Chapter 7 - Promoting the Commonwealth's Socio-Economic Initiatives

In order to support and increase environmentally friendly or “green procurement” for the purchase of IT goods and services across the Commonwealth, VITA and its Supply Chain Management Division (SCM) are committed to achieving the following objectives:

• Educate all VITA procurement staff on the requirements of federal “green” procurement programs.
• Create and publicize opportunities to purchase environmentally-friendly, energy-saving or “green” IT products and services for the Commonwealth.
• Inform customers that in the course of procuring IT goods through an IFB or competitive sealed bidding, if a customer receives two or more responses from Energy Star Certified Suppliers, the customer must select between those offerors.
• Increase purchases of “green” IT products and services consistent with VITA’s mission.
• Reduce the amount of solid waste generated from VITA-procured IT products. VITA and its customer agencies will review how IT supplies, materials, and equipment are manufactured, purchased, packaged, delivered, used and disposed in order to reduce the amount of solid waste produced.
• Encourage VITA’s IT suppliers to offer high quality, environmentally sound and environmentally preferable IT products and services to the Commonwealth at competitive prices.
• Encourage VITA’s IT service providers to consider environmental impacts of service delivery.
• Encourage recycling, market development and use of recycled/recyclable materials through contractual relationships and purchasing practices with the Commonwealth’s IT suppliers, contractors, businesses and other governmental agencies.
• Encourage the procurement of IT goods and services which reduce the consumption of energy and natural resources.
• Expand markets for environmentally-friendly and energy-saving IT products and services within the Commonwealth.
• Develop specifications and requirements aimed at eliminating barriers to the procurement of recycled-content IT products.
• Develop and maintain market information about environmentally sound and preferable IT products and recycled IT products which are available to be purchased by VITA, executive branch agencies whenever possible.
• Serve as a model for the Commonwealth to influence IT waste prevention, recycling and energy- saving procurement efforts.