SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT
TO:
INABLE PROCUREMENT
benefit the business. our customers - literally, the “stuff we throw away”?
We also need a multi-disciplinary approach Or should we also include packaging material our
now that we are implementing our plans. Support customers throw away as a result of purchasing
from HR, for instance, has been vital in ensuring from us?
that our people are informed about new policies -
and if necessary trained to put them into practice. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS
They also played a pivotal role in writing Business is not a precise science: although it
sustainability into roles and responsibilities. pays to be systematic, it is very possible to over-
analyse and waste a lot of time doing so. So,
UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU START FROM having said that it is necessary to carefully appraise
As with any process, it is vital to identify - and if and prioritise the business impacts, it is also vital to
possible quantify - the impacts made by the recognise the point at which to simply trust the advice of the distribution centre operations team,
business, to give the programme focus. Just as instincts and experience of the team members who the people who actually handle incoming deliveries
important is to gain a benchmark of where the know best about a particular topic. Packaging is and work with our suppliers’ packaging systems on
company stands on the road to sustainability. obviously an important area for distribution, so a day-to-day basis. Assessing how the type and
In this we were fortunate to have the support of don’t spend too much time working that out! volume of incoming packaging might be reduced -
Action Sustainability: we followed its sustainability and working with suppliers to achieve that - means
evaluation process, which is itself based upon the KNOW YOUR LIMITS that purchasing and supply chain has a key role. In
recommendations of the UK government’s Perhaps the most important element of all is to addition, looking at alternative methods of disposal,
Sustainable Procurement Task Force report decide what you are prepared to be responsible for, including the use of waste for energy self-
(Procuring the Future) which was published in June and to understand the limits of your influence. generation, needs input from almost every part of
2006. For example, some clothes retailers will go so the business. Currently the main waste streams are
An initial workshop involving our far as to include the carbon cost of washing and generated from cardboard and plastics. Both of
multidisciplinary team was the forum through which ironing in their carbon footprint calculations, these can be recovered and recycled and Premier
we started the assessment. This provided us with knowing that they can strongly influence their Farnell actively manages this, recycling in excess of
benchmark data in five key areas: people; policy, suppliers to improve. 60% of its waste, but is researching whether these
strategy and communications; procurement At Premier Farnell we have recognised what we can be better utilised to produce heat and/or power
process; supplier engagement; and measurement need to concentrate on where we can have most to reduce resource needs, e.g. by employing
and results. Perhaps not surprisingly for a influence e.g. own brand, packaging, carbon technologies around Biomass and Combined Heat
distribution business, Premier Farnell’s evaluation reduction, waste etc. and to work with global and Power (CHP). Farnell is also looking at other
revealed positive results in terms of strong suppliers to improve their overall contribution to waste streams, canteen waste, green garden waste,
engagement with suppliers, our supplier sustainability. old wood pallets, which could also be utilised in a
management processes and our supplier metrics. For example, at our distribution centre in Leeds, Biomass system. The company is also reviewing
These strengths represented a solid foundation we have now implemented an environmentally other waste streams, obsolete product for example,
on which we could build our approach to friendly packaging process for all boxed shipments, and is working through Envirowise to find solutions
sustainable procurement, reflecting the fact that our bringing together the latest biodegradable and to this issue. Recently we donated a large quantity
supplier relationships are fundamentally important recyclable materials with high efficiency packaging of manufacturers’ samples to Leeds University
to our business. Because we have vendor machinery that dramatically reduces energy use. further helping our local community and engineers
compliance procedures and strong processes in The new process sees air-filled plastic ‘void fill’ of the future.
place already, it is relatively easy to incorporate materials replaced with an environmentally friendly But the company also holds the view that no
identified sustainability criteria within those alternative based on recyclable paper from waste is the best option and will be working
processes - even though, like most organisations, sustainable sources. At the same time the company upstream with suppliers to reduce receipted waste
we have many people purchasing goods is migrating to packing boxes manufactured from and help preserve valuable resources.
and services. recyclable materials. The work on greenhouse gases followed a
similar approach, with on-site energy audits, a
FOCUS YOUR EFFORTS IN PRACTICE carbon emissions reduction strategy and continuous
Identifying the key impacts for your business, Putting all of this advice into practice has focus on logistics efficiencies to customers. We are
and the areas where improvements can be made, proved to be as much a question of common sense also initiating a dialogue with our principal logistics
is absolutely vital to a successful programme. Via as sophisticated management practice. From the provider to measure and reduce carbon emissions.
the Action Sustainability evaluation process, we point of view of managing waste, clearly part of the In the area of labour standards and working
isolated three impacts of importance to Premier prioritisation process was to identify the most practices, we are looking at suppliers of our own-
Farnell: waste; greenhouse gas emissions; and important sources of inbound waste and then look brand finished goods.
labour standards. at reduction alternatives. These include supplier Our existing processes for supplier pre-
Just as important is to understand exactly how engagement to change the amount and nature of qualification, tendering and contract awards, along
these are defined. For instance, what is waste? packaging and methods such as re-use, recycling with on-going KPIs and performance plans, is
Does it include only material purchased in the and use for energy generation. enabling sustainability criteria to be built into our
Premier Farnell supply chain that is not passed to For this we needed the practical help and supplier relationships in all of these cases.
SUSTAINABLE FM | NOVEMBER 2007 43|
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