The directory of web addresses is arranged alphabetically in a subject classification for ease of identification. This will be added to and updated as necessary. The value of this directory will be as a reference point for information dealing with subjects associated with sustainable procurement. Numerous organisations provide information on environmental and/or ethical products and services. A selection is included below:

A UK directory of recycled products. Includes a section on procurement for construction, landscaping, horticulture and facilities management in Local Authorities. 

 

 Bio-Power UK
Non-for-profit company acting as a network for those involved in bio-fuel.
http://www.bio-power.co.uk/

 

The BRE group is a world leading research, consultancy, training, testing and certification organisation delivering sustainability and innovation across the built environment and beyond.
http://www.bre.co.uk/

 

Centre of Excellence.
East Midlands Centre of Excellence in (Sustainable) Procurement.
http://www.emce.gov.uk/
www.emce.gov.uk/projects
www.emce.gov.uk/case-studies

 

The Centre for Sustainable Design facilitates discussion and research on eco-design and broader sustainability considerations in product and service development. The centre is an Internationally recognised Centre of Excellence.
http://www.cfsd.org.uk/
Defra.

The latest picture on the UK's environmental, social and economic wellbeing has just been published (July 2007), and for the first time includes some measures of personal wellbeing in the population.

 

East Anglia Food Links.
Established model specifications clauses for food supply contracts.
www.eafl.org.uk/default.asp?topic=SchoolsTender

Energy.
The Energy Saving Trust provides information on energy saving for local authorities, including details of grant schemes available.Local Authorities and housing providers play a vital role in achieving sustainable energy in domestic housing. For Loacl Authorities this includes responsibilities under the Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA) and setting a good example in using sustainable energy.
www.est.org.uk/housingbuildings/localauthorities

EU Guidance.
Buying Green-A Handbook on environmental public procurement.
www.europa.eu.int.comm/environment/gpp/pdf/gpphandbook.pdf

EU Legislation
EU Public Procurement Legislation
www.europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/publicprocurement/legislation_en.htm

 

 

 

Freedom food is the only UK farm assurance scheme dedicated to improving farm animal welfare. As a buyer or consumer you can show your support by choosing products with the Freedom food logo.
www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/FreedomFood/FreedomFoodHomepage

General Products

An indispensable read for the ethical and green shopper, finding out thr truth behind the products we buy and the companies we buy them from.
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/

The Go Green Directory is sponsored by Cellande Midlands who supply environmentally friendly cleansing and cleaning products.

http://www.gogreen.cellande.co.uk/
http://www.sustlife.com/
http://www.greenconsumerguide.com/

 

GreenSpec is the UK construction industry's definitive guide to 'green' building design, products, specification and construction. Inside GreenSpec you will find a wealth of information aimed at helping you to design more energy and rersource efficient buildings, using materials and technologies that minimise damage to people and the environment.
www.greenspec.co.uk/index.html

Global Ecolabelling.
The Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) is a non-profit associationof third party environmental performance labelling organisation founded in 1994 to improve, promote, and develop the 'ecolabelling' of products and services. Ecolabelling is a voluntary method of environmental performance certification and labelling that is practised around the world. An 'ecolable' is a label which identifies overall environmental performance of a product or service within a specific product/service category based on life cycle considerations.
http://www.gen.gr.jp/  

Government’s sustainable development website.
Includes links to the UK Sustainable Development Strategy (Securing the Future) and Sustainable Procurement Task Force National Action Plan (Procuring the Future) and much more.
http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/

A wholly web-based guidebook designed to give a straightforward up to date account of the important features of sustainable procurement supplemented by links to sources, case studies, initiatives and regulations that are available on the web. The guidebook is for a variety of audiences, including procurement specialists and budget holders and suitable for a wide range of organisations.
www.cannybuyer.com/guidebook/index.shtml

 

Improvement and Development Agency. (IdeA) IdeA has developed a suite of procurement services to support councils in improving procurement.
www.idea.gov.uk/procurement

IDeA Guidance.
Sustainability and Local Government Procurement
http://www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=1589595

 

Labelling schemes
The Flower is the symbol of the European Eco-label - your guide to greener products and services.

