a sustainable it purchasing guide - hp.com · 4 | a sustainable it purchasing guide accelerating...

A sustainable IT purchasing guideResources to help you buy with your sustainable impact in mind

2 | A Sustainable IT Purchasing Guide

Every organization is on its own journey toward achieving sustainability goals. This guide will provide you the essential information you need to ensure your procurement activities contribute and assist you on that journey... whether you’re just beginning to think about sustainability or you’re well on your way.

“Habitual purchasing practices represent the single largest barrier to realizing a more sustainable industrial economy. Unless we innovate the way we buy and what we buy, we will continue to reproduce the social, environmental, and economic impacts that we experience in our industrial economy today. Challenging status quo thinking, practices, and products is critical to advancing a prosperous, socially just, and sustainable future.

Sustainable purchasing provides vast opportunities for organizations to improve their bottom line by making a different purchasing decision: be it buying less, investing in a new technology, changing user behavior, or choosing to lease a product. For example, making electronics purchasing decisions that mitigate environmental, social, and economic impacts can result in reduced operating, replacement and disposal costs, improved security, and increased user satisfaction.”

– Sam J. Hummel, Executive Director of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council

While you may not believe your organization has a great deal to contribute to tackling environmental, sustainability and supply chain responsibility challenges of today, leveraging your procurement actions to drive to a circular economy is probably the biggest impact any organization can make.


Develop a framework for sustainable procurement ...................................................................PG. 4

Accelerating the circular economy through purchasing ...............................................................PG. 4

Fundamental principles of procurement guidelines .....................................................................PG. 5

What is an eco-label and how will it help you with your PC & Print investment .....................PG. 6

Evaluate suppliers ..................................................................................................................................PG. 7

Supplier questions ................................................................................................................................PG. 7

Supply chain considerations ..............................................................................................................PG. 8

Responsible forestry ............................................................................................................................PG. 9

Evaluate products ...................................................................................................................................PG. 10

Product evaluation questions ............................................................................................................PG. 10

Evaluate printer cartridge procurement .........................................................................................PG. 12

EPEAT guidelines ..................................................................................................................................PG. 12

Additional requirements .....................................................................................................................PG. 12

Table of Contents

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4


Accelerating the circular economy through purchasingProcurement is a critical key driver. The United Nations estimates that extractive industries are responsible for half of the world’s carbon emissions and more than 80% of biodiversity loss, according to the most comprehensive environmental tally undertaken of mining and farming1. This reinforces the need to transition from a linear economy to a circular economy where we keep resources at their highest form of value for as long as possible, eliminating the need to mine for more resources.

This is a critical transition for all organizations. Companies that can grow without also increasing their consumption of raw materials will thrive in a resource-constrained future – and will be well placed to help their customers do the same. Aligning your procurement practice to encourage the circular economy can be as simple as prioritizing access over ownership, e.g., purchasing products as a service, instead of purchasing just products. And the great news is that IT is a category that is very well suited for this type of procurement.

Here are a few key priorities to consider in creating a tangible value for your business while lowering your impact on the planet, empowering people worldwide, and strengthening opportunities for communities globally:

• Always purchase a service over a product

• Specify energy-efficient devices and measure their impact

• Capitalize on extended product life and reduced footprint through design for repairability and recyclability

• Specify expanding device use at end of first life through repair and reuse

• Require recycled content in as many services/products as possible- this is the simplest way to drive the circular economy and start to tackle the impacts on energy and biodiversity loss from the extractive industries that the UN disclosed.1

The linear economy compared to the circular economy:

Develop a framework for sustainable IT procurement

STEP 1

Parts Materials recovery and reuse

Reuse/refurbishment

Product-as-a-service

Maintenance/upgrade model

Products

Services

Users

Take

Make

Consume

Discard

The lineareconomy Transitioning to a circular economy


Fundamental principles of procurement guidelines

Leveraging your technology purchases to advance your social and environmental goals makes sense – in this section HP recommends some broad principles to ensure procurement activities are fair, socially and environmentally sound, and economically viable.

