Sustainable Procurement Category Information | Life Sciences

Key Category Guidelines and Goals

UC Sustainable Procurement Policy and Guidelines have set standards for the purchase of products within the Life Sciences category. Review the UC Sustainable Practices Policy and UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines for more detail, below are some key standards:
  • Contracting with suppliers of products (e.g. electronics, furniture, lab consumables) with (preferably non-manufacturer specific) end-of-life reuse, recycling, and/or takeback programs at no extra cost, and in compliance with applicable federal, state, and University regulations regarding waste disposal.
  • Packaging compliant with the Toxics in Packaging Prevention Act (AB 455), and additional criteria to maximize the sustainability of packaging brought on campus as part of UC's Zero Waste goals.

Beyond the above standards, UC procurement teams often collaborate with campus stakeholder groups to develop best practices including the purchase of energy efficient products, supplier collaborations on recycling/take-back programs, ULT Freezer programs, and collaborations with non-profits on lab assessments and more.

General Criteria 

Some Environmental, Economic and Social sustainability criteria are applicable across all or most different product or service categories. Refer to the Sustainable Procurement Guidelines for general criteria required for applicable categories that must be included in the specifications for all relevant solicitations and contracts.

Solicitation Guidance & RFx Questions 

Other Resources