Green Thinking 2012 Type B

Green Thinking An OPI Supplement dedicated to the environment

THE GREEN MILE p14 How green are OP delivery times?

CSR FROM THE INSIDE OUT p8

An interview with Lyreco’s sustainability chief

CLAIMING GREEN p52

What’s beneath policies and supply chains

2012

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Editorial Editor Felicity Francis

+44 (0)20 7841 2946 felicity.francis@opi.net

Deputy Editor Ben Sillitoe

+44 (0)20 7841 2942 ben.sillitoe@opi.net

Features Editor Heike Dieckmann

+44 (0)20 7841 2949 heike.dieckmann@opi.net

News Editor Andy Braithwaite

+33 4 32 62 71 07 andy.braithwaite@opi.net

Sales and Marketing VP – Continental Europe, Middle East and Africa Ewan Dickson

+44 (0)20 7841 2954 ewan.dickson@opi.net

Editor’s comment

VP – North America and UK Chris Turness +44 (0)20 7841 2953 chris.turness@opi.net

VP – Asia Tony Yao

+86 186 021 29588 tony.yao@opi.net

Marketing and Database Executive India Pride

+44 (0)20 7841 2959 india.pride@opi.net

Sales Executive Fergus Cox

+44 (0)20 7841 2952 fergus.cox@opi.net

Events Events Manager Lisa Haywood

+44 (0)20 7841 2945 lisa.haywood@opi.net

Production and Finance Studio Manager Adam Morris

+44 (0)20 7841 2943 adam.morris@opi.net

Operations Manager Nicky Coulson Operations Assistant Charlotte Gerhardt

+44 (0)20 7841 2950 charlotte.gerhardt@opi.net

Accountant Charles Edwards

+44 (0)20 7841 2956 charles.edwards@opi.net

Publishers CEO Steve Hilleard

+44 (0)20 7841 2940 steve.hilleard@opi.net

Director Janet Bell

+44 (0)20 7841 2941 janet.bell@opi.net OPI is printed in the UK by This publication is printed on Satimat Silk which is produced on pulp manufactured wood obtained from recognised responsible forests and at an FSC® certified mill. It is polywrapped in recycleable plastic that will biodegrade within six months. The carrier sheet is also made of recycled paper.

Become one of the leaders The sad truth is that, a lot of the time, businesses only really adopt environmental and CSR policies when their competitors do. When their customers start to look around for the environmental choice, which is happening more and more often, only then will some companies succumb to the pressure and invest in producing green ranges and making their offices more efficient.

But in this year’s edition of Green Thinking we’ve worked hard to bring you examples of businesses that really are committed to sustainability, on the inside as well as out. Lyreco’s sustainability head Nasser Kahil talks about why the 2012 European Office Products Awards winner has spent years ensuring that CSR is in the very roots of the company (turn to page 8 for the article). The projects detailed in our CSR case studies section (turn to page 32) are shining examples of office products businesses of all sectors and sizes doing their bit to protect the communities that they serve.

It will always be a case of follow the leader for some, but hopefully the articles in this publication will inspire you to keep contributing to the office products industry’s green success, whatever your channel.

Felicity Francis, Editor

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Contents

OPI magazine (ISSN: 1360-8460) is published monthly by Office Products International Limited and distributed in the USA by SPDSW, 95 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA 17318. Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville PA. POSTMASTER: send address changes to OPI PO Box 437, Emigsville PA 17318-0437.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced, copied, stored in an electronic retrieval system or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with provision of the copyright designs and patents act of 1988. Stringent efforts have been made by Office Products International to ensure accuracy. However, due principally to the fact that data cannot always be verified, it is possible that some errors or omissions may occur.

Office Products International cannot accept responsibility for such errors or omissions. Office Products International accepts no responsibility for comments made by contributing authors or interviewees that may offend.

News...........................5

MPS .........................38

Interview...................8

Furniture ................43

OP delivery...............14

Paper industry.......48

Green FM..................24

Supply chain......... 52

Office Products International Ltd (OPI), Diamond House, 36-38 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8EB, UK

CSR projects.............32

Most wanted.......... 58

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News Green Thinking

Depot goes green with new smaller store Portland (OR), USA

Office supplies big box Office Depot has continued the roll-out of its smaller format stores by opening an outlet in Portland, Oregon, which features a strong mix of green products.

The launch of the smaller store – the first reduced-size Office Depot in the Pacific Northwest region – is part of the reseller’s drive to boost customer convenience and meet the requirements of a changing shopper demographic. It aims to appeal to time-poor shoppers looking to purchase products on the go.

A large percentage of the product range has green features, with approximately 900 items offering environmental attributes identifiable by their labels. The store is also the first retailer in the US to stock products with the EcoSense label, which is the new consumer-facing brand extension of the Electronics Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT).

Using EPEAT, customers can compare electronic products based upon environmental considerations, as well as cost and overall performance. Items are labelled with Gold, Silver and Bronze ratings based upon a variety of green attributes.

Robert Frisbee, CEO of EPEAT, commented: “Portland area consumers will be the first in the nation to easily access EcoSense information in a retail store, thanks to Office Depot. With EcoSense to guide them, they can reward the companies who make and sell greener products.”

The office supplies reseller was recently recognised by the US Environmental Protection Agency as an ‘Energy Star Leader’ for improving energy efficiency significantly over the last eight years, including reducing energy usage across its commercial building portfolio.

Depot’s new smaller Portland site

Antalis McNaughton launches CarbonNeutral service Coalville, UK

UK distributor Antalis McNaughton has launched a new service for CarbonNeutral certified paper.

The service enables customers to offset the CO2 emissions associated with paper production and distribution. The scope of the certification includes all the CO2 emissions from paper making and delivery through Antalis McNaughton and onwards to its customers.

Customers will receive from Antalis McNaughton a license to use the CarbonNeutral certified paper

features a number of green building elements, including T5 energysaving lights and reflectors and daylight/occupancy sensors to reduce energy use.

Yalmaz Siddiqui, Senior Director of Environmental Strategy at the big box, remarked: “This store represents a new model for consumer engagement on sustainability.”

Depot said in May that it is considering accelerating its store downsizing programme from 2013.

Its current plan is that between 30 and 35 locations will be remodelled in 2012 and downsized where possible, while between 25 and 30 outlets are expected to close.

label on the papers they have offset and they can also promote the two carbon offset projects that Antalis McNaughton has chosen and which are underpinned by The CarbonNeutral Protocol. The chosen projects are the Tieling methane capture and Uchindile-Mapanda forest projects in China and Tanzania respectively.

Matthew Botfield, Environment Manager at the paper merchant, commented: “Sustainability is a key challenge for paper mills and merchants.

Increasing customer demand has seen a rise in paper brands looking for environmental solutions that go beyond raw materials.

“Going carbon neutral complements existing accreditations and provides our customers with a means to reduce their carbon footprint to net zero, set stretching reduction targets, enhance their brand and maintain their competitive edge.”

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Green Thinking News

Staples creates green research lab Rochester (NY), USA

Staples has teamed up with the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to create a ‘sustainable innovation lab’.

The lab – located at the Golisano Institute for Sustainability – will conduct research on the design and manufacturing of green office products and services.

The aim is for it to be a research hub to advance the development of sustainable office products that Staples offers its customers worldwide.

The lab will also support Staples’ work with suppliers to find innovative solutions for product design, manufacturing and packaging that reduce environmental impacts.

In addition to the development of sustainable products, the lab will serve as a venue for sustainability and environmental training sessions for Staples Advantage customers. The sessions will provide strategic sourcing, procurement and sustainability professionals with practical tools and peer-to-peer conversations about sustainable business approaches.

“The Staples Sustainable Innovation Laboratory is an important initiative that builds on our long-standing relationship

with RIT and our deep commitment to sustainability in our products and supply chain,” said Mark Buckley, VP of Environmental Affairs at Staples.

Staples joins Thomas Golisano, Xerox, Caterpillar and Eastman Kodak as a founding member of the Golisano Institute for Sustainability.

The Golisano Institute for Sustainability was formed in 2007 and houses one of the world’s first PhD programmes in sustainability as well as master’s degrees in sustainable systems and sustainable architecture.

The institute conducts research in nanotechnology, alternative energy development and validation and sustainable design. The institute also houses the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute.

The new building which will house the Staples Sustainable Innovation Lab is designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards set by the US Green Building Council, which sets goals for waste and energy minimisation and reuse in building construction and operation. The 84,000 sq ft (8,400 sq m) facility is expected to open later this year.

Schneider launches electric bicycle scheme Schramberg, Germany

Writing instruments vendor Schneider says its new electric bike scheme has proved popular with staff since it was launched earlier this summer.

Employees of the German manufacturer can sign up to a programme allowing them free use of the bikes – as long as they commit to cycling to work on the machines at least 80 times a year. The idea behind the initiative is to provide an alternative mode of transport to the car and to help reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

Some 18 vehicles are currently in use, and the company estimates that over 15,000 km will be covered by bicycle instead of by car during the year. The long-term objective is to double the number of journeys taken by electronic bike.

It is not the first time Schneider has offered its staff a more environmentally-friendly transport option to the car, as CEO Roland Schneider previously arranged a free company bus to run at regular working hours. Alluding to the company’s location in the picturesque Black Forest region of Germany, he said: “Our nature is too beautiful to fill it up with parking lots.”

Workers participating in the bike scheme also have the option of using the equipment in their free time, allowing them to explore the mountainous terrain in an environmentally-friendly fashion.

Schneider staff are making use of the bike scheme

Green cleaning awards made biennial Milan, Italy

Italy-based cleaning and maintenance industry association Afidamp has announced that its Clean Green Afidamp Award will now run every two years, as opposed to annually.

The accolade is handed out to products, systems or services from the professional and industrial cleaning sector that

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showcase strong environmental credentials. The prize went to cleaning and waste management product manufacturer Vileda Professional in 2011.

Vileda, which OPI understands is looking to expand its presence in the office products channel in the coming years, won the prize for its 100% Evolon microfibre cloths: NanoTech micro, QuickStar micro, MicroSmart and MicroRoll.

The result of the switch to a biennial award is that Vileda’s celebrated environmental credentials remain firmly in the spotlight for another year.

Cleaning products and solutions providers from across Europe have until March 2013 to enter next year’s awards, which will be presented by Afidamp at a ceremony in Milan, northern Italy.

Green Thinking 2012

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Green Thinking Lyreco

CSR from the inside out

OPI speaks to Lyreco’s green champion about the reseller’s ongoing sustainable efforts

by Felicity Francis felicity.francis@opi.net

It’s

easy to look green, much less easy to actually be green. However, one of the reasons that Lyreco won the European Office Products Awards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award in 2012 is that the judges recognised its dedication to sustainability. According to the judges, Lyreco is “living, working and breathing CSR in everything it does”.

Nasser Kahil, Group Quality, Security and Sustainability Director at Lyreco, believes it is this holistic approach that makes the reseller’s policies so effective. Here he goes into the details of Lyreco’s strategy and current focuses.

OPI: When did Lyreco first introduce sustainability into its policies?

Nasser Kahil: Sustainability principles have been part of the Lyreco culture for many years now. However, with our new mid-term sustainability strategy, Eco Future, we would like to bring more consistency, more transparency and a longer-term perspective to our sustainable development approach.

OPI: How long term is the plan?

NK: Our target is to make sure that the Eco Future strategy is completed by 2017.

OPI: How do you make sure all your stakeholders are on board?

NK: The strategy is an official Lyreco policy with a proper implementation plan to ensure it is well understood and that our stakeholders subscribe to it. This has already been achieved internally with our people, as well as with external parties such as local and group buyers. Suppliers were introduced to the strategy on a dedicated supplier day.

OPI: Is this the case across all Lyreco’s locations?

NK: Yes, the key point to keep in mind is that all our countries are certified to environmental management system ISO 14001. One of the requirements of this standard is to ensure environmental policies are well established, understood and applied across the whole company.

But more globally speaking, every new employee joining the company completes a dedicated induction programme that includes a sustainable development briefing.

This is a key first step. Additionally, regular sustainability events are held across Lyreco subsidiaries that enable us to get the correct involvement and support from all our people.

OPI: Do you have an internal team devoted to sustainability?

NK: Typically the Lyreco QQS (Quality, Security and Sustainability) department coordinates all sustainability actions. We also have a dedicated person or team in every country, as it’s very important to act locally.

Nasser Kahil

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OPI: How does Lyreco’s senior management team get involved?

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Lyreco Green Thinking NK: I think this is a very important point – even more so it is a requirement. The new Eco Future strategy was defined in close connection with the senior management group, including our CEO, Zone Managing Directors and Group Functional Directors.

Sustainability meetings are held with the senior management on a regular basis, once every three months, to analyse and discuss sustainability projects and results, and to make operating decisions.

OPI: Looking outside the company, how do you ensure that all your suppliers are thinking about sustainability as much as you are?

NK: I would say that there are two points here. The first is that we have a supplier code of ethics, which provides a foundation to build and maintain relationships based especially on sustainable business practices.

Typically, as a minimum, suppliers must adhere to all applicable environmental rules and regulations.

Additionally, we implement specific checking and auditing processes depending on the area we would like to cover. For example, for environmentally preferable products we check claims on an individual basis against ISO 14020. For the social compliancy aspect we have built a specific supplier sustainability involvement programme, which covers 120 criteria, 16 of which are focused only on the environment. This programme has been made using elements from SA 8000 (social accountability), ISO 14001 and the ISO standard giving a frame and principles for CSR. OPI: And do you find that your suppliers are happy to work with you on this?

NK: I would say that at the first contact they are not always very pleased, but they quickly see the advantages.

Here and over the page: One of the Lyreco for Education projects focused on helping children in Togo

OPI: Moving on, you have a really great eco-website; how useful have you found it with customers?

NK: Yes, our eco-website is a good support to explain what we do, providing concrete examples and showing our customers how we could help them to achieve their own sustainability goals or requirements. But at the same time the first discussion about sustainability issues is always achieved through our people. If contact is established and the customer thinks we have an effective

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Green Thinking Lyreco the two parties, simulating different options and the related environmental impacts.

Fourthly, through our yearly Sustainable Development report, which was issued earlier in July, and covers 2011 and 2012 activity.

OPI: I understand that you are involved with the Global Compact initiative. Can you explain how you’re involved?

NK: In 2004 Lyreco became the first company in the OP industry to join the UN Global Compact, stating our commitment to its ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption. Since then Lyreco has consistently reaffirmed its support and published various communications on our progress for all our stakeholders.

approach then the customer will visit the website.

OPI: So it’s about talking first and then looking at the website?

NK: Absolutely, yes. It’s a natural process started with a conversation.

OPI: How else do you talk to customers about sustainability?

NK: Principally through four different ways.

Firstly, through our sales people. As part of our internal communications around Eco Future we have focused on the ‘Lyreco Sustainability Offer’ – offered to the customer through the policy – which includes, for instance, our environmentally preferable products, scheduled deliveries (such as twice a week, instead of systematic next day delivery) or recycling services for customers.

Secondly, through our QSS department.

When questions are too specific for sales people, the QSS Manager takes over to make sure customer requirements are well assessed and appraised. This is often a great opportunity to share practices.

Thirdly, through our sustainable development tools for customers. For instance, Lyreco has developed a dedicated ‘Customer Environmental Tool’. This application calculates the CO2 emissions for a customer order managed by Lyreco, and projects this to the total business between

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“We want to show that we are close to each country and each community”

OPI: Given that CSR is part of the agreement, how do you support local communities? I know you’ve run some interesting projects.

NK: On top of purely local action plans that are managed by each country, we have a global charity programme called Lyreco for Education (LFE), which manages projects in developing countries to give children better futures. Currently, we are working to support Togolese communities, and in the past we have worked in Vietnam and Brazil.

