It keeps going, and going, and going
It’s not déjà vu . . . Pantex will receive another award for sustainable purchasing. For five consecutive years, Pantex has earned the Electronic Product Environmental Assistance Tool award.
EPEAT® is the world’s ecolabel for electronics signifying environmentally preferable products. Environmental Scientist and Sustainable Acquisition subject matter expert Tracy Griffith administers the sustainable acquisition program at Pantex and says this achievement validates our commitment to eco-friendly purchasing.
“If you consider how we operate in an ecological, social, and economic environment, we’re creating long-term value to tax payers,” Griffith said. “Because we operate as federal contractors, our sustainable purchases encourage adoption of similar practices by other entities and help mature the markets for sustainable products.”
Receiving this award showcases Pantex’s commitment to purchasing products that are energy efficient, recycled materials, nontoxic, less toxic, or bio-based.
“EPEAT-registered products are designed for efficiency, longevity, and cost reduction by companies that prioritize responsible practices throughout their supply chain,” Griffith said. “Purchasing EPEAT ecolabel products helps buyers achieve greater results with less.”
Electronic purchasing is just one type of eco-friendly buying done on-site. Pantex also regularly receives the GreenBuy Award, which covers non-electronic products. Buying sustainable products isn’t as easy as clicking “add to cart.” Those making the purchases must attend sustainable acquisition training prior to being able to make purchases of any kind.
“In the class, we go over the background of why this is important, the regulations, and the drivers that surround the requirements for sustainable purchasing,” Griffith said. “We start with the why, then we explain what bio-based products are, what Energy Star certified products are, what EPEAT products are, and we introduce them to all those categories. Then we take purchasers though making the cost savings or potential balance of cost between a recycled material and virgin material.”
After training and when purchasing begins, items are requested through a standard approval process. Griffith can review and determine if the electronics meet EPEAT standards or suggest alternate products. Products fall into an energy-saving performance grading system of EPEAT Gold, Silver, or Bronze, or they are uncategorized.
“Sometimes it’s the one-off product and you have to research and investigate and see where this product will fall — what EPEAT category it lands in,” Griffith said. “If it’s a product that can be recycled, is biodegradable, or made of virgin material, I will go through the requests and review the products.”
In Fiscal Year 2024, Pantex spent $3,430,340 on EPEAT-registered electronics. Acquisitions purchased 587 desktops, 617 notebooks, 1,763 monitors, 93 workstations, and 68 mobile phones all in the Gold category. They also purchased 81 printers, 71 scanners, and 5 televisions in the Silver category, and 1 server in the Bronze category.
“This is important because at Pantex we adhere to what the federal government requires and want to lead by example of making the right choices for the environment,” Griffith said. “I enjoy it. When new products come through, we look for alternatives to meet the criteria that we have in our contract for the sustainability goals we have to meet. I enjoy going in there and looking for different options and working with people in the plant to achieve their goals and ours.”