Planning & Purchasing | Focus Areas

There is no Planet B

Buy Less, Choose Well, Make it Last

Amherst recognizes the importance of strategic planning in making sustainability a campus priority and implementing changes to achieve sustainability goals. With each purchasing decision, we have an opportunity to choose environmentally and socially preferable products and services and support companies with strong commitments to sustainability.

Did You Know?

Climate Action Plan

Amherst College’s cutting-edge Climate Action Plan prioritizes the purchase of renewably sourced energy. The Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from our involvement with the large Farmington solar farm in Maine allows us to source 100% of our purchased electricity renewably.

Campus Print and Mail

The Campus Print & Mail has switched over to exclusively selling Aspen 30 Multi-Use Recycled Copy Paper, which is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), meaning that the wood used in the product was sustainably harvested.

The Option Bookstore

The Option in the basement of Garman provides students an affordable option to buy used textbooks. The Option is a consignment bookstore, operating as a third party through which students can buy and sell books. The store aims to provide cheaper alternatives for required course materials while also giving students an opportunity to sell their own used textbooks.

What’s Next

Drafting and considering adopting green purchasing guidelines for the college.
Encouraging more sustainable procurement through the Green Office program.
Adding sustainability metrics to our RFPs as we renew our external vendor contracts.
Reaching STARS gold status. Currently the college is STARS Silver rated.

Sustainability Planning & Purchasing

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There is no Planet B

Buy Less, Choose Well, Make it Last

What’s Next