We have projects contributing to local sustainability issues in the countries where we operate. For instance, the mangrove is a major environmental challenge in Thailand, and our people are engaged on specific programmes to plant trees as they believe it is crucial to the improvement of biodiversity.

OPI: Why do you believe it is important to support local communities when Lyreco is such a large business?

NK: We would like to show that we are close to each country and each community. This is why we have a global programme but at the same time make sure programmes are useful and implemented in the affected countries.

OPI: What do you think are the main challenges to being sustainable?

NK: Sustainability must be part of the strategy of the company and supported by management, but the main challenge is to ensure sustainability is integral in every activity, and taken into account at any time, at any level. Once sustainability principles are part of the culture of the company, the implementation of sustainability programmes goes through. This is also, I think, the only way to get internal

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Lyreco Green Thinking contributions about new or innovative programmes.

OPI: So do you find that it can be quite hard to make sure that in every single action sustainability is considered?

NK: Yes, because you really need to continuously push and explain the various activities to everyone.

OPI: What specific areas of your CSR plans do you think need attention at the moment?

NK: Our sustainability journey is really based on an approach of continuous improvement.

We have already expressed the areas that we have to work on as part of our strategy.

Among them, we are looking at the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions coming from our activities and the development of environmentally preferable products, or the improvement of our waste management.

But we also have social responsibility commitments to further contribute to the personal development of each individual in the company. The involvement of our external stakeholders is also something we need to work on, especially regarding established customer partnerships and supplier assessment programmes on sustainability.

OPI: Do green projects cost a lot to implement?

NK: I would say yes and no, because it really depends on the project. You may need to invest more for some actions, especially in the case of an environmentally friendly fleet of delivery vehicles, as electric vans are much more expensive. In many cases the return on investment may take longer if you choose a green technology. This is one of the reasons why we reviewed our investment rules in September 2011, so we could consider sustainability investments on an individual basis rather than have one rule.

On the other hand there are many other initiatives that don’t cost any money and bring both environmental and economical advantages in time. This is often the case when saving energy or implementing green printing or company mobility plan policies.

OPI: So what Eco Future projects are you specifically working on right now?

NK: All our projects are connected to our Eco Future strategy, but we do have a focus on two important topics. Firstly, our new green project assessment methodology, which we are currently implementing. We definitely

think this is a unique methodology, and will disclose more information on it soon.

The second important topic is our supplier sustainability involvement programme, because as a big purchaser of office supplies all over the world our own sustainability is dependent on the management of the supply channel. We have a number of specific actions that aim to educate, influence and support our global supply chain to improve its overall sustainability vision.

OPI: Have you considered sourcing more supplies locally to reduce your carbon footprint?

NK: Certainly this is something we have tried to do, but as we are in 27 countries it means that we get some products from China, some from Vietnam and so on, so it’s tricky.

OPI: Looking at the OP industry in general, what do you think are the most pressing environmental concerns?

NK: I would say that this is strongly linked to what we’ve already discussed. Certainly given the growing importance of green initiatives, companies are more and more focused on the environment. However, creating a sustainable business can be really quite difficult when you take into account the different parts of the whole supply chain.

So I think one of the challenges remains to ensure that sustainability and environmental considerations are completely embedded within all companies’ sourcing policies.

Also, it seems that the whole industry is concerned with the green aspects of products, because our customers continue to challenge us to grow the number of these products. The number one point that the industry must consider is the accuracy of environmental criteria. It is ever more important to be really green and not just visibly green. This is how the industry can ensure it is as sustainable as possible.

“The number one point to consider is the accuracy of environmental criteria”

Lyreco staff planted mangroves in Thailand

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Green Thinking Delivery

The green mile The customer comes first, or so the saying goes. But is the call for ever faster delivery times and more convenience not another nail in the ‘green thinking’ coffin?

by Heike Dieckmann heike.dieckmann@opi.net

Ever

since the big boxes appeared on the scene about 25 years back, next-day delivery has become the standard in the OP world. In many urban areas, the trend has gone even further to often include same-day delivery in various guises.

Same Day Office Supplies in London, UK, for example, delivers the same day or within two hours (albeit at a price!) while Max Delivery in New York delivers 99% of its orders – not just office supplies – within one hour. Interestingly, some of Same Days’ and all of Max Delivery’s journeys are made using bicycles, so the environmental impact is at least lessened, sometimes non-existent.

That said, same-day delivery is generally costly for all parties and may remain the exception to the rule, although it can also be seen as a great differentiating factor by small local dealers to beat the less nimble big boxes.

Last-mile delivery, of course, is only a fraction of the overall carbon footprint of a product’s lifecycle (see also ‘Claiming green’, page 52), but apart from sourcing it’s also one of the most exposed stages in the overall supply chain.

For most office supplies, the vast majority of shipments are carried out on the ground, with only a small proportion of product being shipped by the ultimate environmental sin – air transportation. Technology-based providers in the US, such as Ingram Micro, Tech Data or SYNNEX, often work with different timescales and modes of transport as they don’t have the extensive number of regional distribution centres that United Stationers or SP Richards have.

Sensible shipping But in these environmentally-conscious times, is the notion of thousands of vehicles on the road, many of those presumably not loaded to full capacity, sustainable going forward? Should there be a rethink in terms of bundling orders into less frequent deliveries?

“I was discussing this very issue with a dealer a while ago,” says Alan Ball, CEO of Spicers UK and Ireland. “He has tried to move to a three-time delivery a week rather than daily. The salesman of the dealer was then under threat of losing the account because a rival offered daily delivery. Some businesses are happy to accept less frequent delivery on the green card but generally next-day is an industry expectation that is unlikely to significantly change.”

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Delivery Green Thinking Presumably it would take intense pressure from the ultimate party – the end-consumer itself – to reverse the trend. And by and large, end-users are unwilling to clutter up their valuable space with low value, low priority products that add cost to their business and make them less efficient.

Pockets of hope Perhaps it’s wrong to tar everybody with the same brush, and here and there you will already find small pockets of resistance to the expected status quo. OPI asked Wulff, one of the biggest multichannel players in the Nordic countries – a region that often stands out positively in environmental indices – if customers are concerned about their last mile carbon footprint.

The answer is a hesitant “possibly” but the company is reporting some success at least.

In May of this year, Wulff launched a report called ‘Wulff goes green’. Offered to all its customers, it essentially outlines the total amount of CO2 emissions in every customer’s current order-delivery supply chain. With that knowledge to hand, Wulff is hoping to raise awareness and put in its customers’ mind the question as to whether they really need next-day delivery, every time.

Results have been mixed but encouraging so far, says Managing Director Heikki Vienola: “The point of the report is to highlight customers’ CO2 consumption, help them understand the bigger issue and encourage them to change their delivery requirements. We have tried this with a few customers.

Some of them have been very successful in thinking differently about their delivery needs! By combining deliveries to just once or twice a week or even every other week, we can reduce our CO2 output by 20-60%.”

In the US, meanwhile, it’s traditionally been the country’s West Coast states – California, Oregon, Washington – that have first jumped on the environmental bandwagon.

Independent dealer Complete Office in California, for example, supplies to Long Beach City, a contract it won a few months ago. Complete Office didn’t compete for the contract (Office Depot was the incumbent, Staples a fellow bidder) on the green card as such, but on its flexibility and service proposition. Long Beach City is in fact a two-day-a-week-delivery customer. However, while there are definitely customers out there that make that type of social statement, there

Missed opportunity AmazonTote died a quick death last year in March, only a couple of months after it was expected to expand beyond a handful of Seattle neighbourhoods.

The service, first launched in July 2010, was to be a new delivery option for customers that wanted free weekly delivery of their orders in reusable bags. The offer wasn’t unlike those of many grocery retailers, only that there was no minimum order value and that the delivery date, once set, could not be changed. The benefit was fewer delivery miles and less packaging. Amazon never explained why it stopped the service but it’s ironic that now there’s continuing talk about the push towards more extensive same-day delivery options in the US. Whether the intention of AmazonTote was a green one or not, bundling orders into fewer deliveries with less packaging would definitely have reduced its carbon footprint. It would also have been welcomed by many customers, especially those subscribing to Amazon Prime that feel uneasy about placing a host of small orders as and when they need them and as a result getting a regular influx of deliveries (and packaging materials).

isn’t an overwhelming swell of them doing so, says Ted Walter, President of Complete’s California branch. “I don’t see people in the small or large customer space saying ‘we’re used to five-days-a-week-delivery but now because of carbon footprint we’re moving to two days’.

It’s the exception.”

2 In fact, adds Robert de Montigny, CEO of Canada-based dealer-group-cum-wholesaler Novexco, generally it is rare that any part of the OP distribution channel questions the environmental impact of speedy delivery. “Even amongst larger businesses or government institutions that usually have a sustainability programme in place, 24-hour delivery is the norm.

“In Quebec, there are two main views on this. First, we have the end-users who are located in the urban centres and who normally expect 24-hour delivery. The second type of end-users for us are located outside of urban centres. Because of their geographical situation, they are more tolerant when it comes to delays and will consider a few days delivery normal. A third type of clientele we serve is our independent dealers and resellers which require a 24-hour delivery no matter what their geographical

“By combining deliveries, we can reduce our CO output by 20-60%”

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Delivery Green Thinking Marc Nijhof, Managing Director of technology distributor Alpha International, adds: “We see an increasing share of drop shipments and this seriously cuts the number of product movements and takes out at least one step in the distribution channel.”

For a local dealer selling to local customers, meanwhile, the stocking option is definitely more environmentally sound, especially if deliveries are carried out with a fleet of electric vehicles.

location since they also have to serve their customers promptly.”

As de Montigny alludes to, wholesalers are very much guided by their customers, a good proportion of which are independent dealers.

And their systems are generally built to fulfill next-day delivery expectations, that’s how the model typically works.

United Stationers’ Director of Research, Analytics and Sustainability, Carol O’Hern, says: “Of course we are prepared to adjust timing to keep our resellers competitive and to respond to changing marketplace expectations. More than ever, we are seeing the element of individual consumer choice… and as such it is likely that we will see consumers want to have choice in delivery, whether same-day, next-day, or possibly even a longer timeline on some items if there is a cost differentiation.”

Existing efficiency From an efficiency as well as an environmental point of view, could it also be argued that today’s wholesalers, as well as the large contract stationers, have become so sophisticated in monitoring their routes already that the notion of half empty trucks moving across countries is unfounded?

SPR’s O’Brien thinks so and adds: “Over the years we have outsourced many inefficient truck routes. We even share delivery vehicles with our NAPA automotive division. Our fleets are just as likely to carry automotive parts as they are office products.”

Lyreco’s Group Marketing Director John Watson, meanwhile, believes that next-day

Cost vs green Cost pressures are indeed much more likely to be at the heart of an attempt to reduce the number of deliveries rather than carbon footprint concerns, says SP Richards’ SVP Marketing Jim O’Brien: “Spikes in fuel costs in recent years have forced dealers to examine their truck routes and most dealers do not offer a daily delivery option. Many have twoand three-day schedules depending on their markets. In terms of environmental impact, I don’t believe it is a factor at this point here in the States.”

Cost issues are also what have led many smaller members of the OP community to go down the stockless route. And as many dealers reduce their stock-holding capacity, arguably the requirements for wholesalers to ship orders at very short notice even increases rather than decreases as dealers don’t have the stock buffer they used to have.

But is the stockless model – or as is most often the case, the model of stocking less – perhaps another opportunity to lessen the environmental blow? Drop shipments via their wholesale partners have already become an integral part of most dealers’ service proposition. Germany’s Soennecken recently revealed that its end-user delivery service from its LogServe operation now accounts for almost 90% of its shipments.

The answer is another vague “it depends”.

For a national player it certainly makes a lot of sense shipping orders directly from a wholesaler’s nearest distribution centre to the end-customer, especially if drop shipments are bundled. As Spicers’ Ball says: “We just need to educate dealers that it’s an acceptable practice to bundle deliveries.”

Green shopping – online or offline?

Online shopping equates to convenience and time-efficiency, retail shopping to choice, browsing and impulse buys. But which method of shopping, purely from a last-mile point of view and irrespective of packaging concerns, is more environmentally sound?

The answer is perhaps not as clear-cut as those in the pro-online camp would have you believe if you factor in failed deliveries, single-item delivery and so on.

But if there’s such a thing as a typical shop, online home delivery is definitely more environmentally-friendly, according to a research project carried out by HeriotWatt University in Edinburgh, UK. For the purpose of the study, researchers at the university compared the carbon footprints of online and conventional shopping for small non-food goods. They found that a typical van-based home delivery produced 181g of CO2, compared with 4,274g of CO2 for an average trip to the shops by car. An average bus trip by a shopper produced 1,265g of CO2.

Some of the critical factors in the calculation are the number of items purchased per shopping trip, choice of travel mode, the probability of the consumer being at home to receive the goods and the way in which unwanted goods are returned.

Conventional or online shopping – g/CO2 per consumer trip/activity 9000

8,300

8000 7000 6000

4,274

5000 4000

3,113

3000 2000

1,265

1000

181

0

Average Home Home delivery: Home delivery online drop 50% 1st time with consumer delivery with failure rate return via depot consumer return (15km) via depot Edinburgh, UK) (40km)

One dedicated One dedicated car trip bus trip

(Source- Heriot-Watt University in

495

271

Home delivery van - rural

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Green Thinking Delivery Green transportation hub With next-day delivery expectations unlikely to experience a major U-turn in the quest for less environmental impact, transport mode is looked at more than anything else. And nowhere is this more the case than in densely populated – and historically heavily polluted – urban areas where deliveries are short but frequent.

Amsterdam is often named as one of the greenest cities in Europe. What makes it stand out in particular is its focus on electric transport and its ambitious plans. By 2040, the city plans not to have a single internal combustion engine vehicle in it, instead powering its entire transport system by windmills, solar panels and biomass plants. The 65 miles of canals will be filled with silent electric boats while all road cargo will be transported using electric power.

With the best green intentions in the world, such an undertaking would not be possible through sheer goodwill. The incentives are subsidies. The City of Amsterdam has reserved v8.6 million ($11.3 million) until the end of 2015 to make high-mileage corporate vehicles more environmentally-friendly – H5,000 for each electric car, v10,000 per electric bus and v40,000 for each electric truck integrated into a fleet. Converting to an electric taxi will guarantee v10,000 in subsidies.

A pilot programme run in 2009 resulted in 200 electric vehicles being purchased. For the subsidy scheme, the city made v3 million available while businesses themselves invested a further v9 million.

Other initiatives in progress at the moment include that by 2013 Amsterdam will have about 1,000 public charging points. It is the first city to provide information on their location and availability via an open API. Also, in November 2011, Car2Go launched with 300 smart-for-two electric vehicles that can be picked up and dropped off at any public parking spot inside the business area. As a result of the 2009 subsidy scheme, the first ten electric taxis began running in May 2011 – now there are about 40.

Ultimately, any company delivering into Amsterdam can be affected by the project. One of them is consumables distributor Alpha International. Says Managing Director Marc Nijhof: “The idea

delivery allows the company to efficiently manage the flow of orders and deliveries.

“Our regional distribution centres are organised to perform at 80-90% of capacity to allow us to flex on the usual peaks and troughs of orders. Whether our vans make two drops on one day or 20 drops on the next doesn’t really result in any environmental difference as these vans have to be on the same route every day anyway. In fact, regularly being able to send out full vans is far more sustainable.”

Leading the way The need to be the quickest to the pole so to speak is arguably most pronounced in the B2B space at the moment, with B2C – much of it online – still largely working to two-to-three-day delivery levels.

