Chula’s Procurement and Sustainability

Chulalongkorn University is one among many organizations which consumes a large amount of office supplies and disposable materials every year. Recognizing the negative environmental impacts from the production and consumption of these products, procurement of university supplies is carried out in line with our green policy, which is promoted throughout the university and surrounding community.

Chula’s green policy sets out actionable guidelines for reducing energy use, focusing on activities which overall create neither waste nor pollution. Every stage of procurement is carefully coordinated, starting from identifying product or service suppliers who can meet specific requirements. For instance, when replacing old air conditioners, one key specification is to require new models which use environmentally friendly refrigerant. This not only keeps the university’s carbon footprint low but also helps save financial resources because of increased energy efficiency.

When sourcing new light bulbs, the university’s green policy requires the use of energy efficient bulbs made from recycled materials.  These bulbs themselves can be recycled at the end of their life, reducing the amount of hazardous waste. 

In addition, the green requirements also stipulate that office furniture, tables, chairs, sanitaryware and toilet rolls must be environmentally friendly, reusable and contain a fair amount of natural or recycled contents, such as metal, steel, aluminum, glass, or wood.  In addition, at the end of life, 50% or more of the materials   must be either biodegradable or reusable. These products are mainly purchased from the suppliers who are certified by the Pollution Control Department and received the ‘green label’ or ‘green basket’ certification. [http://gp.pcd.go.th/] [https://www.pcd.go.th/publication/31806/]