The UBC Sustainable Purchasing Guide is designed so staff, students and faculty can purchase more sustainable products and services, be they catering, couriering, office supply purchasing, event planning or printing related. The guide encourages considering the answers to six key questions before making a purchase:
1.What is the product made of?
2.How was it made?
3.Who made it and how they were treated?
4.How will it get here?
5.How long will it last?
6.How will it be disposed?

The guide outlines definitions for sustainable purchasing and consumption, offering definitions of terms like cradle to cradle, deconstructable, total cost of ownership and life cycle as guides. Four principles of sustainability are presented as further purchasing guidance:
1.Leadership
2.Social Inclusivity
3.Environmental Stewardship
4.Accountability

Going beyond offering a sustainability checklist, the guide outlines the benefits of sustainable purchasing to society, the business case for sustainable purchasing and instructions on calculating your total cost of ownership. The guide also details sustainability questions to answer, specific to each type of product or service being purchased.

Does purchasing at Algonquin consider sustainability?