The alternative is paper made from sugarcane.

Indoff is proud to introduce the most environmentally friendly copy paper available in the U.S. today:  Canefields Sugarcane Eco Paper!

Canefields Copy Paper is made with bagasse (recycled sugarcane waste fiber), the most eco-friendly renewable resource for paper making.  Canefields paper products contain 80% bagasse fibre and 20% plantation wood fibre.   Using a variety of Australian eucalypt which is fast growing with high yield, small plantations have been established around the mill.   And as technology advances, there is every chance that these plantations will no longer be required.

Canefields paper products are manufactured at an ISO 14001 certified environmental manufacturing facility using a "closed loop water cycle" which ensures that remaining effluent from paper cleaning does not escape into nearby waterways.   The Australian mill has also installed 21.75 MW of capacity in its wind mill farm and is now 100% self sufficient in energy.  Any remaining energy created is supplied to the main grid.   

Consider that using just 2,000 pounds (400 reams) of Canefields Sugarcane Copy paper in place of standard virgin fiber copy paper achieves the following measurable results:

• 17 trees stay in our forests, supplying enough oxygen for 10 people
• 6,000 pounds of wood are not used
• 8,750 gallons of water are saved - that's 250 10-minute showers
• 17 million btu's of electricity are saved, enough to power an American home for 160 days
• 2,200 pounds of greenhouse gases are not emitted - the equivalent of taking a car off the road in the U.S. for 20 weeks
• 460 gallons of oil are saved, reducing our dependence on foreign oil

Canefields Copy Paper is endorsed or recommended by The World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, The Wilderness Society, Friends of the Earth, and many other international environmental organizations.  

The best part is this paper is business-friendly too!   Through Indoff's buying power, not only is this copy paper affordable (especially in conjunction with a paper reduction initiative), but your business machines will also experience less dust build-up that comes from tree-based copy paper and will operate longer and more efficiently.  

It's a fact that paper can only be recycled up to 6 times.  Even if you're buying 100% post-consumer recycled paper, it's still coming originally and primarily from trees.   Trees are the largest and most highly developed form of plant life on this planet.  In today's high consumption world, the over-use of trees by mankind has led to serious deforestation problems which, in turn, create further environmental disasters worldwide.  

For a glimpse into the impact the world's paper buying habit is having on our own Southern forests, visit Dogwood Alliance's website to learn more about the importance these forests have on our ecosystem and the pressure the consumption of tree-based paper and packaging continues to exert on these precious resources in our own back yard. 

Your business can make a substantial difference by simply making the decision today to reduce paper consumption in the office and purchase Canefields Sugarcane Eco Paper.

Waste has become an increasingly difficult environmental and economic problem for our world, one which affects us all and one to which we all contribute.   Today’s complex, technologically based society, combined with our explosive population growth, has led to this generation being faced with enormous quantities of waste.

For every ton of household waste produced, businesses (commercial, industrial and construction) produce another 6 tons.   Businesses have a vital role to play in reducing waste and ensuring that as much material as possible that we discard through the operation of our enterprises be diverted away from landfills through reuse and recycling.     The cost burdens of waste disposal is on the rise, and utilizing the earth as one large trash bin for our waste is repugnant when one really things about it.   How long could we keep storing our own personal trash in our individual homes or on our private property before it became a real problem?  How long could we store the waste our businesses generate in the storage rooms of our offices?  Think about it.   The Earth is our home and simply storing our waste in landfills can only be an option for so long. 

Many of us have heard the phrase “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” as a neat summary of the waste management options available to us before responsible disposal.   It's important to remember that this is actually a sliding scale, with reduction being the first and most sustainable option, and responsible disposal being our last option.    While recycling is certainly a better option than landfill, reusing an item takes less resources and energy than recycling, and reducing what we use at the outset is the most sustainable action of all.  

It’s important to note that waste management is more than simply the fixed cost we pay to have our trash taken away.  Effective resource management requires a more comprehensive and holistic approach that not only considers the disposal costs of discarded material, but also accounts for the accumulated value of all inputs – labor, materials, and process losses such as utilities.   These additional costs are often referred to as the hidden costs of waste, and which is why companies that can find ways to reduce waste and implement alternative waste management options such as recycling also find they end up significantly reducing their overall operating costs as well.

