Review and Harmonization of Environmentally
Responsible Procurement
The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee recommends the adoption of the report
(April26, 1999) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, subject to adding the
following Clauses to the Environmentally Responsible Procurement Policy contained in
Appendix "A":
"(7)given the environmental and economic importance of infrastructure,
environmentally responsible procurement principles should be fully applied to
construction design, processes, tendering and materials; and
(8)given that many environmentally preferred products and services can produce a
variety of tangible benefits, full consideration should be given to the long term and
complete costs and benefits of green procurement."
The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee submits the following report (April 26,
1999) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer:
Purpose:
To respond to the request of the Environmental Task Force regarding the "quick start idea" to
review and harmonize Environmentally Responsible Procurement.
Financial Implications:
There are no financial implications for either the short term or long term.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1)the City of Toronto adopt the Environmentally Responsible Procurement Policy attached
as AppendixA; and
(2)Interim Purchasing By-Law No. 57-1998 be revised to include the new City of Toronto
Environmentally Responsible Procurement Policy.
Council Reference/Background History:
In early September 1998, the Environmental Task Force held a series of focussed workshops
in the areas of air, land, water, nature/greenspace, toxics/pollution prevention and sustainable
energy strategies. Participants included Task Force members, city staff, representatives from
environmental groups and agencies, community groups, business, education and labour. The
workshops were chaired by City Councillors who are members of the Task Force. The
participants of the workshops were asked to identify priority issues and actions for their topic
areas. In addition, they were asked to identify quick start ideas that would result in
improvements to the environment, achieve cost savings, create local employment and require
limited new resources to implement.
The quick start ideas were prioritized by workshop participants and reviewed by smaller
groups of workshop participants and Environmental Task Force staff to identify actions which
the Task Force could take or recommend. For those priority quick starts which City or Agency
staff were being asked to take action, program staff were consulted to determine feasibility,
cost implications, etc. Environmentally Responsible Procurement was identified as a "quick
start" idea at two of the workshops.
In addition, the Environmental Task Force at its meeting on December 18, 1998 requested in a
report to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee that the Commissioner of Finance
submit the Environmentally Responsible Purchasing Policy that is being prepared for City
Council as soon as possible and submit it to the Environmental Task Force for information
en-route to Standing Committee.
A review of Environmentally Responsible Procurement policies of former municipalities was
conducted by the Finance Department Purchasing and Materials Management Division and the
following are a summary of the findings and recommendations.
Comments:
A review of Environmentally Responsible Procurement activities of the former municipalities
has indicated that the former City of Toronto and Metro Toronto had the following
Environmentally Responsible Procurement policies:
Former Metro Policy:
In order to contribute to waste reduction and to increase the development and awareness of
Environmentally Sound Purchasing, acquisitions of goods and services will ensure that
wherever possible specifications are amended to provide for expanded use of durable
products, reusable products and products (including those used in services) that contain the
maximum level of post-consumer waste and/or recyclable content, without significantly
affecting the intended use of the products or service. It is recognized that cost analysis is
required in order to ensure that the products are made available at competitive prices.
Former City Policy:
That in order to increase the development and awareness of Environmentally Sound Products
all departments, in conjunction with Purchasing and Supply staff review their contracts and
tender specifications for goods and services, to ensure that wherever possible and economical,
specifications are amended to provide for expanded use of products and services that contain
the maximum level of post-consumer recyclable waste and/or recyclable content, without
significantly affecting the intended use of the product or service, and that it is recognized that
cost analysis is required in order to ensure that the products are made available at competitive
prices.
Both policies recognized the need to expand the use of Environmentally Sound Products, that
the products/service must be suitable for the intended use to ensure that operational
requirements are met and that the products/services must be competitive in cost to ensure that
the City/Metro would not pay unnecessary price premiums for these products or restrict
competition in its purchasing activities.
The above policies are still being applied to all former City and Metro purchasing activity.
The policies however only mention products/services containing maximum levels of
post-consumer waste and/or recyclable content in order to minimize waste. They do not
mention products/services that result in minimum damage to the environment (i.e. pollutants,
non-renewable resources, public health).
