Western Michigan Sustainable Purchasing Consortium
The Western Michigan Sustainable Purchasing Consortium has been formed to provide area companies, organizations, and institutions with an easy and cost-effective way to purchase sustainable materials, products and services in a manner that reflects fiscal responsibility, social equity, community and environmental stewardship with an emphasis on local benefits.
The Consortium is supported by the Community Sustainability Partners (www.grpartners.org). The Community Sustainability Partnership is a diverse network of community organizations in West Michigan who embrace and support sustainability guiding principles in their planning and operations and are striving to make a positive impact in our community. Establishing the Western Michigan Sustainable Purchasing Consortium is one way the Partnership is making an impact.
The Western Michigan Sustainable Purchasing Consortium will be open to businesses and organizations interested in purchasing environmentally responsible products and services. The benefits to organizations that purchase sustainable products through the Consortium will include:
- Access to information about sustainable products and services
- Social, economic, and environmental benefits from purchasing sustainable products and services
- Participation in a regional partnership
- Cost savings on sustainable products from collective purchasing
Once the Consortium is fully formed, it will have the ability to contract with vendors for environmentally preferable goods and services at lower prices because of the collective purchasing ability of the Consortium. It will be managed by an independent third party, the Delta Institute and SRG, who will be responsible for researching and identifying green products, developing and bidding contracts, managing vendors, and maintaining the Consortium website.
The idea of a purchasing consortium was formed when a group of Grand Rapids area businesses, academic institutions, and a municipality convened to discuss voluntary, pro-active programs that would address ecosystem impairments in the Lower Grand River Watershed.
Eco-system EMS Matrix
The Ecosystem-based Environmental Management System (Eco-EMS), developed by the Delta Institute, is a decision-making tool for prioritizing environmental initiatives for a facility. The Eco-EMS compares environmental performance to local environmental conditions and identifies efficient ways to improve environmental performance and strengthen a facility’s commitment to environmental stewardship.
The Eco-EMS method involves first understanding how the environment is impaired in the region where the facility is located. This results in an Ecosystem Impairment Profile and Matrix. The next step is to compare operational aspects of the facility to the impairment matrix to determine whether the facility may be contributing to local environmental problems. The last step is to identify recommendations to improve performance in a way that will positively impact the local environment.
In February 2006 a group of Grand Rapids area businesses, academic institutions, and a municipality convened to discuss the ecosystem impairments in the Lower Grand River Watershed using the Eco-EMS matrix for the watershed. The purpose of the meeting was to develop voluntary, pro-active programs to improve local watershed impairments. Sustainable purchasing was identified by the meeting attendees as a strategy that would result in measurable reductions of toxics and other pollutants to the watershed that could be adopted by all of the meeting attendees. This group has continued to meet and has formed the Western Michigan Sustainable Purchasing Consortium.
Lower Grand River Watershed Matrix
Environmental Management System Presentation
Consortium Survey
The Community Sustainability Partners are asking for your input in order to create a sustainable products purchasing consortium that meets the needs of area companies and municipalities. In order to do so, we are requesting that you complete the online questionnaire. You can also print it and return the completed questionnaire by July 24, 2007 to the Delta Institute at 53 W. Jackson Boulevard, Suite 230, Chicago, IL 60604.
Your input is critical to the success of the Western Michigan Sustainable Purchasing Consortium. Our goal is to have the Consortium fully functional by Fall 2007.
We look forward to your input and eventual participation in the Western Michigan Sustainable Purchasing Consortium. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Abigail Corso
Delta Institute
(312) 554-0900 x 25
Bill Stough
Sustainable Research Group
(616) 301-1059