To set up an effective recycling program, you need to begin with a basic knowledge of your waste streams and your existing waste management systems.   Companies can gain this knowledge through a waste assessment, which involves gathering information on the current waste collection and disposal systems and contracts, and on what ends up in your bins – the waste quantities, composition and characteristics.    The information gathered will provide a baseline from which you can estimate the potential for waste reduction, reuse and recycling.   This information can also be extremely useful for future contractor negotiations (think further cost reductions) as well as for measuring your ongoing recycling success, a factor that will come into play when you consider how you will want to market and promote your sustainability achievements to the community at large.   If you are a large organization, you may consider employing an external consultant but most small to medium sized businesses have the knowledge in-house to carry out this work.   The time required will vary depending on available information but it’s reasonable to expect to spend at least 2-3 days on this project.  

Resources to help you with this process include a Recycling Rate Calculator (there are several online and we can provide this for you), a spreadsheet that tells you what you should collect as a minimum and calculates your recycling rate, and a Container Size Sheet, which provides information about the various container sizes that are currently being used, which can usually be found on your contractor invoices.    In some instances, you may find your waste contractor can supply accurate weights for the different types of waste you produce.   Even if your contractor doesn’t charge by the weight you should be able, as a minimum, to count the number and type of waste containers on your site.  You can then convert these figures into estimated weights and calculate your recycling rate using the Recycling Rate Calculator.  This calculation can be repeated on a periodic basis to calculate your recycling progress.   With the information collected, you can also calculate the cost per ton of waste, a figure that can be useful in evaluating new recycling contracts or waste management arrangements.

Once you have analyzed and reviewed the waste your business produces you can identify the types of materials that are already recycled and the ones that are not.  Availability of recycling services will vary depending on the type and quantity of waste material.  For example, there are many providers for paper or computer equipment but fewer for composting and plastic waste.  Depending on the value of your waste materials, you may or may not need to pay for recycling services.  The information you have gathered about the current cost of waste disposal in your assessment will assist you in identifying competitive recycling providers.   Items that typically have a good availability for recycling services include electronic equipment, metals, office furniture, paper & cardboard, printer cartridges, tires and wood.   Items that have less availability for recycling resources are plastics (often large quantities are required), glass and compostable material.   If you require a new supplier, there are many recycling companies that specialize in a particular type of material and others that can handle a wide range of materials in one contract.

Once you’ve completed your assessment and identified your recycling resources, the final step is to set up a recycling system, which seems pretty simple, because all you are basically doing is collecting together a sufficient quantity of a particular type of waste material and finding someone to take it away for recycling.  In practice however, there are a few hurdles to overcome, so a little advance planning can go a long way to helping make your recycling system a success.  For large businesses, setting up a pilot scheme on a modest scale helps eliminate problems in the early stages.  

The keys to a successful recycling scheme are:

1. Involvement - Every one on staff from the top down - including cleaning personnel - must be on board.
2. Coordination - Having one person or a "green team" in your company to set the program up, devise communication systems, provide feedback, and measure the system's effectiveness is essential.
3. Communication - This is required in a number of areas - between staff and management, between the company and recyclers, between office staff and cleaning staff, and between the coordinator or green team and the other staff.  Once established, the system will also need to be built into the induction program for new hires.
4. Cooperation - Everyone needs to do his or her part for the program to work effectively, particular in the sorting out of waste.

Many recycling companies will provide waste containers to help in setting up a recycling system and ensuring that the material is segregated correctly.  For companies that are more concerned with the appearance of their office, several alternatives are available that are functional as well as appealing.    While it seems obvious, it is nonetheless important that the system be simple, that bins are labeled clearly, and that all members of staff, both employees and cleaners, are aware of the new procedures.   The most successful systems that achieve the best results come from a high profile, uniform system that looks attractive and is as convenient to everyone as possible.

Keep in mind that all waste disposal and recycling activities are subject to legal requirements, even if the material is not hazardous.  Unfortunately, there are still some waste service providers that do not comply fully with the law.  If you contract with a company that is not fully authorized to deal with your waste your business could face prosecution as well.   Hazardous wastes that require handling by trained professionals are beyond the scope of this overview.   Such wastes pose a hazard to human health or the environment and are subject to special storage, handling, recycling and disposal requirements.  

