Environment in procurement

At Nottinghamshire County Council we are committed to protecting and enhancing the environment for present and future generations.

We want to reduce the environmental impact of purchasing goods, works and services. We will, so far as is reasonably practicable, achieve this by introducing environmental considerations into our procurement processes and contracts, and by raising staff awareness.

Environmental considerations are consistent with our need to demonstrate best value, as best value seeks to achieve the optimum combination of ‘whole-life’ costs and benefits to meet the County Council’s needs.

We will also be working with our suppliers and contractors by encouraging them to work towards similar environmental goals.

Find out more about our green issues

For further information about the environment go to www.environment-agency.gov.uk

Print a copy of our document Procurement and the environment [Word 39KB]

View the document Procurement and the environment [PDF 331KB]

Examples of ‘whole-life’ costs

Direct running costs - resources used over the lifetime of the product or service.

Indirect costs – using inefficient equipment, for example using energy inefficient refrigeration.

Administration costs – health and safety overheads associated with buying hazardous products.

Spending to save – investing in higher levels of insulation to save on heating bills.

Recyclability – creating markets for waste by buying recycled products

Cost of disposal – choosing a product which minimises waste.

Design and specification

Where relevant, we will define environmentally friendly products in our purchasing specifications. Specific production methods may also be requested should they be relevant to the product being purchased. In certain cases the submission of ‘green’ variants will be allowed, giving us the opportunity to compare ‘standard’ solutions with ‘environmentally friendlier’ options.

Find out more about our Sustainable developer guide - a new booklet intended to inform and inspire developers and to stimulate more sustainable design and construction in Nottinghamshire.

Selecting suppliers

We will use environmental selection criteria appropriate to the nature of the contract to further our environmental objectives. These will seek to reduce risk of non-compliance with environmental legislation and to ensure bidders have the technical capacity to execute the contract as specified. Contracts where environmental technical capacity could be particularly relevant include waste management contracts, construction, building maintenance or renovation contracts, and transport services. An environmental management system (EMS), such as ISO 14001, may be considered as evidence of a supplier’s technical capacity provided it is relevant to the contract. We will recognise a supplier’s ability to demonstrate their environmental performance, whether or not they have a certified EMS.

Find out more about supplier selection

Evaluating tenders

We may specify ‘green’ award criteria, which could include ‘environmentally friendlier’ production methods, where such methods relate to the object of the contract.

Contract management and supplier development

We may specify environmental performance clauses which will be agreed upon between the authority and the contractor, and will clearly relate to the delivery of the contract.  Where appropriate we may also involve suppliers in ‘reducing environmental impacts’ by joint working.

Joint improvement targets typically involve:

• reducing packaging weights and volumes
• introducing reusable and returnable packaging
• reducing the hazardous material content of products
• examining  purchasing order quantities and delivery frequency
• improving delivery scheduling to reduce impacts from transportation

We will also encourage suppliers to bring forward innovative solutions to environmental problems.

For more information contact the Sustainability team who can provide advice to local businesses regarding environmental related matters that may affect successful applications to tender. tel: +44 (0)115 977 3145 and fax: +44 (0)115 977 4054

For further information go to:

Business Link Nottinghamshire at www.blnotts.com for impartial advice and signposting to local business support for environmental (and other) matters. tel: +44 (0)845 757 3680

Netregs at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/netregs/ for plain language guidance for businesses on environmental legislation and how to comply with it.

Envirowise at  www.envirowise.co.uk  for free, independent, confidential advice and support on practical ways to increase profits, minimise waste and reduce environmental impact. tel: +44 (0)800  585 794

IDeA at  www.idea.gov.uk for guidance on sustainability and local government procurement. tel: +44 (0)207 296 6880