Responsible Purchasing
responsible purchasing
Purchasing decisions are important in ensuring the university supports environmentally and socially sustainable material sourcing and production. The UNC Sustainability Policy specifically calls attention to both environmental criteria, including toxicity, recycled content, energy and water efficiency, rapidly renewable resources, and local production of purchased materials, and social criteria, including working conditions and historically underutilized businesses.
The environmental and social sustainability of four material categories as of fiscal year 2024-2025 purchased by the University are detailed below: electronics, paper, cleaning products, and furniture. Electronics, paper, and cleaning products are the categories evaluated by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)’s Sustainability Tracking and Rating System (STARS). Data for electronics, paper, and cleaning products are from fiscal year 2023-2024, and furniture data are from FY 2024-2025.
Additionally, to encourage responsible purchasing across the University, the Office of Sustainability’s Green Workplace program offers a Responsible Purchasing badge for units.
ELECTRONICS
Over 90% of UNC Charlotte’s electronic purchases are EPEAT Gold and/or certified at the highest achievable level under a multi-attribute sustainability standard.
Electronics purchased by the university include computers, displays, phones, and imaging equipment from suppliers such as Apple or Dell. When purchasing these items, purchasers should look for two key certifications. EPEAT certification is from the Global Electronics Council for life cycle performance related to most of the criteria in the UNC Sustainability Policy, including toxicity, recycled content, responsible supply chains, as well as climate and social impacts. Another certification useful for electronics is Energy Star, an energy efficiency rating that helps reduce the university’s electricity bills.
PAPER
Over 80% of UNC Charlotte’s office paper purchases are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified and/or contains greater than 70% post-consumer recycled paper.
Office paper products purchased by the university include copy paper, cardstock, and composition notebooks. Products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) come from responsibly managed forests that comply with laws, protect workers, support the well-being of forest-based societies and economies, and account for environmental impacts. Purchasing recycled paper products creates a circular economy, returning the material our campus collects and sends to paper recycling companies every month.
CLEANING PRODUCTS
About 50% of UNC Charlotte’s Janitorial Cleaning Products are green-certified products.
Cleaning products and paper purchased by the university include items like cleaning solutions, floorcare products, soaps, paper towels, and bathroom tissue. Purchasers should look for Green Seal Certification for life cycle performance meeting the toxicity and recycling criteria set by the UNC Sustainability Policy. Another key certification used for cleaning products is the U.S. EPA’s Safer Choice certification, which looks at the toxicity of ingredients used in cleaning products and ensures the safety of those ingredients for human and environmental health.
FURNITURE
83% of UNC Charlotte’s furniture products are FSC labeled and SCS Indoor Advantage Gold UL GREENGUARD Gold certified.
Furniture includes typical seating, tables, beds, and shelves, as well as partitions, carts, and wall hangings (e.g., classroom boards). Purchasers should look for SCS Indoor Advantage Gold-certified and UL GREENGUARD Gold-certified products that meet strict chemical emission limits for healthier indoor environments and, consequently, higher quality working conditions in those environments.