It is a voluntary scheme designed to encourage businesses to market products and services that are kinder to the environment and for European consumers- includung public and priavte purchasers- to easily identify them.
http://www.ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/index_en.htm  

 

Legal matters
Proactive procurement. Achieving quality services and implementing policy objectives by procurement from social enterprises.
http://www.cooperatives-uk.coop/

Local Multiplier Tool. (LM3)
LM3 (Local Multiplier 3) was developed by New Economics Foundation (nef) to give a simple and undestandable way to measure their economic impact. nef determined this was needed to get people thinking about local money flows and how to practically improve an organisation's local economy impact, as well as influencing the public sector to consider the value of social enterprise. It was designed to be quick and relatively easy, and to highlight where an organisation can improve its impact.

The measuring process starts with:

     1. A source of income and follows how it is:

     2. Spent and then,

     3. Re-spent within a defined geographic area, called the local economy.
www.proveandimprove.org/new/tools/localmultiplier3.php

This is now available to download for not for profit organisations at:

Nepp
The National e-procurement Project (NePP) website is run by local authorities on behalf of local authorities. The project aims to enable all LA's to gain the maximum benefit from e-procurement tools and techniques..
http://www.nepp.org.uk/

 

The Swan ecolabels vision is a sustainable society, in which future generations can benefit from the same conditions and opportunities as we ourselves do. An imporatnt step towards this vision is for us all, with the help of eco-labelling, to choose the most environmentally friendly products.
www.svanen.nu/eng/

 

Office of Government Commerce OGC.
Works with Government to improve procurement and project/programme management and with suppliers to make the government marketplace more efficient and attractive to business.
http://www.ogc.gov.uk/

OGC Buying Solutions

OGCbuying.solutions is an Executive Agency  of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in the Treasury. They provide a professional procurement service to enable organisations to deliver improved value for money in their commercial activities and provide professional support when it matters, advising on technical issues, energy saving and environmental improvements.
www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk

OGC Procurement (EU)
The Procurement Polict Division has the lead on the Government's Policy on achieving value for money (vfm). They are responsible for the implentation of the EU Procurement Diectives into UK law. In this section you will find the UK Regulations, which implement the EU Directives, and material to explain application issues associated with the Regulations.
www.ogc.gov.uk/procurement_policy_and_practice_procurement_policy_and_application_of_eu_rules.asp

PASA.
NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency's Sustainable procurement and development website with a series of quick links to topical issues including social sustainability and local sourcing.
www.pasa.nhs.uk/PASAWeb/NHSprocurement/Sustainabledevelopment/LandingPage.htm

Pesticides. The Pesticide Action Network
An environmental charity, the Pesticide Action Network (PAN UK) works to eliminate the dangers of toxic pesticides, our exposure to them, and their presence in the environment where we live and work. Nationally and globally,they promote safer alternatives, the production of healthy food, and sustainable farming.
http://www.pan-uk.org/

Pre-Qualification tools.
Constructionline is the UK's register of pre-qualified local and national construction and construction-related suppliers. The concept of a single national database was proposed by the 1994 Latham Report. Since then Constructionline has grown and been updated in line with the needs of modern procurement.
www.constructionline.co.uk/static_page/Home.htm

Procura+.
Procura+ Sustainable Procurement Project, run by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). This is an initiative designed to help support public authorities across Europe in implementing sustainable procurement and help promote their achievement. The campaign was established in 2004 by ICLEI - Local Government for Sustainability to help drive the mainstreaming of sustainable procurement throughout Europe. 
www.iclei-europe.org/index.php?id=519

Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative

The public sector spends £2 billion on food and catering services. The Government wants to use this buyer power to help deliver the principal aims of the Government Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food in England. This is, to deliver a world class sustainable farming and food sector that contributes to a better environment and healthier and prosperous communities. 
www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/index.htm

Relief.
In Janeary 2001 the biggest rsearch project on green purchasing known inn Europe was started. RELIEF -full name ' Environmental Relief Potential of Urban Action on Avoidance and Detoxification of Waste Streams through Green Public Procurement' was supported by the EC Research programme on Environmental and Sustainable Development. The project concluded in September 2003.
www.iclei.org/procurement/relief

 

Small Business Service (SBS)
Executive agency of DTI, the SBS has a number of policies and programmes to promote SME access to public procurement.
http://www.sbs.gov.uk/

Social Enterprise Coalition.