And last but not least, while this blog has primarily focused on the outflow of material, another critically important component is evaluating the inflow of items we purchase to operate our business and selecting items wherever possible that are available for reuse and/or made with the highest percentage possible of post-consumer recycled material.   This closes the loop and helps create a demand for the materials recovered by our recycling systems.  Buying recycled items helps keep reusable material in the economy, reduces waste and conserves resources, particularly energy.  The more recycled products your business can procure, the more likely it will be that demand for recycled materials will be sustained.  This in turn stimulates further investment into the local recycling infrastructure and leads to less waste ending up in landfills in the future.

In the area of business products, 55% of a company's expenditure is typically in toner and paper.   Purchasing FSC certified, 100% recycled, or (even better) alternative fiber based paper and refurbished or (even better) soy ink cartridges can collectively have an enormous positive impact on our environment, from preserving forests to reducing our dependence on foreign oil.   And paper and toner cartridges are also among the easiest items to recycle, making this the easiest place for a company to start.    

The 7th habit in Stephen Covey’s popular book published in the late 1980’s, “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, is Sharpening the Saw.   While this image would certainly not be a tree-hugger’s first choice for illuminating this idea, it is nonetheless effective.   Here is Covey’s word picture to describe what he means by this final habit which makes the other 6 habits possible, and highlights the importance of physical, mental, spiritual and emotional renewal:

 Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods working feverishly to saw down a tree ...

"What are you doing?" you ask.

"Can't you see?" comes the impatient reply. "I'm sawing down this tree."

"You look exhausted!" you exclaim. "How long have you been at it?"

"Over five hours," he returns, "and I'm beat! This is hard work."

"Well why don't you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen that saw?" you inquire.  "I'm sure it would go a lot faster."

"I don't have time to sharpen the saw," the man says emphatically. "I'm too busy sawing!"

This parable applies to many companies struggling in this tight economy.   Downsizing has forced additional responsibilities upon employees already saddled with long hours and the stress of worrying about keeping their jobs and supporting their families, to the point at which everyone from the receptionist to the CEO is wearing more hats these days than a bald haberdasher.   This head down, plow-straight-ahead approach has been the norm for so long as this recession lingers that pausing for a moment to assess where we are and where we are going is a luxury most of us don’t think we can afford, at least not until the economy turns around.   Which is also why it might be the best idea of all right now.   If the economy isn’t going to turn around for us soon, then we need to turn things around ourselves - from within.

Financial stability is the best place to begin the process of developing an overall sustainability strategy.  Reducing indirect overhead spend quickly across the board by identifying hard cost and soft cost reductions that can be achieved quickly and with a minimum effort sets the stage.   Ecological sustainability is so much easier to approach as an investment that can be made from savings achieved across the supply chain rather than as a time-intensive added expense as it is often viewed by companies today.

One of the easiest areas to tackle first is business products.  Many companies and purchasing departments approach cost savings in this arena with an item-by-item, zero sum perspective, encouraging employees to line up vendors in each expense category and purchase the lowest price items from whichever vendor in the pool provides the lowest price on that particular item on that particular day.  Although this method can be time intensive, often occupying multiple employee hours each week and month, it can also be extremely effective - in the short run, anyway.

On the flip side of that coin, however, a company that solely focuses on price misses out on the business efficiencies that 1 order, 1 delivery, 1 invoice, and 1 call for client support a single source provider can give.   This purchasing process also encourages the “snowman pricing” margin game from vendors that dangle loss-leader, low margin items to attract companies and then increase margins as the business relationship is forged and the client grows more comfortable and purchases more items from them.   This has always been counter-intuitive to establishing a long term, trustful and mutually beneficial relationship in this industry.   Why should the least loyal clients who only purchase loss-leader, low margin items end up getting a better deal than loyal clients who trust and choose to go with a single source supplier?   

Sadly, the loss-leader item that is priced below cost most often in this game is copy paper, the result being that cheap, eco-unfriendly paper is consistently offered at pricing that keeps 100% post-consumer recycled and alternative fiber based copy paper outside the realm of consideration for companies that approach the marketplace with this item-by-item, zero sum approach.   And the wider, long-term effect this practice continues to have on our forests is quite simply unsustainable.    Only 5% of our virgin forests remain here in the US, and there is constant pressure from manufacturers around the globe to consume timber in rainforests and fragile ecosystems for making paper and related products.   

Whatever one's position on global warming and climate change may be, it is indisputable that as a species, we rely on trees to both sequester greenhouse gases and to generate oxygen.   Office Supply companies inevitably make their margins one way or another.   Choosing alternative fiber based paper as an element of an overall cost reduction and sustainability strategy is possible when a company examines its overall purchasing rather than simply bidding out a few key items, and makes an enormous difference on the planet in keeping trees in our forests and preserving the natural environment on which we all rely.

