How the purchasing department can contribute to toxics reduction

The role of purchasing departments in the prevention in the field of hazardous substances (‘toxics reduction’) was studied. Purchasing departments can make a substantial contribution in this field, provided that a number of requirements are met. The requirements are related to support by experts, organisation of purchasing, linkage with registration and information systems within the company, the ability to obtain adequate information about supplies and provisions for adequate financial means. Four medium-sized companies in The Netherlands were interviewed to investigate the extent to which such requirements are met with in practice. It was found that only a part of the preventive potential of purchasing departments was exploited, with substantial between-company differences.