Local Government Members awarded at ECO-Buy's Excellence in Green Purchasing 2008 event
Victoria’s local governments are drastically reducing their environmental impact by purchasing over 400 types of green products.
As well as recycled products, in the last year local governments purchased increased volumes of greenhouse-friendly and water-saving products, such as more efficient cars, lighting and products with at least 4 Star energy, gas and water ratings. “This shows that local governments are reducing their impacts in environmental areas of most concern to Victorians – climate change, water scarcity and waste reduction”, said ECO-Buy’s Chief Executive Officer Hugh Wareham.
One of the products that local governments buy in large numbers is mobile garbage bins. Last year ECO-Buy members bought a total of 100,000 bins made from recycled plastic, saving an estimated 970 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions when compared to bins with no recycled content.
ECO-Buy released these green purchasing results in a report launched today at their annual Excellence in Green Purchasing Awards. In the 2006/2007 year, members of ECO-Buy’s local government program invested a total of over $62 million in green products with proven environmental credentials. See the summary document below for headline data from the State of Local Government Green Purchasing in 2006/2007 report. The full report can be accessed here.
ECO-Buy, Australia’s leading green purchasing organisation, has helped transform the purchasing habits of Victorian local governments through their green purchasing program. Since 2000, this has amounted to over $300 million invested in products with reduced environmental impacts compared to competing products that serve the same purpose.
By purchasing green products, local governments help:
- reduce their costs by buying energy and water efficient products
- create demand for environmentally preferable and recycled products
- reduce their contribution to the impacts of climate change
- create a more sustainable future for their organisation and their communities
Minister for the Environment and Climate Change Gavin Jennings presented awards to ECO-Buy’s local government members at the event. The winners were:
1. Green Purchasing Champion 2006/2007: Metropolitan Local Government
Whitehorse City Council
2. Green Purchasing Champion 2006/2007: Regional Local Government
Mildura Rural City Council
3. Green Purchasing Champion 2006/2007: Small Rural Local Government
Alpine Shire Council
4. Green Purchasing Champion 2006/2007: Alpine Resort Management Board
Falls Creek Resort Management Board
5. Recycled Product Purchasing in 2006/2007
Greater Bendigo City Council
6. Greenhouse Friendly Purchasing in 2006/2007
Buloke Shire Council
7. Green Contracts 2006/2007
Whitehorse City Council
8. Green Purchasing in Action in 2006/2007
Whittlesea City Council
9. Communicating Green Purchasing in 2006/2007
Boroondara City Council
10. Green Powered Champion 2006/2007
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council
Congratulations to all ECO-Buy's Local Government members and to the winners of the 2008 Awards.
Related Documents:
Local Government Report 2006/2007 Summary (133 KB)
Related Images:
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