Fairness & full lifecycleProcurement criteria should be fair and equitable and should consider sustainability aspects throughout the life cycles of different product options. For instance, the energy costs to operate the device together with the end of first life, security and environmental issues need to be considered at the point of purchase. Do you actually need the number of devices? If you procure as a service you can use just what you need, reducing waste and sustainability impacts.

Match to your Sustainability goalsThe vendor, type, and quantity of services and/or products purchased, collectively determine the social and environmental impact of any procurement activity. Align your decision-making criteria with your overall sustainability goals and polices, including your particular social and environmental priorities. Your organization may have specific goals that procurement activities can contribute to. For example, if you are aiming to reduce your carbon footprint in line with the Paris Climate accord, you should ensure that all services or goods purchased have their carbon footprint disclosed and you prioritize those with the lowest carbon footprint.

Measure the impact of your procurement program by prioritizing procurement specifications based on good science and focus on the areas of greatest risk to your business and reputation.

RestrictionsApply the precautionary principle to chemicals management and support eco-label and sustainable procurement criteria that restrict the use of certain substances when:

• Scientifically proven to present a risk through recognized and published studies.

• Restricted by internationally recognized laws.

• A feasible alternative exists that is safer and has less impact on the environment.

Measurability and reportingSustainability criteria should be used only if they are:

• Measurable and referencing an existing standard

• Comparable, i.e., enabling comparisons between competing services or products

• Verifiable by the purchaser or through a procurement rating agency such as Eco Vadis or ranking agency based on publicly available and audited data such as CDP.

• Reporting baselines and results of your sustainable procurement activities helps drive the process forward

TransparencyTalk to suppliers and other stakeholders to ensure your procurement program has realistic goals and expectations. Bid / tender requests should reflect your priorities, and the social and environmental components of tender offers should be weighted accordingly. Transparent processes and discussion with suppliers and stakeholders will provide you with a clearer picture of market conditions and should help you evaluate the impact of specific criteria. ISO 20400:2017 - Sustainable procurement Guidance is a good document to follow and it recommends working with suppliers to determine procurement criteria.

HarmonyDue to the wide selection of sustainability standards around the globe HP recommends selecting the key criteria & tools that meet your organizations needs and if applicable applying the same ones globally.


Leading Eco-labels

ENERGY STAR®

EPEATIT Eco

DeclarationAsia

PacificTCO LEED®

Blue Angel

Nordic Swan

EU Flower

Description

Helps consumers make informed buying decisions by providing information about products’ energy efficiency.

Helps purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate, compare, and select IT products based on a variety of environmental & social attributes.

EPEAT is an acronym for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool

Provides environmental information for a specific product or product family in an industry-standard format developed by IT organizations in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.

Required for government purchase of IT electronic products in China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan

A Swedish eco-label with criteria for IT products such as displays and personal computers. Is most commonly associated with monitors.

A third-party certification program for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.

A German environmental certification for products and services.

Some IT companies in the European market offer products that meet the Nordic Swan and EU Flower eco-labels.

Region(WW, APJ, EMEA or AMS)

AMS WW EMEA APJ WW WW EMEA EMEA EMEA

Desktops

Notebooks

Thin clients

Workstations

Monitors

Laser printers

Ink printers

Scanners

What is an eco-label and how will it help you with your PC and Print investment?Eco-labels are a form of sustainability measurement intended to make it easy to take environmental and/or social concerns into account when making procurement decisions. Some labels quantify pollution or energy consumption by way of index scores or units of measurement, while others assert compliance with a set of practices or minimum requirements for sustainability or reduction of harm to the environment. There are a wide variety of eco labels, but the ones listed below are most relevant to purchasing technology.2


Evaluate suppliersSTEP 2

The fastest way to “green” your business is to purchase from one who has already “greened” theirs!

