The Real Cost: Practical Resources

WHAT IS THE SUPPLY CHAIN? The supply chain is the network of suppliers that together bring a product to a consumer. This network ranges from raw material suppliers to manufacturers to warehouses and distribution centres to retailers. The following resources explore the supply chain by looking at “The Real Cost’ associated with the purchasing decisions we make.

Greengoods
Greengoods is a NSW government initiative that looks at sustainable procurement. Here are some practical tips on understanding the supply chain.
What is a sustainable product?
How to buy sustainable products
Incorporating sustainability into simple procurement processes

Innovative approaches to sustainable supply
Unchaining Value: Innovative approaches to sustainable supply, a report by SustainAbility, the UN Environment Programme, and the UN Global Compact, argues that companies should redefine the goals of supply chain management from creating more value at less cost for the company, to creating more value for all supply chain participants at a lower cost to constrained global resources.
Unchaining Value: Innovative approaches to sustainable supply (pdf)


HOME

Your Home Buyers Guide
10 steps to buying a new home that is good for your family, lifestyle and the environment. Step-by-step guide - what's involved in home selection and purchase, considerations and important questions you need to ask.
Sustainable home purchasing descisions


Your Home Renovator's Guide
A guide to getting the most out of the renovation process and your budget. The guide will also help you to develop renovation plans that meet all your needs and considers the supply chain in your decision making.
Sustainable home renovating decisions


Eco-Buy
ECO-Buy is a program that has been implemented in public and private sector organisations to support buying environmentally friendly products.
Search Eco-Buy


Smarter Homes
Smarter Homes is a resource that suggests ways to minimise your home’s carbon footprint by using your existing resources in a practical and sustainable way.
Find ways to make your home more sustainable


Choosing a hot water system
Water heating uses lots of energy, so it's important to attempt to reduce your useage. Choosing an energy efficent hot water system can make a world of difference.
Search Eco-Buy


CONSUMER CHOICES

Green claims on supermarket labels
Supermarket items make all sorts of green claims — sustainable, natural, recycled, biodegradable — can you trust them?
Learn how to debunk myths on supermarket labels


Green Car Guide
By choosing a greener vehicle, you can make a real difference. The Green Vehicle Guide helps you by rating new Australian vehicles based on greenhouse and air pollution emissions.
Compare green vehicles


Food miles
“Food miles” measure the distance food travels between production and consumption and the results can be alarming.
Learn how to eat more sustainably


Fairtrade products
A Fairtrade mark is an independent consumer label which appears on products as a guarantee that they have given the person that produced the product a fair deal.
Learn more about Fairtrade


BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

Australian Green Procurement
This free online resource has been created to support green purchasing by green purchasing officers, corporate buyers and everyday Australians.
Search for green business supplies


Purchasing Office Paper
The University of Melbourne has compiled an extensive study of sustainable office paper. This resource compares everything from the country of manufacture to the bleaching agent.
Compare office paper


Ecospecifier
Ecospecifier is a guide to eco-preferable products and materials for the construction industry, specifically targeted at the needs of decision makers and specifiers.
Search for green construction supplies