Green Procurement Policy

1.0 Responsibility

Management and Reporting: Manager, Materials and Procurement.

2.0 Purpose

The Toronto Transit Commission recognizes the importance that its purchasing decisions can make in contributing to environmental issues.

The purpose of this policy is to:

• To provide a framework for the purchase of environmentally preferred products and services that compliment the formal purchasing practices set out in the Commission’s Procurement Policy;
• Encourage the inclusion of environmental performance criteria intoCommission supply chain procedures, processes and activities, where possible as industry and technology advances permit;
• Support the purchase of goods and services that will enhance and protect the environment, while maintaining best value for the Commission; and
• Promote a corporate culture at the Commission that recognizes and places a priority on environmental issues.

The Commission is committed to continually improving purchasing practices by  integrating environmental considerations into every aspect of the purchasing process, as industry and technology advances permit, and to purchase products that meet Performance requirements while having the least damaging/most beneficial environmental impact, including new environmentally preferable products, reusable products, recycled content, and products that are recyclable where possible. Recognizing its role as a major purchaser of goods and services, the TTC continually seeks opportunities to encourage and influence markets for environmentally preferable products through employee education; adopting innovative product standards, specifications, and contracts while remaining fiscally responsible.

3.0 Scope

This policy applies to all procurement activities related to; facilities, construction, revenue and non revenue vehicles, operations, administration and other supporting activities.

4.0 Definitions

4.1 Ecolabel: means a label given to a product that certifies that it has been produced in accordance with certain environmental standards. To be recognized, an eco-labelling scheme must consist of three components, namely: (1) the certification standard; (2) an independent accreditation body; and (3) independent certification bodies.

4.2 Environmentally Preferable Product: is one that offers the same or improved function and Performance, but which is less harmful to human health and supports the environment than the next best alternative. Environmentally Preferable Products have a number of beneficial characteristics including, but not limited to the following:

• Complies with the latest environmental, health and safety legislation where applicable,
• Reduces waste and makes efficient use of resources,
• Reduces polluting by-products and/or safety hazards during manufacture, use and disposal,
• Is reusable or contains reusable parts,
• Is recyclable in whole or in part,
• Contains recycled materials,
• Has a long service-life, can be economically and effectively repaired, refurbished or upgraded,
• Promotes the responsible use and conservation of fuels and electricity.

An environmentally preferred product or service will meet the criteria of a recognized third party ecolabelling program, where such specifications exists for that product category.

4.3 Performance: The efficacy of a product, material or service to accomplish its intended or specified task or job.

4.4  Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): The comprehensive examination of a product’s environmental impacts throughout its lifetime, including new material extraction, transportation, manufacturing, use, and disposal management.

4.5 Recyclable Product: A product or package made from a material for which there is a recycling collection system in place to divert from solid waste for use as a raw material in the manufacture of the same or another product.

4.6 Recycled Content Product: A product containing a significant quantity of pre-and post-consumer recovered material introduced as a feed stock in a material   production process.

4.7 Post-Consumer Recycled Content Product: A product containing a significant quantity of post-consumer recycled materials (i.e., materials that have passed through the hands of consumers, as opposed to materials recycled from the manufacturing process or otherwise). 

4.8 Reusable Product: A product that can be used several times for an intended end use before being re-manufactured recycled, or discarded.

4.9 Third Party Certified Products: refers to products that have been certified by an independent certification organization that sets standards and provides auditing and verification services to confirm that companies bearing certification have met defined environmental standards.

4.10 Life Cycle Costing: A procurement evaluation technique, which determines the cost over the lifetime of the product including acquisition, operation, maintaining and disposal. It takes into account durability, Performance and cost savings that may be achieved over the lifetime of the product through environmental efficiencies (e.g. energy saving) and disposal costs or potential revenues.

5.0 General

To achieve this policy the Toronto Transit Commission will:

5.1 Purchase goods and services in accordance with sound environmental considerations, and practices.

5.2 Progressively implement environmental considerations into purchases during the preparation of specifications as industry and technology advances permit.

5.3 Establish and maintain a corporate steering committee to encourage and support the implementation and enforcement of this policy.

Capacity Building:

5.4 Train staff that has a role in the procurement process to make them aware of the TTC green procurement policy, Environmentally Preferable Product, Third-party certification, Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Costing.

5.5 Consider alternatives to purchasing during the acquisition planning phase. 

5.6 Disseminate information to TTC staff about reusable, recycled content, recyclable, third party certified and otherwise environmentally preferable products.

5.7 Promote the Commission’s green procurement policy to suppliers and encourage the current and future use of environmentally preferred products, whenever cost  effective as industry and technology advances permit.

5.9 Structure applicable product/service specifications and contracts to incorporate Recycled-Content Products, Post-Consumer Recycled Content Products or Third-Party-Certified Products whenever possible.

5.10 Use tender specifications that eliminate barriers to Recycled-Content Products such as specifications that are outdated, overly stringent or unrelated to product ferformance.

Procurement Process and Tools:

5.11 Develop and implement a Life cycle Costing models that targets products and services, where applicable.

5.12 Incorporate requirements into bid documents for bidders to consider environmental issues as they submit their bid documents.

5.13 On an ongoing basis, develop and implement evaluation matrices for products and services that incorporate environmental criteria with appropriate weighting.

5.14 Ensure all applicable corporate forms, standard clauses and conditions, approval documents, policies and procedures and other manuals to include environmental considerations.

5.15 Establish and maintain a database for sharing of information concerning environmental purchases with the City and other transit providers to consult when dealing with the same/similar types of purchases.

6.0 Responsibility of All TTc Departments

Commission departments are responsible to become familiar and apply the principles of this policy in preparing specifications for procurement. Departments are required to specify the purchase of Environmentally Preferred products wherever practical or as industry and technology advances permit.

7.0 Continual Improvement

The Commission is committed to a process of continuous improvement through regular review of this policy, its scope and implementation processes on an ongoing basis as industry and technology advances permit and as more products incorporate environmental considerations.