Closed-Loop, Responsible Purchasing

In a closed-loop model businesses reuse their production waste to create renewed products. This is a sustainable way to preserve resources and save energy. Responsible or “Green”  purchasing refers to the procurement of products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose. Above all, green purchasing requires purchasers to ask themselves if they truly need to purchase something new, or, perhaps they can reuse something the institution has access to, or simply go without.

  • The Center for SMM is evaluating enhancements to GreenNY: New York State’s Purchasing and Operations web program operated by the New York State Office of General Services as part of Executive Order 22 (EO22).

    We are conducting a pilot green purchasing program at SUNY ESF’s campus to help promote awareness of and compliance with EO22 GreenNY purchasing mandates and specifications.

    As part of this program, ESF adopted its Green Purchasing and Break Free From Plastic Policy and developed a Purchasing Guide.

  • CSMM continues to explore new manufacturing, recycling, and reuse market opportunities, and identify gaps in knowledge between recycling infrastructure, quality of material, material remanufacturing, and end-use.

    Our goal is to strengthen New York’s talent pipeline, stimulate interaction and coordination among recycling communities, and expand NY’s recycled materials supply and end markets for a safe and timely transition into the development and adoption of recyclables.

    We will continue to work with the state agencies such as Empire State Development, National Recycling Coalition (NRC), Northeast Recycling Council (NERC), academic institutions (such as Syracuse University, Alfred University, NYSP2I, SUNY’s University at Buffalo and Stony Brook University), cooperative markets (such as NYSASWM, NYSAR3, SWANA), technology development organizations, and other partners to support this endeavor with their time, commitment, and scientific expertise.

  • ESF will continue to assess the possibility of enhancements to Green NY: NY State’s Purchasing and Operations program operated by the New York State Office of General Services as part of Executive Order 4.

    Our goal is to promote access and awareness of the program and associated tools, such as the green purchasing educational resources throughout SUNY networks via social media and statewide conferences, and also in New York counties, and municipalities.

    We are also working to integrate sustainable purchasing into the implementation of an e-procurement system at ESF. Goals include making green purchasing easy and creating a system that tracks compliance with associated Executive Orders. We will work to scale the lessons learned across the SUNY system.

    We will continue to engage with the Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN), Institute of Local Self Reliance (ILSR), and other leading organizations to incentivize new recycled product manufacturing and foster engagement and contributions from the private sector, government, and the public.