Green Thinking Type B

GREEN2015 THINKING The UHU速 initiative for a sustainable world

lower CO2 emissions* *Compared to the standard UHU stic, twist & glue averaged above the total life cycle (calculated by denkstatt/Vienna, April 2013 and June 2014).

COMMENT

Editorial Editor-at-large Andy Braithwaite +33 4 32 62 71 07 andy.braithwaite@opi.net

Editor Heike Dieckmann +44 (0)20 7841 2950 heike.dieckmann@opi.net

Deputy Editor Michelle Sturman +44 (0)20 7841 2942 michelle.sturman@opi.net

Sales and Marketing VP – Continental Europe, Middle East and Africa Ewan Dickson +44 (0)20 7841 2954 ewan.dickson@opi.net

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

Director of Growth Services Jeremy Hughes +44 (0)7807 810617 jeremy.hughes@opi.net

Digital Marketing Manager Aurora Enghis +44 (0)20 7841 2959 aurora.enghis@opi.net

Events Events Manager Lisa Haywood +44 (0)20 7841 2941 events@opi.net

Production and Finance Designer Charlotte Gerhardt +44 (0)20 7841 2943 charlotte.gerhardt@opi.net

Production Assistant Jack Francis +44 (0)20 7841 2950 jack.francis@opi.net

Accountant Jairo Paya +44 (0)20 7841 2956 jairo.paya@opi.net

Publishers

Welcome to OPI’s 2015 Green Thinking magazine. As the following pages demonstrate, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are very much alive and kicking in the business supplies industry at vendors and resellers alike.

In 2014 we featured Office Depot in some detail. This year it is the turn of the two other global OP resellers Staples and Lyreco to share their thoughts on key sustainability issues – including how ‘green’ expertise can drive customer loyalty, and the steps they take to ensure compliance in the supply chain.

Much has been made about the impact of millennials in the workplace, and it is clear from a number of articles in these pages that this generation is more engaged when it comes to social and environmental issues. As various studies have highlighted, this will influence not only the types of products they buy, but also the kinds of companies they want to work for.

As you can see from this publication, the business supplies industry is well placed on both fronts to appeal to these millennial workers.

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

Andy Braithwaite, Editor-at-large

Director Janet Bell +44 (0)20 7841 2941 janet.bell@opi.net OPI is printed in the UK by

The carrier sheet is printed on Satimat Silk paper, 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.

CONTENTS 5 CBP0009242909111341

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.

Office Products International Ltd (OPI), 2nd Floor, 112 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M 5SA, UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7841 2950

News

34 Edding

10 Big Interview

36 CSR Initiatives

16 Supplier Compliance

40 Carbon Neutrality

20 SOfEA

42 Schneider

22 Eco Labels

44 Recycling

26 Paper Update

46 UHU

30 Jan/san & Breakroom Follow us online opi.net/ linkedin

@opinews

facebook.com/ opimagazine

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opi.net/ app 3

News Has your company's environmental policy changed over the past year?

Yes – significantly due to new legislation No – it's already as good as it can be

18%

27% 55%

No – we don't have an environmental policy

Sustainable Office Day at Paperworld

Depot customers awarded for buying green Office Depot has recognised a number of organisations for their commitment to purchasing green products.

The awards were presented during the Eighth Annual Leadership in Greener Purchasing Awards ceremony. The winners were selected from among Office Depot's largest 1,000 customers based on their green spend percentage compared to others in their sector.

Office Depot calculates this green spend percentage by comparing a customer's expenditure on products with ecoattributes, such as recycled content, energy efficiency, nontoxicity etc, and/or eco labels.

Paperworld 2016 will hold a series of lectures and events in partnership with the German Environmental Management Association (BAUM) about the sustainable office world.

The tradeshow has been highlighting the subject of environmental protection and sustainability in the office since 2009. This year Green Office Day has a new title – Sustainable Office Day – and will take place on Tuesday 2 February.

According to BAUM board member Dieter Brübach, the event has been renamed as the lectures are expanding to include social themes in addition to environmental aspects.

ForestEthics applauds brands' stance on SFI

Illuminating employee well-being Office products manufacturer Durable is reaping the benefits of a new LED lighting system at its warehouse facility in Wimborne, UK. Durable said the new lighting has improved the comfort of staff and increased productivity for the company. It has also reduced the manufacturer’s annual lighting bill by 90% and cut CO2 emissions by 86%.

Environmental group ForestEthics is claiming victory as more brands, including Xerox, commit to Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.

ForestEthics said a total of 31 brands have now expanded their commitment to promote responsible forestry by distancing themselves from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) paper and wood certification and labelling.

In updating its policy on sustainability and sourcing, Xerox said it is “no longer directly involved in paper sales in North America and will work with suppliers to avoid using or promoting the SFI certification programme”.

In one of the more high-profile SFI-to-FSC switches, ForestEthics collaborated with 3M to help design a new pulp and paper sourcing policy.

ForestEthics Senior Campaigner Jim Ace said: “This is exactly the kind of corporate leadership on responsible forestry and sustainability that the multibillion dollar market for green products will reward.”

www.opi.net | OPI Magazine

5

News

SmartWay Excellence A hearty Award for Kimberly-Clark recycling Kimberly-Clark has once again been honoured with a SmartWay Excellence Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The award was given to the company for working with transportation providers to move goods in the cleanest, most energy-efficient way possible, while reducing the impact of carbon pollution.