The Social Enterprise Coalition, in partnership with the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA), has published 'More for your Money' - a guide to procuring from social enterprises for the NHS. It is a short guide to achieving better outcomes from NHS procucurement and how social enterprises can help in achieving this. 
www.socialenterprise.org.uk/procurement

Social Enterprise East Midlands

Social Enterprise East Midlands (SEEM) was created by the social enterprise sector and key partners in theEast Midlands to make sure that social enterprise in the region flourishes and grows. SEEM brings together or the first time the key stakeholders in the East Midlands social enterprse with a collective mission:

           ' to create an environment in the East Midlands where social enterprise is encouraged to develop

             and enabled to grow'.
http://www.seem.uk.net/

SOPO. (Society of Procurement Offices in Local Government).
Provides help and advice for local government procurement professionals.
http://www.sopo.org.uk/

 

OGC's 'Successful Delivery Toolkit' gathers together a wide range of resources to create a single source of guidance and on-line workbooks for use in the OGC Gateway reviews, in programme and project management and to guide procurement processes. The toolkit provides a way for you to navigate to the resources you need on the OGC website such as software, consultancy, training and websites, designed to help you achieve efficiency and excellence.
www.ogc.gov.uk/sdtoolkit/
Sustainable Design and Construction.
Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE)

CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment is the government's advisor on arcitecture, urban design and public space.They work directly with architects, planners, designers, developers and clients offering them guidance on projects that will shape lives. Parks and Open spaces are as important to them as bricks and mortar.
http://www.cabe.org.uk/

Sustainable Development Commission.
The Government's independent advisory body on sustainable development, provides information on sustainable production and consumption and all aspects of sustainability.
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/

Sustainable Supply Chain Forum.
Advice and Guidance on Environmental/Sustainable procurement and supply chains
http://www.sscf.info/

 

The Carbon Trust
Helps businesses and the public sector reduce carbon emissions and promotes renewable energy technologies
http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/

 

The Confederation of Paper Industries
A central source of information on paper origins and production methods.
http://www.ppic.org.uk/

 

The FAIRTRADE Mark is an independent consumer label which appears on products as an independent guarantee that disadvantaged producers in the developing world are getter a better deal. For a product to display the FAIRTRADE Mark it must meet internstional Fairtrade Standards.
http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/

 

The Liquid Petroleum Gas Association.
Includes a list of places where LPG can be purchased.
http://www.lpga.co.uk/

The Soil Association

The Soil Association is the United Kingdom's leading environmental charity promoting sustainable, organic farming and championing human health.
http://www.soilassociation.org.uk

 
Timber -Forest Stewardship Council UK.
The Forestry Stewardship Council enables you to buy products of all kinds with confidence that you are not contributing to global forest destruction. FSC certified forests are managed to ensure long term timber supplies while protecting the environment and the lives of forest-dependent peoples. Whenever you buy timber or timber products always look for the FSC logo.
http://www.fsc-uk.org/

Transport.

Government’s Department for Transport: includes a section on sustainable travel.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/

 

The Vegetarian Society of the UK is the oldest vegetarian organisation in the world. It is an educational charity promoting understanding and respect for vegetarian lifestyles.
www.vegsoc.org/info/definitions.html

Vehicle Certification Agency.
Information on the most recent fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures for most makes of car.
http://www.vca.gov.uk/

 

Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
Aims to accelerate resource efficiency by creating efficient markets for recycled materials and products, while removing barriers to waste minimisation, re-use and recycling.

WRAP works in partnership to encourage and enable businesses and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and recycle more things more often.

WRAP has    - diverted 4.6 million tonnes from landfill through recycling and minimising waste

                     - encouraged 5 million people to become more committed recyclers

                     - leveraged £60m more investment into the recycling business

                     - increased the value of rcycled content in the construction industry by over £500m

                     - encouraged acceptance of recycled PET in food packaging

                     - started 375,000 homes composting at home
http://www.wrap.org.uk/index.html  

 

Wellbuilt.org.
Set up by the Local Government Taskforce (LGTF) for Rethinking Construction as a sustainable construction procurement network for local authorities.
http://www.wellbuilt.org.uk/