But this is changing too, with end-consumers becoming ever more demanding and e-tailers such as Amazon seemingly keen to offer a more comprehensive same-day delivery option in the

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is that we and many others will deliver the goods to one central point in Amsterdam and from here third-party providers with electric trucks or even boats take them to their final destination. This is an Amsterdam city centre pilot project.”

For several years now, the large OP contract stationers have bought into the electric vehicle ‘campaign’ as part of their overall CSR programme. And while that clearly goes some way towards reducing their carbon footprint, Toby Robins, Sustainable Development Director at UK dealer Wiles Greenworld, believes it’s a very mixed green message. He says: “From an environmental point of view there are very clear emissions reduction benefits to sourcing products from a local stockist, ideally promoted by a local manufacturer. It is somewhat misleading to promote as green the use of an electric vehicle or bike to deliver the final mile to the customer’s door when the goods have already been trucked hundreds of miles from a national distribution centre.”

‘Every little helps’ or greenwashing? Interesting question…

US, for example. And it wouldn’t be the first time that Amazon becomes something of a benchmark for others to follow.

What is needed perhaps, irrespective of channel or customer orientation, is a frontrunner, someone that leads the way, but from a green rather than customer convenience point of view.

Novexco’s de Montigny has the last word: “We believe that the next generation of workers will be more informed on the environmental impact and will be asking for concrete actions from their suppliers to reduce their overall green footprint.

“For now, however, the only way we foresee a drastic change in mentality is when one of the industry’s major players changes its delivery policies either to reduce its shipping costs or to boost its green programme. This will then allow smaller resellers to do the same and permanently change the industry’s approach to delivery.”

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Advertising Feature | Trodat

… -30% CO2 BY 2020 Two years after introducing the Original Printy 4.0, which has incredible CO2 savings of up to 49%* with respect to its predecessor model and offers climate neutrality as standard, Trodat is once again raising the subject of environment and climate protection in the stamp industry to a new level. Markus Würcher, Managing Director of Trodat GmbH, spoke with Dr. Hildegard Aichberger, Managing Director of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF®) Austria, in July 2012 against the backdrops of extremely ambitious targets: wanting to reduce Trodat's CO2 footprint 30% by 2020 and the absolute necessity of climate-neutral products as the standard instead of as special green product lines. *ECO-black and ECO-grey. Lower percentage for other colours. More at www.printy.trodat.net

MW: Dr. Aichberger, how has the subject of CO2 footprint and climate neutrality developed in the economy since our last conversation two years ago?

HA: In the last two years, model companies have increasingly made a mark on the economy with the issues of environment and climate protection.

In connection with this, CO2 footprint reduction has become more of a central objective for organisations. There are also many more companies that go a step further and offer their products as climate neutral by investing in climateprotection projects to compensate for the residual CO2. In the beginning climate neutrality was mainly an issue in the paper and printing industries, however big companies in other industries are

Climate researchers predict that global warming of +2 °C will be reached even at a 450 ppm C02 concentration.

This mark could be reached as early as

now offering their products or services as climate neutral. It is always important to obey the basic principle 'first avoid CO2, then reduce CO2, and then compensate for CO2. To simply compensate for CO2 would absolutely be the wrong way to operate. The objective is to not allow CO2 to occur in the first place. CO2 is the most important greenhouse gas. It accumulates due to its longevity in the atmosphere, therefore simply compensating for CO2 wouldn't solve our climate problem. It would amount to a kind of 'selling of indulgences'. That is why it’s so important to take the route that Trodat has already taken with the Original Printy 4.0, and first avoid CO2 as much as possible, then reduce CO2, and only in the third step compensate for truly unavoidable CO2.

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MW: Why do you think there's increasing awareness about the subject of environment and climate protection in the economy?

HA: It's now been clearly demonstrated that our climate is warming and that humans are responsible. Doing nothing is the most expensive solution in the long run. It will destroy our prosperity and our economy. When you consider the CO2 concentration in our atmosphere, you'll find that it has increased dramatically in recent decades. If it amounted to between 200 and 300 ppm (parts per million) during the preindustrial 400,000 years, it's already between 390 and 400 ppm today and continues to climb (see box). This means that CO2 concentration is already

CO2-ppm

Temperature

395 ppm

395 ppm

2012 C02 concentration

375

+10°

+8°

2030 temperature increase?

CO2 concentration (parts per million - ppm)

the year 2030 at the current constant average increase of 2–3 ppm per year.

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It would thus severely impact our children and grandchildren as early as the second half of this century! There have always

325

been temperature fluctuations on earth,

300

+2°

of years. Fluctuations of more than +2 °C have appeared very rarely in Earth's

275

0°

history, but most significantly never 'in

250

-2°

225

-4°

200

-6°

175

-8°

+6°

Temperature progression (in °C) CO2 peak values during the past 400,000 years

+4°

but they had cycles of tens of thousands

an instant', as in the last 200 years since the beginning of the industrial age. This development is so dramatic because the temperature on our planet demonstrably follows C02 concentration, i.e. if C02 concentration in the atmosphere increases, then the earth's temperature also rises.

ppm -400,000

C° -300,000

-200,000

-100,000

-25,000

2012

Graphic based on: IPCC 2007: Summary for Policymakers Vostok Ice Core CO2 Concentration and Temperature Variation Record Graphic Barnola et al.; Petit et al. (PAGES/IGBP)

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Trodat | Advertising Feature

Dr. Hildegard Aichberger (WWF® Austria) in conversation with Markus Würcher (Trodat GmbH).

+33% above the highest natural values of the last 400,000 years.

A concomitant temperature increase of more than +2 °C can endanger our whole livelihood: the growing seasons and the water cycle would change; devastating floods, droughts, and wind storms would result. Sea levels would rise significantly. Many countries and coastal megacities would be massively affected, because large parts of them would be flooded. Since 1990 at any rate, the number of climate-related disasters has doubled. The point here is that +2 °C represents the 'best case scenario' that we can only reach if we immediately apply all our available resources and achieve a CO2-free society by 2050. If we don't do this, the mean temperature will increase considerably more than +2 °C and the consequences for humans could no longer be assessed.

MW: Everyone's talking about climate neutrality or CO2 reduction these days. Is the subject already socio-politically relevant?

HA: The 'mainstreaming' in the language is somewhat problematic, because it doesn't help to generate concern among people. Unfortunately we don't have a sense organ to detect creeping climate changes.

MW: So is it the responsibility of politicians to educate the population?

HA: That it is, and a few steps have already been taken. The EU Commission stipulated the so-called '20-20-20 target' in its climate protection and energy policy: greenhouse gases must be reduced by at least 20% by 2020 relative to 2005. The proportion of renewable energy sources (wind, sun, biomass, etc.)

must increase to 20% (2005 EU-wide 8.5%, 2010 already 12.4%), and energy efficiency must also increase by 20%.

Thus energy consumption at constant economic output must decrease by 20%.

We're already farther along in Austria: the proportion of renewable energy was 31% in 2010. Our stipulated 2020 target is 34%, with which we contribute to the pan-European 20% target. It's crucial that these values represent the absolute minimum to avert a scenario as described previously. The states current action plans are not yet sufficient to meet these requirements. These climate targets are also the requirement that the WWF® places on its bestpractice companies and cooperation partners.

MW: Trodat has now set itself the goal of reducing its CO2 footprint 30% at the company and product level by 2020. How do you view a goal of this magnitude in this context?

HA: Reducing CO2 emissions 30% by 2020 is the right goal. It's ambitious and challenging. Trodat thus clearly surpasses all of the targets currently prescribed by policy objectives. It proves that Trodat doesn't just want to exploit the subject of environment and climate protection as a communication tool, but really wants to live it with complete conviction. For the WWF® Austria, Trodat qualifies as an absolute best-practice company in terms of environmental and climate protection, not only within the office products industry, but also in the entire economy. This goal is also absolutely outstanding internationally!

To be able to achieve such a goal, it is essential to reduce the CO2 footprint of its main products to a minimum thus committing its core business to

environment and climate protection.

This will strive for systematic change.

Measures in these areas make overriding sense for the WWF® Austria, because their effects are significant due to the relatively higher sales volume. From our point of view, true environment and climate protection orientation manifests itself by the company showing that it commits its main business - i.e. its standard products, to environmental and climate protection, thus maximizing the positive impact. The path taken by Trodat to offer its main products as carbon neutral is therefore exactly the right one.

That should be preferred to just offering green secondary product lines because of the more positive climatic effect. Climate neutrality as standard is the only way to achieve a CO2-free economy by 2050 thereby achieving the 2 °C target.

MW: How do you think the industry will respond to Trodat's announcement that it wants to reduce its CO2 footprint 30% by 2020?

HA: The role-model effect is extremely important in climate protection. I hope that other companies learn a lesson from the positive example set by Trodat and take action to reduce their CO2 footprint.

It's the only way to achieve the goal of a CO2-free economy by 2050. In any case, I congratulate Trodat on the decision to set such an ambitious CO2 reduction target for itself and to continue their efforts whilst setting a good example to others.

MW: Dr. Aichberger, I thank you very much for your time.

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Green Thinking Facilities management

Cleaning up the

environment

OP firms have dedicated themselves to sustainability in recent years. OPI assesses the green contribution from the FM and jan/san categories “OP firms

by Ben Sillitoe ben.sillitoe@opi.net

Dealers,

wholesalers and other resellers will no doubt all be aware of the rise to prominence of the facilities management (FM) and jan/ san categories in the OP world over the last few years, but how are these relatively new product ranges for the industry contributing to its efforts to improve sustainability?

‘Difficult to say’ would be the simple answer, especially as there are so many different ways a product can be classed as environmentally friendly. But with new measures and metrics currently being introduced into the cleaning industry things could start to become clearer in the not-too-distant future.

Keith Baker, Director of European Services at cleaning trade association ISSA, says that his organisation already provides a “well sought-after” Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS), which manufacturers can earn to prove their green credentials. This has been available in the US for a number of years but is currently being rolled out in the UK and parts of Europe.

Baker says ISSA is “hugely satisfied” with the response it has had to the CIMS programme, but the trade body is taking things a step further by compiling a product directory highlighting companies’ green processes and credentials.

There are currently many definitions of what ‘green’ actually is, often causing confusion among end-users, and with this in mind Baker encourages OP firms to question exactly what vendors mean by green and to ensure this fits with their own description of what constitutes an ecologically-sound item.

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should question exactly what vendors mean by green”

“The directory will determine how green a product is,” he explains. “We’ll start with chemicals, then soft tissue, then mopping systems. In the next couple of years each one of our members will subscribe to the website, allowing customers to find the greenest products in each sector.”

Once launched, it should provide a useful reference for resellers seeking information as they extend their environmentallyfriendly ranges. Having such a catalogue comparing the various environmental ratings of different vendors should also boost competition, thus improving quality. Who is to say that it won’t enhance companies’ green manufacturing processes too?

A green-focused cleaning products manufacturer currently looking to gain traction in the OP industry is Belgium-based Ecover, which produces a host of ecological personal hygiene and professional cleansing agents. The company has built a brand on ‘being green’ and is confident that the greater

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Facilities management Green Thinking part of the industry will follow this path in the years ahead.

Lies Marijnissen, Marketing Coordinator B2B at Ecover, states: “The issue of environmental impact will increasingly be a major driver of growth and will ultimately become the cleaning industry standard. This will include considerations of both product usage and waste/disposal.”

Green obstacles Reflecting on May’s successful ISSA/ Interclean Amsterdam trade show, where hundreds of jan/san companies showcased their wares, Baker says that he was encouraged by the relationship potential between OP resellers and jan/san manufacturers, but warns that businesses that are set up to sell traditional OP may encounter difficulties as the range of cleaning items they offer expands.

OPI collected various views on how the market could evolve in the coming years, and it is apparent that the OP industry may be required to boost its understanding of the way the cleaning industry functions in order to thrive in the sector. Whether it is keeping in touch with the latest labelling regulation or just simply staying on top of the individual requirements of their diverse customer bases, it’s clear there could be potential complications ahead.

Mike Miller, VP Marketing & Channel Development, Jan/San & Breakroom, at United Stationers, says that the category’s products of the future will typically be those that solve a cleaning need for the end-user in “a more effective or less expensive way”.

“The jan/san industry, like others, will see innovation that will drive new opportunities for resellers,” he argues. “We expect to see legislation regarding both the labelling of products and the specification of the proper use of disinfectants; there are laws currently supported in some states that might expand to others.”

Butch Ellis, VP Cleaning & Breakroom Supplies,

Painting the breakroom green Manufacturers of breakroom products sold through the office channel can make significant reductions to their carbon footprint by focusing on packaging improvements.

And sometimes it can be the simplest of changes that have a huge impact.

Nestlé Professional announced earlier this summer that it is to make an annual saving of 64 tonnes of packaging – starting this year – by amending its Nescafe stick packs housing so that the outer box will no longer be necessary.

Neil Stephens, Managing Director of Nestlé Professional, comments: “Consideration to the environmental impact of packaging is integral to the product design process at Nestlé, as is ensuring that renewable and recycled content is used where appropriate.”

David Baumgarten, VP at Georgia-based independent OP firm Baumgartens, suggests that the trend for people working longer hours will result in a more extensive range of food and drink items being included in dealers’ breakroom offerings, following the huge success of coffee in the channel. This will inevitably result in the need for more disposable plates and cutlery, and he argues that these ranges will develop with the environment very much in mind.

Says Baumgarten: “The American consumer is becoming far more aware of the negative impact disposables have on the environment. Businesses, especially public companies, are being held accountable to move in a green direction.

“Leaders are including the concept of ‘People, Planet and Profit’ into their growth strategies and their choices are increasingly moving towards sustainable resource materials such as sugarcane fibre plates and bowls, or vegetable starch-based plastics.”

One would assume that with more food and drink being consumed in the office, there will be a greater need for companies to purchase cleaning products to ensure hygiene standards are maintained. This is a phenomenon many dealers and wholesalers have reported in recent years, and the Baumgartens VP argues that the evolution of this product category should continue with sustainability at its heart.

“For cleaning supplies and systems it also means offering non-harmful formulations that work to both clean, reduce health problems, and take a big load off the environment,” he explains.

“Liquid cleaners of yesterday (made mostly of water) and the fuel spent to move them are a thing of the past and businesses are catching up to this idea.”

“There could be potential complications ahead”

Healthcare & Technology at manufacturer representative organisation The Highlands Group, suggests that changes to the office products selling model might be required as its relationship with jan/san vendors progresses.

“As the category grows in the OP channel, this growth should occur among larger end-users with work environments that require more commercial-grade or industrial product solutions,” he explains.

“An example would involve floor care applications where floor machines, tools, and chemicals are involved. This type of selling will require wholesalers and distributors to stock more products and brands and it will require a more comprehensive selling model. w w w.opi.net | OPI Magazine

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Facilities management Green Thinking and ongoing assessments to ensure that the implemented solutions are generating the desired outcomes.”

Taking Kimberly-Clark’s Healthy Workplace Project as an example, and looking at the original aims and the reasons behind the success of this programme which has been running for a number of years, there appears no reason why vendors cannot provide similar in-depth information and guidance on implementing environmental good practice.

As Joel Schellhammer, Go to Market Director, Office & Education, at Kimberly-Clark Professional, says: “As competition grows and customers increasingly look to the OP channel for help solving business problems, companies that embrace innovative programmes like The Healthy Workplace Project will begin to emerge as leaders in the office products space, by moving away from simply providing products and instead becoming strategic partners who add value in ways that were unthinkable several years ago.”

OP channel distributor sales representatives will have to be more knowledgeable about the products they are selling, creating more need for field sales support for product training and sales expertise.”