In addition to business products, there are several other areas of overhead costs that can be quickly and efficiently reduced, from telecom to shipping to printing and business machines to merchant services, payroll/benefits, and many other expense categories.    While most companies typically tackle these individual expenses on their own year after year, greater efficiencies can be achieved by taking advantage of group purchasing agreements and leveraging knowledge of industry price points and discounts that are available in these sectors.  Knowledge is certainly power, and working with a consultant that has worked with thousands of companies nationwide over two decades provides a repository of knowledge that can be tapped to a company's advantage.   Web-based procurement platforms and software solutions can also be extremely effective tools in reducing usage and cost as well as eliminating wasted hours employees spend on expense-related tasks that can otherwise be channeled into productive, revenue generating activities.

Once specific and measurable results have been achieved in putting a company on a track toward greater Financial Sustainability, we can then begin to examine our businesses’ strategies for achieving Ecological Sustainability.

Let's proceed to the 2e Element: Recycling and Waste (Earth).

Here are the 5 Elements of Sustainability for Business:

1)   The first element is Financial Sustainability.  Before immediately tackling things like corn cups, lighting retrofits, 100% post-consumer recycled products, and sugarcane copy paper, we need first and foremost to help our businesses thrive.  The focus in this first element is achieving efficiency across the supply chain, with a particular emphasis on the purchasing process.  Companies can save an extraordinary amount of time and effort streamlining procedures, freeing up needless hours wasted on expense generating tasks that can otherwise be spent on revenue generating ones.  We all want to buy our products at the best prices from the least amount of vendors.   However, this is not always an easy task, even for those that can find the time to examine what they’re purchasing and how they’re buying it.    The ill-kept secret of green purchasing is that buying eco-friendly is just as easy (and often cheaper) than buying ecologically unfriendly options.   More and more eco-friendly products and services that outperform their "eco-unfriendly” counterparts appear every day as the green economy continues to swell in the face of an overall economy that continues to sputter in virtually every other sector. 

2)  The remaining four elements fall comfortably into the pattern of the Greek Classical elements of earth, air, fire and water.   The 2nd step, which identifies easily with the element earth, is Recycling.   This is one of those simple solutions that takes a minimal investment of time and attention – and most of that is up front.  Everyone wants to recycle and usually does - as long as it’s easy and convenient.    All that’s required is investing a little time to identify the items in our business waste stream that can be diverted from the landfill, find the companies that can help us haul it away, and set up a system in the office that’s easy for everyone and doesn’t interfere.   Which takes care of the stuff we have going out.   As for the stuff we have coming in, we want to identify all the alternative products we have available to us that have been recycled, are renewable, and are recyclable again at the end of their life cycle.  Companies can do this themselves, but it's often more efficient to get their vendor(s) to do it for them.   Once the data is gathered, all that remains is to establish a sustainable procurement policy that states that the more earth friendly alternative will always be purchased if it’s 5% higher or less.   Many companies elect to set this watermark higher, especially if they've been effective in the 1st element in significantly reducing their overhead expenses.   Whatever the watermark, a center led procurement policy that incorporates a company's sustainability objectives is a great starting point in offsetting the ecological footprint our businesses leave on the planet.  Buying green also gives us the deep satisfaction that we're doing our part, and encourages the companies that manufacture the products we consume to develop more sustainable alternatives that fit within the price range we continue to support.

3)  The 3rd step associates with the element of fire as it relates to Energy. While certainly volatile, Energy prices have nonetheless continued to rise steadily over time.   Everyone knows that prices don't tend to decrease for things that are scarce and limited, which energy is and will be until we develop other ways to efficiently source it.   Focusing just a little time and attention on our energy bills can often lower costs surprisingly.  And sustainability doesn’t get much simpler than recognizing that lowering our energy usage lowers our energy costs.  Smart power strips, energy star rated appliances, and energy efficient lighting are just a few of the changes we can make that can produce immediate savings while lessening our impact on the planet.   And wherever feasible, it also makes sense to purchase our energy from renewable sources.   Many companies elect to take the ultimate step in offsetting their carbon emissions with investments that help further fuel sustainability and the growth of clean energy.  The sooner we collectively embrace alternative energy, the easier it will be for us to one day achieve and sustain lower, stable energy prices for generations to come.     

