helps manufacturers create--and buyers identify--interior products and materials that have low chemical emissions, improving the quality of the air in which the products are used. UL Environment, a business unit of UL (Underwriters Laboratories), acquired GREENGUARD in 2011, further advancing its mission of promoting global sustainability, environmental health, and safety.

    Green SealGreen Seal is an independent non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Its stated mission is to safeguard human health and the environment by promoting the manufacture, purchase, and use of more sustainable products and services. The organization is a science-based standard development and certification body that meets the Criteria for Third-Party Certifiers of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the requirements for standard development organizations of the American National Standards Institute, the guidelines for ecolabeling programs of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14020 and 14024), and the membership criteria of the Global Ecolabeling Network (GEN). Green Seal’s flagship program is voluntary certification of products and services to its standards.

    SCSScientific Certification Systems was established in 1984 to certify fresh produce based on pesticide residues, SCS now provides third-party certification of environmental performance and quality standards for many different manufacturing industries.

    SCSWater Sense, a partnership program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services. WaterSense brings together a variety of stakeholders to promote the value of water efficiency, encourage innovation in manufacturing, decrease water use and reduce strain on water resources and infrastructure, and provide consumers with easy ways to save water, as both a label for products and an information resource to help people use water more efficiently.


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  • Biodegradable

    The ability of a substance to decompose in the natural environment into harmless raw materials. To be truly biodegradable, a substance or material should break down into carbon dioxide (a nutrient for plants), water, and naturally occurring minerals that also do not cause harm to the ecosystem. In terms of environmental benefits, a product should take months or years, and not centuries, to biodegrade.


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  • Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

    Any of a group of compounds that contain carbon, chlorine, fluorine, and sometimes hydrogen and have been used as refrigerants, cleaning solvents, aerosol propellants and in the manufacture of plastic foams. CFCs are being phased out because they destroy the planet's stratospheric ozone protection layer.


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  • Compostable

    A product that can be placed into a composition of decaying biodegradable materials and eventually turn into a nutrient-rich material. It is synonymous with “biodegradable,” except it is limited to solid materials. (Liquid products are not considered compostable.)


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  • Durable

    A product that remains useful and usable for a long time without noticeable deterioration in performance.


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  • Energy-efficient product

    A product that is in the upper 25 percent of energy efficiency for all similar products or that is at least 10 percent more efficient than the minimum level meeting US federal government standards.


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  • Fair Trade Certified

    A product certification system designed to allow people to identify products that meet agreed environmental, labor and developmental standards. Overseen by a standard-setting body, FLO International, and a certification body, FLO-CERT, the system involves independent auditing of producers to ensure the agreed standards are met. Companies offering products that meet the Fairtrade standards may apply for licences to use the Fairtrade Certification Mark (or, in North America, the applicable Fair Trade Certified Mark) for those products.


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  • Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

    FSC creates the standards for SmartWood and Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) (third-party certifying organizations) to certify forests and chain of custody forest products. Website: www.fsc.org


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  • Greenhouse gases

    Any of several dozen heat-trapping trace gases in the earth's atmosphere that absorb infrared radiation. The two major greenhouse gases are water vapor and carbon dioxide; lesser greenhouse gases include methane, ozone (O3), CFCs, and nitrogen oxides.


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  • Persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic compounds (PBTs)

    Toxic chemicals that persist in the environment and increase in concentration through food chains as larger animals consume PBT-laden smaller animals. They transfer rather easily among air, water, and land, and span boundaries of programs, geography, and generations. As a result, PBTs pose risks to human health and ecosystems. They are associated with a range of adverse human health effects, including effects on the nervous system, reproductive and developmental problems, cancer, and genetic impact. They include heavy metals and chemicals such as mercury, dioxins, and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).


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  • Post-consumer recycled content

    Percentage of a product made from materials and by-products recovered or diverted from the solid waste stream after having completed their usefulness as consumer items and used in place of raw or virgin material.


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  • Product life cycle

    The totality of environmental impacts for a product, including raw material acquisition, manufacturing, distribution, use, maintenance, and ultimate disposal of the product. (Compare with Life cycle Cost.)


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  • Recyclable product

    A product that after its intended end use can be diverted from the solid waste stream for use as a raw material in the manufacture of another product.


