Sustainable Purchasing

March 29, 2025 In Reeve Blog, Sustainable Purchasing

Sustainable Procurement Matters in Times of Uncertainty

In an era marked by economic volatility, geopolitical tensions, and climate risks, organizations are under immense pressure to manage costs while maintaining operational resilience. Procurement teams must navigate fluctuating supply chains, regulatory shifts, and evolving consumer expectations. Amid this uncertainty, sustainable procurement is emerging as a key competitive advantage, helping organizations cut costs, build resilience, and future-proof their supply chains. Now is the time to embed sustainability into procurement strategies—ensuring long-term value while mitigating risks in an unpredictable world.

February 14, 2025 In Green Building, Reeve Blog, Sustainable Purchasing

Behind The Seams of Fast Fashion & Making Better Choices

Every day, we put on clothes without a second thought. But have you ever wondered what it took for them to reach your closet? Behind every piece of clothing lies a long and complex journey—one that starts with raw material extraction, passes through chemical treatments and factory production, and eventually lands in stores before ending up in ever-growing piles of textile waste.

Fast fashion makes clothing cheap, trendy, and disposable, but at what cost? The materials that fuel this industry—polyester, nylon, acrylic, and other synthetics—are derived from fossil fuels. These fabrics shed microplastics, consume massive amounts of water, and rely on exploitative labor.

In recent years, there’s been a growing wave of change as the industry recognizes the urgent need to address its environmental, social and ethical toll. From eco-friendly materials to circular fashion models, change is happening —but it needs you to be a part of it. Make better choices – for the planet, for people, and for yourself!

February 5, 2025 In Green Building, Reeve Blog, Sustainable Purchasing

Human Rights Washing: A New Ethical Dilemma

In the era of heightened corporate responsibility and growing regulatory requirements, organizations are increasingly under pressure to demonstrate ethical practices. Yet, just as greenwashing misleads about environmental efforts, human rights washing is emerging as a troubling parallel in the fight for supply chain integrity.

While a company may tout stellar governance or retailer partnerships in developed countries, this does not guarantee the absence of human rights abuses in its supply chain. Ignoring the issue not only perpetuates exploitation but also exposes companies to legal, financial, and reputational risks. Businesses must move beyond superficial claims and take meaningful steps to ensure human rights are upheld across their operations.

December 13, 2024 In Green Building, Reeve Blog, Sustainable Purchasing

Unlocking Community Potential: Learn From Vancouver’s Policy

Have you ever glanced at the cranes towering over Vancouver, the skeletons of new condos and high-rises taking shape, and wondered: How much does it cost to build those? Where does the money go? How much of it benefits the people who live here?

Fortunately, the City of Vancouver has taken a bold step to ensure that new developments are more than just modern buildings—so that their construction creates employment opportunities for equity-deserving individuals and supports local economic development.

Vancouver has the third-highest low-income rate in Canada, with one in four residents living below the low-income measure. By leveraging the economic power of construction and development, the Community Benefit Agreements Policy seeks to create meaningful opportunities for residents and the local economy.

October 16, 2024 In Green Building, Reeve Blog, Sustainable Purchasing

Bill C-59: Striking a Balance Between Greenwashing and Greenhushing

In 2024, global sustainability regulations have intensified, holding businesses accountable for their environmental and social impacts. These regulations focus not only on how companies measure sustainability but also on how they communicate it to stakeholders. With growing concerns about greenwashing—where companies make vague or misleading sustainability claims—consumers are finding it increasingly difficult to trust corporate environmental messaging. Misleading “green” claims create confusion, erode trust, and undermine efforts to address critical issues like climate change and pollution. This has led many countries, such as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and the European Union, to regulate how companies communicate their sustainability efforts, ensuring greater transparency and reliability.

In Canada, the focus has sharpened with the introduction of Bill C-59, which targets misleading environmental claims and strengthens regulations on sustainability reporting. This legislation emphasizes clarity and accuracy in corporate communications, aiming to build trust with consumers and reinforce responsible business practices.

March 21, 2024 In Ethical Purchasing, Ethical Supply Chain Management, Fair Trade, Reeve Blog, Sustainable Products, Sustainable Purchasing

The True Cost of a T-Shirt: Unveiling the Hidden Realities of the Fashion Industry

Want to know how we felt when we spent $20 on a t-shirt that never arrived? Pretty darn good!