These select questions apply to supplier information that you should be able to access or request. Additional detailed questions for each topic in this section can be found by contacting your supplier’s sales or account manager. Before you get to details on the specific service or product you want to purchase, ensure the company you are choosing to do business with matches or exceeds your own programs and goals for sustainability, enabling you to meet your goals and protect and enhance your reputation.

General attributes

Does the company have a public commitment statement to social and environmental responsibility (for example, a human rights policy, global citizenship policy, etc.)?

Have press releases, nongovernmental organizations’ accounts, or reports been published about the supplier’s social and environmental responsibility program?

Does the company have specific public, social, and environmental responsibility requirements for its suppliers (such as a code or policy that covers labor, health and safety, environment, and ethics)?

Is the supplier involved in external social and environmental responsibility activities (for example, EICC, Global e-Sustainability Initiative, Ethical Trading Initiative, etc.)?

Vendor commitments and performance

Has the supplier disclosed a comprehensive set of sustainability goals and results against the goals?

Is the progress on these goals independently audited and verified?

Does the service provider have specialized skills that encompass secondary market knowledge and data privacy concerns?

Does the supplier disclose to CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) which awards and recognition they have earned for their sustainability performance, e.g., are they listed as one of the top 100 most sustainable corporations worldwide; do they have local as well as global recognition?

Does the company publish a 3rd-party-audited annual sustainability report?

Lifecycle impacts

Does the supplier have a comprehensive environmental life cycle for the product (from Design for Sustainability through end-of-use)?

Does the vendor disclose the energy use of the product and allow you to model the total cost of owning the product in your geography?

Are there organizational processes in place for end-of-first life equipment to be tested, evaluated, and refurbished?

If products are leased, does the lessor ensure the chain of custody is tightly controlled in accordance with applicable environmental regulations, as well as to protect your data and your customers’, clients’, or constituents’ data?

Supply chain responsibility

Does the company disclose the locations of its manufacturing and recycling sites?

Does the company have a chemicals management plan and do they apply the precautionary principle? How is it managed into their supply chain?

1. Developing and communicating measurable labor and human

rights expectations for suppliers

Companies identify and communicate requirements their suppliers must meet to address negative labor and human rights impacts. These requirements are expressed in terms so that audits or other types of assessments can be conducted against them. The requirements are stated in a Supplier Code of Conduct, Supplier Policies or similar document(s). Companies expect their suppliers to adhere to this Code of Conduct or Supplier Policy.

2. Supplier risk screening

Companies have a process for screening their suppliers to determine which are more likely to have labor and human rights violations.

3. Assessing suppliers to confirm implementation of Codes and

Policies

Companies have a process to assess how the requirements in their Codes of Conduct or Supplier Policies are being implemented by their suppliers.

4. Responsible sourcing practices

Companies incorporate data on supplier human rights and labor rights performance into their sourcing decisions.

5. Corrective action

Companies use the outcomes of the supplier assessment process to address any negative labor and human rights issues that are identified.

6. Continuous improvement

Companies engage with their suppliers, usually management representatives, to help them build the internal capacity needed to continually meet or exceed the expectations outlined in their Supplier Code of Conduct or Supplier Policies. This can include companies investing in technology improvements for their suppliers.

7. Capacity building

Companies support programs that empower the facility workers, their families and their direct communities.

8. Reporting

Companies report on their supplier management practices and on the labor and human rights performance of their suppliers to internal and external stakeholders.

9. Reporting

Companies report on their supplier management practices and on the labor and human rights performance of their suppliers to internal and external stakeholders.

10. External collaboration

Companies support external organizations to address labor and human rights impacts at scale, i.e. work as part of an industry association, support NGOs or seek to influence the negative labor and human rights policies and practices of the governments where the company operates.

Evaluate suppliers (continued)

Does the supplier regularly publish an environmental report?

Does the supplier have third-party validation for its audit results?

End-of-use services

What product take-back programs (recovery, recycling, reuse, etc.) does the supplier offer?