Selling a system Selling ‘systems’ that detail how to boost hygiene or improve skincare processes have proved a successful source of education for the OP reseller community in the past. Baker acknowledges that a number of leading jan/san manufacturers – Kimberly-Clark, Deb Group, Diversey, Ecolab and Sofidel, for example – have used this method to good effect before.

“It is these processes that elevate the commodity and sell higher value to the end-user – companies using these methods are the most successful ones,” he notes.

Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP) is another keen advocate of this business method, and Marketing Director EMEA Stephan Kopietzki highlights how manufacturers can ally with resellers – effectively becoming partners – to work on various targets, including green matters.

He remarks: “Of course implementing a service-led strategy helps to differentiate a business over others that just provide a product-based solution. As end-users look for increasingly more from their supply partners than just products, they want services that help them become more productive, lower costs and reduce impact on the environment.

“RCP works with customers to provide key end-users with services to improve how they recycle and deal with waste or improve hygiene around the workplace.

RCP has a methodology and tools that not only assess a workplace, but also provide solutions

Synergy

ISSA’s Keith Baker on jan/san and OP industries: “We must connect”

The impressive growth of the jan/san category in the OP channel proves the two industries can work together with significant success. As with any commercial partnership there will be a number of unforeseen obstacles to clear as the alliance evolves, but there will inevitably be opportunities too.

Says Baker: “We’ve always said that we’re the only industry in the world that operates in every business in the world, but having thought about it further it’s also the same with OP – or it’s fairly close. That’s a huge synergy.

“If OP is one of the sectors that provides our products to end-users then we must be there, and if the OP industry is thinking similarly there is an opportunity to add value and margin through cleaning products. We must connect.”

Baker’s comments ring very true for many forward-thinking cleaning manufacturers that have already started to penetrate the OP market. Perhaps the relationship between the two industries can be further strengthened through green collaboration, and maybe through such efforts we can find a true definition of environmentally friendliness.

Improving green credentials is a key goal for the vast majority of companies across the globe. Combining the knowledge and resources of two powerhouse industries that, between them, have direct routes into arguably every business in the world can surely be a force for good, can’t it? w w w.opi.net | OPI Magazine

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Advertising Feature | Paper from Portugal

More forests, better future A strong marketing campaign is putting Portugal on the map as a leading source of green pulp and paper

MANY

observers believe that over the last few decades the paper industry has really pushed its game in terms of protecting the environment.

The truth is that when it comes to paper production, paper manufacturers have created efficient systems and processes that actually work to preserve our landscapes, rather than destroy them, by avoiding mass deforestation operations and river pollution.

However, it is true to say that many consumers still have wrongly-conceived notions about paper’s credentials, and some serious work still needs to be done to communicate the real nature of paper

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products. One organisation that is working hard to achieve this goal is CELPA in Portugal.

Cutting down misconceptions, growing trees CELPA is a non-profit organisation that represents the interests of the pulp and paper industry in Portugal (see box ‘About CELPA’ on page 30).

This is an industry that stands for more than 5% of the country’s exports of goods, and is an important source of direct and indirect employment.

Furthermore, many people are interested in promoting its green benefits to consumers who are more and more keeping this in mind when making purchases.

On 13 December 2011 CELPA launched a campaign to challenge the world’s misconceptions about the paper and pulp industries. It will run throughout 2012 until early 2013 under the tagline ‘More forests, better future’.

Photo by Joaquim Pedro Ferreira

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ira

Paper from Portugal | Advertising Feature

Portugal’s forests: The facts • Portugal’s woodlands have grown by almost 80% in the last century – that is more than 28,000 football pitches a year • The industry’s nurseries produce an average of 13 million plants a year, and the number is growing • Today, Portugal’s woodlands cover nearly 40% of the country, thanks in good part to the paper and pulp industry • Today, 70% of the energy used in the Portuguese paper industry is green, which is well above the European average of 54%; Portugal is a leading investor in forest biomass

The main focus is to dispel myths and provide facts that demonstrate how papermaking in Portugal actually promotes forestation and is a source of natural wealth (see box ‘Portugal’s forests: The facts’ above). The campaign is aimed at key opinion makers across Europe, particularly in Germany, France, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain, and is designed to promote Portuguese pulp and paper products as a European success story.

Featuring the ‘Paper From Portugal’ signature, CELPA hopes to attract attention by using campaign headlines that surprise readers with forthright assertions and objective facts. A range of media and activities will be used in the campaign, including printed material, web channel, viral videos and exhibits at international trade fairs.

• Portugal’s forest is divided between more than 400,000 landowners. The pulp and paper industry is an important source of direct and indirect employment • The Portuguese forestry sector employs more than 100,000 people in total • Portuguese paper is part of a natural system, with renewable sources and certified green credentials • 60% of office paper exports from Europe to the rest of the world come from Portugal

The online dimension will be the defining factor of the campaign, making use of substantial online advertising coverage and dynamic activities designed to attract visitors to the website www. paperfromportugal.com. Together with MOFILM, an innovative project that reaches a community of artists and filmmakers around the world, CELPA has invited filmmakers from the MOFILM network to submit videos which convey the message that “by using paper from Portugal, you are contributing to a better future”. Print media tools will also be developed as part of the broader media and communication strategy of the campaign.

A clear focus CELPA’s story starts from the root of the problem. The organisation’s

message is that since its conception, the Portuguese pulp and paper sector has been grounded in innovation and respect for nature, our precious resource. The industry has long supported only those manufacturers that are guided according to the principles of responsible forest management.

Over the years the Portuguese paper and pulp industry has achieved high standards of efficiency by using modern technology and high-quality raw materials. These are transformed into premium brands with certified green credentials, made from natural renewable resources that are suitable for recycling. With research and development teams committed to a greener future, Portugal is currently the European leading producer of uncoated fine papers and bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp. w w w.opi.net | OPI Magazine

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Advertising Feature | Paper from Portugal About CELPA CELPA (Portuguese Paper Industry Association) is a non-profit organisation which represents the collective interests of the pulp, paper, cardboard and related industries in dealings with public authorities and private sector bodies in Portugal and abroad.

CELPA currently has ten corporate members and represents the leading manufacturers of pulp, paper and cardboard operating in Portugal. Its membership accounts for 100% of the country’s pulp output and approximately 90% of Portugal’s output of paper and cardboard – almost 3,200,000 tonnes of pulp, paper and board in 2010. In Europe, CELPA participates in several international associations, such as CEPI, CEPIFINE, FAO, ICPFA, IEFC and UTIPULP. It supports the CEPI, regarding ICFPA leadership. CELPA also participates in the work group of forest management.

In 2011, CELPA was represented in CEPI in the following committees and work groups:

Over the past 13 years, the Portuguese paper and pulp industry has invested more than 1500 million ($619 million) to reduce its environmental impact. Because they are managed sustainably, Portuguese forests provide other important ecosystem services, such as soil formation and protection, the water cycle, energy flows, climate regulation, and cultural and recreational services besides being an important economical resource.

CELPA promotes the idea that virgin fibres should be reserved for paper that has to meet higher quality standards and serve longer lifecycles, such as for printing and writing paper. The abundance of renewable forestry resources in Europe should obviously also influence the extent to which this general principle is applied.

There is no sensible rationale to promote the use of recycled fibres to manufacture high-quality, high-demanding papers like some fine printing and publishing papers.

Extending this argument could mean

• Executive Committee/Board of Directors • Environment (BREF, REACH; social affairs; green public procurement; carbon footprint, water footprint) • Forest (certification; bioenergy and biomass mobilisation – Energy Committee, Forest & Water) • Recycling and Products (Monitoring; recovered paper quality; food contact) • Energy (Climate change policies; bioenergy).

that valuable wood resources would be used to manufacture lower-quality paper products which have shorter lifecycles with low valorisation for recycling, or which can no longer be recycled like some packaging, tissue or newsprint.

In terms of looking ahead, green energy is already an important focus of the future. ‘Paper from Portugal’ is ahead of the game in this respect – 70% of energy used in papermaking is green, compared to the European average of 54%.

So it’s in many people’s interests to keep the sector vibrant by getting this vital message across. Paper is still needed and it always will be, and CELPA’s strong campaign is putting Portugal firmly on the map as Europe’s go-to place for sourcing paper that is not only green, but provides valuable employment.

Article content supplied by CELPA

On the big screen An innovative element of its Europe-wide campaign was CELPA’s film competition. The organisation aimed to inspire filmmakers from around the world to harness their creativity and submit entries to the MOFILM contest for Cannes Lions, the top advertising festival.

Filmmakers in the MOFILM network were invited to submit videos that convey the message that “by using paper from Portugal, you contribute to a better future”. The idea was to tell the true story of Portuguese paper products and how they contribute to the sustainability of Portugal’s woodlands.

The judges were looking for original and exciting videos, as well as a fresh and creative approach, with a view to sharing them online. The winners, announced in Cannes during the International Advertising Festival, are: 1 Frederico Arouca – Portugal: Film “SEED” 2 Jeff Jenkins – United States: Film “Plant Invasion” 3 Karen Erbach – United States: Film “Bill” 4 Tamara Rosenfeld – United Kingdom: Film “Paper Classroom” 5 Gaurav Madan – India: Film “What colour do you want?”

Find all the films at www.paperfromportugal.com

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Green Thinking CSR projects

Giving something back OP companies are helping to improve the lives of local communities.

Increasingly, companies’ environmental initiatives are part of wider corporate social responsibility (CSR) or sustainable development programmes that can go as far as underpinning how an organisation is run. A typical CSR programme

will include actions aimed at benefitting local communities. These actions can take many forms but they often have a social, educational or environmental focus. Here are a few recent examples of initiatives from the OP world.

Green goals for Commercial gain

Simon Graham (above) and Simone Hindmarch-Bye (right) from Commercial Group

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UK business services organisation Commercial Group has been seen as an innovator in sustainability for years now.

In 2006 the business gained CarbonNeutral Organisation status and set upon a mission to make eco-friendliness and CSR a core aspect of its operations. Since OPI last caught up with the firm’s senior management, things have gone from strength to strength – and the company is proving that prioritising the planet doesn’t have to be at the expense of producing profit.

Commercial set an ambitious target to reduce its carbon footprint by 75% between 2007 and 2010. According to its Environmental Strategist Simon Graham, the company achieved this goal “as a result of the complete and utter commitment and support given by everyone within the business”, while also boosting its top and bottom line.

Turnover in 2007 was £21 million ($34 million), which grew to £30 million last year.

“Everyone tends to go for single figure green targets but the UK government’s ambitions were much higher,” explains Graham.

“It was important that we did meet this target because it set the bar high for the future.”

Various methods contributed to savings, including electricity reductions across the firm’s buildings and the redesigning of the company’s data centre.

The latter, which involved using cutting-edge low energy hardware and software to dramatically reduce the energy required to run the business, resulted in 80% less carbon used.

Described by Commercial as its “big hit”, the data centre improvements were combined with a cooling system that draws server-generated heat out of the building and blows cool air in: organic air conditioning.

So why is this all so good for Commercial’s customers? Well, a lot has been learned from the comprehensive research and subsequent implementation – and this information can be passed on to business partners and clients.

Indeed, Commercial believes there is huge scope for environmental change throughout OP, and already helps customers with buying decisions and choosing the most suitable technology. Its relationship with Xerox represents one such flourishing partnership.

Commercial’s Co-founder and Head of Sales Simone Hindmarch-Bye notes: “We got our house in order to begin with, then we started helping our customers with theirs. Now we’re looking at our products and services across the group so we can help companies drive down their environmental impact.”

Commercial’s CSR wheels keep on turning, with the imminent introduction of a zero carbon heating system onto its premises and greater attention expected to be given to ethical manufacturing. Additionally, the company will continue to inform its customers about how they can grow using the latest eco-friendly strategies and systems.

“In the last three years the business has grown by over 20%,” Hindmarch-Bye states.

“We’ve invested a lot to help us grow – the aim is to be a £40 million business by 2015.”

The environment is high on the agenda of most firms and UK governmental departments, but to take things to the next level it is up to environmental specialists to ensure a green philosophy is embedded in the heart of organisations they work for.

Says Graham: “While it’s important to show firms you’re going to help in terms of sustainability, it’s increasingly important they’re aware being green doesn’t mean choosing between being successful or not.

“They’re increasingly seeing that an environmentally sustainable business is also an economically sustainable business.”

Green Thinking 2012

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CSRp rojects Green Thinking

Green Mountain’s green river Keurig coffee brand owner Green Mountain runs a programme called Community Action for Employees (officially CAFE, but referred to internally as Café Time), which allows employees to spend up to 52 hours a year volunteering for non-profit and community-based organisations during normal working hours. In the 2011 financial year, Green Mountain employees spent a total of nearly 30,000 volunteer hours working with organisations in local communities.

One long-standing commitment by the Vermont-based firm has been to sponsor and participate in the clean-up of the local Winooski River, and 2012 marked the eighth year of the event which is held in conjunction with American Rivers’ National River Clean-up, a nationwide effort to keep the USA’s waterways clean. This year, the clean-up was even more poignant, coming after 2011’s devastating tropical storm Irene, and 240 employees from company

locations all over Vermont took part in the five-day operation. The volunteers covered a three-mile stretch of the river and removed almost 1,000 tyres as well as a mountain of other debris that included shopping trolleys, a 1982 computer and a beer keg.

Green Mountain has hosted two river clean-ups in other locations this year. Employees in Tennessee removed approximately 8,100 pounds (4,000 kg) of rubbish from the Tennessee River, and volunteers from a Keurig business unit in Massachusetts removed more than 12 tonnes of debris from the banks of the Merrimack River in Lowell.

240 Green Mountain employees took part in this year’s Winooski River clean-up

Pack to school

Teen star Bella Thorne was the face behind this year’s Do Something back-toschool campaign

A popular and effective way to help underprivileged members of the community is to provide supplies to children and schools during the back-to-school (BTS) season. In the US, the three big-box players and United Stationers all made sure that teachers and school kids went back to class this year armed with the supplies they required.

Office Depot – via the Office Depot Foundation – once again ran its national backpack programme which donated 400,000 backpacks during the 2012 BTS season.

The programme was launched in 2001 and since then has helped almost three million children. NASCAR racing driver Tony Stewart personally handed over supplies in five US cities.

Staples teamed up with DoSomething.org for the fifth time for its annual Staples For Students campaign which was fronted this year by teen actress Bella Thorne. The initiative encourages young people to collect school supplies and drop them off at a Staples store. Staples donated $125,000 in

supplies, and up to a further $10,000 in a Raise Your Hand social media campaign. The programme has raised more than $2 million for needy students since it began in 2008.

OfficeMax puts its BTS focus on teachers – in an effort to reduce teacher-funded classrooms – and has been running its A Day Made Better programme since 2007. This, along with other initiatives, has contributed more than $18 million in grants and supplies to support teachers and classrooms.

Additionally, OfficeMax has helped its non-profit partner Adopt-A-Classroom secure funding for more than 78,000 classrooms throughout the US. The reseller has also pledged to donate $1 million worth of supplies across 1,000 in-need classrooms later this year.

The United Stationers Charitable Foundation has been running a backpack and supplies donation programme for some years in addition to working closely with organisations such as the Kids In Need foundation. As the programme evolves, more of United’s independent dealer customers are now participating in their local communities.

This year, one such reseller was southern California dealer Freeman Office Products which collaborated in an initiative that saw more than 400 backpacks filled with supplies donated to students in the city of San Bernardino. w w w.opi.net | OPI Magazine

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Green Thinking CSR projects

Big and small in South African initiatives

Waltons teamed up with Mondi in South Africa to help seven charities

South Africa is recognised for its economically challenged communities and leading reseller Waltons has been working with paper manufacturer Mondi to donate funds to seven local charities. Over SAR55,000 ($6,500) was raised thanks to a promotion involving the manufacturer’s Rotatrim paper brand. To ensure that

the funds were well spent, each charity submitted a wish list and the requested items – which included food, baby formula, a washing machine, back-to-school and other stationery items, and IT equipment and supplies – were then purchased.

