Environmental Policy
Purpose
Fas Agro recognises its responsibility to minimise negative impacts on human health and the environment while supporting a diverse, equitable, and vibrant business practice. Fas Agro recognises that the types of products and services the company buys each have inherent social, human health, environmental and economic impacts. Fas Agro endeavours to make procurement decisions that embody the company’s commitment to sustainability.
Consistent with our goal towards zero waste and the economics of effectively managing costs for solid waste disposal, Fas Agro shall adopt and promote the use of recycled/recyclable supplies and materials as a priority. Fas Agro gives preference to environmentally friendly products whose quality, function, and cost are equal or superior to more traditional products. Fas Agro will procure materials, products, or services in a manner that integrates environmental stewardship, fiscal responsibility, and social equity.
This Sustainable Procurement Policy is intended to focus on the following areas:
- Identifying those sustainability factors that shall be incorporated into procurement decisions
- Providing implementation guidance
- Empowering employees to be innovative and demonstrate leadership by incorporating sustainability factors into procurement decisions
- Complementing Fas Agro sustainability goals and policies
- Ensuring the health and safety of workers and citizens
- Supporting the local economy by purchasing goods and services from local vendors
- Procuring goods and services that are environmentally friendly without compromising cost or quality
- Complying with all local, state, and federal laws that govern our procurement activity
Sustainability factors
Fas Agro will incorporate the following factors when writing specifications for or procuring materials, products, or services. While not all factors will be incorporated into every purchase, it is the intent of this policy that Earth Friendly Product will make the effort to integrate and balance these factors to the maximum extent possible.
Environmental factors to be considered include but are not limited to the following:
- Waste generation
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- Energy consumption
- Depletion of natural resources
- Impacts on biodiversity
- Emitting pollutions
- Toxicity, especially the use of persistent, bio accumulative, and toxic chemicals
Social equity factors to be considered include but are not limited to the following:
- Human health impacts
- Use of local businesses
Fiscal factors to be considered include but are not limited to the following:
- Reducing consumption
- Product performance and quality
- Life cycle cost assessment
- Leveraging buying power
- Long P term financial and market changes
Use of best practices
Best practices in sustainable procurement are those that utilise leading edge sustainability factors, standards, and procedures in an efficient and effective way that is successful and replicable. Fas Agro will utilise best practices in sustainable procurement as they evolve.
Data collection and performance reporting
For purposes of setting goals and evaluating the performance of our sustainable purchasing programme, vendors may be requested to report the environmental attributes of their products.
The purchasing personnel shall be responsible for the following:
- Collaborating with vendors to design and implement a data collection system for tracking the environmental attributes of products
- Compiling records for the purpose of producing an annual summary of the company’s environmentally responsible purchasing operations and for evaluating the effectiveness of these actions in reducing the environmental impacts of company procurement
- Identifying opportunities to educate end users about the impacts of their product choices
Education and Training
Fas Agro shall commit to providing the appropriate dedicated staff levels and related funding to support the implementation and coordination of this policy. This includes activities such as, but not limited to, employee training and resources, professional services, product/service pilot tests, and educational materials.
The purchasing personnel shall be responsible for the following:
- Building awareness of this policy and sustainable procurement standards through information distribution and incorporation into routine employee trainings
- Encouraging employee attendance at internal and external trainings related to sustainability
- Encouraging the use of environmentally preferable/ sustainable products and services through information distribution, development of internal procedures, pilot testing and leading by example
- Developing employee sustainable procurement resources such as, but not limited to, standards, specifications, tools and best practices
- Taking lead in communicating to existing and potential contractors and the public about this policy related to Fas Agro’s requirements
- Cooperating in gathering information for the purposes of tracking, reporting and evaluating Fas Agro’s sustainable procurement
Area of Focus
Source reduction
Reducing unnecessary waste at the source allows Fas Agro products to both mitigate the inefficient use of our natural resources and benefit economically from decreased handling and disposal
costs. At Fas Agro, procurement activity includes the following:
- Utilising institutional practices that reduce waste, resulting in the purchase of fewer products whenever practicable and costPeffective but without reducing safety or workplace quality
- Purchasing remanufactured products as often as possible, such as laser toner cartridges, tires, furniture, equipment and equipment parts whenever practicable but without reducing safety, quality or effectiveness
- Considering shortPterm and longPterm costs in comparing product alternatives and the evaluation of total costs expected during the time a product is owned, including but not limited to acquisition, extended warranties, operation, supplies, maintenance, disposal costs and expected lifetime compared to other alternatives
- Purchasing products that are durable, long lasting, reusable or refillable
- Requesting that vendors eliminate packaging or use the minimum amount necessary for product protection to the greatest extent practicable
- Requesting packaging that is reusable, recyclable or compostable when suitable uses and programmes exist
- Reusing as many materials and items such as packaging materials
- Requiring that all equipment bought after the adoption of this policy, when practicable, be compatible with products and services that provide source reduction benefits
Recycled Content Products
Fas Agro has made significant investments in developing a successful recycling system and recognises that recycled content products are essential for continuing the viability of that recycling system and the foundation of an environmentally sound production system.
At Fas Agro procurement activity includes products for which there are established minimum recycled content standard guidelines, such as printing paper, office paper, nonPpaper office products, and those that contain the highest postconsumer content practicable.
Energy and Water Savings
Recognising that the generation of electricity is a major contributor to air pollution and global warming issues and that clean water is a finite resource, Fas Agro values products that minimise the use of these valuable resources.
At Fas Agro, procurement activity includes the following:
- EnergyPefficient equipment with the most upPtoPdate energy efficiency functions, including but not limited to highPefficiency heating and cooling systems
- Efficient lighting with energyPefficient equipment
Khodor Fawaz, CEO
