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Office Supplies is a highly visible area for Sustainable Procurement, as employees will immediately realise the efforts made to improve the sustainability performance of the organisation‘s operations.
Office Supplies encompasses a wide range of products, from writing instruments and paper to toner cartridges. We included Cleaning Products & Services and Textiles in this section.
Browse additional Paper & Printing solutions in the related sub-category, on the left hand menu.
The key environmental impacts of printing consumables and other office stationeries are:
Our best advice: less is more. Start with Reducing and Reusing your supplies, you will save money and waste.
Measuring your office carbon footprint is a key step for a greener office. It is of high importance for an efficient environmental management: if you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it!
It requires methodology and proper data collection: papers expenses, electronic equipments, electricity charges, office supplies...
For suggested sources of data and units of measure (paper, electronic, waste, energy...) refer to Pages 4 - 5 of the UK-based WRAP.org guide and Page 10 - 14 onwards of the Singapore NEA 3R Guidebook for Offices.
Preliminary Note:
Steps to take:
1- Analyse your current comsumption and existing practices
2- Define Targets and KPI evolution, such as
3- Prefer
4- Make it simpler
5- Packaging: Discuss with your supplier to limit packagings, e.g. all pens in 1 carton box.
6- Involve all stakeholders in the sustainable purchasing policy and train them
Refer to the global sustainable procurement policy in Resources section for more details.
Organise a yearly stationery amnesty:
"An event where everyone in an office or building is invited to get rid of their unused and unwanted stationery (pens, staplers, envelopes, etc.) so it can be collected and reused. This saves money, as you don't need to buy new stationery, prevents items from going to landfill unnecessarily, and frees up space."
(Rémi Césaro, Resource Efficiency Consultant - Zero Waste City)
Here are 4 steps to implement your stationery amnesty.
Maximise reuse of all office supplies. E.g. Reuse used envelopes & folders; use both sides of paper, reuse paper as draft paper, etc.
To go a step further, consider a yearly Stationery Amnesty (see above solution).
If you do not have yet a sustainable procurement policy, see above solution "Set up a Green Procurement Policy" on how to implement one and our sustainable procurement page on how to write one.
Opt for recycled paper (less fresh pulp from cut-down trees) or up-cycled paper (e.g. made from waste). Choose at least ECF Paper (Elemental Chlorine Free) or prefer PCF Paper (Processed Chlorine Free), FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). Apply the same for letterheads, name cards, envelopes...
If recycled paper is not available, PEFC-certified (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) paper should be your second choice.
Prefer eco-certified products: Green Label Singapore, EnergyStar, PEFC, FSC for paper… Always ask for certification proof.
If you do not have yet a sustainable procurement policy, see above solution "Set up a Green Procurement Policy" on how to implement one and our sustainable procurement page on how to write one.
Prefer recyclable or biodegradable material:
Prefer eco-certified products: Green Label Singapore, EnergyStar, PEFC, FSC for paper… Always ask for certification proof.
If you do not have yet a sustainable procurement policy, see above solution "Set up a Green Procurement Policy" on how to implement one and our sustainable procurement page on how to write one.
Prefer recyclable, recycled or biodegradable material:
If the choice of office cleaning products is done by your cleaning agents, discuss with them how to use eco-friendly products.
If you do not have yet a sustainable procurement policy, see above solution "Set up a Green Procurement Policy" on how to implement one and our sustainable procurement page on how to write one.
Prefer recyclable or biodegradable material:
If the choice of office cleaning products is done by your cleaning agents, discuss with them how to use eco-friendly products.
If you do not have yet a sustainable procurement policy, see above solution "Set up a Green Procurement Policy" on how to implement one and our sustainable procurement page on how to write one.
For services, prefer providers conscious of environmental and social challenges:
If you do not have yet a sustainable procurement policy, see above solution "Set up a Green Procurement Policy" on how to implement one and our sustainable procurement page on how to write one.
• Avoid non-bio cotton textile
• Prefer recyclable or biodegradable material:
- Bio-cotton
- Up-cycled fabrics
- Recycled material: coffee grounds, polyester
- Natural material: seaweed, linen, hemp…
• Prefer eco-certified products: Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)…
• Logistics: go for local sourcing
• For clothes production, choose manufacturers with social-consciousness:
- Safe work environment to prevent work accidents or illness
- Employees wellbeing
- Ethical work conditions (minimum salaries levels, no forced labor, no child work...)
The « sustainability journey » may feel overwhelming sometimes, but you are not alone.
Our Buddies have tried, succeeded, failed to implement change in their companies. They share their experience so you can learn, take shortcuts, get inspired and ask questions.
Everybody can become a Buddy and give back to the community; if you are keen, get in touch with us.
Mary has founded Journey Makers to support organisations in their online presence blending customer experience and employee experience. She was previously in charge of Customer Experience for Lyreco Asia and worked on accelerating Digital and Marketing activities. In 2020, she was appointed sustainability ambassador as well for the region, as the topic was becoming a strategic one for the company. Thriving to drive the change internally and externally, she launched a Green Team that she co-led with her colleague.
