Sustainable procurement
We’re committed to ensuring sustainability is a priority throughout our procurement process. Find out about our Procurement Policy and Strategy and what sustainable procurement activities we have actioned so far.
We balance social, ethical, environmental and economic impacts
Sustainability is at the heart of our procurement process.
We have around 5,000 suppliers and spend approximately £60m every year on goods and services. We also provide a shared procurement service to St George's University of London (SGUL), bringing the total spend to almost £90m.
With such high purchasing power comes great responsibility. As a university, we believe it's imperative to put sustainability at the core of our procurement practices, from specification through to disposal.
Our procurement must support our institutional strategic goals too. It’s imperative we achieve the best value for money and consider the tangible benefits.
These benefits aren’t just for the University and student body, but also for the environment, society and economy at large.
Policies and strategies
Since 2014, the Procurement Team have put sustainability at the heart of the University's Procurement Policy and Strategy. We are committed to ensuring a balanced consideration of social, ethical, environmental and economic impacts through all stages of the procurement process.
Corporate Procurement Policy, including Sustainable Procurement Policy Statement
Corporate Procurement Strategy, including Sustainable Procurement Action Plan
Sustainable procurement in action
As a result of our sustainable procurement processes, we have done the following:
Let a removals and relocations contract specifically targeted on re-use. This ensures all furniture fittings and equipment no longer required by the University are first sent to re-use rather than recycling. This is in line with the principles of the waste hierarchy.
Let a new water coolers contract to replace, where possible, the existing plastic-bottle-fed water coolers with mains-fed water. The contract also saw the replacement of plastic disposable cups with reusable cups.
Let a stationery contract to a supplier, which offered 223 sustainable features (the highest of all bidders) across the top 100 purchased products. They also provided a ‘sustainable basket of goods’. This contract encourages staff to buy items with sustainable features and converts products to sustainable alternatives at the checkout.
We ask companies tendering for new contracts to show how they can add value and enhance student experience in various ways. These could include providing work experience and learning materials, running workshops and providing opportunities for students to visit state-of-the-art facilities.
We have introduced and rolled out a supplier sustainability tool which helps us understand and monitor how our suppliers are managing their full supply chains. We can use this information to identify where sustainable and ethical improvements can be made. We then work with suppliers to address opportunities and comply with the Modern Slavery Act.
We procured a travel contract to more accurately measure our carbon footprint.
We became affiliate members of Electronics Watch, an organisation championing responsible public procurement. As a result, we built their specific terms and conditions into our IT contracts.
The London Universities Purchasing Consortium
We are a full member of the London Universities Purchasing Consortium (LUPC). The LUPC is a not-for-profit organisation which aims to achieve value for money for its members in the procurement of goods and services. They also help ensure the procurement benefits their members, society and the economy while minimising damage to the environment.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Our procurement practices tie in with the United Nations SDGs. These goals aim to transform our world and promote prosperity for all while protecting our planet.
The University's policy on procurement supports 'Responsible Consumption and Production'.
Get in touch to talk about sustainability
Got a question about sustainability at Kingston University?
Call us on +44 (0)7767 932 944 or send us an email.
You can also visit us in person at:
Estates and Sustainability
Services Building
Penrhyn Road Campus
Kingston upon Thames
KT1 2EE
United Kingdom