Representatives from a nearby Waltons branch visited the various organisations to hand over the sponsored items and to learn more about the work of the particular charity. The charities are located across South Africa and largely provide care, shelter, development and training for underprivileged adults and children.

Meanwhile, Johannesburg-area independent dealer Jabatha Paper and Stationery recently donated SAR15,000 to fund the purchase of two wheelchairs for the University of Limpopo’s Disabled Student Unit. “This is the beginning of more partnerships between us and the university,” said Jabatha Director James Sibeko. “We also promise to involve more companies in this quest of helping students living with disabilities to overcome their academic and social challenges.”

RED BOX’s big issue Leading London dealer RED BOX has teamed up this year with the Big Issue to help raise funds for The Big Issue Foundation and raise awareness of homelessness in the UK. There are around 2,500 Big Issue vendors in the UK who are able to make money by selling copies of the publication on the streets. The dealer has run a number of initiatives so far.

These include; a ‘sleep out’ when a team of RED BOX employees gave up their beds for a night to sleep out rough in the Waterloo area of London; a product promotion in collaboration with 3M whereby a donation was made to The Big Issue Foundation for every Post-It product sold; and RED BOX sales reps taking on the role of a Big Issue vendor to actually sell copies on the streets of England’s capital city.

Account Manager Jane Gibbons was one of those who participated in selling the Big Issue magazines. “It was really hard work but when you did get a sale it was a great feeling,” she said. “It wasn’t until after I had spent a morning with a vendor that I discovered they had to buy the magazines each week with their own money, so they’re effectively running their own micro-businesses. It was an incredible insight and very humbling.”

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RED BOX Managing Director Gordon Christiansen said that one of the things that had attracted him to the Big Issue Foundation was its philosophy of giving people a ‘hand up’ as opposed to a ‘hand out’.

RED BOX staff gave up their beds for a night to sleep out rough on the streets

Green Thinking 2012

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Green Thinking MPS

Green IT and MPS Richard Hodges, Founder and CEO of Green IT, delves into the inherent environmental benefits that managed print services can bring

The

emergence of Green IT as an issue creates new opportunities for managed print services (MPS) vendors and their suppliers to provide value to customers. Eco-efficiency and financial efficiency are directly linked. Where MPS can show economic benefits, it can also deliver measurable environmental benefits that are becoming increasingly vital.

The ‘eco-footprint’ of buildings and transportation systems has been a recognised problem for decades. Only in the last few years has attention been given to the environmental issues associated with IT, even though IT and consumer electronics are one of the world’s largest industries. Today green IT is a major topic being addressed by manufacturers, consumers and government policy-makers.

Green IT is quickly gaining momentum and will soon be recognised as important an issue as green building or having more efficient transportation systems. Until recently enterprise environmental responsibility initiatives rarely addressed IT as part of the overall plan for reducing carbon emissions, energy consumption, material use, toxicity, and waste. Rapidly increasing energy requirements to power electronics and the

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growing volumes of hazardous e-waste produced by IT systems are two aspects of the global eco-footprint of IT that have become particularly hot topics.

The paper effect

“The creation of paper requires large quantities of scarce and valuable resources”

For many organisations, print and imaging operations are the most significant aspects of their IT-related eco-footprint. The global consumption of paper products has increased five-fold over the last half century. The use of office paper more than doubled in the last two decades of the 20th century alone as digital technology made printing cheaper and easier. While the idea of “paperless” offices has been around since the 1960s, the increase in paper consumption in the workplace is directly linked to the increased use of IT. The more computers and printers we have, the more printed paper is produced and stored. The more paper we use, the more printing and imaging devices and consumables we buy, the more space we devote to paper storage, the more waste we produce.

The creation of paper requires large quantities of scarce and valuable resources: energy, water, wood and chemicals. Paper production can also be highly polluting,

Green Thinking 2012

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MPS Green Thinking emitting toxic and bio-accumulative substances into the air and water. Though the paper industry correctly argues that paper is made from renewable materials, unlike print and imaging machines, the process of paper manufacturing is still the target of much criticism for its damaging environmental effects. Pulp mill air emissions, for example, are second only to those of the oil and gas industry.

A growing mass The storage of paper also has a large eco-footprint due to the amount of building space it requires. A 2009 article by KJ McCoury says: “50–70% of space in an office is still dedicated to filing and storage of documentation […] over 45% of the files in those cabinets are duplicated information, and 80% is never accessed again […] Once filed away, most of this documentation is never needed again. Buildings use 36% of the primary energy in the US and 40% of raw materials consumed globally. The storage of printed office paper, in dry, air-conditioned comfort, is a resource intensive activity.”

The devices used for printing and imaging are another part of the eco-footprint.

Resource intensive in manufacturing and distribution, they consume power during every day of their life in use. They produce heat that contributes to building air conditioning load. Studies have also shown that print and imaging devices can cause degradation of indoor environmental quality through emissions of particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and other potentially unhealthy substances.

At the end of life, paper, electronic devices, and consumables are a significant portion of the solid waste stream produced by most organisations. Studies show that as much as 65% of waste from offices is white paper.

Un-recycled print cartridges and packaging waste are a significant contributor to the solid waste stream as well. At the end of their useful lives print and imaging devices become hazardous e-waste.

The inefficient use of print and imaging resources is also very costly. However, most organisations don’t have a complete picture of what they are spending since those expenses are spread out among various parts of the organisation. Though a ream of paper may only cost a few dollars, analysis shows that the real cost of paper use adds up to 13 to 31 times the purchase price of the paper.

For example, a study in Alameda County California found that the purchase cost of paper is only about 10–11% of the lifecycle

3M: A case study 3M partnered with HP through an MPS agreement, with the following results: The challenge: • No centralised control of printing or copying • 101 different printer models scattered throughout 3M offices • Some offices had almost as many printers as people • Little idea of total cost of ownership The solution: • Launching a centralised MPS • Consolidate with energy-efficient HP MFPs and laser printers • Streamline printer fleet management • Reduce device count by some 47% globally • Network-level duplex settings • Centralised management using HP Web Jetadmin software facilitates automated supply ordering The results: • More than $3 million in savings in the first two years • Per page costs reduced by up to 90% • Flexibility to continue deployment as 3M grows and changes • Reduced energy consumption by an estimated 79.9%, saving more than $1.2 million in energy costs • 8,240 metric tonnes reduction of CO2 emission from energy and paper reductions, equivalent to taking 978 cars off the road for one year • Estimated 353 million fewer pages printed • Over a 12-month period recycling efforts diverted more than 17,000 print cartridges away from landfill

“Vendors of MPS are well positioned to help customers reduce both the cost and ecofootprint of their operations” cost of paper use in an office. Copying, delivery, handling, storage, retrieval and waste management make up the other 90%.

Step in MPS Fortunately, vendors of MPS are well positioned to help customers reduce both the cost and the eco-footprint of their print and imaging operations. Like virtually every other aspect of green IT, being more environmentally responsible is fiscally responsible as well. Eco-efficiency and operating efficiency go hand in hand, but require changing the way organisations design and use print and imaging systems.

MPS can deliver value to a green IT programme, as well as to broader corporate social responsibility (CSR) objectives, in several ways: w w w.opi.net | OPI Magazine

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MPS Green Thinking

• Gathering benchmark or baseline data on the costs and eco-footprint of print and imaging services • Measuring and reporting on actual usage of services and materials over time • Ensuring efficient design and use of print and imaging systems and resources • Managing print and imaging equipment for maximum life • Influencing the supply chain to greener products and processes through purchasing strength • Assisting with design and management of recycling systems for paper and consumables • Contracting for and managing for the safe and proper end-of-life disposal of electronic products.

All of these services are beneficial to customers, and also in the best interests of MPS providers. They help customers get the most from their expense dollars and vendors to be profitable.

In the next few years both public and private sector organisations around the world will be subject to new regulations on waste management and carbon emissions. Many will also feel pressure from customers and business partners to demonstrate that they are tracking and managing the eco-footprint of their operations.

Walmart, for example, has launched a project to require sustainability reporting and compliance from all of its suppliers.

“MPS vendors should not miss the opportunity to demonstrate how they deliver value on this emerging issue” Government purchasing regulations in most of the world are incorporating environmental criteria in purchasing decisions. Every organisation will also face the continuing need to cut operating expenses.

MPS vendors should not miss the opportunity to demonstrate how they deliver value on this emerging issue.

Virtually every manufacturer and supplier of paper, print and imaging equipment, and consumables has a significant environmental responsibility initiative. They provide tools such as carbon calculators and are eager to have their story told. While customers may still be primarily driven by economic and operating issues rather than environmental responsibility in their decision-making, it can increasingly be said that becoming green is part of becoming profitable. Design and managing for sustainable operations isn’t a fad, it’s a long-term trend.

This article was originally published in a Photizo publication entitled MPS Insights Journal. For more information visit www.photizogroup.com

w w w.opi.net | OPI Magazine

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Furniture Green Thinking

Bringing sustainability to the table The OP industry defines green furniture in different ways, but what eco-friendly trends and strategies are we witnessing in the category?

by Ben Sillitoe ben.sillitoe@opi.net

Just

as ergonomic furniture has become a key consideration for the business community in recent years while companies look to improve staff productivity and retention rates, environmental protection has been added to the commercial agenda, often driven by eco-conscious employees with a desire to replicate domestic green practices in the office space.

US dealer group TriMega said in July that its furniture business was up more than 15% year-to-date, while a recent survey indicated that furniture sales were up for 64% of its members in that period. More than half of TriMega’s dealer members now have a furniture showroom, while the group says public sector demand is leading the growth in green, sustainable furniture.

Partly as a result of this change in attitude, there are now a host of

innovative and standard green office furniture products on the market.

Whether it’s a chair primarily made of recycled plastic bottles (see ‘Furniture with bottle’ on page44), desks composed of aeroplane wings (designed by BBC TV’s Dragons’ Den star Max McMurdo) or just cupboards manufactured using the latest green processes, you can find it listed in an office products catalogue somewhere.

Defining green A furniture product can be deemed green if, for example, it has been manufactured using recycled or recyclable materials, or even if it has been designed for longevity.

There are also organisations such as the Greenguard Environmental Institute that certify products and materials for low chemical and particle emissions, meaning office furniture firms displaying this label

OTTO Office has an extensive green office furniture range can prove their contribution to air cleanliness.

It is, of course, up to the end-user to decide what environmentallyfriendly feature means most to their business strategy when purchasing products. Many of them, however, may have their heads turned by OP firms making a firm commitment to the green agenda by placing CSR at the core of business operations – something that is happening increasingly regularly. w w w.opi.net | OPI Magazine

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Green Thinking Furniture One such company is Indiana-based National Office Furniture, which this summer saw its case goods and tables manufacturing site in Santa Claus become the first office manufacturing facility in the state to be awarded LEED certification.

The green label, issued by the US Green Building Council, was for operations and maintenance, reflecting various eco-friendly function and design measures introduced throughout the business.

Not only do the wood and laminate office furniture solutions made at the facility “meet stringent indoor air quality requirements”, but the environment in which they are produced ticks many green-friendly boxes, with recycling areas at individual workstations, the use of eco-friendly cleaning products and low-flow water fixtures and fittings in restrooms among the processes and solutions in place.

Globally green Germany and Scandinavia are often seen as leaders in sustainability in Europe, and, in June, German reseller OTTO Office launched a full array of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified furniture, with all wood used in the manufacturing process having been harvested from sustainably-managed forests.

There are around 1,000 items and 13 furniture ranges, which are sold as part of the selection.

OTTO Office has partnered with manufacturer Hammerbacher for a number of years now, and the collaboration between the two companies, where ideas and processes are discussed and put into practice, has enabled the reseller to undertake what it describes as an “ambitious project”.

Andreas Kalbitz, Head of Quality Management at OTTO Office, says that the initial customer response to the sustainable product offering has been “highly encouraging”.

“You know, we take the issue very seriously and are more than willing to invest in our commitment when it comes to sustainability,” he explains.

“We share any additional costs – for example, for purchasing the

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OTTO Office’s Andreas Kalbitz materials and having the furniture certified – with Hammerbacher, but we don’t pass on the extra costs of FSC-certified furniture to our customers.

“It is not so much about doing something ‘green’; it is much more about becoming aware of sustainable development. We just wish that industry and the retail trade would work even closer together on this issue. Only then can sustainable business practices really work in the long term, and being ‘green’ can actually be affordable for everyone – even manufacturers and retailers.”

In New Zealand, government-led initiatives are influencing OP companies to focus attention on sustainability, although it seems the current economic landscape dictates that price trumps sustainability when it comes to customer buying decisions.

Chris Thorley, National Sales and Category Manager at Auckland-based franchise group Office Products Depot, thinks that firms operating in the sector are making continual efforts to improve product sustainability, though, which in turn is helping revenues from green products grow incrementally year on year. He pinpoints rapidly renewable materials and durability/ longevity as the crucial features of an environmentally-friendly furniture product.

Explains Thorley: “Three of our largest furniture suppliers that make up a high percentage of our sales have worked over the past three to four years specifically to improve their supply chain and product manufacturing sustainable policies and practices.”

So there are plenty of examples of OP companies striving to improve and enlarge their environmentallyfriendly furniture ranges, but it is clear that businesses have different sustainability priorities.

What the industry tends to agree on, however, is that the sector is still growing, and with mounting pressure asserted on governments and large businesses to meet stringent CSR goals this could continue for some while yet. We should welcome the fact that OP marketing campaigns regularly focus on the green agenda and applaud innovative manufacturing-reseller partnerships, but it appears there is still some way to go before sustainability takes priority in the decision-making process of the majority of office furniture end-users.

Furniture with bottle A shining example of the office furniture category’s drive to be greener is US-based manufacturer Safco. The company’s Cava Urth office chair, which was launched earlier this year and is manufactured using materials such as recycled plastic bottles, picked up the Environmentally Friendly Product of the Year accolade at the 2012 North American Office Products Awards (NAOPA).

Commenting on the NAOPA win, Safco’s General Manager Nat Porter said: “I think the message of Urth is why it stands out.

It’s both made from recycled materials and is recyclable, plus you can easily make people understand where the materials came from. It really gives people a connection to the product.”

Green Thinking 2012

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Advertising Feature | Edding

Innovative ideas for sustainable protection of the environment Drawing a line, determining a direction, formulating a statement: the edding brand makes it all possible, because the marker specialist offers everyone the best product with which to realise their potential and implement their ideas.

The company believes in honesty and reliability. What edding says today still counts tomorrow. Action, not words, is the motto of the marker specialist when it comes to issues such as environmental protection. At edding, sustainability has nothing to do with the latest trends or current thinking, but has been part of the corporate philosophy since the very beginning. Even the first markers in the 1960s were refillable, with refill ink also available. “We weren’t just committed to making a profit, we also felt committed to the environment,” recalls Volker Detlef Ledermann, one of the company’s founders. “For edding, sustainability will also always mean that a marker can be used as long as possible,” he continues.

Over the years, there have been many developments: the introduction of spare nibs to extend the life of products yet further; the construction in the 1990s of an (at the time state-of-the-art) eco-friendly building and the establishment of the company’s first green concept, including a collection system for empty, used edding products. A commitment that is not only rewarding, but one that has also been rewarded: in 1995, company founder Volker Detlef Ledermann was presented with the B.A.U.M. (German Association of Environmental Management) award for championing eco-friendly practices.

