Buy Green at MIT

What is Buying Green?

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. This is also called Socially Responsible Investing.

  • 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.

Why Buy Green?

Buying green (and buying local) is an investment in the future from a number of perspectives:

  • It reduces pollution and the associated health effects;

  • It strengthens communities by retaining and creating jobs locally;

  • It reduces domestic reliance-and vulnerability-to disruptions that occur elsewhere; and,

  • In the long run, it saves money without mortgaging our children's future.

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 eco-friendly options. A quck way to view most of them is through the "My Lists" drop down menu - select Eco-Friendly Products. You can also filter by eco-friendly or recycled in a regulary search.

Equipment sharing at MIT

Before you buy that new piece of equipment for your DLC, check out MIT's resoucres for sharing/renting equipment on campus

  • Core Facilities lists equipment availablle on campus for use by the MIT community
  • Mobius maker app is a resource for finding "maker" equipment on campus to use/share/rent