GPP of office supplies

About this good practice

By project GPP4Growth

Published on 13 August 2018

Belgium

Prov. Antwerpen

The Province of Antwerp wants a catalogue contract which makes it easy for all its entities (central services, musea, schools, …) to order sustainable office supplies (notebooks, envelopes, folders, pencils, tape, …) online at a nice price, delivered to all entities. Criteria had already been developed in consultation with the Logistics Department and the Environment Department and were included in the technical requirements of the framework tender. A 'green list' of common office supplies was included in the inventory. The inventory lists all requirements for a product. If not all requirements could be met, this should be indicated in the 'comments' column.
Award criteria: price, catalogue, possibility to pick ecological products, possibilities and quality of the online consulting and ordering options, size and diversity of the offered range, delivery terms and possibilities.
2 big suppliers responded to the tender. The winner introduced the ‘green list’ (in mutual consultation) of office supplies into the dashboard for every provincial procurer, easily accessible when he logs in to the webshop.

Expert opinion

The practice is a positive example how a public body stimulates the supply and use of eco-friendly office products by the administration as well as by other public institutions (e.g. schools, museums). It is especially interesting for the development of a “green list” of common office supplies included in an inventory that lists all the requirements related to a product. The internal consultation process with regards to the technical requirements of the framework contract is also an essential element of the practice. The experience contributed to raising the awareness of the public administration and private sector of how the supply and use of sustainable office products helps to meet environmental objectives. The overall approach can serve as an inspiration for other public authorities interested to green public procurement process.

Venelina Varbova

Resources needed

time and skilled staff.

Evidence of success

For all common office supplies the province buys qualitative products, made from renewable, recycled or at least less invasive ressources creating less waste and environmental impact. Reducing prices for environmental technologies.

Potential for learning or transfer

This is easily transferable to other organisations. Needs addressed are common among sectors, organisations and different regions/countries. Low implementation risks and low risk of organizational resistance even though with many the conviction persists that more sustainable options are more expensive, despite the proof of the opposite.
Key enablers: a clear definition of green criteria, private sector’s environmental culture and availability of ecoproducts, long term contract award (48 months), competent public procurement officers to carry out the tendering process.
Internal communication on how to order from the catalogue of the framework contract is important. Internal audits in the frame of the ISO14001-certificate showed that not everybody was aware of the green lists.