Unilever is an example. They focus on eco-procurement by prioritizing suppliers who meet their sustainability criteria, like reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions in their supply chain.

they also are committed to give back to the plantations and communities by supporting local education and health care programs in regions where the tea is grown

While the meaning of procurement is the comprehensive process of sourcing, purchasing, and managing goods and services that an organization needs to operate.

There are four components of sustainable procurement:

1. Environmental

2. Economical

3. Social

4. Governance

- global management consultancy firm specialising in procurement and supply chain management

- provides a range of services to help companies optimise their procurement and supply chain operations, including procurement strategy development, sourcing and supplier management, cost reduction programs, and procurement technology implementation

-works with clients across automotive, energy, financial services, healthcare and retail.

- Purchases 100% cotton from sustainable sources and - 100% wood from FSC-certified forests.

- Works with suppliers to use renewable energy and recycled materials in products.

- requires suppliers to meet environmental responsibility standards (ISO 14001).

- uses recycled materials (e.g., ocean-bound plastics) in computers and printers.

- works with vendors who follow energy-efficient manufacturing processes.

- has supplier code of conduct (IWAY) that enforces environmental standards across all procurement.

They then partnered with organizations like the US-China Green Fund to invest $100 million in energy efficiency projects for suppliers. And as a result of this. Over 100 suppliers across the supply chain has committed to clean energy.

Then oso apple developed recycling robots. 1 of them is called dave - to recover critical materials from iPhones, and diverted 70% of its waste from landfill to recycling or composting in 2020

Then they also aim to be 100% carbon neutrality across its supply chain and products by 2030 which is taking a toll now due to geopolitical tensions and having their manufacturing arm in china moved back to the US and moving to India.

they also have a goal to use 100% recycled or renewable materials in all products, packaging, meaning they specifically procure recycled cardboard and fiber

they mandate that all pencils to be made from 100% Forest Stewardship Council certified wood

staplers to be made from a high percentage of recycled plastics

In essence, eco-procurement is a subset of sustainable procurement, which is the more comprehensive and modern approach, focusing specifically on minimising environmental harm.

An example would be:

Buying energy-efficient equipment or opting for products made from recycled materials like recycled paper or plastic. 

Choosing a supplier who uses recycled materials (eco-friendly) and also ensures their workers are paid fair wages (socially responsible). Another example is purchasing renewable energy, which has environmental benefits and can also create long-term economic stability. 

Changi Airport Group (CAG) - Their Green Procurement policy is a key tool in decarbonising and ensuring the sustainability of our supply chain.

"We adopt a lifecycle approach in our green procurement decisions which prioritises sustainable design, reuse of materials and enforcement of environmentally sound operational procedures to prevent pollution and reduce waste."

An example would be:

Purchasing energy-efficient lighting or buying paper made from recycled materials