What is Green Procurement?

Global warming, air pollution, and weather-related tragedies have been on the increase in recent times. This has called for the need to adopt more environmentally-friendly practices to make our planet more habitable and sustainable. Green Procurement is one of such practices.

It refers to the purchase of products and services that results in little or no negative environmental impact. 

Although companies make once-in-a-while decisions that have a positive ecological impact, realizing that it gives them a good image in the public’s eye, Green procurement is much more than that. It is a long-term commitment to consider the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle.

It involves assessing your supply chain, evaluating what the products are made of and where they are from. It also involves looking at what happens to the products when you are done with them. Based on these factors, you decide if a purchase should be made at all. If it should be made, what quantity should be purchased to eliminate wastage? 

What are the main benefits of Green procurement?

There is a common misconception about green procurement. Business owners often see it as expensive and unsustainable. On the contrary, green procurement plays a major role in minimizing wastes, helping you manage your resources better.

Additionally, customers are drawn to businesses that give top priority to their environment. Other benefits of green procurement include:

Improved Employee Health and Safety

Green procurement helps to preserve your worker’s health, safety, and total well-being. For instance, purchasing eco-friendly cleaning products can help prevent the health challenges often caused by toxic cleaning products.

Also, purchasing organic and locally-made food items can keep them healthy and strong, resulting in a more productive workforce. 

Employee Engagement

Adopting green procurement practices in the workplace can teach workers all they need to know about sustainable products. They’ll also learn healthy, eco-friendly habits. This will help sustain a green work culture and inspire workers to adopt it in their private lives.

Mitigated Risks

Purchasing eco-friendly products can eliminate the risk of using toxic products or partnering with unethical manufacturers. As a result, you’ll be safe from lawsuits and unnecessary legal action. This will also earn you a high level of public trust.

Improved Public Image

Everyone loves the idea of using eco-friendly products. However, they prefer businesses that have good working ethics and are socially responsible. With a green procurement policy set in place, you can work transparently with your customers, workers, and stakeholders. They are free to know everything about the products you use, suppliers, and your purchasing habits. 

Increased Profitability

This is probably the major reason why we run businesses – to make profits. Green procurement can result in higher profits in a couple of ways. Firstly, it comes with customer attraction and loyalty. It also results in cost savings in the long run. 

Green Procurement Summary

By adopting green procurement practices, we help to build a healthy environment for everyone to live in. To get started, you can source products only from credible and certified sources. You should also opt for products made out of 100% biodegradable materials.

When you do these, you’ll enjoy all the benefits green procurement has to offer.