According to Kimberly-Clark, since joining the SmartWay programme in 2006 the company has more than doubled its use of intermodal transport, saving an estimated 72 million gallons (327 million litres) of diesel and reducing greenhouse

project

gas emissions by approximately 734,000 metric tonnes. The adoption of more efficient transport has also saved the firm about $415 million.

UK-based inkjet and toner recycler The Recycling Factory has announced a milestone in its fundraising for national charity, the British Heart Foundation.

Through donations of inkjet and toner cartridges, the partnership has managed to raise in excess of ÂŁ125,000 ($191,000) that will directly contribute to helping the charity continuing its life-saving work.

Coffee enhances FSC and environmental PEFC improve credentials certification

After numerous reports regarding the impact of traditional singleserve pods to landfill, a number of coffee firms have been busy ensuring their pods are more environmentally friendly.

Club Coffee, for example, has earned Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certification for its PÇ–rPod100, which it says is the world's first certified 100% compostable single-serve pod for coffee, tea and other hot beverages.

Marley Coffee recently launched recyclable EcoCups for the office coffee service sector. The company said all of its RealCup singleserve capsules would begin transitioning to the new EcoCup format over the next few months.

After a fierce backlash over its non-recyclable K-Cups, Keurig said a top priority for the company is ensuring that 100% of its pods are recyclable by 2020. The coffee firm also committed to investing $5 million over five years in recycling solutions via the Closed Loop Fund, a coalition of companies that are providing essential investments required to meet some of the larger challenges to recycling access in the US.

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Green Thinking 2015

A review by UK government advisory body Central Point of Expertise on Timber on public sector timber procurement policy has seen both the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) scheme in the UK recertified.

The certification renewal follows an independent technical panel review, which was approved by the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).

Defra said both schemes remain 100% compliant with the legality criteria and are also over 90% compliant with the sustainability criteria. Defra also noted that both FSC and PEFC have made substantial improvements to their initiatives since 2010.

News

Dow Jones releases Sustainability Index results This year’s Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) includes a number of companies involved in the office products industry.

The index recognises 317 businesses for their commitment to best-in-class economic, environmental and societal sustainability. The 2015 list includes Herman Miller, Wesfarmers, P&G, LG, Unilever, Fujitsu, 3M, Samsung, Compass Group, Samsung, UPM, Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, HP, Konica Minolta and Ricoh.

A few interesting notes: Herman Miller is the only contract furniture company on the list; Wesfarmers is a new entry; Office Depot makes it for the tenth year in a row while Staples has been featured for the 12th time this year.

Two Sides to every story Paper and print sustainability organisation Two Sides has said its latest initiative to tackle greenwashing in the UK was a success.

Since May, Two Sides confirmed it had identified and challenged 25 well-known businesses to consider the messaging and the potentially misleading anti-print and paper statements they are making to customers about becoming paperless.

Two Sides commented that, so far, 22 companies have agreed to remove the claims – an 88% success rate. The most commonly made statements include ‘go paper-free and do your bit for the environment’ and ‘e-billing is more environmentally friendly than the traditional paper bill’.

New greenhouse gas goal from P&G Procter & Gamble (P&G) has announced a new goal to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions from its facilities by 30% by 2020.

Developed in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a 30% reduction will ensure that P&G is helping efforts to stop global temperatures from rising more than 2oC. P&G plans to achieve the 30% goal by focusing on energy conservation and increasing the use of renewable energy.

The firm has also joined WWF’s Climate Savers programme which enables leadership companies to collaborate and accelerate their efforts to address climate change.

Lyreco opts for solar Lyreco UK has installed almost 14,000 solar panels on the rooftop of its Telford distribution centre.

The installation is one of the five largest rooftop solar array systems in the country and is predicted to cut Lyreco’s annual energy bill by over £50,000 ($78,000) and save 1,700 tonnes in CO2 emissions per year.

The installation is one of the first commercial systems in the UK to use 275W panels, which are typically used on solar farms.

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Green Thinking 2015

UK dealer moves to hydrogen fleet UK-based Commercial Group’s office supplies division has announced the use of its hydrogen hybrid van as part of the London Hydrogen Network Expansion (LHNE) consortium project.

The van is the first of a fleet of hydrogen hybrid internal combustion engine transit vehicles and

is currently undergoing a test period before the fleet is fully rolled out over the coming months.

Commercial Group Environmental Strategist Simon Graham said: “We have spent many years reducing the environmental impact of our fleet and hydrogen power offers a huge opportunity to lower it further.”

Sustainable 3D printing UK-based bioplastics firm Floreon has launched an innovative bioplastic 3D filament that improves print quality, reduces nozzle closing and increases flexibility of polyactic acid (PLA) in 3D print.

Floreon3D addresses the need for a sustainable 3D printing filament that matches the performance of conventional filaments and is also biodegradable.

BIG INTERVIEW

becoming the

trusted advisor Staples is using its environmental expertise as a key differentiator to proactively engage with its customers

by Andy Braithwaite Moving the conversation with customers away from price and creating a ‘stickier’ relationship based on value-added services is an aspiration of many business supplies resellers.

Helping clients achieve their environmental goals can be a key component of this closer relationship and this is something that Staples has been working on.

OPI spoke with Mark Buckley, Staples’ VP of Environmental Affairs, and Christian Horn, SVP and Head of Staples Advantage in Europe, to find our more.

OPI: Mark, could you start by giving us a quick overview of Staples’ sustainability vision?