Does the supplier provide information about the product, battery, and packaging take-back system in printed or electronic format?

Does the supplier offer recycling globally or in all regions that you need them?

Does the service provider have sufficient experience with security protocols and recycling products to ensure your data protection, environmental protection, & implementation of the circular economy?

Here are some additional considerations when evaluating supply chain responsibility of suppliers

(Source: Purchasers Guide for Addressing Labor and Human Rights Impacts in IT Procurement, Green Electronics Council [GEC])



Responsible forestryBoth paper and packaging contain forest products. Deforestation is a major issue in many parts of the world. This contributes to climate change and biodiversity loss. Your suppliers should have a strong commitment to prevent deforestation, acting through standards and goal setting and reporting on progress. In addition, they should be contributing to programs that oversee responsible forestry - ensuring all of their forest products are certified as coming from responsibly managed forests.

One quick action to take is to choose FSC® or PEFC™ certified paper—it’s sustainably sourced and helps promote healthy forests today and in the future. Ask suppliers if they have an environmentally preferable paper policy that outlines principles for buying, selling, and using paper and product packaging.


Evaluate productsSTEP 3

This section contains a list of questions to help you evaluate your products (PCs and Monitors, Printing and Imaging, and Print Cartridges). All these questions apply to product information you should be able to access through technical specifications or other related product collateral.

Eco-labels: a minimum requirement

Is this product in the EPEAT® (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) registry? If yes, what rating did it receive? Bronze, Silver, or Gold?

Is this product ENERGY STAR® certified?

Does this product meet the requirements of another certification/eco-label program? If so, what certification program?

Does this product achieve The Eco Declaration standard? (ECMA-370)

Materials in products

Does the product contain recycled content? What percentage?

Can you confirm this product does not contain polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) or polychlorinated terphenyl (PCT)?

Is information on proper battery disposal provided in this product’s user manual?

Can you confirm this product does not contain ozone- depleting substances? (See the expanded evaluation for a list of ozone-depleting substances)

If this product contains a battery or accumulator, is it labeled with the disposal symbol?

Design considerations for the circular economy

Are products designed to be upgradable and reparable? Is this demonstrated through 3rd party verification?

Are plastic materials in covers/housing free of surface coating?

Are spare parts available for a minimum of 3 years after end of production?

Can the product be upgraded (such as with a processor, memory, cards, or drives)?

Is service available for a minimum of 5 years after end of production?

PCs and Monitors

Printing and Imaging

Print Cartridges

Printing considerations

Have the print cartridges been tested in the printer in which they’ll be used to ensure indoor air quality meets eco-label criteria?

Is a safety data sheet available for the ink/toner preparation?

Is two-sided (duplex) printing/copying an integrated printing function?

Can paper containing recycled fibers that meet the requirements of EN12281 be used in the printer?

Product packaging

Is the packaging recyclable and does it contain recycled content?

Are product packaging material types reasonable in weight and separable if composed of multiple materials?

Is user and product documentation printed on paper with recycled content?

Is the product plastic packaging halogen-free (including PVC)?

Is information available for recyclers/treatment facilities (as required by such directives as 2002/96/EC)?

Evaluate products (continued)

PCs and Monitors Printing and Imaging Print Cartridges


Evaluate printer cartridges procurement

STEP 4

In this section, we’ve provided the top procurement criteria for print cartridges. All of these questions apply to product information you should be able to access through technical specifications or other related product collateral.

Topic:

EPEAT Guidelines

Topic:

Why it matters:

Why it matters:

What criteria should you look for?

What criteria should you look for?

Support company waste reduction efforts and enable recycled products as raw material in new products.

Take-back and recycling program

Supplier should offer a print supplies take-back and recycling program for depleted supplies. A supplier is required by EPEAT to recycle both the plastic and the toner material after collecting the cartridges, and should provide annual reporting of the metrics.

Documents Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) information. Tool to show if the toner or ink is hazardous or not.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

Supplier to provide Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) for offered printer cartridges containing toner or ink (if hazardous, in local language).

