The term procurement is referred to “all the steps involved in purchasing materials and services: from identifying a need, through sourcing, evaluation, and making the final supplier selection” (Jones, 2018: 220).

The sustainable procurement process, though, requires to set a certain number of environmental and socio-economic criteria, in terms of a ‘green procurement policy’ (Graci & Dodds, 2008).

Figure 1: Sustainable procurement process | Source: Jones (2018)

 

In detail:

Figure 2: Sustainable procurement process in detail | Source: Jones (2018)

 

Recommended Sustainability Criteria (Jones, 2018):

• Short-travelled
• Low carbon footprint
• Low water footprint
• Non-toxic & PVC-free
• Made from recycled materials
• To be recyclable
• Re-usable or short-living (avoidance of landfill)
• Eco-labelling certification
• Minimal packaging
• Packaging: pump packs instead of aerosol
• Cleaning products: 100% biodegradable
• Paint: low VOC, non-toxic, water-based, environmentally sound
• Timber & Paper: certified as sustainably forested
• Printing & Signage: vegetable ink
• Printing & Signage Companies: Use environmentally sound production practices

 

References:

Graci, S. & Dodds, R. (2008) Green Festivals and Events Guide , a How To … [online] The Icarus Foundation. Available from <http://ecoclub.com/library/epapers/15.pdf> [13 March 2019]

Jones, M. (2018) Sustainable Event Management: A Practical Guide. 3rd ed. New York: Routledge