One of our key focuses in promoting sustainability in the supply chain is through sustainable procurement practices. We invest in reducing the potential negative effects of our operations and encourage our purchasers to seek sustainable solutions and innovations.
Sustainable sourcing
Nobody knows better about the types of products purchased and how they are manufactured than the suppliers themselves. At the ICRC, we have taken the initiative to compile a series of sustainability questionnaires to gain more knowledge about our suppliers and their products, services, and sustainability practices. By engaging in conversations with our suppliers, we already made progress toward sourcing products that align with our sustainability goals.
We believe raising awareness and providing training are essential for successful improvements, which is why we developed sustainable procurement guidelines. Additional information is available in English, French and Spanish.
Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental audits
Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental (QHSE) Integrated Management System is represented the ICRC approach focused on quality, environment, and occupational health and safety. QHSE ensures that suppliers meet international standards and commit to delivering products of the right quality, quantity, and at the right time. Click here to find out more about our QHSE methodology, available trainings and more.
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Supplier Code of Conduct
To ensure responsible and sustainable supply chain management, we have established the Supplier Code of Conduct. This code sets out the minimum sustainability standards and requirements that our suppliers must comply with. By adhering to this code, we aim to manage our supply chain responsibly and sustainably, contributing to the protection of the planet for current and future generations.
Sustainable risk per item
As part of the sustainable approach, the ICRC assessed the sustainability of products provided to those affected by armed conflict or violence to find practical solutions for products that posed sustainability risks. The main recommendations were shared with country offices in the areas of Economic Security, Water and Habitat, Health, and Premises.
The project also identified items that posed sustainability risks and incorporated them into the ICRC’s product quality risk matrix. Additionally, it created a list of sustainability specifications for over 40 item categories and fostered cooperation among requesters, procurement teams, and suppliers. A webinar was held to share the project’s methodology and outputs. The recording and webinar presentations are available.
Sustainable revision of non-food items
Sustainability information sheet has been created for each of the 11 main products in the Standard Products Catalogue, which include essential household items and a food parcels. At the same time, discussions with suppliers helped addressing gaps in their processes, and piloting improvements., as well as the regular meetings among IFRC, UNHCR, UNICEF, and ICRC to review progress in redesigning environmentally friendly relief items and improving quality management. These meetings also serve as a platform for mutual learning and to present a unified voice when discussing sustainability with suppliers.
Pilot projects are underway to assess beneficiary acceptance and resistance in the supply chain. Examples include replacing liquid shampoo with a solid bar in hygiene kits and reducing plastic in laundry detergent packaging. Furthermore, new specifications have been developed to enhance the sustainability of specific items. These items include the hygienic parcel (see photo), solar lamps, sleeping mats, and blankets.
Procuring sustainable seeds
If your organization is implementing agricultural projects, you can find some useful information about sustainable staple food crop seed procurement in the humanitarian context. It provides insights on what to buy, what to avoid, effective policies, and good practices. Whenever possible, it is recommended to avoid seed treatment with chemicals and pesticides. However, if this is not possible, the brochure on how to manage treated seeds can help our beneficiaries avoid common mistakes.
Minimizing medical equipment waste
WHO research found that 40–70% of medical equipment donated to low and middle-income countries is unusable. That is why at the ICRC, we work on raising awareness among health and procurement teams about behaviors and approaches that can help in minimizing the medical equipment waste.
Watch the video below to learn how is the ICRC approaching this issue.
Research project: Eco-design tarpaulin
Joint project between UNHCR/IFRC/ICRC focused on designing an eco-friendly alternative to the current tarpaulin used in humanitarian context globally. Finalizing this research included various phases – research, design improvement, analysis, testing and final recommendations.
To provide a comprehensive overview of the project, we are sharing the outcomes with all of you.
- [Video] Eco-design tarpaulin: main highlights about the research, tests, key findings and benefits of the eco-design tarpaulin
- Executive summary with the main findings and recommendations from the project
- Access here all projects files including the final report and all relevant documents.
Case study: Packaging waste management
ICRC Afghanistan logistics team participated in the Sustainable Supply Chain Challenge organized by the ICRC logistics team, by replacing the plastic packaging of the hygienic kit distributed in prisons with recycled cardboard. This change was made to improve the sustainability of the supply chain. Learn more about the joint packaging initiative: English I French.