Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines

Sustainable Purchasing at NJIT

The New Jersey Institute of Technology is committed to conducting its business affairs in a legal, socially responsible, sustainable, and ethical manner consistent with its dedication to excellence in teaching, research, creative endeavors, and service. As a public university, we follow the State of New Jersey’s regulatory policies which require us to include sustainability considerations in our supply chain. Below are guidelines to ensure that goods and services provided to NJIT are consistent with these principles.

What is Sustainable Purchasing? NJIT recognizes the importance of sustainable and socially responsible procurement and its economic and environmental impact on the community. Sustainable procurement refers to purchasing products and services that have a reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services.

Examples of sustainable products include those that:

• Have reduced packaging
• Are easy to re-use, refurbish, remanufacture, or recycle at the end of their life
• Have lower greenhouse gas emissions and air contaminants
• Use energy or water more efficiently
• Support reuse and recycling
• Are made of renewable resources (such as sustainably managed paper and wood)
• Contain fewer toxins or hazardous substances
• Are locally produced (reducing transportation-related emissions while supporting healthy community structures)

How to Buy NJIT units, staff, and faculty can make a positive impact on the environment each time they make a necessary purchase, and can do so without compromising safety, quality, or budget by prioritizing products and services that cause minimal or no environmental damage. 

Seek out products that are:

• Durable, as opposed to single-use or disposable items
• Nontoxic or minimally toxic and preferably biodegradable
• Highly energy-efficient in production and use
• Manufactured in an environmentally sound manner by suppliers with good environmental and ethical track records
• Shipped with minimal packaging, preferably made of recycled or recyclable materials
• Made in ethical conditions by workers who are paid a living wage

When making purchases, look for:

• Recycled paper and paper products
• Office supplies marked with recognized environmental certifications
• EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) Silver or Gold registered desktop computers, laptops, and monitors
• ENERGY STAR® certified electric appliances and equipment
• Green Seal™ cleaning products
• Energy-saving and water-saving products
• Waste-reduced products
• Locally produced goods and services

Regulatory References

This Sustainable Procurement Guide is informed by and designed to maintain compliance with the following New Jersey state statutes and programs:

1. Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) & Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) Federal environmental statutes establishing comprehensive regulations to protect national air and water quality. These laws require suppliers and contractors to adhere to strict emissions standards, pollution prevention measures, and effluent limitations to minimize environmental degradation and protect human health. Website: https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations
2. N.J. State Prevailing Wage Act (N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.25 et seq.) & Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act (P.L. 2018, c. 9) New Jersey state labor laws ensuring fair and equitable compensation. The Prevailing Wage Act mandates the payment of established minimum wage rates for workers engaged in public works projects, while the Equal Pay Act strengthens the state's Law Against Discrimination by strictly prohibiting pay disparity based on sex or any other protected characteristic for substantially similar work. Website: https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/tools-resources/equal-pay/