Gloucestershire County Council decided to take part in the UK’s Government Office Supplies Contract (GOSC) which began in 2012 – the required purchasing framework for all central government offices.
The Council prepared for this by organising a month long ban on stationary purchasing. Staff were asked to place all unused items in a central stationary cupboard so other employees could use them during the ban. This system has continued ever since. Stationary is either exchanged via the central stationary cupboard or via an intranet page.
This initiative arose from a meeting of council leaders, where staff views were sought from to gather grass roots ideas for more efficient working.
Specifications of the office supplies contract included the following:
- Provision of a closed loop service for white paper (waste will be shredded and recycled)
- Copier paper will be 100% recycled
- Envelopes for general use will be 100% recycled
- Envelopes for internal mailing systems will be at least 60% recycled, with the rest from 100% certified sustainable sources
- Pencils will be free of varnish, inks will be free of VOCs and adhesive tapes will be free of PVC
- Adhesives on self-seal envelopes will be water / vegetable based
- Single use batteries will be mercury and cadmium free
(GPP, n.d. c)