Discussions with representatives of the Federal Government Environmental Choice Program
(a Federal Government program which identifies products and services having an
environmental benefit) has resulted in the Environmentally Responsible Procurement Policy
attached as AppendixA. The policy includes the above-mentioned concerns of minimizing
damage to the environment.
The policy would ensure that suppliers are aware that the City is looking to expand its use of
environmentally preferred products/services, that these products/services are obtained in a
competitive manner to ensure best prices possible for the City, that specifications for
acquisitions of goods and services are expanded to include such products/services, that the
products/services provide the performance required by the City, and would harmonize
Environmentally Responsible Procurement practices within the City of Toronto.
Although the new Environmentally Responsible Procurement Policy can be applied to all City
Purchasing activity, Guidelines for Environmentally Preferred Products and Services are
developed by the Federal Government Environmental Choice Program (ECP). The Purchasing
and Materials Management Division will continue to liaise with the ECP to encourage the
development of guidelines for all products/services purchased by the City. The guidelines are
referenced in specifications for acquisition of goods and services to ensure that those offering
environmentally preferred products/services meet the requirements of the guidelines so that
the products/services offered are in fact environmentally responsible products.
To ensure that procurement specifications allow for the purchase of environmentally preferred
products/services, the Purchasing and Materials Division will continue to work corporately
with departments to ensure that specifications for acquisitions of goods and services are
expanded to include those products/services.
Conclusions:
In order to ensure that suppliers are made aware of the City's intentions to expand its use of
environmentally preferred products/services and to ensure that specifications for acquisitions
are expanded to include such products/services, an Environmentally Responsible Procurement
Policy has been developed, and included as Appendix A in this report.
The adoption of this policy and its inclusion in Interim Purchasing By-Law No. 57-1998
would not only ensure a harmonization of Environmentally Responsible Procurement
activities within the City of Toronto, but would also ensure that the City adopts
environmentally responsible procurement practices.
Contact Name and Telephone Number:
Lou Pagano, Director, Purchasing and Materials Management Division
Finance Department
Telephone: 392-7312
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Appendix A
City Of Toronto
Environmentally Responsible Procurement Policy
"That in order to increase the development and awareness of environmentally preferred
products, acquisitions of goods and services will ensure that wherever possible specifications
are amended to provide for expanded use of durable products, reusable products, energy
efficient products, low pollution products, products (including those used in services) that
contain the maximum level of post-consumer waste and/or recyclable content and provide
minimal impact to the environment.
An Environmentally Preferred Product (EPP) is one that is less harmful to the environment
than the next best alternative. Characteristics of an EPP are as follows:
(1)Reduce waste and make efficient use of resources
An EPP would be a product that is more energy, fuel, or water efficient, or that uses less
paper, ink, or other resources. For example, energy-efficient lighting, and photocopiers
capable of double-sided photocopying.
(2)Are reusable or contain reusable parts
These are products such as rechargeable batteries, reusable building partitions, and laser
printers with refillable toner cartridges.
(3)Are recyclable
A product will be considered to be an EPP if local facilities exist capable of recycling the
product at the end of its useful life.
(4)Contain recycled materials
An EPP contains post-consumer recycled content. An example is paper products made from
recycled post-consumer fibre.
(5)Produce fewer polluting by-products and/or safety hazards during manufacture, use or
disposal
An EPP product would be a non-hazardous product that replaces a hazardous product.
(6)Have a long service-life and/or can be economically and effectively repaired or upgraded.
It is recognized that cost analysis is required in order to ensure that the products are made
available at competitive prices, and that the environmental benefits provided by a product or
service does not undermine its overall performance."
The following persons appeared before the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee in
connection with the foregoing matter:
-Mr. Steven Peck, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Coalition;
-Ms. Monica E. Kuhn, Architect, Architecture Rooftop Gardens Permaculture Designs; and
-Mr. Rich Whate, Toronto Environmental Alliance, and filed a submission in regard thereto.