Every purchase has an environmental footprint, from resource extraction to manufacturing to transportation from its origin to Stanford. Therefore, every purchase is an opportunity to contribute to the university’s goal of achieving zero waste and net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Stanford is committed to creating a more sustainable future through responsible purchasing and engagement with external suppliers.
Everyone in the Stanford community can make a meaningful difference through everyday purchases. The university’s purchasing tools and resources make sustainable and inclusive purchasing easier and help reduce Stanford’s emissions.
Stanford regularly engages with the university’s top suppliers to convey the university’s sustainability principles, collect climate data, identify partnership opportunities, facilitate sustainable purchasing (particularly from catalog vendors), and provide resources to help improve sustainability practices, especially for small and local vendors.
Whether it’s facilitating the transfer of furniture from one department to another or helping students give and get gently used items, Stanford has various programs and practices in place to keep items on the Farm and out of the landfill.
The Responsible Purchasing Department hosted an information session to inform the Stanford community about how everyday purchasing choices — like reusing, sourcing locally, and slowing shipping — can drive big sustainability impacts.
Rebecca Grekin, Ph.D. candidate in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, won AASHE’s Student Sustainability Award for her work on food emissions calculations.
Stanford staff and faculty now have a new way to share gently used university property.
The School of Engineering hosted a Spring cleaning event to collect, donate, and swap unused items — putting reuse into action.