Is there a clear answer on which ongoing consumables to include in the policy? As I go down the list of our "most purchased product categories based on total annual purchases," I'm finding some medical supplies, like needles and microscope slides and some things that seem more in line with the credit examples, such as toilet tissue and paper towels.
Should I 1) exclude the medical items and move on down the list to the office supplies, or 2) include the medical items as much as possible and either use the Healthy Hospital Initiative as guidance or develop our own sustainability criteria?
Thank you!
Anne White
Program CoordinatorTranswestern Sustainability Services
LEEDuser Expert
6 thumbs up
October 29, 2014 - 12:29 pm
Hello Michelle,
Thank you for your question. The LEED v4 O+M: EB reference guide states that the Ongoing Purchasing and Waste Policy "This prerequisite requires that the project institute a policy for typical purchases for ongoing operations..." Additionally, in the Step By Step guidance section states "Review purchasing records to determine which five product purchasing categories under the building management's control have the highest cumulative annual cost." I would ask if the medical items affect ongoing operations of the building and if they are under building management control. If yes, then you could include the product category of medical supplies.
We've worked with a school on the v4 MR policy and their most purchased categories were: ongoing consumables for office and classroom use, instructional materials and textbooks, cleaning supplies, electronic equipment and food. Since each project is unique, it may just be that if you have a single tenant building, that medical supplies may be a most purchased category.
Michelle DiPenti
Project CoordinatorHDR, Inc.
6 thumbs up
January 15, 2015 - 7:14 pm
Thank you, Anne.
We researched the medical supplies category further and many of the items do not have sustainable criteria to meet. There are not "green" alternatives.
Has anyone dealt with this situation?
Thanks.
Anne White
Program CoordinatorTranswestern Sustainability Services
LEEDuser Expert
6 thumbs up
January 16, 2015 - 12:37 pm
Thank you Michelle for the comment. As for the medical supplies, you could either exclude them or include them and come up with your own criteria for sustainability. The policy must cover at least those product purchases within the building and site management's control. If the medical supplies are a tenant purchase, then you could exclude the purchases. The LEED v4 O+M:EB reference guide goes on to also states that if the Top 5 purchases do not align with the categories in the prerequisite, that project teams may add to those listed in the requirements. Additionally, purchasing goals can be determined by the team, there is no performance threshold requirement for the prerequisite.
Susan Walter
HDRLEEDuser Expert
1299 thumbs up
January 16, 2015 - 3:58 pm
Practice GreenHealth really does a great job covering environmentally preferred purchasing (EPP) for healthcare. They run the Healthier Hospitals Initiative which also has standards (planks) around purchasing these types of materials. Any policy developed for a HC project that incorporated these standards ought to be well in compliance with the EB+OM standard as these programs are robust and well established.
You may need to engage the hospital's Materials Management Department and reference EPP before they understand what you're saying. The facilities people don't understand.