Americans spend an estimated 90% of their time indoors, and the levels of common air pollutants can be two to five times higher indoors than outdoors.1

Indoor Air Quality (print system)

Supplies in use with a compatible printer should guarantee indoor air quality as per internationally recognized eco-label standard threshold limits.

Additional Requirements

� EPEAT 4.10.1.1 Indoor Air Quality Emission Requirements

� EPEAT 4.9.3.1 Provision of take-back and recycling service for cartridges and containers (includes process restrictions and reporting requirements)

� EPEAT 4.9.3.3 Manufacturer recycles or reuses all plastic collected through its cartridge and container take-back program

� EPEAT 4.9.3.2 Manufacturer recycles or reuses all toner material collected through its cartridge and container take-back program

Efficient use of materials to help reduce environmental impact. Keep materials in use at their highest value rather than send to landfill.

Recycled content

According to the US EPA, “The Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG) program is part of EPA’s continuing effort to promote the use of materials recovered from solid waste.” In 1995, EPA designated toner cartridges as an item that should contain recovered materials under the CPG. The EPA does not set forth a minimum level of recovered material.

GuidelineEPEAT

GuidelineEPEAT


Evaluate printer cartridge procurement (continued)

Refilled and remanufactured cartridges are not standardized and can impact product quality and reliability and thus generate waste. Supplies should not be substituted without customer approval.

Cartridge characterization and substitution

Supplier should provide the country of origin and one of the following designations for each cartridge:

• Original cartridge (brand from printer manufacturer)• Non-Original remanufactured cartridge

(some parts renewed)• Non-Original refilled only cartridge (no parts renewed)• Non-Original new-built cartridge (all parts new)

No international standard available yet.

The ISO14001 standards ensure a company is aware of its environmental impacts and provides a process for continuous improvement.

Environmental Management System

Printing supply manufacturers should be certified against the ISO14001 environmental management system and provide certificates.

Topic: Why it matters: What criteria should you look for?

Transparency and credibility. Enables company to buy from a company that upholds human rights, labor conditions and environmental guidance in its own company and in its supply chain.

Sustainability program

Company publishes sustainability metrics or a report on an annual or biannual basis and uses a third party standard such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

The page yield is connected to usability and number of pages possible to print based on a reliable standard—often a priority for public sector customers— and provides resource efficiency.

Page YieldCartridge page yield should be reported in accordance with ISO/IEC 19752, ISO/IEC 19798 or ISO/IEC 24711.

Product quality and reliability have both cost and environmental impacts, like reduction of waste and carbon footprint.

Product quality and reliability

Supplier should be able to empirically demonstrate the quality and reliability of the products and provide reference to third party reports and data where appropriate.

Covers Life Cycle concept, requirements for Environmental Health and Safety, circular economy, and design for environment of products.

Life cycle environmental impact (supplies)

The printing system (cartridges with printer) or cartridges should meet the requirements of recognized eco-labels covering environmental aspects during the lifecycle of the printing system (or cartridge). These criteria cover all lifecycle aspects besides Indoor Air Quality (covered above).

Credibility is key to communicating the results of a lifecycle assessment. ISO 14040 requires critical reviews (peer reviews) to be performed on all lifecycle assessments supporting a comparative assertion disclosed to the public.

Accelerate the circular economy

There are several tools that can help you find ways to contribute to the transition to a low-carbon, energy-efficient, and circular economy.

• Ellen MacArthur Foundation • HP Carbon Footprint Calculator• HP’s transition to a circular economy

To learn more, visit hp.com/sustainableimpact or contact your HP account manager.

1. https://www.unenvironment.org/explore-topics/extractives

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecolabel

© Copyright 2018 HP Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

EPEAT® is a U.S. registered trademark of EPEAT, Inc. ENERGY STAR® is a registered mark owned by the U.S. government. LEED® is a U.S. registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council.

c03844101, May 2019