Mark Buckley: The vision that we have as a company is that we really want to generate economic, social and environmental

the five pillars of staples’ sustainability programme Offering easy recycling solutions for our customers

Eliminating operational waste

Selling more Maximising sustainable energy products efficiency and the use of renewable energy 10

Green Thinking 2015

Becoming a sustainability leader in the global community

benefits for ourselves as a business, our customers and the community that we serve by leading the way in how sustainable business gets done. Whether you’re in Europe, Australia, Asia, the US, Canada or South America, it doesn’t matter: the overriding vision and focus for us is really around offering a full suite of environmentally responsible products and services.

From a global perspective, we’re using ISO 14001 as a framework by which we all operate. In different parts of the world we’re moving faster in some of these areas than in others. However, at the end of the day our goal is to become that trusted, sustainable business solutions provider and advisor for our customers wherever they may be.

OPI: You’ve got five pillars to your sustainability strategy. Are these the same regardless of which market you’re looking at?

MB: Primarily they are. We may call them something slightly different in the various markets, but those are really the five focus areas – not only in the four walls of our operations, but also within our supply chain relative to our suppliers and then also with respect to our customers.

OPI: Christian, perhaps you could add a European perspective.

Christian Horn: I think as we look at Europe, what we see is that we have a chance through our business relationships to help our customers understand and influence the impact they’re making on the environment.

Customers are looking to us and asking us what they need to do, because procurement managers are under a great deal of pressure due to all the sustainability aspects in their procurement programmes.

I recently attended a global CPO [Chief Procurement Officer] conference in London and they all look at each other and say: ‘Oh my, I need to work with my supplier because I need to quantify how my procurement programme reduces our environmental impact.’

StaplES

Christian Horn & Mark Buckley

So we very much focus on making things tangible and quantifiable for customers. Does that make sense?

“the overarching vision and focus for us is really around offering a full suite of environmentally

OPI: Perfect sense, yes. There are a lot of things involved in all that. Is there any one thing you would say is an absolute priority?

CH: There are a few, but they all go back to the customer proposition. We ultimately believe that we can do a better job, but where we differentiate ourselves is in our ability to help customers streamline their processes in a proactive fashion.

Procurement managers need to quantify behaviour and they live and die by being able to quantify value. We can show customers the carbon footprint reduction that is generated if they give us another product category and group their orders, for example.

Staples is very much about trying to be the trusted advisor.

I believe another key differentiator is around product selection and to avoid customer confusion with the multitude of eco labels – we cut through the jungle and make it easier for customers to make the right choices.

responsible products and

OPI: So, what is your approach to labelling products as ‘green’?

CH: We have created an overarching label called Easy on the Planet. It’s our own eco-responsible identification, but it’s not just a standalone label – it relies on rigorous third-party standards or attributes.

I should point out that we’re not trying to compete with other labels; it’s more of a product validation that helps our customers make better choices. It goes back to the trusted advisor idea. We do all the legwork of selecting and flagging products as environmentally responsible, and hopefully the customer trusts us to do a thorough and accurate job.

For the customer or procurement manager that needs a higher level of detail, we can also provide the numbers behind the label.

services”

OPI: You have different levels of ‘greenness’, don’t you?

MB: We do in the US, where we essentially break it down into two buckets: one would be that of basic environmental features – what most consumers would expect from a product in terms of environmental performance – and then we have advanced features. In Europe, we only have one – Easy on the Planet.

What we’re starting to see is a movement towards more of a life cycle view on products and not just attributes. For example, with paper products we might be looking at Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as the third-party certifying body that talks about chain of custody for the fibre. I will look at post-consumer recycled content as a small attribute within the paper, but if that paper’s being manufactured in a mill that is heavy on emissions, I would argue that it’s not as sustainable as we’d like.

There is a movement towards this approach, but in the interim we need to use these other certification standards and attributes until we get to that point.

OPI: What role does your sustainable innovation lab play in your sustainability programme?

MB: Great question. We have a strategic relationship with the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in the US. We have a committee comprising both academia at RIT and Staples associates that is actually directing longer-term research on the impact of products and packaging, etc in the workplace.

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We have a number of projects that are in the pipeline. This will be publicly available research – it’s not something we’re looking for any intellectual property on per se, but to move the market forward and have a better understanding.

We’re pleased to have this relationship and clearly the research is going to be helpful in terms of guiding the way that we think about products and services moving forward.

OPI: Going back to your customers, are their requirements and needs in terms of sustainability evolving in any way?

CH: What we really see changing is at the end-user level: the workforce is increasingly asking what their company is doing to reduce its environmental footprint, and that has an impact on procurement managers. One discussion we are having with them is the huge difference they can make in their own ordering behaviour to improve our mutual business processes.

This will take costs out of the process for them and also reduce their environmental footprint.

OPI: So, going beyond the purely transactional relationship?

MB: We’re seeing more requests from customers that look to Staples as the trusted advisor we referred to before. For example, they might ask how we are purchasing renewable energy or financing renewable energy projects. So we put them in touch with our energy groups or with our fleet group when they talk about fleet operations and what they can do to reduce their carbon impact associated with transport.

These types of things are not direct revenue generators for us, but put us in the realm of being that trusted advisor, providing additional information and perspective that help

“What we’re starting

to see is a movement

towards more of a life cycle view on products”

guide our customers on running their businesses more sustainably. It’s not just about providing a SKU on a page and saying this product is more sustainable than that one.

OPI: Do you have any examples of how you have helped customers in this way?

