Resources
Purchase with Purpose
Buying green is about making deliberate, and thoughtful purchasing choices that take into consideration how a product was made, where it comes from, and how it is disposed of. Buying green can include:
Choosing products that use recycled, less hazardous and/or less polluting materials, less water and energy consumption, and less packaging.
Renting/leasing goods rather than buying them outright.
Setting up service contracts to extend the life or use of materials.
Making financial investments in companies that recognize the value of sustainability and align their business goals accordingly.
Buying local, which helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions from shipping food and materials over long distances. Carbon dioxide emissions have been strongly linked to climate change.
Buying Green at MIT
MIT already has some resources to make purchasing for your DLC a little easier and greener.
Starting with the VPF Preferred supplies list. Be sure to select “Yes” under Sustainable. If you cannot find what you are looking for with the Sustainable filter, perhaps try one of the Small/Disadvantaged Business filters.
Staples eCat in Buy To Pay: Staples has many sustainable options. A quick way to view most of them is through the “My Lists” drop down menu – select one of the Sustainable lists. You can also filter by Environmental or Total Recycled % in a regular search.
Equipment sharing at MIT
Before you buy that new piece of equipment for your DLC, check out MIT’s resources for sharing/renting equipment on campus
Core Facilities lists equipment available on campus for use by the MIT community
Mobius maker app is a resource for finding “maker” equipment on campus to use/share/rent
Leadership
A Sustainable or green workplace starts with you – Incorporate sustainability responsibilities into job description and annual goals.:
Employees can include sustainability during the goal setting part of the performance review process. One example SMART goal: “By the end of the fiscal year, reduce the department’s paper consumption by 20% by implementing digital documentation and processes, contributing to MIT’s waste impact goals.”