New generation: sustainability takes on a new dimension In a family-owned business, the corporate culture is primarily influenced by its founders. In the case of edding, a company steeped in tradition, this also applies to the next generation. In 2005, Per Ledermann, the son of one of the founding fathers, took over operational management of the company. In the words of the current edding Director: “I have edding ink flowing through my veins”. And, in future, that ink will be green and eco-friendly. For under Per’s leadership, the notion of sustainability has been developed, taking on a new dimension. Since 2007, for example, the 160 or so employees at the company’s headquarters have been working under a sun roof. That’s because the roof of the high-bay warehouse in Ahrensburg is now home to a fully functioning photovoltaic installation. The system – spanning 400 square metres – produces around 20,000 kilowatt hours per annum. That’s equivalent to the amount of electricity consumed by five detached houses each year. A second solar installation went into operation just a few months later. 990 solar panels covering an area of 7,000 square metres have been generating green electricity at the edding production site in Bautzen, Saxony, ever since. Thanks to both systems, edding generates Per Ledermann – around 180,000 kilowatt hours – meaning a saving of up to 158 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

Managing Director edding AG

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Whether board, or flipchart marker, Wetherfor fora apermanent, permanent, board, or flipchart refills are an edding marker, refills are tradition an edding tradition

edding awarded the Energy Masters Award 2011 There have been other energy initiatives, too: In October 2010, a combined heat-and-power plant was installed in Ahrensburg. The company also uses a heat-recovery system. The fridges in the company’s own canteen produce enough heat to heat all the hot water for the kitchen. In recognition of this, edding was awarded the Energy Masters Award in 2011 as the best company in the “Energy Efficiency in SMEs” category. The jury cited the following reason for its decision: “We were impressed by the wealth of initiatives which edding, a typical SME, has undertaken with great commitment. This company has used - and continues to use - potentials for optimisation across a whole host of different areas, wherever they arise.

The company clearly adopts a sustainable approach, even investing in measures that are not expected to pay for themselves for several years”.

Green Thinking

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Edding | Advertising Feature At the production site in Bautzen, by contrast, the switch from old coolants to the latest available coolants has coincided with the complete redevelopment of the entire cooling, ventilation and heating system. For staff in Bautzen, the result has been a much improved working environment. For the company, the initiative has resulted in massive savings in gas of around 40%, a reduction in the amount of electricity consumed by around 15% and a drop in CO2 emissions by approx. 450 tonnes per annum – all the while, with an improvement in cooling and heating performance.

A crowning achievement for technology: Working beneath a “sun-roof”

The next milestone: edding EcoLine The year is 2008. Many of the products – including 81% of edding permanent markers alone – are refillable and/or have replaceable nibs. In production, the “gentlest” solvents are used and the company has successfully achieved certification to international environmental management system ISO 14001. In short, the time is ripe for another milestone: the introduction of the EcoLine series from edding. The range includes highlighters, the caps and barrels of which are made of at least 70% renewable materials. The series also includes two permanent markers and two board markers, available in each case with a bullet tip or a chisel tip. At least 90% of the total plastic parts are made of recycled material. 2012 is proving a good year for “the Greens” as the range is expanded to include two flipchart markers. Another plus point for the environment: the EcoLine sales packaging, including blisters, is made entirely of cardboard and contains no plastic at all.

The highlighter edding 24 is part of the EcoLine series

What’s more, to support its EcoLine series, the company launched a broadbased campaign in 2012. The company is promoting the conservation and protection of the “Wilde Buche” (“Wild Beech”) nature reserve in Germany, an area of land rich in flora and fauna, known for its stock of particularly old copper beech trees and an area worthy of protection. From March until the end of September 2012, the brand manufacturer donated 3 cents for every edding EcoLine product sold in Germany to this beech reserve.

For tomorrow’s world Incidentally, edding itself is the best proof that more and more companies, even small ones, are endeavouring to protect natural resources and be sustainable. For example, documents at edding are automatically printed on both sides, using recycled paper - the coffee machines switch off automatically when not in use, and because used paper is collected in the offices 45 trees are saved year on year. In addition, several users share a multi-functional printer which not only improves the consumption of materials and electricity, but also reduces fine-dust pollution. Team meetings with staff at other locations (including international sites) are replaced with a video conference wherever possible. This saves travel costs and reduces CO2 emissions caused by car journeys and flights. And if a car journey is simply unavoidable? Staff in Ahrensburg Group HQ have an electric car at their disposal for short distances.

www.ecoline.edding.com Thinking w w w.opi.netGreen | OPI Magazine

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Green Thinking Paper update

Making tracks As paper consumption continues its slow but presumably irreversible decline, most paper manufacturers are doing their utmost to make their products as green as possible

by Heike Dieckmann heike.dieckmann@opi.net

Even

the most critical environmental NGOs would agree that by and large, the global paper industry has done a good job in bringing transparency to the ecological footprint of paper production and in offering paper products that are environmentally sound to use.

Many producers now insist on rigorous third-party certification, reiterating to the marketplace that they don’t want to sell products associated with controversial sources from around the globe, including in many cases Indonesia (see also ‘Under fire’, on page 49), parts of Brazil, South Africa and the US, for example.

As this green thinking has permeated the industry, the price and quality of paper are no longer the overriding competitive criteria; the environmental value proposition is increasingly cropping up, even at a time when the economy continues to take its toll on many markets.

Indeed, plenty of companies have been forced to adjust their operating models to accommodate a generally declining market, but have done so with a continuous eye on their environmental reporting.

In WWF’s second Environmental Paper Company Index (EPI), based on 2011 data, 15 out of the 19 participating global producers of fine paper, tissue

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“Paper profiling tools underscore the value of sustainable papermaking processes”

and packaging achieved more than 60% of the total possible points as far as their environmental management systems and public reporting are concerned, putting them in the ‘good’ category. The index is split into sections, rating paper producers for their strengths and weaknesses (see http://wwf. panda.org/) in areas such as sourcing, clean production and environmental reporting.

Added credibility Being named in WWF’s index certainly adds credibility to paper manufacturers’ overall green message, but even companies that are participating (and are doing well) agree that there’s a way to go in making it a compulsory source of information.

Says Domtar’s Director of Advertising & Communications Kathy Wholley: “The WWF EPI is not perfect, and we are working with WWF to improve the metrics, but it’s a start.

It attempts to hit a broad spectrum of impacts instead of focusing on just a few.”

One of the index’s shortcomings at the moment is the fact that only 19 paper producers are participating, out of a total of 50 companies invited to do so by WWF. Does a reluctance to take part reflect badly then on the environmental credentials of those companies? Not necessarily so, as some manufacturers would simply prefer to do their own reporting rather than let a third party do it for them.

That said, a third-party audited rating tends to score highly with the end-consumer.

Mondi, for instance, has seen a lot of customer interest for environmental profiles such as WWF’s EPI or indeed its Check Your Paper scorecard. Johannes Klumpp, Marketing and Sales Director for Uncoated Fine Paper at Mondi, says: “Several of our customers list WWF’s Check Your Paper

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Paper update Green Thinking scores in their catalogues – they underscore the value of sustainable paper-making processes in all tiers of the paper industry.

These paper profiling tools are voluntary and require verification of company and product information via external audit, providing solid environmental benchmarks for merchants, distributors and paper purchasers in general.”

Domtar, meanwhile, has also made much progress in its environmental efforts. Most recently, it announced two key targets among its 35 key performance indicators in its sustainability growth report – an 8% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a 25% increase in FSC-certified fibre utilisation by 2020. And it’s being recognised for its contributions in the overall green dialogue.

Says Andrew Goldberg, Director Corporate Engagement at forest protection initiative Dogwood Alliance: “What [the 25% increase] means is that Domtar has committed to bring new certified supply in and that’s a nice commitment. It has got a good track record since it came to the US – it was the first in the office sector to bring in FSC-certified cut sheet paper with virgin fibre.”

Working together Goldberg also highlights Domtar’s involvement in the Carbon Canopy project. First established in 2007 by Dogwood Alliance and its former foe Staples, the project now encompasses a number of stakeholders – NGOs, landowners, global corporations and large paper and wood product manufacturers – to stimulate investment in the conservation and management of working forests and to expand forest conservation and FSC certification on private lands in the southern US. Wholley admits that access to certified fibre in the US remains a challenge: “The fibre that needs to be certified to responsible standards by landowners to meet the demand in the US is also becoming a more attractive raw material source for alternative energy.

We continue to work with the environmental community and landowners to increase the amount of FSC-certified wood through our involvement in projects like Carbon Canopy and The Nature Conservancy’s Working Woodlands programme.”

Aside from paper manufacturers’ approach to sourcing, production, emissions and general use of natural resources, what are the trends from a sales point of view – what do consumers want from their paper in 2012?

Under fire Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) has a dark history when it comes to sustainability issues, having repeatedly been linked to illegal logging and the clearance of the Sumatran tiger habitat. So when the company introduced its latest sustainability roadmap, did that do anything to turn over a new chapter? Not at all.

Not only is APP backtracking from its broken sustainability commitments of 2004 and 2007, it also appears to be moving back from commitments made just a year ago in its ‘Vision 2020, a roadmap to guide sustainability principles, goals and programmes’.

In the latest announcement, APP said it would “source 100% of its pulpwood supply from sustainable plantation stock by the end of 2015”. The 2012 roadmap actually switches terminology from “100 per cent sourcing” to “100 per cent capability” with the introduction of a new loophole for “Mixed Tropical Hardwood (MTH) waste & residues”.

In essence, we’ve heard it all before, says Andrew Goldberg, Director Corporate Engagement at Dogwood Alliance: “APP have tried forever to greenwash over their controversies and there’s simply not much credibility in the NGO sector for representations from APP. If they were able to bridge the gap and bring in respected NGO partners to evidence progress that would be something.

The proof is in the pudding.”

APP has also come under attack from Greenpeace International. The organisation earlier this year attacked fast food giant KFC for sourcing paper for its packaging products from the controversial Indonesian company.

Another company that has failed to impress the environmental community – albeit on a different level – is International Paper (IP). The company launched its 12 new voluntary sustainability goals for 2020 in May. They include a 15% improvement of energy efficiency in purchased energy use; a 20% absolute reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of products; and a 15% global increase in third-party certified fibre volume.

According to Goldberg, it’s the lack of an outline of its procurement policy that’s the most frustrating. “The company really left their procurement policy out of their goals saying that ‘we are going to get to that work before the end of this calendar year’. That still gives them a few more months and we look forward to an announcement that addresses the controversies in their supply chain and makes them a green leader. But until then, IP’s forest impact concerns Dogwood Alliance. They’re moving forward, but leadership is a high place to be.”

IP reiterates that it’s a work in progress and that its procurement policy will be finalised before the end of the year. Teri Shanahan, IP Vice President, Sustainability, states: “We are actively seeking input from a wide variety of stakeholders, including the Dogwood Alliance. While we are confident our supply chain is supporting responsible, sustainable forestry, we do need to find ways to ensure we can trace our supply chain and communicate that assurance.”

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Can APP’s environmental goals be believed?

Scepticism is rife.

w w w.opi.net | OPI Magazine

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Green Thinking Paper Update They want it certified and accredited, chlorine free, recycled and, increasingly, carbon neutral. In September, Mondi expanded its entire Green Range under its new slogan ‘As Green as it gets’. All Mondi-branded papers now meet Green Range criteria and are FSC or PEFC-certified, Totally Chlorine Free bleached or 100% recycled. But ‘As Green as it gets’ also carries an additional message, according to Klumpp: “For Mondi, sustainability is an infinite journey and not a final destination. It is about an unending drive and commitment to continually improve the eco-efficiency of our mills and all Mondi-branded papers.”

Losing weight UPM is seeing another trend. Quite simply put, it’s the demand for thinner papers.

Päivi Rissanen, Environmental Director of UPM Paper, explains: “Thinner papers are an excellent example of product innovation.

A thin paper with excellent runability and printability characteristics has long been a desire of the market and we are happy to offer such products now. These ‘light’ papers offer savings in raw material consumption, transportation, postage and handling. In addition, a 10% smaller environmental footprint per sheet compared to the same paper at 80g/m2 is achieved.

“Also,” she adds, “thin copy papers such as Yes and Future with a reduced grammage appeal to our customers since these kinds of developments help them save natural resources and thus they improve their own environmental performance too.”

As mentioned above, there’s been much talk about carbon neutral paper, making it the core message of many marketing campaigns.

But is the carbon neutral accolade really something to particularly strive for?

Not an easy question and there’s certainly no easy answer. Martyn Eustace, Director of pro-paper initiative Two Sides, says: “Carbon neutral papers are interesting. It’s just one aspect of being neutral and most of them involve some kind of carbon offset purchase.

You can turn a lot of paper into carbon neutral paper if you buy enough credits to balance the emissions. That said, it does force you to understand what the emissions are of your paper and to look at the lifecycle analysis.”

Goldberg is considerably more sceptical: “The most important thing about carbon neutral paper is a real understanding of carbon impact. We need honest carbon accounting as a basis for any claims. And what exactly is your claim referring to? When you’re looking at a post consumer sheet

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New EU timber regulation The US has got the Lacey Act (see www.eia-global.org/lacey) and now a similar themed bit of legislation is coming to Europe. Approved two years ago by the European Parliament, as of 3 March 2013, operators that place timber and timber products on the market have to comply to a set of regulations in an attempt to curb illegally harvested timber and timber products.

The three key obligations of regulation (EU) no. 995/2010 are: 1 To prohibit the placing on the EU market for the first time of illegally harvested timber and products derived from such timber 2 To require EU traders that place timber products on the EU market for the first time to exercise ‘due diligence’ 3 To keep records of suppliers and customers.

The core of the due diligence notion is that operators undertake a risk management exercise in order to minimise the risk of placing illegally harvested timber, or timber products containing illegally harvested timber, in the EU market.

For better or worse?

Will this new regulation and added layer make the choice for the customer easier or more difficult as regards the paper industry specifically? Martyn Eustace, Director of pro-paper initiative Two Sides, is unsure: “The vast majority of papers in Europe are made under very responsible conditions already, from legally sourced and certified material. So if you have some sort of overriding assurance that whatever you make your paper from comes from such sources, what else is it that we need to tell customers? There might be some nuances and differences in the carbon impact from one manufacturer to another, but in reality the biggest issue that the industry faces is to do with forestry sources and legally forested wood. If that’s prevented from coming into Europe with this regulation – largely happening already but not enforced – then I’m not sure why we need a huge amount of other labels to complicate things and confuse the consumer.”

there’s a consensus about what your carbon footprint is, but if you’re looking at the more complicated carbon picture of what happens in the woods and forests around the globe you have to be very careful.

“Basically, carbon neutral claims can be very suspect because carbon accounting has been such a hot potato. This is particularly so between the green community which does not believe that emission from burning biomass is carbon neutral – the forests that are harvested are transformed from a carbon bank into an emitter – and the position that the industry has put out previously that it is carbon neutral. There’s no consensus there.”

Plenty of progress has been made already, but it seems there’s still a long way to go!

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Green Thinking Supply chain

Claiming green OP manufacturers and suppliers are faced with a troubling miasma of accreditations, standards and policies where even the simplest environmental claim can be disputed and hard to substantiate

by Bruce Ackland bruce.ackland@opi.net

It’s

tough out there in ‘green’ land and it’s no wonder companies agonise over how far down their supply chain they need to go to satisfy the environmental needs of their customers and themselves. It’s even difficult to agree on a phrase that accurately sums up the intentions and commitments of those green companies.

“The term environmentally sound is relative and subjective,” explains MooreCo’s Director of Sustainability and Compliance David Posival. “Rather than use the term environmentally sound, I prefer to use ecologically friendly or ecologically sound to cover the broader scope of potential impacts.”

