Have your say on new Government procurement rules for office 

These are the mandatory sustainability requirements for central Government when it buys goods and services, and Defra is planning to update them over the coming months. There are eleven categories of products, including some key office supplies, such as:

• Paper
• Furniture
• Textiles
• Appliances
• ICT Hardware

Why does this matter?

All other Government departments need to comply with these standards when they buy, and Defra encourages the rest of the public sector to use them too. That’s a significant market so, if you’re looking to sell such products across the public sector (or manufacture them) it’s important we help Defra to get the new criteria right.

Currently, the Standards for many of these products haven’t changed since the 2010s, so the Government is likely basing its buying criteria on outdated sustainability information. In some cases, this is preventing BOSS members from bidding for contracts with the public sector.

To read the article in full, click here.