4)   The 4th step associated with the element water has to do with our Health and Well-Being, taking care of ourselves, our employees and ultimately our planet.   While the debate around methods for lowering our health care costs drags on as costs continue to skyrocket, we know for certain we can reduce our long term health care costs and increase our company’s overall efficiency by providing things like healthy drinking water (without using plastic bottles), clean air, non-toxic cleaning supplies (keeping toxic chemicals out of our streams) and more nutritious food and beverages at the workplace.   Companies who focus on in this segment of sustainability also tend to examine their HVAC systems, install low flow/efficient faucets and toilets, use ecofriendly landscaping and rain barrels, and adorn their offices inside with GreenGuard© certified furniture, flooring, and wall coverings.

5)   The 5th and final step of sustainability is identified by air.  Clean Air Campaigns all across the country provide staggering data on how much air pollution is reduced by telecommuting, using alternate forms of transportation, and teleconferencing rather than traveling.     Air also signifies airwaves, or Communication.   From building green teams to establishing company policies and procedures to promoting the type of company we are and leading by example are all crucially important factors in the ongoing progress of corporate sustainability.    To that end, Spokes Consulting has developed the "5e" elemental standard of sustainability to help companies identify and promote their actions as efficient and responsible stewards of the earth and our environment.  Our mission is to help businesses achieve a meaningful level of sustainability and connect them with the growing legion of green consumers looking to buy from companies who share their same values and principles.

Let's start with The 1e Element: Financial Sustainability.

Environmental Groups such as NRDC and Greenpeace have long been leading a call to action to Americans obsessed with soft toilet paper.  Not only does premium tissue require pulp from live trees, many of the trees are cut from old-growth forests.  As the Good Human  notes, if every one of us switched just one regular roll to a recycled roll out of the next pack we buy, we’d save 470,000 trees and 169 million gallons of water - and we’d use 1.2 million cubic feet less of landfill space.

As with all recycled paper, remember to always focus on post-consumer recycled paper content.    The guidelines for “recycled” are so loosely worded that much of the recycled paper on the market is from materials that never leave the mill or converter where paper is cut into sheets.   While it may qualify for the EPA guidelines for recycled paper, it’s not what most of us think of as being recycled.     And this type of recycled paper does not truly address the issue of waste stream reduction through recycling.

The difficulty with tissue products (toilet paper, napkins, facial tissue and towels) is that the EPA has different requirements than it does for printing and writing paper, and the variance in recycled content in tissue products labeled recycled is normally much greater than in fine paper.   So be aware that some of the so-called 100% recycled tissue products on supermarket shelves have only 10% post-consumer recycled content which doesn’t even meet the EPA’s standard guidelines for recycled printing and writing paper (minimum 20% pcw).

And then there’s the bleaching and de-inking.    As many of us already know (especially those of us who live near one), paper mills are among the worst polluting industries.    Not to mention,  the paper industry is also the greatest energy consumer in the country.   And the U.S. paper industry’s reliance on chlorine-intensive bleaching makes this industry the worst water polluter in the world.

Which is why tissue paper is not even all paper.  It can be 20% to 40% fillers, coatings, and chemicals.    The worst part of the process of making paper is the bleaching process.   There are 3 basic types of bleaching:  chlorine gas, hypochlorites (a chlorine derivative), and hydrogen peroxide or oxygen.   Chlorine combined with other substances is what makes dioxins, which are the toxic byproducts we hear the most about, the toxic emissions that become concentrated in fish and become even more concentrated when eaten by birds and people.   Studies have long shown the potential impacts this can have on reproductive and immune systems.  The good news is that a few paper mills in this country are using an oxygen-based bleaching process, and several others are using a chlorine derivative, sodium hypochlorite, which is still harmful, but is a better choice than using chlorine gas.  

To help cut through the mustard, Greenpeace has put together a handy recycled tissue and toilet paper guide which ranks a wide range of products by their recycled content, post-consumer recycled content, and bleaching processes.   Here at Indoff, we are pleased to feature competitive pricing on the Seventh Generation brand, which carries Greenpeace’s highest rating and recommendation in all categories (facial tissue, toilet paper, paper towels and paper napkins).   

With the quality and quantity of good products on the market, there really is no reason for us to be using ancient forests any more for tissue.   It’s kind of like having a catalog next to …  well, I’ll just leave it at that.