Reeve recently purchased Not a T-Shirt from Fashion Revolution, an organization that advocates for ethical practices and environmental responsibility in the fashion industry. The Not a T-Shirt campaign urges people to shift their mindsets from “getting” to “giving”. By donating to the campaign, we are not buying actual t-shirts; we are supporting events that mobilize citizens to act in transforming the fashion industry.

This got us thinking about the humble t-shirt, which serves as a symbol of a larger issue: the exploitation of both people and planet for cheap clothing. While we may be accustomed to snagging a t-shirt for a few bucks, the reality behind its production tells a much more troubling story that reveals the unfortunate reality of the fashion industry.

October 24, 2023 In Circular Procurement, Fair Trade, Reeve Blog, Sustainability, Sustainable Products, Sustainable Purchasing, Waste Reduction

A Guide to Seeking Sustainability This Halloween

The sustainability issues associated with Halloween may be spooky, but don’t let them scare you. Whether it’s a full-blown office party, or a low-value purchase, don’t forget about sustainable procurement while planning your Halloween festivities. Here is a quick guide to help you make your Halloween purchases more sustainable this year.

February 2, 2023 In Ethical Purchasing, Ethical Supply Chain Management, Sustainability, Sustainable Purchasing

Forced Labour and Child Labour in Canada’s Supply Chains: What You Need to Know About Bill S-211

This two-part blog series will break down what we know so far about Canada’s forthcoming modern slavery legislation. This first blog provides an overview of the bill, who it applies to and the reporting requirements. In part two, we will dive deeper into how you can best prepare if you are required to submit a report.

Is your organization ready to report on their Supply Chain Risks when Canada’s Bill S-211 is passed?

It is estimated that over 49.6 million people around the world live in modern slavery, with 27 million of those people trapped in forced labour and human trafficking. Slavery exists in many different forms, but modern slavery is defined by Anti Slavery International as the forced, tricked or coerced exploitation of an individual by others, for personal or commercial gain. The most common forms of modern slavery that could be found in your supply chain today are forced labour, debt bondage, child slavery, and descent-based slavery. Slavery affects every country and it is a terrifying truth that no supply chain is protected from the presence of child labour and forced labour.READ MORE

December 22, 2022 In Sustainable Purchasing

3 Reasons Why Refurbished Technology Could Be the Answer for You

Is your company in the market to upgrade your technology products? According to Free Geek Portland, over 70% of overall toxic waste in America is from e-waste ⁽¹⁾. E-waste is a term used to describe electronics at the end of its useful life and are discarded or given to a recycler ⁽²⁾. With an increase of organizations operating fully or partially remote, it is important to source technology products responsibly and ensure said products are refurbished or recycled properly at the end of their useful life.READ MORE

August 28, 2019 In Circular Procurement, Sustainability, Sustainable Procurement, Sustainable Products, Sustainable Purchasing, Training

TRU launches next phase of sustainable procurement

This spring, the Municipal Collaboration for Sustainable Procurement (MCSP) launched its latest Annual Report on the State of Sustainable Public Procurement in Canada containing 9 success stories from members including this story from Thompson Rivers University. Download the full report here.

Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is home to 14,000 students across several campuses in interior BC. TRU is proud of its platinum AASHE STARS sustainability score–the highest designation available–which credits its commitment to sustainable procurement. TRU will be releasing a new campus sustainability plan this fall.

Reeve kicked off the next phase of sustainable procurement work for TRU this week. We’ll be working with a variety of departments—from the Bookstore to Facilities and Operations—to define the highest impact procurement opportunities and align procurement with the environmental and social priorities emerging from the sustainability planning process. We’ll then develop product guides and an action plan, and bring buyers across campuses together for hands-on training.

This project builds on our work with TRU earlier this spring to develop a Sustainable Procurement Guidebook for buying staff at the university. The Guidebook offers simple decision frameworks, tools and resources on how to include sustainability within PCard, multiple quotes, and Request for Proposal procurement processes.

The Draft Guide was presented to TRU’s Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee in February 2019, and they were pleased with the results. Project lead Jim Gudjonson, Director of the Office of Environment and Sustainability observed that creating the Guide renewed the important conversation among key stakeholders about implementing sustainable procurement at TRU.

This second phase will now define the priority product and service categories for sustainable procurement and equip buyers across TRU’s campuses and regional centres with focused information and training on these procurement categories.