Appendix 2 - Examples of Environmental Factors and Evaluation Indicators

1. Environmental Factors

Examples of environmental factors that could be taken into account in assessing value for money are provided below and are provided in terms of cost elements that departments may take into account in the evaluation of bids. These include:

• Operation costs such as energy or water consumed by the product over its life;
• Indirect costs (less energy efficient IT equipment will produce more heat causing the building's air conditioning system to work harder, and increase electricity costs);
• Administrative costs such as complying to WHMIS;
• Investing up front to save costs later, such as specifying higher levels of insulation where the extra expenditure can be recovered from lower energy costs;
• Use of refurbished parts or products where possible;
• Recyclability
  • this is thought to be key since purchasers can create markets for their own waste such as paper, toner cartridges, etc., through the transformation and sale of products containing recycled materials;
• Cost of disposal arrangements;
• Establishing minimum environmental performance standards for commodities where there is a sufficient supplier base to support competition;
• Where the supplier base is limited, include incentives for meeting extra environmental performance criteria; and
• Use of contractual terms to define environmental obligations such as packaging take-back, use of certified recyclers for e-waste.

2. Evaluation Indicators

Examples of indicators that could be examined to develop evaluation criteria:

• Environmental Certification
  • Has the product/service been certified through an independent program such as the Environmental Choice Program or Energy Star?
  • Have studies of the environmental attributes of the product been completed?
• Energy and Resource Efficiency
  • Do you purchase used, remanufactured, rebuilt or refurbished goods and/or materials?
  • Does this product make efficient use of resources and energy throughout its life cycle?
  • Does this product reduce waste?
  • Suppliers should be instructed to indicate if the product has any energy, water or fuel saving features such as Power Down Mode.
  • Are there measures to extend the useful life of the good, e.g. re-use, refill, recharge, recondition?
• Recycled Content
  • Does the product include post-consumer recycled content?
  • What type and what percentage of recycled materials?
• Hazardous Replacement
  • Does the supplier offer a non-hazardous replacement or alternative for this product?
  • Does the product require Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)?
• Performance Testing
  • Is it possible to test the product/service prior to purchase?
  • Does the product meet your performance specifications?
  • Is there any documented past performance? (e.g. annual reports, environmental performance reports)
• Packaging
  • Is packaging reduced to the bare minimum required to ensure that the good is delivered in perfect working condition?
  • Can the good be acquired in bulk or concentrated form?
  • Will the supplier remove the packaging from the site following installation?
  • Is the packaging reusable, contain reusable parts or recyclable?
  • Does the packaging material contain post-consumer recycled materials?
• On Site Waste Management
  • During the project will all waste be source separated on site and recycled?
  • Request information and reward environmentally sound stewardship and use of certified haulers/sites.
  • Is the good or service designed to minimize waste (e.g. catering service using dishes that are made of china rather than Styrofoam)?
• Return for Disassembly and Recycling
  • Does the product include a return for recycling policy?
  • Can the product be recycled in your area?
  • Will consumables (such as toner cartridges) be accepted for recycling?
  • Is the product easily disassembled?
• Warranties
  • What is the expected useful life span of the product?
  • How long is the warranty and should you purchase an extended warranty?
• Maintenance
  • Is it designed for easy maintenance and repair?
  • Are maintenance and replacement parts readily available and reasonably priced?
  • Is it easy and cost effective to upgrade?
• Environmental Attributes of the Supplier
  • Does the supplier have a certification or registration (e.g. ISO 14001 registration)?
  • Does the supplier participate in voluntary environmental programs?
  • Has the supplier received any regulatory environmental violations within the past five years?

Guideline for Integration Navigation

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next