Sustainable purchasing

County Supplies’ Top 10 list of sustainable purchases for schools:

Photocopier paper supplied by County Supplies is either from 100% post consumer recycled paper, or produced from managed forests.

All electricity is purchased as Climate Change Levy exempt (generated with 25% lower CO2 emissions) or from renewable sources.

Over 70% of all Hampshire's schools are signed up to the County Supplies waste and recycling contracts. These represent increasingly good value; recycling is cheaper than waste.

All furniture products supplied through County Supplies' contracts are manufactured using solvents containing non-ozone depleters, and timber produced from well managed forestry schemes.

Disposable paper hygiene products are all manufactured from 100% recycled material.

All detergents provided are biodegradable. Liquid detergents are phosphate free.

30% of all toner cartridges are now recycled.

Virtually all liquid spray products are provided in hand powered or refillable trigger bottles.

County Supplies catalogue contains over 200 products with good environmental credentials - look for the "green" symbols in the catalogue.

County Supplies has produced a Green Purchasing Guide.

With a little thought and change of habit, schools can reduce their use of the world’s finite natural resources, - materials, energy and water. Careful production, use and disposal of the products we purchase can reduce their impact on global warming and climate change through reduction of CO2 emissions from these processes.

Paper Buying items made from recycled materials creates a demand, and encourages businesses to use them in manufacture. If all schools bought only recycled paper, it would have a huge effect on the demand for recycled paper, and would conserve natural resources (trees, energy and water) and reduce landfilling. Recycled paper is now very good quality and compares well with virgin paper. If you buy your paper from County Supplies, all the choices are environment friendly – to choose the greenest, look for 100% post consumer recycled paper.

Buying products with low environmental impact is another easy way in which schools can help. Is there a greener alternative? Ask for advice on sustainable products when you contact County Supplies. The new catalogue has symbols (see above) to help you purchase more sustainable items. Find it on the web at www.hants.gov.uk/countysupplies. Also have a look at the Green Buyers' Companion.