In 2013, UCSB Procurement implemented Gateway, an electronic procure-to-pay SAAS, dramatically reducing paper printing requirements for the campus. This system allowed Purchasing to eliminate routine printing of purchase orders, departments to stop printing electronic quotes, and Accounts Payable to discontinue printing and routing paper invoice packages to departments for authorization signature.
Beginning over a decade ago, UCSB Procurement continues to build it's Sustainable Procurement program, striving for more environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable solutions. To read about some of Procurement's sustainability successes, please see the tabs at left.
Across all AASHE STARS purchasing reporting categories, UCSB improved its green spend percentage from the 2015-2016 to the 2016-2017 academic year:
- EPEAT Gold registered electronics purchases increased from 51% to 91%
- EPA Safer Choice, UL Ecologo, or Green Seal certified Cleaning product purchases increased from 30% to 38%
- FSC certified janitorial paper purchases increased from 90% to 95%
- 90-100% post consumer recycled or FSC Recycled label office paper purchases increased from 20% to 26%
For a snapshot of last year's progress highlights, click here: https://www.sustainability.ucsb.edu/purchasing-actions/