Green procurement code extented
Published January 18, 2008 at 1:17 pm · Filed under Features
The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has extended the Green Procurement Code to include sustainable products as well as recycled ones in an attempt to reduce the carbon emissions and water use of London businesses.
The free business support service funded by the London Development Agency was set up in 2001 to stimulate demand for recycled products and help divert waste from landfill. Its extended remit now includes energy efficient products and ones that make better use of resources including water.
Since its launch in 2001, members of the programme have spent £548.7 million on recycled products, helping to divert 1.8 million tonnes of waste from landfill and reduce CO2 emissions.
London Remade estimates that in the last two years, members have saved 391,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions by buying recycled products.
The extended service being delivered by London Remade, Action Sustainability and Mouchel Parkman includes a green procurement website, http://www.greenprocurementcode.co.uk/, that will enable more small and medium-sized businesses to benefit from purchasing advice.
Organisations that deliver the biggest environmental impact through their purchases are being offered five to seven days of dedicated one-to-one support.
The 2007 Mayor of London's Green Procurement Code Awards announced on October 30 demonstrate the growing importance of recycled products to London businesses. Last year members of the Code spent £181 million on recycled products - 47% more than the previous year.
In doing so they diverted nearly 475,000 tonnes of waste from landfill (20% more than the previous year), saving 216,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Recycled stationery and office product accounts for the majority of green procurement, with nearly £2.5 million spent on over a million items. Purchases include 13 million reams of recycled paper, 40,500 items of recycled furniture and 28,161 square metres of recycled carpet.
The 2007 Mayor of London Green Procurement Code award winners are: Workspace Group for best performing private sector organisation; Bywaters for best performing small and medium enterprise (SME); the London borough of Hackney for the best performing public sector organisation; and Paper Round for best performing newcomer. The extra mile award for environmental innovation in the workplace was presented to James McNaughton Group.
http://www.greenprocurementcode.co.uk/