CH: One example is a programme we had last year in Germany called EasyTree. We partnered with some of our vendors there and set up a programme whereby if customers spend a certain share of their purchases on environmentally conscious products, then we would donate a certain proportion of the revenue to an environmental foundation.

Not only did that involve planting trees, it also helped customers quantify their environmental goals. One of our largest European accounts is DB Group and it has a 2020 strategic vision. One of the pillars of that is to improve the company’s corporate social responsibility footprint and its aim is to become a sustainability leader.

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Green Thinking 2015

Staples’ Sustainable Earth brand includes a range of biodegradable breakroom supplies

Now, DB Group has around 12,000 suppliers and spends less than 0.1% of its procurement budget with us, so you could argue that we are completely irrelevant to DB Group as a buyer. Yet we were the runner-up in its global supplier awards in the sustainability category for helping it achieve its strategic environmental objectives.

The company that won helped DB Group reduce energy usage in its facilities by 40%, so we couldn’t compete with that. The reason we were recognised was because of EasyTree. Basically, we gave DB Group carbon emission reduction certificates clearly linking its buying behaviour to reducing carbon footprint.

The procurement team was able to quantify the contribution it was making to the overall strategy of DB Group and that’s a great example of how we are trying to help our customers achieve their own objectives and look beyond price. Now, would the customer be happy to pay 10% more just because we do that? No, but it’s a key differentiator.

OPI: How successful have you been in trying to get customers to consolidate orders?

CH: We’ve actually been very successful and seen a significant reduction in small orders. It’s a carrot and stick approach, to be honest, and we are in the process of sharpening our trading terms with customers.

OPI: So they get better terms for fewer orders, that kind of thing?

CH: There’s an aspect of them having to pay for certain things like a small order fee, but a lot of it is just about educating the customer. Very often, procurement managers have no idea how many small orders their end users are producing. So sometimes it’s as simple as taking a stack of paper, going to the procurement managers and showing them all the orders for one pen, or one notebook, etc – and you’d be surprised how many of these exist – and then helping them understand the impact.

One tool that we have is a carbon footprint calculator. So we can sit down with customers and show them that their current small order behaviour generates so much in carbon emissions from our delivery fleet and our distribution centre. And we

Staples can also calculate the costs of processing and handling all these small orders.

If we can agree to implement even a small change, then that helps them achieve reductions in their carbon emissions and also takes processes out of the process cost chain.

We know some of our competitors will say we shouldn’t have a minimum order charge and that’s something we also hear from customers, but I believe it’s our responsibility to help educate customers on why it’s simply a bad idea using all those resources on ordering just one pencil.

For employers, it’s about winning the war for talent, and part of appealing to the right people is by being an attractive business. So I think the concept of companies – and our customers – putting a greater emphasis on raising the

“We probably have greater

leverage to be more at the forefront of sustainable product innovation”

OPI: What sustainability-related services do you offer, such as recycling, and how successful have they been?

CH: We recycled over 60 million ink and toner cartridges in 2014 so that’s something pretty big. It’s mainly that and electronic waste. Obviously, with our infrastructure and distribution network we’re always looking to do more and exploring new avenues to make these processes as simple as possible for customers.

We work with a wide range of partners globally to ensure that these facilities are available to customers whatever country they’re in. The US has some exciting customer recycling programmes, and it’s an area where we are taking the lessons and applying them here in Europe.

OPI: The US is one single, large market. How much of a challenge is it carrying out these services in multiple markets with different languages, cultures and perhaps different requirements and needs, etc?

CH: We have a country-by-country approach – there’s not one provider that could do everything, so we have corporate responsibility staff assigned in every market to make sure we find the best solutions.

Then it’s all about finding the right partners in each market. We’ve worked hard to find the expertise to enable us to best serve our customers using the legislative framework and also the infrastructure in each country, and I think we’ve done a good job of meeting our customers’ needs.

OPI: Where’s corporate sustainability going in a broader sense? How’s it going to evolve in the next few years and what part will Staples going to play in that?

CH: I think it will be very much driven by the evolution in the workforce. This is already becoming very visible and we certainly see it ourselves internally with more millennials joining the company.

This Sustainable Earth retractable ballpoint pen is made from 71% recycled plastic and is refillable

profile of corporate responsibility will become increasingly important to retain and develop the right people.

We can therefore expect employers to take more proactive measures to adopt sustainable business practices. Where we see ourselves is playing the role of the trusted advisor who can help our customers be better than anybody else.

That is not just about educating them on how our business relationship can be more sustainable, but also very practically in helping them – with our solutions – achieve their sustainability goals; whether that’s with product solutions or supply chain and recycling solutions.

Another area where I think Staples will play a big role in our customers’ environmental impact is with our very strong focus on what we call ‘beyond office supplies’ categories, whether it’s facilities solutions, technology solutions, etc. We’re well positioned to drive a strong product consolidation agenda with our customers, and therefore be more relevant across more categories.

Even though our categories are typically less than 1% of what customers purchase, we’re usually the supplier with the most number of transactions because everybody uses what we sell. Your typical customers don’t buy too much blood plasma every year, but they buy pallet loads of toilet paper.

OPI: I guess your competitors are saying exactly the same thing as you as they expand their product ranges too. What differentiates Staples?

CH: There’s a scale component here. For example, the Staples brand is one of the world’s largest office products brands. So we probably have greater leverage to be more at the forefront of sustainable product innovation in what is a very important category, and I think ultimately our people will make the difference.

