As part of the new service, firms will be given free advice as part of an internet “progress review” on how to buy these goods. Advisors will assess the company's purchasing policy and offer specific guidance on how they can improve to make it more environmentally friendly.
Events will also be organized to give firms the opportunity to meet the suppliers of the products and seek advice on the best options.
The Green Procurement Code, coordinated by recycling market developer London Remade and funded by the London Development Agency, was launched in 2001 and has focused on encouraging firms to purchase more recycled products.
In the last six years, its members have spent £549 million on recycled goods and the mayor's office estimates this has diverted 1.8 million tonnes of waste from landfill.
In the last year, the code's signatories have spent £181 million on recycled goods including 40, 500 items of recycled furniture, 28, 161 square meters of recycled carpet and 1.3 million reams – a ream is 500 sheets – of recycled paper.
However, the Mayor is now expanding the focus of his products to include low carbon goods, water saving and sustainable technologies, as well as recycle goods.
Mr Livingstone said: “I have updated my Green Procurement Code so that more businesses can get specialist support to buy green products. In order to tackle climate change we have to take decisive action right now to cut our emissions of greenhouse gases.”
Awards
There are around 550 organisations signed up to the Green Procurement Code and some were awarded for their achievements under the scheme at a ceremony this week.
These included:
• Commercial property letting agency Workspace Group for best performing private sector organisation;
• Recycling company Bywaters for best performing small and medium enterprise;
• London borough of Hackney council for the best performing public sector organisation;
• Paper Round for best performing newcomer;
The best newcomer was judged on the amount spent on recycled products as a percentage of total procurement budget. The criteria the others were judged on included the increased amount spent on recycled products compared with the previous year.
Deputy Mayor of London, Nicky Gavron, said: “The organisations we are rewarding are leading the way in taking practical steps to reduce their environmental impact through responsible purchasing. This year alone the total purchase of recycled products saved 216,000 tonnes of CO2 – an increase of 40,000 tonnes on the previous year.
He continued: “The combined purchasing power of London based organisations has huge potential to tackle climate change and help to solve London's waste problem and I would urge all businesses to support the Green Procurement Code.”
The Mayor of London's Green Procurement Code is said to be the only service of its kind in Europe.
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