Responsible purchasing

La Trobe University is committed to following sustainable practises in purchasing across the University. Policies and procedures are constantly being reviewed to ensure that appropriate sustainability statements and directives are incorporated.

Currently, we support green purchasing with the following:

  • The University fleet system [Staff only], resulting in a reduction in the number vehicles purchased by the University.
  • The purchase of four-cylinder cars where possible, reducing fuel consumption.
  • The incorporation of a 'environmental sustainability' criterion into goods/services tenders, which is evaluated along with the rest of the response.

Recycled paper at La Trobe

Recycled PaperThe University has made the transition to white 100 per cent recycled post consumer waste paper. Post consumer waste is used paper (newspapers, magazines, documents, printed pages) from offices and homes that is recycled back into quality usable paper, reducing human consumption of natural resources. A change to recycled paper is a simple and efficient way the University can minimise its environmental impact and benefit the wider community. In fact:
  • Recycling one tonne of printing or copying paper saves more than two tonnes of wood that would be used in the production of new paper.
  • The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) reports that the process of recycling paper is 64 per cent more energy efficient than the production of new paper, meaning that to recycle one tonne of newspaper instead of producing new paper would save enough energy to power a three-bedroom home in Europe for one year.
University staff will now have the choice of purchasing two types of A4 paper, A3 and A5 from OfficeMax under codes:

1992325 ($5.68 ex GST per ream) - OfficeMax Copy Paper A4 100% Post Consumer Recycled
Whiteness 135 CIE, Acid free, Archival years 200+

1990055 ($6.81 ex GST per ream) - Canon Paper 100% recycled
Whiteness 150 CIE, Acid free, Archival years 200+

2388162 ($12.99 ex GST) OfficeMax Copy Paper A3 100% Post Consumer Recycled - Whiteness 135 CIE, Acid free, Archival years 200+

2191601 ($4.26 ex GST) OfficeMax Copy Paper A5 100% Post Consumer Recycled - Whiteness 135 CIE, Acid free, Archival years 200+

Fair Trade at La Trobe

Find out how La Trobe supports Fair Trade and how you can participate on our Fair Trade at La Trobe page.