Another area where I believe we differentiate ourselves is that we’re driving a much more proactive dialogue with our customers and with their procurement managers on the subject of sustainable business practices. And frankly, our people are working extremely hard to make this part of the dialogue they are having with customers.

At the end of the day, I don’t think we have any particular magic wand or silver bullet that no one else has. It’s about how seriously we take this as top leadership and how much we walk the talk. And we take it very seriously indeed.

www.opi.net | OPI Magazine

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Supplier compliance

Tracking green compliance Having a sustainability policy within your company’s own four walls is one thing. Extending that down the chain to your suppliers is something different. OPI speaks to Nasser Kahil, Lyreco's Group Quality, Security & Sustainability Director, about the reseller's supplier compliance initiatives

by Heike Dieckmann OPI: What supplier compliance programmes do you have in place at Lyreco at the moment? Have there been any fundamental new developments?

Nasser Kahil: We have had a dedicated programme for the factories manufacturing Lyreco branded products for several years. The objective was to make sure that all these factories located in ‘risk’ countries are duly audited on social and environmental aspects. This objective was reached in 2014.

At that time, the decision was made to go one step further and set up a formal and structured ‘Supplier Sustainability Assessment’ for all suppliers to the Lyreco group.

OPI: What’s the essence of that assessment?

NK: The elements we look at are as follows: • The products supplied to Lyreco in terms of sustainable credentials and life cycle assessment. The idea is to evaluate the impact of products and the application of eco-design principles • The authority and company management in terms of its corporate social responsibility • The environmental management system of the supplier • The health & safety programmes/strategies of the supplier • The social accountability management system of the supplier • The supply chain management of the supplier • The practices in terms of business conduct of the supplier Lyreco used practices from the World Resources Institute, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the ISO 26000 guidelines to develop its methodology.

The aim of this new programme was also to cover one of the commitments taken from part of Lyreco’s wider sustainability strategy, ie our ‘Eco Future Strategy’, which is to “establish supplier assessment programmes on sustainability”.

OPI: Have there been any obstacles in getting this programme set up and running?

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Green Thinking 2015

NK: No, not really. I don’t think there should be any real obstacles if programmes are supported by top management, because means and resources are then allocated to manage them in the right way.

So, for the Supplier Sustainability Assessment programme, Lyreco considered two options: to use a third party company, such as EcoVadis that specifically works on the assessment of supply chain/suppliers; or to build a dedicated Supplier Sustainability Assessment methodology and apply it to Lyreco’s supplier base.

Even though it would increase the workload for Lyreco’s teams, the company decided to go ahead with the second option. This was mainly due to a number of advantages.

Firstly, a Lyreco methodology enables us to focus more effectively on the business and the relationships between Lyreco and its suppliers.

Secondly, the assessment questionnaire completed by suppliers may be accompanied by additional analysis/audit material to cross-check the supplier information and statements.

Thirdly, a Lyreco methodology is viewed as an easier way to identify areas that Nasser Kahil, Lyreco’s Group Quality, need improving by Security & Sustainability Director the suppliers, follow

Supplier compliance the actions planned and answer any queries regarding the assessment and scoring system.

OPI: Are your current supplier compliance programmes compulsory or voluntary?

NK: Our programme regarding Lyreco branded products is compulsory. This is now even integrated in our tender process and we make no compromise: if a factory is not compliant, we first support it, but if major issues remain afterwards, the supplier is blacklisted.

As regards our new Supplier Sustainability Assessment, all Lyreco group suppliers were invited to participate in the process early in 2015. We had a participation rate of 78%, which is quite good for the first time. Ultimately, our objective is to make this assessment mandatory and use the results as a key element of our supplier selection process.

OPI: What are your suppliers' responses to CSR programmes overall and to your most recent Supplier Sustainability Assessment in particular?

NK: Overall, suppliers understand the necessity for these programmes. Most of them that have activities in ‘risk’ and/ or developing countries are already well-informed about social compliancy audits and Lyreco uses the well-known standards in this area, such as SEDEX or BSCI. It’s a bit different for our Supplier Sustainability Assessment programme. Many of our suppliers told me that this was the

first time they had been asked to go through such a thorough and detailed assessment.

For Lyreco, the assessment is mostly viewed as a tool for continuous improvement, enabling us first to evaluate the position of the supplier in the different sustainability areas, and then most importantly agreeing on actions to progress in the right way.

OPI: What more needs to be done specifically with regards to compliance in the area of sustainability in your opinion?

NK: The ISO standard relating to social responsibility, ie ISO 26000, provides guidance rather than requirements, so it cannot be certified unlike some other well-known ISO standards.

I believe a global standard or framework that can be used to support auditing programmes would help to increase transparency in terms of CSR. Nowadays, if a company is ISO 9001-certified, you know that it has a quality management system which is checked on a regular basis.

If we could have a similar approach for sustainability and CSR compliancy, suppliers could be much more easily and commonly assessed.

OPI: What's your best-case-scenario outlook for the future?

NK: Our expectations are obviously to see ongoing improvements at our suppliers. Cascading this approach down through their own supply chain would ultimately create a virtual cycle for a sustainable future.

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SuppLiEr compLiaNcE

inFlUencing cHange in opi's second interview with a major reseller, we speak to VP of Environmental Affairs Mike Buckley about how Staples can influence its suppliers' CSR compliance efforts and act as an agent of change OPI: What do you do in terms of supplier compliance, particularly as regards your own brand range?

