The environmental aspects of IT procurement
There is an increasing shift in Sweden and internationally towards considering the environmental aspects of procurement, such as a product’s environmental impact during its entire lifecycle, from manufacture, through use to recycling and waste. This is especially true of the procurement and purchasing of IT equipment and associated consumables, where the average working life of many products is only a matter of a few months or years.
The University strives to reduce its environmental impact and intends to increasingly purchase environmentally adapted products, with due consideration for a product’s entire lifecycle, and at the same time increase the buyback and reuse of IT equipment to facilitate multiple lifecycles and ensure recycling. When procuring IT equipment and related products, environmental requirements are included in the tender documentation. In future procurements, we plan to focus specifically on warranty periods and service, so that products can be used for longer. Anyone undertaking a procurement process is recommended to give due consideration to eco-labelling and the expected working life of all relevant products.
To learn more about procurement at Uppsala University, refer to our sustainability advice on purchases and the environmental requirements we place on purchases (call-offs) in existing framework agreements.
Relevant environmental questions when procuring IT products
The following areas must be taken into account when procuring IT systems, hardware, peripherals, consumables or other IT products. Please contact the environmental coordinator at miljo@uu.se for advice and support.
- Environmental management system: The tenderer must conduct documented systematic environmental management to reduce its environmental impact
- Eco-labelled products: The tenderer must always be able to offer the eco-labelled products – or the equivalent in terms of manufacturing, energy efficiency, lifecycle management/recycling, noise level, etc. – that the manufacturer in question markets in Sweden.
- Substances hazardous to the environment and health: The tenderer must have procedures in place to control and manage information concerning substances hazardous to the environment and health in the products on offer.
- Sustainable supply chains: The tenderer must apply terms and conditions on sustainable supply chains, including human rights, labour rights, environmental protection and anti-corruption. The applicable environmental protection legislation in the country in which work is performed shall be complied with and if international regulations prescribe greater protection, the tenderer shall take reasonable measures to comply. The supplier shall ensure that the same requirements are fulfilled by subcontractors at all stages of the supply chain.
- Lifecycle management, warranty periods and service: A large percentage of the climate impact of IT products occurs at the manufacturing stage. It is therefore desirable that products have a long expected working life, so they can be used for a long time and ideally then recycled in a second and possibly third lifecycle. In future procurements, particular emphasis will be placed on warranty periods and service.