Sustainable procurement is a key element for acting socially responsible and environmentally conscious. This practice involves the acquisition of goods and services, taking into account environmental aspects, social standards, and economic factors. By selecting suppliers committed to sustainable production and supply chain practices, we can have a positive impact on environmental and social standards. Sustainable procurement encompasses various areas, from using eco-friendly materials to ensuring fair labor conditions. The focus is on resource conservation, waste minimization, and promoting social justice.
We prioritize durability, environmentally friendly materials, and recyclability. In all cases, the supplier must also guarantee that the products were manufactured without the use of child labor.
For many years now, there has been a book exchange shelf in NK 226 (NK copy room) for private books and academic literature. In 2022, a shelf for office supplies that you no longer need has been added. Please only place well-maintained, clean items and only take what you truly need.
With this initiative, we aim to reduce resource consumption, minimize waste, and at the same time, provide an opportunity to sustainably use office materials. Additionally, the shelf can serve as financial relief for students.
The University of Passau puts great emphasis on sustainability, even among its suppliers. For example, since April 2022, the University's stationery supplies are delivered climate-neutrally by our supplier KABUCO. In the tender and supplier selection process, the University specified environmental criteria that products and the suppliers have to adhere to. Among other things, packaging materials must be recycleable and empty toner cartridges must be collected and refurbished by the supplier. The same requirement also applies to office furnishings, where longevity, environmentally friendly materials and recycleability are taken into account. Our suppliers also have to offer assurances that no products were manufactured using child labour.
Since the winter semester 2019/2020, the printers in the University's administrative divisions have been using paper certified with the Blue Angel ecolabel. In the medium term, the University will liaise with contract partners such as the Kopierzentrale copy shop to bring about a switch towards using recycled paper even in areas where the University has no direct influence on paper purchasing.
By switching to recycled paper, the University of Passau is making an important contribution to climate protection and resource conservation. Within one year, the University was able to raise the share of Blue Angel ecolabel paper used in its administrative processes by 74.94 percentage points to reach the 100 percent mark, and was therefore named "Rising Star of the Year" (in German: Aufsteiger des Jahres) in the Paper Atlas 2021 (Papieratlas 2021) competition.
In the project seminar "Sustainable Paper Consumption," students employed the approach of inquiry-based learning to investigate the usage patterns of campus printers and the attitudes towards the use of recycled paper among university members. This initiative was undertaken in light of the University's considerations to make printing practices more efficient and environmentally friendly. Under the guidance of Dr. Stefanie Wehner, seminar participants developed and conducted a small research project, which included qualitative interviews and an online survey in January 2023. More than 1,000 students participated, and the results provided a solid foundation for future decisions. You can find some results in this document.
Already in the tendering process, compliance with environmental criteria is required, accounting for 10% in the selection of suppliers. We focus on:
During the procurement of IT equipment for PC pools and offices, the University participates in the statewide Bavarian tender. This includes:
Additionally, there is a used goods market on the University's website. Employees can obtain devices for official use that no longer meet the technical requirements of certain departments but still function well for regular use.
You want to be regularly informed about opportunities to participate in climate protection and sustainability? Sign up for the ClimUP-Newsletter!
Do you have sustainability-related questions or suggestions? Send us an email at nachhaltigkeit@uni-passau.de.
