Sustainable Vending Machines at the University of Cagliari (Italy): Green Public Procurement for Circular and Healthy Campuses
The University of Cagliari has implemented a pioneering initiative to transform traditional vending services into a sustainable, low-impact system through Green Public Procurement (GPP). By redesigning the public tender for vending machines, the university introduced environmental, social, and health-related criteria covering products, packaging, energy efficiency, and waste reduction.
This initiative demonstrates how even small-scale, everyday services procured by public institutions can become powerful drivers of sustainability, circular economy principles, and behavioural change within urban and educational environments.
Challenges addressed
- High consumption of single-use plastic bottles and packaging in public buildings.
- Environmental impact of conventional vending machines (energy use, waste generation).
- Limited availability of healthy and sustainable food options on campus.
- Need to align public procurement with institutional sustainability strategies.
- Lack of awareness among users about the environmental impact of everyday consumption.
Main objectives
- Reduce plastic waste and environmental footprint associated with vending services.
- Use Green Public Procurement to introduce sustainability criteria into service contracts.
- Promote healthier, more sustainable consumption habits among students and staff.
- Improve energy efficiency and environmental performance of vending machines.
- Act as a replicable model for other universities and public institutions.
External resources
Facts
Project type :
Sustainable service procurement for public buildings, focused on vending machines and food services.
Partners:
- University of Cagliari, as contracting authority and project promoter.
- Vending service providers selected through GPP-compliant tenders.
- Suppliers of sustainable products, recyclable or reusable packaging, and energy-efficient machines.
Funding :
- University operational budgets allocated to service procurement
Project description
The initiative was implemented through a redefinition of procurement requirements for vending services across university campuses. The public tender introduced mandatory sustainability requirements, including:
- reduced use of single-use plastic packaging,
- preference for recyclable, compostable, or reusable materials,
- availability of water and beverages with low environmental impact,
- limits on over-packaged products.
These criteria ensured that environmental performance was a core condition of contract award.
Procured machines were required to meet high energy-efficiency standards, including: low-energy consumption modes, automatic shut-down or standby functions & efficient cooling and lighting systems.
This reduced the carbon footprint of vending services within public buildings.
The initiative was accompanied by communication and awareness actions on campus, helping users understand the rationale behind product choices and encouraging responsible consumption.
Impact and results
- Environmental impacts
- Significant reduction in single-use plastic waste generated by vending services.
- Lower energy consumption of vending machines across university buildings.
- Improved waste separation and recycling rates.
- Social and behavioural impacts
- Increased awareness among students and staff regarding sustainable consumption
- Greater acceptance and demand for environmentally responsible products.
- Positive influence on everyday habits within a dense, urban campus environment.
- Green Public Procurement impacts
- Sustainability criteria were fully embedded in a routine public service contract.
- Procurement acted as a lever to reshape market offerings from vending suppliers.
- The project demonstrates that GPP is applicable not only to large infrastructure projects but also to daily services, with immediate and visible results.