So even in its very terminology being green can be a headache. How can you be sure your suppliers are truly green if we are still debating what being truly green really is?

American author James Huneker is credited with the rather fatalistic phrase: “Life is like an onion: you peel off layer after layer and then you find there is nothing in it.” So how much should companies peel back the supply chain layers in the search for truly ‘green’ products and is it even feasible, especially in a market under strain?

Accreditations Of course, a lot of that hard work should be done through reputable accreditations that vouch for a company’s environmental soundness but even this has become a murky and overcrowded area. The issue of accreditation has become watered down by a slew of logos and PR-boosted references and labels that are often created in-house and have no independent third-party certification and therefore little in the way of veracity to back up claims.

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So the requirement for solid independent standards-driven performance verification services is still here. David Stober, CEO of Guided Products, believes the sheer number of green, social and responsible accreditations is simply “out of control”.

“We have walked through numerous accreditations and certification processes and, generally speaking, our standards have always been higher,” he says.

“We don’t seek accreditations just for the sake of accreditation or for the marketing or PR of it. What we seek is real, bottom-line economic, social and environmental performance that meets or exceeds our customers’ expectations.”

Christian Schneider, Managing Director of Schneider Pen, is similarly disappointed in the proliferation of largely meaningless accreditations. He says: “Trade and consumers are confronted with a variety of eco-labels and accreditations, which often have little informative value and consumer information.

“We have been certified since 1998 by EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme).

The environmental management systems EMAS and ISO 14001 are presumed to be transboundary and are therefore decisive for us when selecting suppliers.”

Interestingly, in Australia the situation is somewhat clearer, with a workable clutch

“How can you be sure your suppliers are truly green if we are still debating what being truly green is?” of accreditations that are generally agreed to be of true value. These include the Good Environmental Choice Australia, the Natural Carbon Offset Standard, AusBuy and Australian Made.

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Supply chain Green Thinking The not-for-profit ECO-Buy organisation also plays a valuable role in assisting companies to implement sustainable procurement and build a green supply chain.

Despite not actually being an auditing or accreditation body itself, it does require suppliers to provide evidence that meets its stringent criteria in order for them to be included in its ECO-Find Directory at www.ecobuy.org.au.

Supply chain Even if you make sense of the accreditation scenario the question still remains of how far an organisation can go down its supply chain to ensure what might be regarded as a truly green product.

Some multi-attribute certifications require full specification and testing on materials down to the raw material level, or single component level with an extreme limit on the quantity of certain “bad” materials or substances. Other point-driven certifications will award points for each step the organisation takes in the analysis and limitation of harmful substances or substances of concern.

Other single attribute certifications doing the rounds will only test products to ensure

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Last rites for ‘cradle to grave’?

The ‘cradle-to-grave’ concept is appearing more than ever to be more of a utopian ideal than an ecological one. As a term related to sustainability, cradle to grave has been around for some time and it was a decade ago that authors William McDonough and Michael Braungart took it even further when they wrote a book which coined the term cradle to cradle. They wrote that it was no longer sufficient to assume responsibility for a product from its inception to its ultimate disposal at the end of its lifecycle and that the new goal should be to design a continuous and never-ending lifecycle.

That’s all well and good but the truth is that the traditional ‘walk before you run’ mantra of progression is in stall at the moment, with cradle to grave proving tough to realise. Many hard goods manufacturers are still trying to invent or implement a cradle-to-grave concept, whether this involves real changes in their supply chain or talking about their future environmental plans. While some manufacturers have initiated product leasing and take-back programmes to remove certain materials from the cradle-to-grave cycle, it is the concept’s reliance on consumer buy-in that is problematic.

It is up to the consumer to participate in buying qualifying products and ensuring they are returned to the manufacturer or reclaim representative. If the cost is not deemed justifiable by the consumer – still most likely given the ongoing economic issues – the best cradle-to-cradle designed product will only be partially recycled, or more likely down-cycled in the best case scenario.

It’s this apparent unfeasibility of cradle-to-grave, at least in the current climate, that has pushed manufacturers towards the cradle-to-gate concept – an assessment of a product’s lifecycle up until it leaves the factory’s ‘gate’ – as they can guarantee the green veracity of products made at their plants.

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Supply chain Green Thinking compliance with the requirements of the specific certification.

How far an organisation can go down its supply chain to ascertain the greenness of an item can also depend on the product in question.

“In certain cases we can go down the supply chain very deep – sometimes even to the beginning,” says COLOP Sales and Marketing Director Franz Ratzenberger. “For example, the wood for handles on our Green Line Classic Line is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified. That means that we know that the whole supply chain is following the rules of the FSC to obtain its logo. Every part of the supply chain and even COLOP itself needs to be FSC-certified.

“Another example is the pioneering material for our Liquid Wood Printer, which is based on wood or rather on lignin – a natural spin off from the paper industry. Here we know that the wood used in Liquid Wood originates exclusively from sustainable, certified forestry, as it’s PEFC-certified.”

Of course, as organisations have scoured the world for the best affordable materials and products, the ability to investigate and ascertain the environmental credentials of their supply chain has become increasingly more difficult.

Indeed the cost and even logistics of confirming the environmental practices of global suppliers is largely prohibitive, leading some companies to stay close to home so they can keep their finger on the green pulse. Schneider Pen, for example, prefers, where possible, to use local suppliers and service providers with over 90% of its purchasing volume coming from within Europe, while COLOP’s strategy is to buy as close to Austria as possible.

Ratzenberger adds: “If it’s possible and it makes sense we work with local or at least Austria-based companies. The next step is Europe – especially EU. This strategy helps us to cover environmental aspects in two ways. Firstly: we know that this economic area plays a leading role when it comes to introducing regulations and laws to protect the environment. The companies we work with strictly follow these regulations and the majority of the suppliers do far more to protect the environment than demanded by the legislation. The second positive aspect of this strategy is that we reduce distances for transportation as far as possible.”

When analysing the area of green validation it seems that the real shortfall is coming from lack of true direction from governments and even non-governmental organisations. There

Suppliers down under OPI talks to Heather Lesley, Founder of Eco Office Supplies.

OPI: What is the market for green office supplies like in Australia?

Heather Lesley: Unlike in the US and the UK where specialist green office supply stores have traded for decades, this whole green space in the office products industry is relatively new to Australia. In fact, Eco Office Supplies was the first Australian organisation of its kind to devote its product offerings entirely to environmentally preferred products.

How do your suppliers make environmental claims about their products?

HL: Most suppliers, certainly the ones that we use, publish fact sheets and have detailed information available to their resellers through their website. Material safety data sheets must be provided for all cleaning chemicals, hand soaps, and so on. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will come down pretty hard on firms that make unsubstantiated environmental claims in their marketing.

Carbon claims are also under scrutiny, since the introduction of the Carbon Tax on 1 July this year.

Do you think some suppliers cut corners in terms of green supplies to reduce costs?

HL: Yes, sadly it’s a commercial reality that public companies do adopt cost-cutting measures, particularly in this economic climate. However, it is equally true that there is a new breed of manufacturers that have developed innovative solutions in response to the green movement.

For example, we currently stock rulers, pens, sheet protectors, bin liners and catering supplies that look like plastic but are actually compostable or degradable to minimise their environmental footprint at end-of-life. Or tree-free copy paper, toilet rolls, hand towels and catering supplies that are made from sugarcane bagasse and bamboo.

Resellers ask suppliers to conform to accreditations, but do you check what your suppliers ask for from their suppliers?

HL: From the very beginning when we researched and selected our product range we made a commitment to gather as much information as we possibly could from our suppliers, and in turn from their suppliers.

For some lines, we do stock products without formal accreditations if we identify that these products are less harmful to the environment than those with accreditations. We actually recently dropped an air freshener from our product range that contains ethanol – despite the manufacturer having certifications and endorsements – in favour of one that has purer ingredients that are not flammable.

certainly seems to be an ever-increasing commitment from companies to ensure their green products are truly green but their best intentions can still be hamstrung by a lack of true leadership and a single reputable standard with which environmental performance can be benchmarked. Until universal standards in accreditation and performance are accepted, green validation will continue to be one of the more confusing areas of the ‘go green’ revolution for organisations and consumers. w w w.opi.net | OPI Magazine

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Advertising Feature | Tesa

Rolling with the green agenda German vendor tesa’s ecoLogo range continues to grow as the importance of sustainability in business heightens

There

is no denying that the drive for companies and organisations to prove their environmental credentials increases each year, and for manufacturers such as Germany-based tesa it is crucial to supply sufficient green ranges.

And that is exactly what the Hamburg-based vendor is doing, through the continued production and extension of its successful ecoLogo assortment – and via the various eco-friendly initiatives and processes it has built into its everyday operations.

Being a member of the United Nations’ Global Compact, a strategic policy initiative for firms committed to aligning operations to key principals that meet human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption requirements, tesa has always placed sustainability and corporate social responsibility at the heart of its business.

Its ecoLogo range consists of office tapes, packaging tapes, glue and correction rollers, glue sticks, masking tapes and double-sided tapes which have been manufactured using some or all of the following: non-toxic ingredients, solvent-free adhesive compounds and renewable raw materials. No softeners or heavy metals are used in their production either.

Matthias Schumacher, Director, International Sales and Key Account Manager at tesa, says: “If you study Matthias Schumacher the press and political

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developments, I think it is clear that sustainability is not a trend any more. We see it as our responsibility to leave an intact environment behind for future generations.

“Therefore, we see further growth potential for our ecoLogo range and for sustainable products in general.

It is partly for these reasons why we think our range will expand in the future, with many tenders focused on so-called sustainable products.”

What’s new?

The tesa stationery assortment grew in 2012 with a new version of its Easy Cut Desk Dispenser and a non-permanent Glue Roller offering, while the housing of its Correction Rollers now consists of 100% recycled plastic and the product is packaged with 80% recycled material.

Easy Cut Desk Dispensers are one of the classics in tesa’s product range, having first been launched on the market over 75 years ago. The latest model is now even easier to use and it ticks all the environmental boxes in that it is made from 100% recycled plastic. In addition, tesa uses scrap material for the housing of its Glue Rollers, which are also solvent-free and come in similarly green packaging to its desk dispenser.

The German company has been a market leader in DIY products for many years, and this summer it added the ecoLogo to its range in this sector. Following its success with the initiative in the office channel, tesa has made the decision to particularly highlight environmentallyfriendly products in hardware stores and DIY shops, although it must be made clear that the new masking, fixing and repairing solutions may also be beneficial in the office environment.

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Tesa | Advertising Feature million and EBIT jumping 11% to €63 million. Double digit growth was experienced in the Americas and Asia, which contributed significantly to the business’s success at the start of the year.

“We are further going ahead with our listings for international and local customers across Europe,” says Schumacher.

Not standing still

“We have very good growth rates in our ecoLogo range – we are still rolling it out,” explains Schumacher.

“Many of the products have the same price level as non-green products, which is not the case with other environmentally-friendly goods on the market.

“As a niche market, dealers that sell ecoLogo items can benefit from excellent margins. A further attractive point is that we cover the full range of major OP products in a green version, including office tapes, packaging tapes, glue and correction rollers, glue sticks, masking tapes and double-sided tapes.

“It’s an extensive range – and we are the only ones covering all of the adhesive product types with a sustainable quality."

It is not just the products that are green at tesa; as Schumacher says, it’s part of the business’s philosophy.

For the second year in succession in 2012, the adhesives manufacturer ran its ‘Kleben Sie ein Zeichen’ programme in Germany, rewarding a variety of initiatives for their sustainability projects. A total sum of j50,000 ($62,950) was handed out to the winning projects that proved they were focused on improving the environment through innovative and relevant methods.

While promoting the eco-message itself, it seems there is still time to encourage others to follow suit.

Performance and markets So where will tesa’s sales be made? As we know the business is focused on European markets and, as Schumacher explains, there is “still major potential” across the continent despite the difficulties experienced across the eurozone in the last 18 months. With this in mind, there are two countries the vendor has pinpointed for success in the 12 months ahead, and they are no meagre territories.

“There is currently a special focus on France and Russia – the latter because it is a particular growth market with huge potential in tapes and also on the DIY side,” reveals Schumacher.

“In France, we are looking to strengthen our position in different markets.”

The company experienced both revenue and earnings growth in the first half of the year, with total company sales up 3.5% to €501

It is clear that tesa will not stand still when it comes to issues surrounding sustainability. The company itself says that the idea of a green agenda is embedded into its culture, and that brings with it a responsibility to pioneer and to break down boundaries relating to eco-friendliness. Indeed, extensive research and development (R&D) – which includes working closely with suppliers – goes into maintaining the quality of products and packaging made at tesa’s factories.

“At the moment we are using recycled plastic and other products from waste to make tapes and partly for glue sticks and correction/glue rollers,” says Schumacher. “Of course, our R&D is exploring other methods to produce packaging for our tapes, because our adhesive must always be original – you cannot recycle adhesives.”

Water-based adhesives are used by tesa in its ecoLogo range, while bio-based materials are also being considered for future manufacturing. The company is committed to using such green processes, but it will always take into account the impact this will have on the quality of its products – for instance, packaging tape must be a certain strength and this will never be compromised.

Every step of the way, products are made with a focus on overall quality and environmental impact. It is a policy that the firm – which has now been operating for over three-quarters of a century – hopes will bring it much success in the years ahead.

Schumacher says: “We have double digit growth expectations for the ecoLogo range this year – that is our plan.”

With an enhanced eco range and a dedication to sustainable product development in an environment where end-user needs are turning increasingly green, who is to argue with tesa’s ambitious goals for growth?

To find out more visit www.tesa.com.

Complete tesa ecoLogo assortment for Q4 2012

w w w.opi.net | OPI Magazine

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Green Thinking Green products

Most wanted Green Thinking 2012 showcases some of the most innovative new ecological and sustainable products to hit the market Fresh Inspiration 75 gsm: Pioneer FRESH INSPIRATION: Do more with less.

• A more practical and pragmatic approach for those who want to make the most of natural resources • An attitude that meets the product target. A ‘breath of fresh air’ to renew the company’s human resources and set up a whole new dynamic and entrepreneurial attitude, focused more on an ecological concern • This concept is driven by a great idea: ‘The world needs more fresh thinkers. With a resourceful and fresh approach to life, the positive results are endless.’

Who is the target?

• Young women • Women who are at the beginning of their careers and do not have enough time to do what they want, when they want to. They look for practical solutions to help them to solve several tasks at the same time • Women who have a high level of environmental awareness and a more modern attitude, which is evident in their lifestyle and the choices they make Who is the Fresh Inspiration woman?

• A modern young woman who lives life in a more relaxed and spontaneous way • A glowing woman with a positive attitude towards life • A woman full of energy who is in the beginning of her career, and wants to make a difference • A woman who is also concerned with environmental problems, and tries to contribute with small gestures • A “breath of fresh air” Websites: www.portucelsoporcel.com www.pioneer-paper.com www.pioneer-paper.com/en/pioneer-products/75g

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Dry Erase Boards: MasterVision Earth The MasterVision Earth products offer quality, value and eco-friendly principles. Careful material selection results in a product made from over 80% post-consumer and post-industrial waste, yet with the same high-quality performance the market demands.

This eco-friendly product is not only made from consumer and industrial waste, it is manufactured in an environmentally kind way.

The assembly method is solvent and adhesive free, and enables a simple strip down for easy recyclability. Thanks to this policy an incredible 98% of the product is recyclable.

MasterVision is part of the European Bi-silque group; the leading manufacturer of eco-friendly presentation and display products, selling to more than 80 countries worldwide. They are accredited with many trade, industry and customer awards recognising their reliability and innovation.