Last fall, PRC Technologies announced an environmental breakthrough in printing for offices, public schools and colleges.   PRC Technologies offers the first laser printer cartridges using toner powder derived from soybeans.  While the finished toner in the cartridge does not contain high organic content, the product is green because the manufacturing process is green.

And most importantly, these cartridges are cost comparable to brand name (OEM) versions currently available.   While soy ink has been available for some time, this is the first soy toner cartridge available for laser printers.

SoyPrintTM toner is made using mixtures of soybean oil and lesser amounts of other bio-oils.   The petroleum-based resin found in regular toners is not used in SoyPrint.  The toner is made using a polymerization process to obtain resin from liquid spray drying instead of the conventional or mechanical pulverizing process. 

A printer cartridge contains one pound of toner powder, and industry experts agree that it requires 2 liters of oil to make toner for a single cartridge!   U.S. businesses, schools, institutions and governments consume over 100 million cartridges per year.  Simply put, the U.S. consumes as much as 50,000 tons of petroleum-based powder each year.   Switching to soy based ink can reduce our country’s petroleum consumption by 200 million liters of oil per year.

SoyPrint cartridges are manufactured in the US and are shipped from warehouses across the country.   The product is warranted not to harm printers in any way and prints as many pages, if not more, than the oil-based version.  

The following are 4 basic steps to sustainable printing that have a huge impact on the planet.  Please don’t hesitate to contact me to assist you with: 

1. Obtaining high quality, compatible SoyPrint^TM toner cartridges,
2. Purchasing FSC certified copy paper with the highest possible percentage of post-consumer recycled content – at the most competitive prices in the industry,
3. Donating your old printers to public schools to help reduce e-waste, and
4. Carefully and efficiently recycling your empty toner cartridges.

And lastly, all of our customers that make the decision to print sustainably receive reports tracking the impact of their decision to implement sustainable printing practices.   These reports include:

• Liters of oil saved/replaced
• Pounds of heavy plastic recycled
• Reams of recycled paper consumed

Colleges and schools are automatically enrolled in the SoyPrint^TM Educational Alliance and their individual sustainability reports are included in national cumulative totals, reflecting the huge collective environmental impact of sustainable printing.

To find out if SoyPrint^TM cartridges are available for your printer, please contact me at 888-306-0830 or jeff.hix@indoff.com.   

And for more information on PRC Technologies and SoyPrint^TM cartridges, visit www.soyprint.net.

As the events of this week celebrating the 39th anniversary of the first Earth Day wind to a close, the hope for all of us involved in the environmental movement (which is essentially every human being alive) is that environmental awareness and action isn’t something we do once a year, but something that is becoming a habit for all of us - every day, every month, and throughout the year.  

Even though we can’t plan an event or organize a concert every day, the tiny actions that all of us take moment to moment, from refusing a plastic bag at the grocery store to taking the time and effort to recycle at our homes and offices, to making better choices about what we purchase, knowing how things are made and where they come from - all of these collective actions we take moment to moment are the true Earth Day celebrations.

With over 20 years’ experience in the business products industry, I’ve seen the focus on sustainability come and go and ebb and flow.    Sadly, environmental awareness always seemed to surge to the forefront of buyer consciousness at times when other events in the news cycle waned.   In the mid-80’s, I remember a resurgence of environmental awareness that gave way to the stock market crash of 1987, the late 90’s saw a renewal in focus and attention on environmental stewardship that again took a backseat as Y2K, the "dot bomb" debacle, and September 11th focused the country's attention in other directions.

The most encouraging thing about this year’s Earth Day and the resurgence of the green movement in the latter half of this decade is that it is happening everywhere across all economic sectors, and in the face of the worst recession the country has seen in decades.   Where economic downturns in the past have typically shifted the focus away from environmental awareness and responsibility, the exact opposite is occurring now.  Even as homes and businesses tighten their belts, cutting costs across the board, living more simply and frugally no longer means simply choosing the cheapest products.   As I’ve cited in the past, conscious consumers are paying more (often an average of 15% more) for environmentally friendly products, which is sending a signal to producers and manufacturers that these are the products we truly want, which is bringing price points down and beginning to push ecologically unfriendly products off the shelves.   And from the 10,000 foot level, a growing chorus of economic advisors from both the political left and right are calling for a greener approach -- using investment in clean energy and efficiency as a way to stimulate the economy.    ‘Green collar’ jobs are popping up everywhere and a green path is opening up that will take us out of the red.

