Chapter 7 - Promoting the Commonwealth's Socio-Economic Initiatives

7.2.1 Overview

VITA and the Commonwealth are committed to encouraging the procurement of IT goods and services which use fewer resources, including energy, in order to decrease pollution and energy costs. Such IT goods must also meet all price and performance requirements of the Commonwealth. VITA has developed procurement guidelines designed to encourage state agencies and institutions to procure IT products and services which help to minimize the environmental impact from the use and disposal of those products. Computers and other IT products are an important focus of environmentally-friendly purchasing activities due to their high prominence in the waste stream, their numerous hazardous chemical components and their significant energy use. More details about VITA's green procurement objectives are listed in Appendix B. The overall energy costs, as well as the environmentally friendly disposal costs, for IT equipment may be considered in overall lifecycle costs.