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Worker’s
Rights Consortium (WRC)
The Worker’s Rights Consortium is a non-profit organization
created by college and university administrations, students and labor
rights experts. The WRC’s purpose is to assist in the enforcement
of manufacturing Codes of Conduct adopted by colleges and universities;
these Codes are designed to ensure that factories/corporations producing
clothing and other goods bearing colleges and university names/logos
respect the basic rights of workers. There are more than 90 colleges
and universities affiliated with the WRC.
Berea College is one of the most recent affiliates with the Worker’s
Rights Consortium, and a college committee has been working to
make Berea College an anti-sweat-shop campus through reform of
its purchasing practices and further work with the administration
and various apparel-purchasing departments on campus. For more
information on this campaign check out these two websites or
contact Berea College’s USAS affiliate-
Helping Earth And Learning (HEAL) at 859-985-3613
Workers Rights Consortium (WRC): http://www.workersrights.org
United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) http://www.usasnet.org
Green Purchasing Programs for Campus Departments
Berea College has created a green purchasing working committee
exploring Berea Colleges purchasing policies in regards
to departmental office and cleaning supplies. Green purchasing
is making an educated and conscious decision to buy products
with considerations for environmental, social, and economic impacts.
Making a good green purchasing decision requires
one to understand a few basic concepts. A department or organization
must consider
that products and services entail a certain environmental load.
From the processing of raw materials to disposal, products effect
the environment throughout their life cycles. The departments or
organizations should also consider whether it needs a certain product
or service. Simply cutting out excess products can reduce large
environmental impacts. Buyers should also realize that it takes
the concerted efforts of the people within departments and organizations
as well as the concerted efforts of entire organizations working
together to reduce environmental loads.
How do I start the process?
- Educate
your department or organization.
Before any action can be taken effectively, people
must understand the importance
of a green office on a global level.
- Empower workers. Let the workers do the
research and find solutions to green the office.
- Evaluate the current practices in the office. Do a general
audit of the office to determine what needs to be done to make
the office greener.
- After a general audit, choose one
or two workers to run a more specific audit
to make the office greener. The workers should consider and
use each
of their
co-workers input to green the office.
- The “green auditors” should
consider the types and amounts of energy used in the
office, the products bought and
used, and the disposal methods, to name a few topics.
- The auditors
should also consider the habits or practices of the office
workers to determine what contributes to
overall environmental
friendliness of the office. For example, are the
workers throwing away or recycling paper that can continue
to be
used? Are their
things consumed in the offices that are simply
excessive? Consider ways to creatively administer to these
habits
and practices.
- Share responsibility of decision-making. All
the workers in the office should meet to decide the best
ways to
make improvements and take responsibility for those improvements
individually.
- Put the plan in writing. The auditors should generate a
list of practices and habits to make the office green.
- Become the change you wish to see. The workers should structure
their spaces and activities to fulfill the greening goals.
- Lead by example. Encourage other organizations and departments
to adopt green policies.
- Monitor your policies. Make sure the green policies are
being carried out to ensure continued environmental friendliness
(So
the activists will get off your case!!!)
10 Considerations for buying good green products
Consider
environmental impacts of products at all stages of its life cycle, from
processing of product’s raw materials
to it’s disposal. The impact of one area of
a products life cycle may be small, but at another
point in the life
cycle it may be very large.
Reduce harmful substances
and chemicals. Select products that use and emit
fewer substances that damage the environment
and/or
human health.
Select products that do not use as much energy
or resources to produce.
Select products that provide a long
service life. Consider not only durability, but “repairability” and
the availability of repair parts
Select reusable products.
Select recyclable products
Select products with a high percentage
of recycled material
Select products that ensure trouble free
disposal and treatment.
Select products from businesses with
environmental responsibility.
Gather and apply environmental
information. Evaluate products by collecting environmental
information on the products, manufacturers,
and distributors.
Additional Resources
Green Purchasing Principles
and Products
EPA's
Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines
Energystar
greenseal
Inform
Fair Traded Coffee
equalexchange
globalexchange
To
find out more information about green purchasing contact
HEAL at 859-985-3613
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