So let’s remember, even though this week we celebrated the 39^th anniversary of Earth Day, it’s really the Earth’s 4 billionth birthday.    We’re all butterflies flapping our wings in the desert, building storms that will reverberate across the globe for generations to come.    Every day is Earth Day.

It's gratifying when a company my clients recommend for their high level of customer service and/or product excellence turns out to be a company whose actions show that it also cares about its environmental stewardship.   Funny how companies who genuinely care about the environment also have a tendency to take care of their clients as well.   These things seem to go hand in hand.  

Like Office Supplies, Business Machines have long been viewed as one of businesses' disposable commodities, replaced every 3 years by the latest greatest technology and the general wear and tear of 8-10 hour days of office use and abuse.  In a crowded and competitive industry with challenging margins, companies that devote significant resources and are serious about becoming more sustainable and ecologically sensitive are rare.  

Beyond all copier and printer models being Energy Star qualified, Sharp Electronics' use of external heat fusing technology makes their machines among the most energy efficient in the industry.  Opting for reusable airbags in their packaging materials and eliminating polystyrene for all products under 11bs, and printing all service and owner's manuals on recycled paper are all steps that Sharp has taken that show them to be a company moving in the right direction.

And back at the source of the supply chain river, Sharp's production facilities have been ISO 14001 certified since 2004, and they have a strong record of expanding solar energy in the use of solar cells and reducing greenhouse gas emissions across their worldwide business activities, earning several awards from the GSA and EPA.   

And lastly, in one of those lesser-publicized, but still deserve our attention areas, the Logistics & Supply Chain Planning team deserves recognition for their initiative to begin shipping copiers and printers on corrugated cardboard "honeycomb" pallets.   Far lighter (7 lbs. vs. 60 lbs.!) than conventional wood pallets which are heavy and difficult to recycle, honeycomb pallets are 100% recyclable.   The best part of all is they still support as much as 3,000 pounds, easily handling all of Sharp's current MFP products double-stacked.

The centerpiece of DocuTeam’s philosophy is “Premiere Service, No Excuses”.     As one of Sharp’s largest distributors in the U.S.,, DocuTeam’s clients Bill of Rights include 4 hour service response time guarantee that is more often than not the window within which the issue has been resolved and the machine is back up and running.   In addition to their client partnership program, DocuFree, their new web-based Document Management and Workflow solution combines the strength of a central content store house with the flexibility of an on-demand web application.   Along with helping companies store, retrieve and share documents, this solution helps companies significantly reduce the need to print documents in the first place, reducing paper costs and reducing pressure on our forests at the same time.

For more information on how these solutions can help you and your business, contact Rich Simons at 404-304-5177 or rsimons@docuteam.com

 

For years, the "big box" superstores - Staples, Office Depot, and Office Max have followed the traditional "snowman" pricing model - the head of the snowman being the high-volume, most used items (copy paper, file folders, post-it notes, etc.), the middle of the snowman being the occasionally purchased items (toner, breakroom supplies, janitorial supplies, etc.), and the bottom of the snowman being the thousands of items or sku's that are infrequently purchased (file cabinets, whiteboards, computer keyboards, to name just a few).

The snowman pricing model was built on the idea that most companies primarily focus on only the top 10 or 15 items they purchase.   By selling the high-visibility items below cost and attracting customers by publishing the "head of the snowman" prices on the cover of their environmentally-unfriendly flyers - the ones that have cluttered the inboxes of office managers and ultimately our landfills for the last two decades - the superstores have been practicing a bit of 'sleight of hand' magic.   

By keeping their customers focused on the high volume loss-leader pricing, they've made up margin on the body of the snowman by tilting the pricing on the less frequently purchased items upward to a level that is often higher than can be found online - with no corporate account or volume discount!  Abracadabra!  And the big secret up the sleeve is that while the top 10 or 15 items are more frequently purchased items, the head of the snowman typically only comprises 30% or less of total spend.  The other 70% - the body of the snowman - is where the big box superstores make their profits.

In a study completed last week for one of the largest construction companies in Atlanta (that currently spends an average of over $7,000 per month), we found over a dozen items on their January and February 2009 Staples invoices that could have been purchased at staples.com with no corporate "discount" whatsoever - at prices that averaged 15% less than they were charged as a "Staples Preferred" corporate customer!

