LGP Sustainable Choice Newsletter
December 2019

" Does your procurement process deliver economic, environmental and social considerations?"

2019 Sustainable Procurement Scorecards

Thank you to all councils who participated in the 2019 Annual Sustainable Procurement survey. We have seen some fantastic results and progress made by councils this year and would like to congratulate you all for taking part and making sustainable procurement a priority.

There has been a steady increase in the average overall score by councils since introducing this survey 3 years ago. There are some great sustainable procurement initiatives happening out there and it is evident that embedding the elements of the ISO 20400 guidance standard works! The average overall score of Sustainable Choice survey respondents has increased from 39.5 in 2018 to 42.8 in 2019.

All performance reports and scorecards have now been sent out. Please contact us if you have not received yours or have any questions.

National Waste Policy Action Plan 2019

The National Waste Policy Action Plan 2019 was released in November. The plan includes a number of actions and targets that directly relate to government and sustainable procurement. All levels of government are encouraged to use their purchasing power to increase recycling.

Some of the targets/actions in the action plan include:

All governments are to adopt sustainable procurement policies, including targets and guidance for the use of recycled content, by 2020
All governments are to report on lessons learned and options to support waste reduction, by 2021
All governments to support and promote businesses using circular economy practices. These can include awards and recognition schemes, by 2021

Sustainable Choice will present on and discuss the National Waste Policy Action Plan 2019 at the LGP networking meetings and Sustainable Choice forums in 2020. For the LGP 2020 Events Calendar click here.

The full Action Plan can be accessed here.

Sustainable Procurement Forums 2020

New format for regional forums!

Planning for Sustainable Choice 2020 forums is underway and we are excited to announce the following hosting councils:

Inner West Council will host the Sydney Forum on 10th June 2020 at Marrickville Library
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council on 5th March 2020 - venue TBC
Dubbo Regional Council on 25th March 2020 - Central Room, Dubbo Regional Council
Shoalhaven City Council on 3rd June 2020 - Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre

Based on feedback from previous years, the format for our regional forums will change in 2020. The forums will take the form of a practical workshop including two topics agreed with the hosting council. The forums will continue to include a tradeshow of sustainable suppliers and plenty of time for networking.

Click here for updated information regarding these events.

New Sustainable Choice Dashboard

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Sustainable Choice dashboard into LGP's Leading Efficiency and Analytics Program product (LEAP).

All LEAP customers who are Sustainable Choice members will be able to elect to add the Sustainable Choice dashboard. The dashboard provides data based on the responses provided by council in the Sustainable Choice Annual survey. This is an excellent way for council to track progress and achievements in sustainable procurement. It makes for an easy way to report and demonstrate progress to executives as well as the community.

The dashboard also provides recommendations for further progress and council can mark these as not started, in progress or completed, making it easier to track and report.

The dashboard will be available in 2020.

If you would like further information or have questions, please contact us.

Local Government Procurement Awards

Sustainable Procurement Achievement

The Local Government Procurement Awards ceremony took place on Thursday 24th October 2019 at the Annual Local Government Procurement conference.

Sustainable Procurement Achievement - This award is for either an individual or organisations that has demonstrated exceptional sustainable procurement work.

We would like to say a huge congratulations to: Byron Shire Council who took home the award this year for their Byron Bridge Renewal Project. This project involved replacing a number of failing timber bridges with recycled military steel bridges. The timber of the old bridges was carefully salvaged then recycled and/or reused. A number of sustainable outcomes were achieved during this project including a greater than 50% cost saving. Sustainable Choice members can access the case study on our member resources webpage.

We had a number of excellent applications and picking one winner was a challenging task. Please keep up all the good work!

Wollongong receives 6 Green Star Rating!

Wollongong City Council’s Administration Building might be 32 years old – but that doesn’t stop it being at the forefront of sustainability.

Recently, the Council’s administrative headquarters was awarded the highest sustainability rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, a 6 Star Green Star rating, for its operational performance. Just 21 buildings in Australia have achieved a 6 Star Green Star – Performance rating, and no other building of such age has gained ‘world leadership’ status.

