Sustainability purchasing programs may take into consideration a wide variety of policies, processes and practices.

Publicly available contact information for the chief sustainability officer

Sustainability criteria is used in procurement decisions

Appropriate records are maintained to feed into corporate sustainability and social responsibility reporting

Sustainability policy is built into supplier contracts and measured

Relationships with key suppliers are developed for access to protected information on chemical makeup of products being purchased

Internal policies and guidelines are published

Policies are in place for responsible

• Waste prevention and reduction
• Green buildings and construction
• Paper and paper product consumption
• Transportation and logistics management
• Pollution and toxin reduction
• Water conservation and consumption
• Reduction of greenhouse gas (ghg) emissions
• Biodiversity maintenance

Concern for employee well-being is evidenced in

• Wages
• Health and safety
• Other working conditions

Socially responsible behaviors demonstrated by

• Support for growth of a sustainable economy
• Support for local economy
• Support for social enterprises
• Minority employee procurement and diversity
• Participation in consortia
• Awards and certifications earned
• Education and communication initiatives enacted
• Fair trade practices