Iowa State University Procurement Services is committed to continuous improvement in procuring environmentally-preferable products, promoting sustainable practices, and managing energy consumption, while fully supporting the university's mission to create, share and apply knowledge to make Iowa and the world a better place. 

Procurement Services achieves its mission and supports ISU's work toward a sustainable future by dedication to excellence and highest ethical standards in achieving the following goals:

  • Implementing sustainable strategies that promote Iowa State as an environmental leader
  • Implementing enhanced administrative systems and strengthening business processes to support the planned growth in research, international programs and entrepreneurial activities
  • Incorporating life cycle and total value cost principles in making strategic decisions, and 
  • Encouraging utilization and development of businesses owned by socially-disadvantaged groups.
  • Procurement Services has created a sustainability committee to brainstorm and enact new policies and procedures to enhance Iowa State University’s sustainability footprint. The committee attempts to collaborate between commodity areas to find ways to reduce waste and cost as well as utilizing other university areas to impact ISU’s sustainability bottom line.

Procurement Services participates in Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP), or Green Purchasing. This is the procurement of products and services that have a reduced effect on human health and the environment, when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose. This comparison may include considerations such as raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance or disposal of the product or service. 

Procurement Services strives to manage its transactions in a sustainable and responsible way, seeking to do business with suppliers who share concerns for, and commitment to, sustainable business practices.

In addition, procurement policies are in place at Iowa State that prioritize the consideration of energy efficiency, recycled content and non-disposable materials, local products, green cleaning items and a commitment to paperless procurement that has provided a significant reduction in the number of checks written and invoices and purchase orders processed, as well as postage expenditures.

See the dropdowns below to see how Procurement Services is making an impact within each of the three facets of sustainability. 

  • ISU Procurement Services considers the "total value" of goods and services before making any purchase. The life cycle cost, rather than the initial cost, is considered, which takes into account maintenance, repair and energy costs, as well as purchase price and setup costs.
  • Procurement Services keeps purchases local when it meets the economic and sustainability goals of the university. Local business purchases have supported local industries and producers in areas such as food, cleaning products and supplies, as well as remodeling and trade skills.
  • In support of local economies and businesses, only plants and trees from nurseries located within 250 miles of Ames are planted on campus. 
  • Procurement Services uses cyBUY, which is designed to allow for the procurement of supplies and equipment from contracted vendors in a streamlined, online marketplace available through. Using cyBUY saves time by creating less paperwork, as well as decreasing labor costs.

“When we make purchases, not only are we looking at the impact of shorter transportation distances or using recyclable materials, but we’re trying to use local vendors. We want to support Iowa and the local economy by helping small businesses thrive and survive.”

- Cory Harms, Chief Procurement Officer and Director of Procurement Services

  • Iowa State University emphasizes a lighter impact on the environment throughout procurement operations and opportunities. When it comes to shipping and receiving, the university uses recyclable materials and prioritizes the reduction of waste by consolidating shipping to save on packaging and reduce gas emissions, as well as utilizing reusable packaging when available. In addition, when available and applicable, recycled-content products are utilized for campus projects and needs. The university's bookstore also offers a diversity of recycled consumer products, such as binders, graduation gowns, as well as reusable water bottles and mugs. Many materials utilized by university staff are made from recycled content, too, such as Custodial Services' mops and recycled-content biosafety cabinets that are used throughout campus.
  • Through local purchasing, Procurement Services and other university departments, such as ISU Dining, lowers environmental impacts through minimizing transportation costs, as well as gas emissions.
  • ISU Custodial Services exclusively uses green cleaning products that are free of harsh chemicals to clean all campus buildings to protect both custodial staff and building occupants. 
  • ENERGY STAR and EPEAT-equivalent (or better) products are purchased whenever possible; about 98% of all fine paper purchases are made from recycled content; Iowa State is committed to the purchasing of local products from a family-owned food distributor in its dining facilities; more than 95% of all university cleaning supplies are green-certified.

  • ISU Procurement Services is working on developing a used equipment website that will allow students, faculty and staff to buy and sell items.
  • ISU Procurement Services won the National Purchasing Institute Excellence in Procurement Award for 16 straight years, recognizing excellence in public procurement through an evaluation of procurement efforts in areas of efficiency,  sustainability, thought leadership, and other best practice areas of procurement.
  • Procurement Services supports the sustainability of local businesses and producers by purchasing locally-produced and -provided products and services when it meets the economic and sustainability goals of the university .
  • Iowa State is committed to do business with suppliers who share concerns for, and commitment to, sustainable business practices. ISU requires suppliers to meet all applicable environmental rules, regulations and laws in the countries where they do business, as well as to consistently look for new and better ways to conserve resources, reduce waste and enhance the communities in which they operate.

One of the biggest changes in the last 20 years, is in the questions we ask, especially to big suppliers: 'What are you doing to help the environment that we can be involved in? What initiatives do you have that we're not taking advantage of? Consolidating shipments? Reducing packaging? Paperless transactions?' These questions weren’t on our minds then, they are now.

Cory Harms, Chief Procurement Officer and Director of Procurement Services