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  • Recovered materials

    Waste materials and by-products that have been recovered or diverted from the solid waste stream. Recycled materials – Material and byproducts that have been recovered or diverted from solid waste and have been utilized in place of raw or virgin material in manufacturing a product. It is derived from post-consumer recycled materials, manufacturing waste, industrial scrap, agricultural waste, and other waste material, but does not include material or byproducts generated from, and commonly reused within, an original manufacturing process.


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  • Refurbished product

    A product that has been completely disassembled and restored to its original working order while maximizing the reuse of its original materials.


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  • Renewable materials

    Materials made from plant-based feedstock capable of regenerating in less than 200 years such as trees and agricultural products. Rapidly renewable resources, such as grain-based feedstocks, regenerate in less than two years.


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  • Sustainable

    An action is said to be sustainable if it satisfies present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.


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  • Virgin Materials

    Any material occurring in its natural form. Virgin material is used in the form of raw material in the manufacture of new products.


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  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

    Chemicals that readily evaporate and contribute to the formation of air pollution when released into the atmosphere. Many VOCs are classified as toxic and carcinogenic.


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  • Water efficient

    A product that is in the upper 25 percent of water efficiency for all similar products or that is at least 10 percent more efficient than the minimum level meeting US federal government standards.


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  • Introduction

    UCSC encourages the storage of documents electronically as an alternative to printing and filing hard copy documents. Electronic document storage is a sustainable alternative to printing paper documents and physically filing them. E-document storage uses no paper, and allows you to organize your electronic documents in numerous ways. Electronic document storage is easy, inexpensive and secure, and can eliminate the need to ever print a single page.


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  • How to Back Up

    As a general rule, you should backup anything that’s difficult to replace. This may include contracts, reports, emails, or any other documents that are important to your work. If your computer’s hard drive should fail, your data is likely lost if it is only stored in one location. Backing up your work and documents will help avert a disaster.

    After you've decided where you want to store your files (networked or external storage drive), begin saving your files and folders to the drive of your choice. You may want to consider creating a shortcut from your desktop to specific folders and files that you work on daily.

    For laptop users and individuals with a large number of files to backup, consider using a syncing tool. This will automatically backup files from your hard drive to a network drive. Consult ITS about setting up automated backups.


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  • Using Network Drives

    Most campus computers are configured to access a private network drive and a shared storage drive. Shared network drives are available to everyone, while private network drives are accessible only by you. Even though files are stored remotely, you are able to access these files as if they were stored on your hard drive. This makes it easy to access your files from different computers and share them with others when connected to the network.

    Network storage is hosted by campus, divisional, or individual departmental servers, which means that backup frequency and storage allocations will vary. In most cases, file servers are backed up daily and the available space should be sufficient to back up all your files. However, if you are working outside of the campus network (i.e., from home) or need additional space, you may want to consider a peripheral device. These devices, such as an external hard drive or flash drive, attach directly to your computer and provide a way of storing and transporting data when not connected to the network.

    To store your information on a network drive, you will have to be connected to the campus sever. Under ‘My Computer’ you should see which drives are available to you.

    Network Drive

    *Shared and private drive names may vary; consult your network administrator for help.

    Decide where you want to store your files, then begin saving your files and folders to the drive of your choice. You may want to consider creating a shortcut from your desktop to specific folders and files that you work on daily.


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  • Using Peripherals (USB, External Hard Drives)

    A flash or external hard drive, are good alternatives to backing up files when working remotely or when you don’t have access to networked drives. It is also a good alternative for sharing documents instead of printing out a hard copy. You can purchase one of these devices at any office supply or electronics store locations for a relatively low cost, about $12 for a 4 Gigabyte flash drive.

    Data is copied on to these devices from your computer, not moved. For example, when you drop a file on to a flash drive from your desktop, the file will stay on your desktop. Files and folder are cloned on to these devices.

    external drive

    When your device is connected, it will be listed under the ‘Devices with Removable Storage’ below.

    Removeable location

    You can simply drag and drop folders and files you wish to copy in to the removable storage device.


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  • Back up Email

    If you are using email on a daily basis, consider having your email set to back up regularly. Most email software programs have this option. Microsoft Office has an Auto Archive option which backs up your emails on a regular basis.