Mark Buckley: Broadly speaking, it’s a case of educating our suppliers, our product developers and our designers, and working collaboratively on improving and changing the criteria for products and bringing them to market.

Our Staples Brands team is really focused on trying to make big impacts, not only in the products, but also on the packaging side. The team has continued to reduce the primary pack size of our own branded products and lessen their environmental impacts.

For example, in both our Sustainable Earth and Staples brand products we have eliminated PVC and use materials higher in post-consumer recycled content which can more readily be recycled by customers in traditional recycling schemes. Those are things that we continue to work on and push forward with.

So overall, we have a number of touch points related to our own brand where we can actually influence change in the marketplace and reset the new normal.

In addition to that, however, we’ve been committed to our supplier code of conduct for many years and stay engaged with them at all times. We want to act as as an agent of change, so what we do is work collaboratively with suppliers to correct any deficiencies, whether they be related to labour practices, safety issues or something else altogether.

At the end of the day, our policies need to be more than – no pun intended – a paper tiger; they need to have teeth in them.

So if, in fact, we find that suppliers are not complying then we move on, but the intent is certainly to stay engaged and actually change any practices that we consider to be inappropriate or indeed wrong.

oUr Team iS Doing a greaT JoB oF

THinking THroUgH

OPI: How long does a supplier have to prove corrective action has been taken?

MB: It really varies based on the violation committed. Some are fairly quick fixes, while others might involve a CapEx investment. We take the nature of the ‘offence’ into consideration when we work with suppliers.

THe liFe cYcle

impacT oF packaging

OPI: What specifically has changed over time?

MB: We have category reviews every year and an opportunity to take a look at changing specifications and criteria. We may be doing a packaging refresh, as mentioned before, or change the type of material in a product.

To answer your question, thinking back several years ago, we sold some products in big, clamshell-type packaging material.

It wasn’t very good from an environmental standpoint on the front end, took up a lot of cube on the container of the truck and ultimately became a problem for our customers on the back end in terms of getting rid of that material. We have worked with vendors to make the packaging more efficient and we believe that our team is doing a great job of thinking through the life cycle impact of packaging all through the supply chain.

OPI: In 2014 you audited 191 of your own brand suppliers and I believe 20% were required to take corrective action.

Why was that?

MB: Basically, we work closely with third-party partners to carry out audits of our suppliers.

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Green Thinking 2015

OPI: How common is it to eventually drop a supplier?

MB: It’s fairly rare. I think our own brand team does a really good job of initially screening potential suppliers. If there is an issue, we usually have quite significant volumes with those suppliers, so we have their attention and generally it seems to work out pretty well.

I’m sure that other large multinationals find themselves in the same boat. We are committed to improving environmental and social performance in all areas of the supply chain.

For more details on Staples’ sustainability programmes, turn to our Big Interview with Christian Horn and Mark Buckley on page 10.

Staples Vp of Environmental Affairs Mike Buckley

SOfEA

ToWARDs A CoMMon GoAL Trade association SOfEA is making good progress on its common eco-rating system for office products in europe The Sustainable Office European Association (SOfEA) started as an industry initiative to bring resellers and manufacturers together to discuss how to solve the problem of ‘overkill’ regarding the sheer number of questionnaires constantly required from manufacturers to demonstrate product compliance and supplier conformity to certain business standards.

Since March 2014 SOfEA has been a fully-fledged international not-for-profit association with its head office in Brussels, Belgium. Running the organisation on a daily basis is Anita Singh, a former Environmental and Social Compliance Officer at Office Depot Europe, and she is laserfocused on ensuring the association achieves its main goal: the creation of an online tool that rates products according

Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) update in august, Sofea announced that it had cancelled the Stationery PeF pilot project initiated by the european Commission due to complexities in project management and financing.

“Sadly, we couldn’t complete the project even though we invested time, effort and people in testing the life cycle analysis (lCa) methodology on stationery products,” says anita Singh. “We were very interested to see the end results and to find out whether lCa is the appropriate method. However, we are staying in close contact with the european Union directorate General dG environment to keep them up to date about the work of Sofea, and we are also attending PeF information sessions and other related events follow the initiative closely.”

Singh adds: “as soon as the Sofea pilots have been completed, we will be looking at the variations in scoring and research the gap between a Sofea assessment and an lCa assessment.”

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Green Thinking 2015

to their environmental impact and benchmarks them with peer products.

“The reason for building the online tool is to standardise processes for all Anita Singh industry stakeholders and to provide a better understanding of the environmental impact of the products,” explains Singh. “It is also a service that gives details about the progress made and areas of improvement, and provides transparency of the supply chain from raw material extraction until the final product.”

How SOfEA works The Working Group Methodology has met frequently in Brussels and delivered excellent work on the methodology framework and manual for the Scientific Committee and the pilot groups. The methodology is a scorecard divided into product, manufacturer and producer levels. For each level, requirements are listed, and for each requirement the pilot group formulates criteria ‘evidence’. This criteria evidence demonstrates compliance with the requirements and may take the form of self-declaration, a test report, certification, etc.

To ensure the relevance and credibility of the SOfEA methodology, the independent Scientific Committee is involved in this process. The feedback and suggestions from the Scientific Committee are very important and are carefully considered by the Working Group Methodology which must also ensure the straightforwardness and practicality of the SOfEA methodology.

The pilot groups have begun to evaluate the methodology and, where necessary, criteria requirements are adapted.

advertorial These groups include sustainability, quality and production experts, a composition that leads to balanced input and ideas on solutions.