While no one can predict what paper prices will do in 2009, the price increases that hit the industry in 2008 have been wreaking havoc on expense budgets as paper represents an average of 20% of the typical company's office supply expenditure.    And although the price of fuel has dropped, price increases that were levied on the consumer when fuel prices climbed in 2008 have largely stayed intact.  And with Staples acquiring Corporate Express, industry consolidation has also contributed to office supply pricing increasing across the board. 

And finally, with financial pressures affecting the big box stores, the trend toward finding ways to increase margins on their customers is very likely to continue.   Tactics like the snowman pricing model typically target the 30+ employee corporate consumers that routinely spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars per month rather than the home based businesses that typically take the time to price shop every item they purchase.   And while businesses can achieve savings by analyzing their expenditures themselves, most business efficiency experts will tell you that paying a $40,000 per year Office Manager (+ benefits) to spend 3 hours every week price shopping pens and post-it notes is not exactly the most cost-efficient model.

Spring has sprung, the economy is still sputtering, and it's time to melt the snowman.  But who has the time to analyze every item that has been purchased over the last 3-6 months and compare it with the industry average?   The answer: We do!   Ask your current office supply company to provide you with a comprehensive list of 3-6 months' purchasing (many provide this data for you online), and then ask the office supply consultant hoping to earn your business to analyze everything you purchased over the time frame, not just your top 10-15 items.   That way you can be confident that the savings projected will be the savings earned.

 

 

 

When visiting a long time loyal client a few days ago to deliver a box of corn cups and set her up directly with commercial composting, I slipped by her desk on the way out to wave goodbye and she motioned me over and pointed down to a page in our wholesale catalog and with pride whispered to me that she had just ordered these brand name labels online - even though they cost 30% more than the generic brand.  

She was pointing to the label above the product that read "SFI certified".  "Sustainable Forestry Initiative," she whispered.  "Anything to save trees, right?"

I whispered back and thanked her as I always do - no client of mine does more for the environment than she does.  She's even gone so far as to influence upper management at her firm to establish a written company policy that permits employees to spend up to 35% more for organic, local or sustainable products and services.  But what I really wanted to tell her was that I wish we had 10 minutes more to talk about SFI certification.   As usual, though, she had two hats in one hand, was balancing four more on her head and grabbing for yet another with her right toe, so I made a mental note to send her some information instead.  

So Lindsay, this blog's for you.

First and foremost, our responsibility as consumers is to spend our money as wisely and as intentionally as possible and communicate to the market forces that sustainable products that are the ones we will seek and we will buy.   And since none of us has the time to research everything we want to be an expert in, we often are left to trust and hope the stuff we're buying really is organic, local and sustainable, which isn't getting any easier with all the green labeling and green washing going on these days.

The one thing to keep in mind as far as paper and furniture go - obviously the primary items in a business products catalog that come from trees - is the label to look for is FSC, not SFI.

 

While the "Sustainable Forestry Initiative" sounds impressive, it's important to know that SFI was created by the American Forest & Paper Association to market the timber industries' "business as usual" logging practices as being sustainable.  If you've ever heard of the term "greenwashing", this is a textbook case of it with the picture in the dictionary.  And the term "forestry initiative" is an oxymoron if its standards include large clearcuts, logging near rivers and streams damaging water supplies, and the widespread use of toxic chemicals and genetically modified trees as old growth and endangered forests are converted to tree plantations.

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification, on the other hand, is the certification system supported by the international environmental community as well as the only certification system in the world accepted by the conservation, aboriginal and business communities.

The primary distinctions of FSC certification and why it is a more effective system for managing forests is that is based upon a required and consistently applied third-party audit (SFI is not), it uses performance-based measures instead of simply adopting management systems (the financial industry today is a great example of how management systems affect performance), and thirdly, FSC relies on measurable scientific data from a comprehensive set of detailed ecological indicators.   SFI's "indicators" are general at best.   And usually optional.

While there are many other key differentiating elements between the two certification standards (social criteria focusing on local communities and indigenous peoples, chain-of-custody certification, reporting, auditing, etc.), the key thing to understand is that FSC certification standards are vastly superior and have a clear and direct impact on protecting and preserving forests.   If interested in more information, visit the Dogwood Alliance, Forest Ethics, and the Environmental Paper Network's websites.   There are also several websites that photograph and document the difference between SFI and FSC certified forests. 

Just a few glances at some SFI certified forests and it becomes immediately clear why looking for and asking your office supply and furniture vendors for FSC certified products matters.