    Consult ITS for help with other email programs.


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  • Shortcuts

    A shortcut is an icon that represents a file, folder, or document that allows you to open the file without navigating to it. This can be useful in linking files that you may work on daily that are stored in a networked drive. To creat a shortcut:

    • Right-click the location where you want the new shortcut to appear.
    • From the menu that appears, select 'New' and then 'Shortcut'.
    • Browse for the file, folder, or application for which you want to make a shortcut.
    • When you locate the file click 'Next', and then 'Finish'.
        • Shortcut

        Alternatively, to create the shortcut you can also find the original document and drag it to the desktop while holding "Alt"


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  • Sharing Electronically

    There are several ways to share, transport, or reproduce your documents. Some basic methods include

    • Copy to physical media: flash drives, rewritable CDs, external hard drives
    • Place on a shared or networked drive
    • Email
    • Upload files to department/unit's website and create links

    Encourage the use of these and other methods in situations where they may not be currently utilized. Work with those around you to create creative alternatives to paper use and be a promoter of the idea.


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  • Transitioning from Paper to Electronic Storage

    When you first start filing your documents electronically, there will most certainly be an informational gap. That is, it may be necessary for certain documents to be together. Older records will be on paper and filed in a cabinet while and newer documents will be stored electronically. Scanning those older, printed documents should make the transition to electronic filing less painful.

    Many offices have a multi-functional printer with scanning ability. This would allow you to scan many records at a time. There are also programs available that will help you group and name scanned documents, contact ITS for more information. Ideally only scan what you need and recycle the rest (See Retention Services). For an example of scanners and organizing programs, check out Neat Company.


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  • PDF Power

    PDF is the worldwide standard in sharing documents. Creating a Portable Document Format (PDF) file from an email, word document, spreadsheet, etc., allows you to have a secure and transferrable document. Here are a few easy ways you can create PDFs from your documents. Not all of these options may be available on your computer. Consult ITS for more information.

    Print to PDF This option allows you to create a PDF from your print menu. While in your document, select 'Print', open the pull down under printer 'name', then 'Adobe PDF' as your printer. These print PDF options may vary, contact ITS if this is not an option.

    printopdf

    Save as PDF This option is essentially the same thing as Print to PDF except that you must select 'Save As'. Drop the 'Save as File Type' menu down and find PDF.

    savetopdf

    In addition to creating PDFs for electronic storage, you can also create fillable forms, put multiple PDFs together and create chapters and sections, lock and password protect certain documents, to name a few. For more information, check out Adobe Acrobat Reader.


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  • Printing

    Can’t afford a Hybrid? Does your home not get enough sun for solar panels? Is your green thumb orange? You don’t always have to make life and large financial choices to help save the environment: just hit the Print button less. Saving paper is the one of the easiest ways to start doing your part to preserve our environment. For example, by reducing paper use by one ton, we would:

    • Save enough energy to power the average American home for six months.
    • Save 7,000 gallons of water
    • Save 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.
    • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one metric ton of carbon equivalent.

    Source EPA - https://www3.epa.gov/recyclecity/RecycleCity-website.pdf

    The benefits of not printing also go beyond environmental factors. The campus spends about $11,800 on paper per month (standard size copy and printer paper only). Imagine what we could accomplish if each one of us printed half of what we do now. Close to $71,000 per year! It’s difficult to comprehend what 71,000 dollars in paper looks like but it equates to about 20,285 reams of paper. At 500 sheets per ream the campus uses 10,142,500 pieces of paper per year! By utilizing electronic data storage and sharing, UCSC could save multiple trees without having to sit in them.

    For certain there are instances when there is an absolute need to print. You can make your environmental footprint smaller by using and advocating the following:

    • 100% Post-Consumer Waste Paper
    • Energy Star Equipment
    • Double Sided Printing
    • Number of Copies needed (no extras)
    • Minimizing Margins
    • Eco Font (Website)

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  • Conclusion

    This guide is not intended to be all-inclusive. The big idea behind electronic filing is ease to our ecological footprint by doing a very simple thing. Believe it or not, every little thing you do adds up over time to create a surprisingly large impact. Saving paper is something we can all do to walk the path to a better, cleaner Earth.


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