Input from the pilot groups is evaluated by the Working Group Methodology and the Scientific Committee to ensure the framework is a good base for assessing the various product groups. Collaboration with the pilot groups is key as they will test the methodology on ‘dummy’ products and share their experience in applying the assessment on that product group.

The tender process for building the online tool and product data validation has been started and the contract is due to be awarded by the end of the year. The final methodology and test results will be presented in the coming months and it is planned to introduce the rating system in early 2016. The planned deadline for completing the scorecards for all 22 product groups is the beginning of 2019.

Active membership SOfEA currently has 28 members from leading resellers and manufacturers in Europe that are all contributing to the project. As Matthias Schumacher, Director of International Sales and Key Account Management at tesa and a member of the SOfEA Executive Management, says: “With the start of three pilot groups (filing, notebooks/pads and writing instruments), we are really going ahead with the detailed work of the project. As we all know, it’s not a short-term but a medium-term project and we are very confident that we will achieve our objectives.”

Schumacher highlights the advantages of being one of the founding members of SOfEA and being able to have a direct input into the direction of the project. “In this association you’re in the driver’s seat and you can create something new for our industry in the field of sustainability.”

The benefits of the SOfEA initiative Standardising the evaluation criteria and aligning the business processes for measuring the environmental impact of products across the vendor and reseller communities in Europe delivers the following benefits: ü establishes a single data repository for product environmental data ü creates a single, consistent measurement for assessing office products ü is backed by third-party validation ü ensures up-to-date and accurate data ü allows instant access to data ü shows information about rating levels and product performance ü gives a consistent environmental message for the office products industry ü saves time and money for vendors and resellers

He also encourages other firms to participate.

“We see ourselves as an initiative that represents the whole industry and everyone´s know-how is needed,” he states. “It makes sense for everyone to be an active part of SOfEA.” Exacompta Clairefontaine is one leading manufacturer that is participating in two of the product pilot groups. Executive Vice President Jean-Marie Nusse says it is important to be behind an initiative that links vendors and resellers, and he is encouraged by the work on the product scorecards that focuses In the past year SOfEA has established several working groups that are responsible on the environmental attributes of the production process and the raw for driving progress in a number of key areas of the association. materials used.

Working Group Methodology Singh underlines the importance A group of eight members responsible for the creation of the SOfEA methodology of industry stakeholders working framework and manual. together in unison to develop this universal assessment for measuring Scientific Committee the environmental performance of A group of four independent scientists acknowledged in the academic field of office supplies. sustainability responsible for the validation of the SOfEA methodology framework “We wish to encourage companies and manual. to look at the initiative from a broader perspective and be part Product Pilot Groups of the development phase of the Groups of at least five members that evaluate and test the SOfEA methodology and methodology,” she says. manual for specific product categories.

It is not too late: the pilot groups will continue their working sessions Executive Management until the methodology is reviewed and A group of five members responsible for the strategic direction of the association. approved by all stakeholders.

Board of Directors For companies that are interested A group of 15 members responsible for validating decisions regarding the strategy in participating in one of the working and operations of SOfEA. groups, email anita.singh@sofea.be for more information.

Group mentality

www.opi.net | OPI Magazine

21

eco labels

Eco labelling

unravelled

With scores of different ‘eco labels’ out there, it’s difficult to know which ones consumers should look out for and which they can trust. OPI examines ten prominent labelling schemes – covering sustainable buildings, environmentally sound manufacturing, energy use, forest certification and protection of ecosystems and livelihoods – to unravel what they mean

by David Holes

Eco labels EU Ecolabel

Green Seal

Over 37,000 products and services currently display the EU Ecolabel, covering everything from detergents to shoes and paints to paper. All are independently audited to ensure they meet demanding environmental criteria throughout their life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials through to production, use and disposal. The scheme is voluntary, but hundreds of companies across Europe have signed up.

The EU Ecolabel runs alongside national schemes such as the Nordic Swan and Germany's Blue Angel and two logos may be displayed side by side on a product. In 2014, it was extended to include converted paper products, including envelopes and paper carrier bags plus stationery products such as notebooks, pads, binders and folders.

Green Seal is a US independent, nonprofit organisation offering thirdparty certification and promotion of the manufacture, purchase and use of environmentally responsible products and services.

The evaluation process is based on a life cycle approach and includes a review of data, assessment of labelling, marketing and promotional materials followed by on-site auditing. Regular compliance monitoring is required to maintain certification.

A similar scheme known as the EcoLogo operates in Canada and includes coverage of paper and office products such as writing instruments.

Buildings LEED

BREEAM

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification was developed in 2000 by the US Green Building Council to recognise a definitive level of environmental consideration in the design and construction of both commercial and residential buildings.

There are eight factors evaluated, including the efficient use of materials, water and energy resources, the use of a sustainable site and the indoor environmental quality. Buildings are scored on a 100-point scale and have to achieve a minimum score of 40 points, although higher scores are awarded with silver, gold and platinum certification. Although developed in the US, the LEED standard has now been adopted by many countries worldwide.

The BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) is used to describe both new and existing buildings’ environmental performance.

The method originated in the UK, but is now the preferred scheme for a number of countries across Europe. Different assessment versions apply depending on a building’s function – including healthcare, offices, education, retail and residential use.

A five-level rating scale from ‘pass’ through to ‘outstanding’ is applied based on energy and water use, the internal environment, pollution, transport, materials, waste, ecology and management processes. There are two assessment phases – a provisional rating at design stage followed by a final post-construction rating.