Many new solutions are available including whiteboards, easels, bulletin boards, showcases and accessories. For full product details contact the customer support team, details below.

Tel: +1 561 314 3970 Email: info.us@bisilque.com Website: www.bisilque.com

SofPull Automatic Touchless Paper Towel Dispenser: Georgia Pacific The SofPull automated touchless dispenser is the smallest, professional-grade touchless dispenser available. It is designed to fit in virtually any washroom, breakroom or any area where space is a premium. Bring the benefits of improved hygiene, reduced towel usage and the ‘cool factor’ of today’s automated touchless technology to your facility. Wave your hand and the dispenser automatically delivers a single towel, saving the cost, the mess and the waste associated with traditional folded towels.

The SofPull automated touchless dispenser helps reduce cost in use by saving up to 40% in usage over folded paper towels.* *Proprietary GP research study 2010 Contact: Christy Kneeland Tel: (404) 652-6543 Website: www.gppro.com

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Green products Green Thinking Bi-Office Eco-Friendly Aluminium Framed Cork Board: Bi-silque A quality notice board manufactured from over 80% post-consumer and post-industrial waste. This Eco-Friendly product is not only made from waste, but is manufactured in an environmentally kind way. The assembly method is virtually solvent free, and enables a simple strip down for easy recyclability. Thanks to this strategy a remarkable 97% of the product is recyclable.

The durable, self healing, natural cork facing means this board is ideal for intensive use. It is available in a range of sizes to suit any application and is conveniently supplied complete with wall fixings. Also offered with a natural wood effect frame for a more traditional look.

Bi-silque is the leading manufacturer of Eco-Friendly presentation and display products, selling to more than 80 countries worldwide.

The business is accredited with many trade, industry and customer awards recognising its reliability and innovation.

Many new solutions are available including whiteboards, easels, notice boards, showcases and accessories. For full product details contact the customer support team, details below.

Permanent marker, board marker, flipchart marker and highlighter: edding EcoLine The edding EcoLine does not only offer top quality – it also represents a sustainable solution that is kind to the environment.

The range includes two permanent markers, two board markers (each with bullet and chisel tip) and a highlighter. Since mid-2012 edding has expanded its range with two flipchart markers: the edding 31 and the edding 32. At least 90% of the total plastic parts contained in the permanent, flipchart and board markers are made from recycled material. At least 70% of the highlighter cap and barrel is made from a renewable resource.

The EcoLine series offers high performance markers featuring the ‘gentlest’ solvents currently available. Water-based ink is used for highlighters and the flipchart markers, alcohol-based ink for the permanent and board markers.

The launch of the EcoLine range demonstrates edding’s unwavering commitment to the environment at product level.

Edding’s commitment to the environment extends to its entire product portfolio: most pens, like those in the EcoLine series, are refillable, avoiding any unnecessary waste. Products can be used for longer thanks to refill systems, spare cartridges and spare tips.

Tel: 351 256 750 130 Email: info@bisilque.com Website: www.bisilque.com

Post-it Greener Pop-Up Notes Dispenser – Glass and Cork: 3M A 2011 GOOD DESIGN Award winner: Post-it Greener Pop-up Notes Glass and Cork Dispenser.

Bring design and natural materials to your desk with the new glass and cork dispenser. It is constructed with only two pieces of natural, recyclable raw materials – just glass and 100% recycled cork. The beauty of its materials bring a natural elegance to your desk.

This Glass and Cork Dispenser holds 3’’ x 3’’ inch Post-it Greener Pop-up Notes. With Greener notes, the paper used is 100% recycled and the adhesive is plant-based so no new trees were used. Pack includes one 50-sheet pad of Greener Pop-up Notes.

Contact: Jennifer Stoltenow Email: jstoltenow@mmm.com Website: www.post-it.com

www.edding.com

Re-Solution: Jalema A smart range of desk accessories in trendy matt black made of 100% recycled polystyrene (post-consumer waste).

The range consists of a desk top set (four closed drawers), a letter tray (head to tail), a magazine file, a memo cube, a waste paper bin (18 litres) and book ends.

Blue Angel certified.

Tel: +31 (0) 77 476 76 76 Email: info@jalema.com Website: www.jalema.com

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Green Thinking Green products Vario-System ‘Plug & Play’ and K3 Biosafe: Schneider The ecologists Vario-System ‘Plug & Play’ Refilling reduces waste and saves costs. Schneider ballpoint pens with the Plug & Play system have a universal fit for different refill formats. This makes a replacement very easy. Instead of buying a completely new pen, you just need to replace the refill. A few simple adjustments and your ballpoint pen turns into a gel writer or vice versa.

Jalema Green: Jalema A revolutionary range of natural looking products with extraordinary environmental benefits.

The range consists of a letter tray, a magazine file, a memo cube and book ends. Products are made of 100% biodegradable and fully compostable materials according to EN 13432.

Tel: +31 77 476 76 76, Email: info@jalema.com Website: www.jalema.com/en

K3 Biosafe The barrel of the ballpoint pen K3 Biosafe is made of bioplastics, which is natural, renewable and compostable cellulose.

UPM Office Recycled office papers: UPM

Tel: +49 7729 888-235, Fax: +49 7729 888-518 Email: martina.schneider@schneiderpen.de Website: www.schneiderpen.com www.schneiderpen.de/en/ecology/plug_play.html

Printer ‘Liquid Wood’: COLOP ‘Liquid Wood’ is an innovative and pioneering material. As the term already implies, the material has something to do with wood. Specifically, it is a bioplastic made predominantly from lignin. Plants consist of up to 30% lignin, which is largely responsible for their rigidity, and is primarily obtained in paper production by separating wood into cellulose and lignin. While the cellulose fibres are processed into paper, the by-product lignin is used almost exclusively for energy production.

Lignin is a natural polymer, in contrast to typical synthetic polymers made from petroleum. Today it is the basis for innovative materials. By mixing in various materials and strengthening fibres, the bioplastic ‘Liquid Wood’ exhibits similar properties to impact-resistant plastics (such as ABS). The wood used originates exclusively from sustainable, PEFC-certified forestry. ‘Liquid Wood’ is also 100% biodegradable.

Today, COLOP´s ‘Green Line’ and the Printer ‘Liquid Wood’ form the group of ‘Green Stamps’. These are not only optimised according to ecological principles, but they are also CO2 neutral.

This means that unavoidable CO2 emissions are offset by investments in climate protection projects (Gold Standard projects) based on the system boundary ‘cradle to gate’. At the beginning of the year the ‘Green Stamps’ were awarded the Austrian eco-label.

Website: www. colop.com www. greenstamps. colop.com

UPM Office is now also available as two 100% recycled office papers, making the paper brand a one-stop shop for office papers. Reusing wood fibres in paper making gives sustainably manufactured paper a new life and prolongs the lifecycle of paper.

UPM Office Recycled premium is a high white paper with a uniform sheet formation and good bulk. It represents one of the highest quality recycled papers in the market. Suitable for laser printers, inkjet printers, copiers and fax machines.

UPM Office Recycled plus is a nicely white paper. It is a functional and sustainable choice for office documents. Suitable for laser printers, inkjet printers, copiers and fax machines.

UPM Office Recycled papers have EU Ecolabel certification which proves environmentally conscious production and effective use of raw materials. In addition both have FSC certification and UPM Office Recycled plus is accredited with Blue Angel.

Tel: +4949634011339 Email: anke.bockmann@upm.com Website: www.upmpaper.com

Park Preserve Envelopes: Quality Park Park Preserve envelopes are bulk packed envelopes packaged in a reusable file carton ideal for storing letter size documents. This line of envelopes creates less waste for the environment by eliminating the inner box material used in smaller quantity packages. Available in a variety of envelope styles.

Conveniently packaged with labels for file carton storage identification.

Website: www.qualitypark.com

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Please sponsor us 9 November 2012 The One Million Pound Hi-Mountain Challenge

The OPI team is once again raising money for the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) by climbing some of the UK’s highest peaks in freezing winter conditions.

This year’s event is particularly special, not only because it is the 25th year of the Climb of Life; if we reach our fundraising target the office products industry will have raised £1 million for this very worthy cause.

One third of us will be touched by cancer in our lifetime, and every hour in the UK a man dies of prostate cancer.

The ICR is an academic working body with more than 800 scientists across Europe and the US. As the third largest organisation of its kind in the world, it has taken more drugs into clinical trials in the last decade than any other organisation in the world.

Now in its 25th year

Help us support their invaluble work.

Please sponsor us. www.opi.net/ClimbofLife2012 For US donations visit: www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/OPIClimbofLife/2012 For all other donations visit: www.justgiving.com/OPIClimbofLife Or contact: india.pride@opi.net, + 44 (0)20 7841 2959

Green products Green Thinking Insight Magnet Glass Boards: MooreCo •

• •

Modernise your space with a functional and contemporary image. Insight Magnetic Glass Dry Erase Boards provide the best of a quality whiteboard with the highest style.

Borderless and seamless, available in either projection grey or crystal clear low iron white.

Insight is compatible with any dry/wet-erase marker, grease pen, etc. Easily cleans without ghosting or staining.

Beautiful and durable with a 50-year guarantee.

GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified and GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certified SM.

EarthChoice30 Recycled Office Paper: Enterprise Group EarthChoice30 Recycled Office Paper is a reliable multipurpose paper containing 30% post-consumer recycled fibre and is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified by the Rainforest Alliance.

It’s engineered to run smoothly on a variety of printing equipment and guaranteed on all high-speed copiers, laser and inkjet printers.

EarthChoice30 also contains ColorLok Technology for more vivid colours and bolder blacks.

Website: www.egpaper.com

Tel: 254-778-4727 Website: www.mooreco360.com http://mooreco360.com/series/insight-board

Tenzalopes: Tenza

Climate-Neutral. As Standard: Trodat Two years after introducing the Original Printy 4.0, which has incredible CO2 savings of up to 49%* with respect to its predecessor model and offers climate neutrality as standard, Trodat is once again raising the subject of environment and climate protection in the stamp industry to a new level.

As of 2013, Trodat manufactures more than 70 of its best-selling products with the highest content of recycled plastic that is technically possible in order to reduce its CO2 footprint. In a second step, the residual, unavoidable CO2 footprint of those products is compensated by investment in Gold Standard climate protection projects recommended by WWF. As a result, Trodat offers its best-selling products climate-neutral – as standard!

“From our point of view, true environment and climate protection orientation manifests itself by the company showing that it commits its main business – i.e. its standard products – to environmental and climate protection, thus maximising the positive impact.” says Dr Hildegard Aichberger, Managing Director of WWF Austria, in an interview with Markus Würcher, Managing Director at Trodat in July 2012.

“The path taken by Trodat to offer its main products as carbon neutral is therefore exactly the right one. That should be preferred to just offering green secondary product lines because of the more positive climatic effect.” * ECO-black and ECO-grey. Lower percentage for other colours. More at www.printy.trodat.net.

Contact: Andreas Poimer Email: andreas.poimer@trodat.net Website: www.trodat.net

Tenzalopes are the world’s most environmentally friendly ‘Documents Enclosed’ envelopes.

Tenzalopes are manufactured with oxo-biodegradable film which offers the same appearance and functionality as standard ‘Documents Enclosed’ envelopes, but are unique due to their degradation capabilities – even when in landfill.

Tel: 01728 602811 Email: sales@tenzatech.com Website: www.tenzatech.com

tesafilm eco & clear ecoLogo: tesa The reliable tesafilm now available as a recycled, environmentalfriendly version: 100% quality, 100% recycled plastic. Ecological products are making a valuable contribution to protecting our environment through the use of recycled materials.

As one of tesa’s classics, tesafilm eco & clear has been launched in 2010 in accordance with the new ecological standards under the sub brand ecoLogo. Product features include: • Film and core made from 100% recycled plastic • Solvent free adhesives • Transparent clear quality • Almost invisible on many surfaces • High age-resistance • Silent unwinding • Packaging: 80% recycled cardboard • Suitable for use in all available tesafilm dispensers.

Website: www.tesa.com

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Green Thinking Green products Bare - Eco-Forward Single-Use Products: Solo Cup Company Compostable, recycled content, renewable resources!

Solo is committed to making a positive difference to the environment, offering a full portfolio of Eco-Forward products with various environmental attributes. A demonstrated commitment to the environment by working toward sustainable solutions that optimise the use of recycled, recyclable, compostable or renewable resource materials. Look for Bare hot cups and dinnerware in Solo Perfect Pak’s, the perfect size when space is a premium! Up to 70% less than Solo’s standard case counts, ideal for the office channel.

Contact: Jim Prestage Email: James.Prestage@solocup.com Website: www.solocup.com/ www.barebysolo.com/

BIOTECH Toilet Paper: Sofidel

NAUTILUS SuperWhite: Mondi

Papernet presents Biotech, the toilet paper that cleanses.

Biotech is the innovative biological toilet paper from Papernet that is good for the pipes, your wallet and the environment. Thanks to BATP technology, for which Papernet has the exclusive European rights, Biotech is the first complete product that cleans the sewerage system and septic tanks.

Biotech contains five different types of good microorganisms, which are completely harmless and remove incrustations and smelly substances from the pipes. You don’t have to wait long to see results either: in just four weeks the cleaning action of Biotech toilet paper eliminates blockages, nasty odours and other dirt from the pipes. What’s more, the constant use of Biotech reduces the need for the mechanical cleaning of sewerage systems, hence reducing maintenance costs. Sample studies carried out on tourism/ accommodation premises with an average of 100 visitors daily demonstrated that the exclusive use of Biotech radically reduces the need to unblock the sewerage system and makes for some considerable savings – up to 40% as compared to using standard toilet paper. In conclusion, we can affirm that Biotech has a positive environmental impact.

As well as cleaning pipes, the good microorganisms in Biotech toilet paper contribute to eliminating surfactants emitted by cleaning products, and once the active action is complete, they biodegrade without leaving any residue. Thanks to BATP technology, which forms the basis of the Biotech product, the simple action of throwing toilet paper into the water is transformed into an action of respect for the environment. Confused by this surprising news? Don’t worry! Papernet has dedicated an entire minisite to this new product: visit biotech. papernet.it and your every question will be answered.

NAUTILUS SuperWhite is Mondi’s 100% recycled high white paper for professional-looking office printouts with outstanding environmental credentials.

Rated ‘excellent’ on WWF’s Check Your Paper environmental benchmarking tool, NAUTILUS SuperWhite is certified FSC recycled, offers a CO2 neutral option and is accredited with the EU Ecolabel, and is approved by NAPM. Available in a wide range of grammages from 70-250 g/m2 in formats A5, A4, A3, the whiteness level is ideal for documents that benefit from sharper contrasts for eye-catching corporate communication.

Optimised for large print runs as well as daily copying and printing, Mondi recommends NAUTILUS SuperWhite for a multitude of applications ranging from presentations, marketing brochures, company reports, direct mail, annual reports, invoices and company stationery – from letterhead to envelopes.

NAUTILUS SuperWhite is an eco-conscious choice that also delivers an environmental message in all your corporate communications.

As an additional environmental initiative in Mondi’s efforts to reduce the effects of climate change, NAUTILUS SuperWhite is available CO2 neutral (optional). To offer this option, Mondi participates in the emissions reductions programme Run of River. The Run of River hydropower project results in an average annual CO2 reduction of approximately 230,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents.

NAUTILUS SuperWhite is part of Mondi’s Green Range of sustainably produced uncoated fine papers. As of 2012, all Mondi branded papers meet Green Range criteria and are FSC or PEFC certified, 100% recycled or Totally Chlorine Free.

Tel: + 39 0583 26 81 Email: sofidel@sofidel.it Website: www.papernet.it www.biotech.papernet.it

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Website: www.mondigroup.com/nautilus

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