ABSTRACT
This chapter sets forth recommendations for the establishment and maintenance of a greener purchasing initiative. It discusses the practical issues that most organisations, regardless of size, will have to address, particularly, as is often the case, when purchasing responsibilities are decentralised. The chapter examines the three principles of greener purchasing-reduce purchases and packaging; re-use products; and purchase recycled products. A greener purchasing initiative will begin simply with an analysis of what is being bought, and this applies to all organisations, from small family businesses to multinationals. Most important to the success of greener purchasing is for management to be a driving force and to fund both the establishment of the initiative as well as its maintenance and development once it is established. The chapter provides examples, which are drawn from the organisations in Washington State that are confronting the problems of improving suppliers' performance, overcoming internal opposition and capturing reliable statistics.