Over the past 15 years Council’s staff have focused on progressive upgrades and improvements to the building’s maintenance that have seen cutting-edge technology like “super smart” lighting become the new norm. For example, when it came time for a lighting upgrade in 2017, the choice to install lighting that is controlled by Bluetooth and can be programmed to illuminate only areas being occupied seemed the best outcome for all.

“Since this installation we’ve reduced 200,000 kilowatt hours of lighting from the building each year,’’ Wollongong City Council General Manager Greg Doyle said. “This step has reduced the building’s energy consumption, our carbon footprint and improved the comfort of staff who are able to have workspaces lit to suit their individual needs.’’

Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery said the environmental focus is a win for the community who want to see Council actively reducing its environmental impact. “While we’re focused on offering programs through the Wollongong Botanic Garden on home composting, provide new parents with information about cloth nappies and looking for cutting-edge ways to reduce waste through our FOGO trial, it’s important we’re not just telling but doing,’’ he says.

‘’The Green Star rating is evidence we’re following our own advice and our Administration Building is also becoming more environmentally sustainable.’’

Mr Doyle said the achievements of Council in obtaining the 6 Star Green Star rating is a shared effort. “Our dedicated staff have worked hard to make this happen and I applaud their work, focus and collaborative approach,’’ he said. “It just goes to show that old buildings, when managed well, can be environmentally sustainable and a high performance building.’’

For more information, please contact: Carl Hopley, Building & Facilities Planning Manager (Acting), Wollongong City Council, 02 4227 7041, chopley@wollongong.nsw.gov.au

Strengthening Sustainability in LGP Contracts

LGP is implementing sustainable procurement practices with specific sustainability criteria addressed in all new contracts, which includes economic, environmental and social considerations. LGP contracts renewed in 2017, 2018 and 2019 were processed with sustainable procurement principles in mind. The criteria for each RFT was tailored to address those sustainability risks and opportunities specific to each contract and was mandatory and weighted. Supplier responses to sustainability criteria are included in the 'Buyer's Guide' associated with each contract, enabling councils to make better informed decisions and purchase more sustainable products and services.

Corporate Clothing, Workwear and PPE (LGP219)
Plant, Machinery and Equipment (LGP419)
Playgrounds, Open Spaces, Modular Structures, Exterior Lighting, Recreational and Associated Infrastructure (LGP308-3)
Bitumen, Emulsions and Asphalt Materials and Services (LGP213-2)
Road and Traffic Signage, Associated Hardware and Roadside Products (LGP114)
Traffic Management Services (LGP113-2)
Waste Audit Management Services (LGP118)
Office Supplies & Janitorial (including; Heavy Duty Cleaning) & Associated Products (LGP1007-3)
Waste Audit Management Services (LGP118)
Human Resources (HR) – Permanent and Temporary Placements and Associated Services (LGP808-3)

Online Resources

Sustainable Choice has a comprehensive range of online resources for Sustainable Choice members. These resources include guides, fact sheets, case studies, example documents, example sustainability tender questions and useful links. Recently added online resources for Sustainable Choice members include:

Case study - Byron Shire Council - Bridges Replacement Program
Case study - Wollongong Administration building receives 6 star
Case study - Procuring lighting as a service
Case study - Electric vehicle car sharing service
Modern Slavery - how can local government address it
How to get the most out of your Sustainable Choice membership
Sustainability tender schedules products and services
Modern slavery related example tender questions

Sustainable Choice Database

The Sustainable Choice Database makes the search for sustainable products and services easier for you. The expansive online database lists sustainable products and services, from energy-efficient lighting to recycled furniture and infrastructure products, paper and printing, road base, catering and events supplies. Sustainability indicators have been incorporated into the database to help you identify why a product is considered to be more sustainable than another in order for you to choose the most appropriate for your needs and budget. You can access the database at www.sustainablechoice.lgp.org.au

If you know of a sustainable supplier that isn’t listed on the database please let us know and we will contact them. Similarly if there is a particular product you are looking for and cannot find it on the database please let us know.

Suppliers new to the database:

New Gen Straws - Sustainable paper and plastic free straws

CJD Equipment - Construction equipment

Vermeer Equipment Holdings Pty Ltd - Electric Horizontal Grinder