SSC Services for Education, College Station, has made a commitment to gain the Office Certification from the A&M Office of Sustainability. To accomplish this task, it is necessary for all associates to participate in these efforts.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to support the purchase of recycled and environmentally preferred products in order to minimize environmental impacts relating to our work. SSC Services for Education in College Station, TX recognizes our associates can make a difference in favor of environmental quality. We strongly recommend the purchase of environmentally preferable products whenever they perform satisfactorily and are available at a reasonably competitive price.

In support of Texas A&M and the Office of Sustainability’s commitment to sustainable practices, SSC Services for Education shall adopt and promote the use of recycled/recyclable supplies and materials as an company priority. In so doing, SSC shall:

  1. Encourage waste prevention, recycling and use of recycled/recyclable materials.
  2. Adopt waste prevention, recycling and use of recycled supplies/materials as a priority.
  3. Generate less waste material by being proactive in the offices to utilize the appropriate recycling containers.

Definitions

“Recycling” means the process of collecting, sorting, cleansing, treating, and reconstituting materials that would otherwise become solid waste, and returning them to the economic mainstream in the form of raw material for new, reused, or reconstituted products which meet the quality standards necessary to be used in the marketplace.

“Waste Prevention” means any action undertaken by an individual or organization to eliminate or reduce the amount or toxicity of materials before they enter the municipal solid waste stream. This action is intended to conserve resources, promote efficiency, and reduce pollution.

“Environmentally Preferable Products” means products that have a lesser impact on human health and the environment when compared with competing products. Printed on recycled paper, materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation and/or disposal of the product.

“Recycled Products” are products manufactured with waste material that has been recovered or diverted from the waste stream. Recycled material may be derived from post-consumer waste (material that has served its intended end-use and been discarded by a final consumer), industrial scrap, manufacturing waste and/or other waste that otherwise would not have been utilized.

“Practical” means sufficient in performance and reasonably available at a reasonably competitive cost.

Policies

  1. All SSC associates will purchase recycled and environmentally preferable products whenever practical.
  2. SSC Services for Education shall solicit the use of recycled and other environmentally preferred products in its procurement documents as appropriate.
  3. SSC Services for Education departments/divisions shall practice waste prevention whenever practical.

Best Practices

  1. Procurement Practices
  2. Paper products shall contain a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled content.
  3. Remanufactured laser printer toner cartridges and remanufactured or refillable ink-jet cartridges.
  4. As appliances need to be replaced, we will replace units with Energy efficient products.

Waste Prevention Practices

SSC associates are encouraged to reduce their consumption of resources by incorporating the following practices into their daily activities.

  1. Consider repairing products prior to replacement.
  2. Use 2-sided features on laser printers and copiers. Specify 2-sided on print jobs.
  3. Send and store information electronically when possible.
  4. Utilize supplied recycle bins appropriately for paper, plastic and aluminum.

Responsibilities of All Departments

Each SSC Department shall be responsible for the implementation of this policy and shall:

  1. Practice waste prevention whenever possible.
  2. Continue to utilize recycling programs and expand them where possible.
  3. Procure recycled products whenever practical.
  4. Develop, evaluate and maintain information about environmentally preferable and/or recycled products containing the maximum practical amount of recycled materials. Crossfeed information to other Departments when potential use of a product exists.
  5. Ensure that procurement documents issued by the Departments require environmental preferred alternatives whenever practical.
  6. Educate and promote this policy through appropriate staff.
  7. Exemption

Nothing in this policy shall be construed as requiring the purchase of products that do not perform adequately and/or are not reasonably available at a reasonable cost.