Public spending in Vietnam represents between 20 to 30 percent of the total financial budget of the State. Given the sizable public procurement budget, the kinds of goods, works and services the Government of Vietnam purchases can have considerable influence in shaping the social, economic and environmental landscape. This is particularly the case for sectors or product categories where government accounts for the largest market share. In this sense, the procurement of sustainable products and services could enable the Government of Vietnam to meet its key sustainable development objectives outlined above, as well as other social, economic and environmental goals defined in other strategies, policies and legislation.
Office paper is one of the most frequently purchased products in every office, especially in public entities for which administrative tasks require a huge amount of printing and copying paper. In the selection of paper products, in addition to the current regulation under the Law on Procurement, more environmental, social, and economic sustainability criteria should be used. These criteria are explained in this guidance.
Environmentally sustainable paper can be defined as any effort undertaken to reduce deforestation resulting from paper production, as well as consuming lower amounts of energy and water, producing fewer emissions and avoiding certain substances in paper production and bleaching. Currently, paper is produced in many environmentally responsible forms. Paper can be manufactured from partly to fully recycled materials using pre- and post-consumer waste. It can also be derived from sustainable forests, where trees are grown specifically for paper production. Paper can be produced without chlorine bleaching. Finally, paper can be produced from plant fibres other than timber such as cotton, hemp, bamboo or sugar cane.