Sustainable procurement

Goals of the Climate Action Plan 2030:

  • Development of a concept and recommendations for an ecological, social and economic procurement system
  • Development of options for saving resources in work materials and processes

Sustainable procurement

Recycled paper

For reasons of economic and ecological sustainability, it is strongly recommended to exclusively purchase and use recycled paper with a maximum brightness of 80 and 'Blauer Engel' certification. Existing fresh fiber paper stocks should, of course, still be used up. Furthermore, it is strongly recommended to set the color selection to "grayscale" in the print settings of the computers and laptops of all facilities, so that printing is default in black and white.
Additionally, by avoiding unnecessary prints, utilizing the duplex function, and reusing misprints as scratch paper, a significant amount of paper can be saved.

Recycled paper certified with 'Blauer Engel' consists of 100 percent recycled material, saving at least 60 percent of water and energy in production and causing between 15 and 50 percent fewer CO2 emissions compared to fresh fiber paper. Additionally, recycled paper reduces the pressure on forests, allowing them to remain a CO2 sink for a longer time [1,2]. Therefore, the Umwetlbundesamt recommends the use of recycled paper with 'Blauer Engel' certification [3].
Black and white printing is more environmentally friendly compared to color printing: the production of colors is more complex and requires more resources than black ink, which is made from soot. Colors contain binders, resins, waxes, and surfactants. Depending on the manufacturer, natural resins and oils or petroleum products are used. However, the pigments in all printing inks consist of complex organic-chemical compounds that also contain copper. These substances in the inks need to be removed from the paper through a special process (deinking) in the paper recycling process, which requires more energy and water.
Furthermore, black and white printing and recycled paper are significantly cheaper than color printing and fresh fiber paper.


  1. Initiative Pro Recyclingpapier c/o Nissen Consulting GmbH & Co. KG (2022): Papieratlas 2022. https://www.papieratlas.de/wp-content/uploads/papieratlas2022_sonderausgabe.pdf .
  2. BUND: Tipps zum privaten Umweltschutz. https://www.bund-heidelberg.de/umwelttipps/buero/. Zuletzt geprüft 21.02.2024.
  3. Umweltbundesamt (2022): Leitfaden zur umweltfreundlichen öffentlichen Beschaffung: Grafische Papiere und Kartons aus 100% Altpapier (Recyclingpapier und -karton). https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/medien/479/publikationen/uba_leitfaden_recyclingpapier.pdf.

Reusable cup


Reusable cup

At the coffee machines in the cafeterias of the Studentenwerk, disposable cups are explicitly allowed. Using reusable cups not only benefits the environment but also saves money: Each coffee purchased with a reusable cup saves 10 cents compared to using a disposable cup.

More Information from the Studentenwerk
Articel by HNA [22.10.2018] (german)

Swap - Recycle - Save resources

Second-hand exchange:

The second-hand-exchange at the notice board in StudIP offers a wide range of items that are no longer needed: household appliances and furniture as well as (text)books and other useful items.

Entbehrliches Gerät:

Equipment and furniture that is no longer needed but is still in working order can be passed on via the University's 'Entbehrliche Gerät' website. You can find the contact details for advertising offers and requests in the right-hand column of the website.

UMG exchange:

The UMG (Medical Technology Department, Division 3-53) also has various used devices in its inventory that can be purchased. Contact: Mr Wille (Tel.: 9551) or Mr Böhm (Tel.: 12705)

Chemicals exchange:

Leftover laboratory chemicals that are no longer needed can be offered and searched for at the Chemical Exchange of the Safety/Environmental Section.







Contact - Green Office


Do you have questions or suggestions about sustainability in research?
Or in your studies?
Do you have any ideas about sustainability in your studies?
For these and general questions, suggestions contact us!

Email
nachhaltigkeit@uni-goettingen.de

Sustainability Coordinator

Marco Lange, Coordinator of the Green Office
Phone: 0551 39-21356
Email: marco.lange@zvw.uni-goettingen.de

Staff

Tabea Kothe, Student of Geography
E-Mail: tabea.kothe@zvw.uni-goettingen.de

Anna von Borcke, Student of Ethnology and Sociology
E-Mail: anna.borcke@zvw.uni-goettingen.de

Hannah Kalden, Student of Philosophy
E-Mail: hannah.kalden@zvw.uni-goettingen.de