Responsible Purchasing
What is responsible purchasing?
Responsible purchasing means considering a range of options when purchasing goods and services, actively including positive environmental and community impact in the total value of the purchase. It emphasizes the benefit of reuse before purchasing new, considering how a product is manufactured, type of supplier, how it is transported, and how it will be disposed of or recycled.
Responsible purchasing helps the university achieve operational excellence by:
- Strengthening competitive sourcing and supply chain resilience
- Helping Stanford achieve its goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
- Promoting financial stewardship
About the Responsible Purchasing program
The Responsible Purchasing team advances the university's commitment to responsible purchasing goals. Through programs, services, and tools, the team works directly with campus purchasers to:
- Promote broadly applicable responsible purchasing tools, resources, and recommendations
- Identify tailored solutions for specific purchasing needs
- Engage suppliers to align with responsible purchasing priorities and signal market expectations
The Responsible Purchasing team offers a Champion Training series to individuals interested in learning responsible purchasing best practices, including access to practical tools, templates, and a support network to help facilitate responsible purchasing for their department. Complete the interest form to learn more about this program.
To connect with the Responsible Purchasing team, contact responsiblepurchasing@stanford.edu or learn more on Fingate.
on high economic impact businesses
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Partner spotlight: Get wise about waste
Complete this 10-minute training on waste sorting from Sustainable Stanford!
Program resources
About Responsible Purchasing
Visit the Fingate website to learn about what responsible purchasing is and practical ways to include positive impact in your next purchase.
Cost-savings for common purchases
This resource on Fingate offers cost-saving tips that support good financial stewardship and advance the university’s mission.
Supplier explorer tool
This tool helps you easily search for and locate local, small, and sustainable suppliers.
