September 17, 2014

City Of Chicago Ranked Number One In Green Purchasing Award

Office Depot declares Chicago number one green purchaser in the country through 2013 Office Depot Green Purchasing Program

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

The City of Chicago today was honored by Office Depot in Boca Raton, Florida for being number one in green purchasing. Thousands of local governments are evaluated as contenders for the award each year, and winners are selected based on exemplary leadership in greener and sustainable office purchases.

“Chicago is a national leader in making sustainable choices and we continue to set an example for other cities around the country to follow,” said Mayor Emanuel. “This honor from Office Depot is just another indication that Chicago is well on its way to becoming the greenest city in the world, and shows our commitment to pursuing sustainable behaviors that better the city as whole.”

The City of Chicago joined Office Depot’s Green Purchasing Program in 2012, and within one year, Chicago emerged as the number one green purchasing local government in the country. Chicago was selected as number one for purchasing the highest percentage of green expenditures, including items that are recycled, remanufactured, energy-efficient, non-toxic or hold an eco-label. By 2013, Chicago’s green spending with Office Depot was at 61 percent surpassing the now number two green spender, Roanoke, VA, by several points.

"For the past seven years, Office Depot has awarded customers for their greener purchasing behavior, including buying recycled paper products, remanufactured cartridges, more efficient technology and green cleaning products," said Yalmaz Siddiqui, Senior Director, Environmental & Supplier Diversity Strategy at Office Depot. "Based on our most recent analysis of thousands of customers, including hundreds of cities, we found that the City of Chicago has quickly become one of Office Depot's greenest customers nationwide. For that reason, we are pleased to recognize Chicago's success at our 2014 Leadership in Greener Purchasing Summit, taking place on September 17 at Office Depot's Global Headquarters in Boca Raton, FL."

“In Chicago, we pride ourselves on making responsible and sustainable choices that improve the quality of life in our city and set a precedent that other cities can model,” said Karen Weigert, Chicago’s Chief Sustainability Officer.
In addition to green purchasing, the city prioritizes a variety of other sustainable initiatives to reduce Chicago’s carbon footprint through the Sustainable Chicago 2015 action agenda. These initiatives include installing smart meters in homes and businesses, increasing the number of LEED-certified buildings, providing easier access to solar panel permitting and expanding bike share services across the city. The city works to empower residential and business areas to embrace sustainable initiatives that will make Chicago a healthier and more prosperous city.

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