Prior to this role, Mary had made her career essentially in the hospitality industry at global and regional role, from trade marketing, sales to Digital marketing. Before moving to Singapore in 2015, she was based in Dubai, UAE and France.
I started my career as a mechanical engineer for 5 years and joined TayPaper Recycling in 2018. Tay Paper Recycling has grown from an informal scrap dealer to now a leading paper focused recycling company in Singapore. On top of just recycling, we also offer confidential data disposal services to help clients comply with PDPA, GDPR and recycle at the same time. I am now working at KGS, an e-waste and data sanitization company.
With 17 years of experience in IT across different sectors and industries, Benoit managed a team focusing on project management and IT application support in Singapore. In 2017, he was one of the founders, and later on leader of Credit Agricole CIB's first green team in Singapore. Since 2022, he has started in France a new adventure within Credit Agricole Assurances (CAA) and managed up to 24 people, in software integration team.
Recently, in September 2023, he was promoted to ECODESIGN Coach within CAA. He is creating and deploying a new framework for all projects to add a sustainability dimension to help CAA reduce its environmental impact.
With a background in sustainability consulting and audit, Ivona supports businesses in their sustainability journey by building an impactful strategy, embedding sustainable practices across operations, and reporting performance to stakeholders.
She is the founder of Sustainao, a Singapore-based company specialized in sustainability consulting. Previously, Ivona worked as a sustainability auditor at KPMG France. She holds an MBA in CSR & Sustainability and a Master’s degree in Environmental Management.
Before joining Chanel, I was General Manager of BSI Singapore for 2.5 years. Prior to joining BSI, I held different job assignments for the international retailer Carrefour. For them, I oversaw Quality, Food Safety and Sustainability in China and then at the Group level.
I spent most of my career working in Asia: in Shanghai, Hong Kong and I have been happily settled in Singapore for 8 years now.
I have a real passion for sustainability and nature conservation and I love to share the knowledge and experience I gained in this field. I am also a volunteer for the Singaporean NGO called Climate Conversation which aims to raise awareness on climate change.
Package Pals is a circular packaging initiative that seeks to extend the life cycle of packaging. We collect used e-commerce packaging from members of the public, distributing it back to businesses seeking eco-friendly, second hand packaging options. There are 7 categories of packaging we collect: poly mailers (<A4),paper envelopes (<A4), plastic wrappers (<A4), bubble wrap, padded envelopes.
Package Pals has worked with multiple large and small businesses, schools, NGOs and governmental organisations since it was started in May 2020. Other than carrying out collection and distribution, we also focus on education and outreach, seeking to educate our 4k-strong audience on packaging waste and other environmental issues, through social media, webinars and other events.
Virgile is an academic researcher who works for the CNRS (France) and the National University of Singapore. He heads an international collaborative lab between Singapore and France at the mechanobiology institute.
He is also in charge of the transition towards more sustainable practices in the lab and in the institute. He has already implemented various actions covering energy efficiency, consumables usage reduction, waste management...
In 2003, I joined International SOS, world leader of medical and security assistance services and relocated to Singapore in 2008 where I have spent my life since. I held different regional leadership roles and I was a founding member of the Sustainability Committee and initially led the S (Social) part. I was also leading the Environment pillar, with a special focus on the Ecovadis certification.
I enrolled at SMU back in Sept 2020 and graduated from the Sustainability and Sustainable Business executive masterclass in Dec 2020. In July 2021, I joined a local singaporean startup H3Dynamics with the ambition to decarbonize the aviation industry! And since May 2023, I am now the managing director AsiaPacific for Ecocert, world leader in certification for organic products. I am also the Singapore Ambassador (volunteer) for Ecomatcher to help brands fight climate change, one tree at a time.
Finally, I am a French Trade Advisor and part of the Sustainability Committee to strengthen bridges between France and Singapore on this crucial agenda.
Tomo is a seasoned development professional having lived and worked in various corners of the world from the Tibetan plateau, Indian drylands, Indonesian tropics, to Japanese metropolises. He has extensive field experience working for international and local development NGOs across Asia and Africa, including Kopernik, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, and the World Bank. He was formerly an Assistant Professor at the Global Leadership Program at the University of Tokyo.
Tomo has a BA in Social Anthropology from Harvard College, a Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, and was an Asia Pacific Leadership Program Fellow (2008) and Innovation Fellow (2020) at the East-West Center. In 2014 Tomo was awarded the Dalai Lama’s Unsung Heroes of Compassion Award.
I am Naomi, currently co-founder & director of givvable. I started my career as an Australian diplomat with postings in East Timor, Thailand and Switzerland then moved into private banking where my interest in ESG and sustainability was seeded.
Today my company helps businesses screen and track the sustainability profile of their suppliers to help them achieve their goals and targets.