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Green Thinking 2015

ECO LABELS

EnERgY energy star Energy Star is a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) voluntary programme that aims to protect the climate by boosting the adoption of energy-efficient products and practices while providing objective measurement tools and consumer education. Since its inception in 1992 it claims to have prevented more than 2.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Product categories covered include heating and lighting, consumer electronics and office equipment such as computers, displays, printers and scanners.

To achieve certification, a product must generally consume less energy than average for products in its category, plus this must be verifiable by testing. Following an agreement with the US government in 2013, the scheme has been expanded to include an EU Energy Star label, with a view to coordinating the energy labelling of office equipment across both continents.

energy saving Trust endorsed Products endorsed by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) in the UK may carry this logo provided that they meet specific energy performance criteria as agreed by industry.

Heating, lighting and glazing products for both offices and homes are covered as well as domestic appliances such as washing machines, tumble driers, dishwashers and fridge-freezers.

The EST aims to offer consumers and businesses clear, trustworthy information to help inform the decision-making process when buying new appliances and products. The criteria for endorsement are reviewed annually and at least 5% of products are tested to check that they comply.

susTainablE liVEliHoods and PRoTEcTing EcosYsTEMs Fairtrade The Fairtrade scheme aims to pay fair prices to farmers and working communities throughout the world to promote decent working conditions and help them have more control over their futures, while protecting the environment in which they live and work.

The Fairtrade mark means that the ingredients in a product have been produced by small-scale farmer organisations or plantations that meet the scheme's social, economic and environmental standards.

These standards include the protection of workers’ rights and the environment, payment of minimum prices and an additional Fairtrade Premium to invest in business or community projects.

There are currently 1,210 certified producer organisations operating in 74 countries, with over 1.5 million workers backed by the scheme.

Rainforest alliance The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organisation that works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land use and business practices, and modifying consumer behaviour. At the heart of its approach is a belief that the health of the land is inextricably connected to the well-being of those who depend on it for their livelihoods.

By working with farmers, foresters and tourism businesses, the Rainforest Alliance aims to conserve natural resources and ensure the long-term economic health of forest communities. Certified businesses that display its green frog seal must meet rigorous standards designed to protect ecosystems and safeguard the wellbeing of local communities.

TiMbER and PaPER Fsc

PeFc

Perhaps the best known timber certification scheme, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international, non-governmental organisation promoting responsible management of the world’s forests. The scheme has two key components: forest management and chain of custody (CoC) certification which involves tracing, verifying and labelling timber products that originate from FSC-certified forests.

Forests are inspected by independent organisations and certified against strict standards based on the FSC’s ten Principles of Forest Stewardship. 184 million hectares of forest are currently certified with over 29,500 CoC certificates issued.

The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) is the world's largest forest certification system, primarily made up of representatives of the forest products industry.

Unlike the FSC, it does not set specific standards, but is an umbrella brand incorporating different national schemes, intending to make it more applicable to different types of forests. It’s particularly popular for smaller, family or community-owned, non-industrial forests.

To date, over 750,000 owners of 268 million hectares of forest are certified and more than 16,000 companies have obtained PEFC CoC certification.

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Green Thinking 2015

Paper Update

The environmental paper chase An analysis of paper manufacturers over the past 12 months reveals that further progress has been made on environmental issues

by Michelle Sturman Paper manufacturers are often vilified over green policies and sustainability, but – with just a few exceptions – it seems even the industry’s most vocal opponents such as Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are finding positive attributes in the way the sector is moving forward.

Building on this relative thawing of attitudes towards the sector, the Paper and Packaging Board recently unveiled a new consumer campaign, 'How Life Unfolds'.

The $20 million advertising campaign highlights the way consumers connect to paper in meaningful and emotional ways.

Paper and Packaging Board Chairman John Williams (who is also the CEO of Domtar) said the campaign highlighted the importance of the paper sector and gave end users the opportunity to understand that it offers high-tech jobs, sustainable practices and manufacturing innovation.

While a multimedia campaign such as this will go some way in redressing misconceptions, Portucel Sustainability Manager Pedro Silva says dispelling some of the myths – namely environmental ones – with regards to paper consumption remains the industry’s biggest challenge. However, he adds that paper consumers are now beginning to understand that virgin fibre for office paper awarded with an EU Ecolabel, for example, is a choice that is just as ecological and rational as recycled fibre is for corrugated carton boxes. “We see companies and individual consumers trying to find answers to the issue of sustainability in the consumption of office paper,” he says.

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Green Thinking 2015

Paper Update Dogwood Alliance Director of Corporate Engagement Andrew Goldberg believes that while the office products industry has continued to make progress as it relates to sourcing and sales of paper, it still needs to keep its eyes open and leverage its market power to support responsible management of the world’s forests.

Rewarding progress

WWF reports improved transparency According to the WWF, its Environmental Paper Company Index (EPCI) 2015 shows a positive trend towards more transparency and sustainability by the world’s more progressive pulp and paper manufacturers.

This year’s index involved 31 voluntary participants, up from 2013’s total of 25. The 2015 companies produce 15% of the world’s paper with an ecological footprint of 85 million tonnes of pulp and paper.

WWF says all participating companies demonstrated outstanding transparency, with more than 90% of product categories since 2013 showing an improvement. Responsible sourcing, clean production and environmental management system/reporting were the categories that improved the most, while the product category most in need of improvement was pulp.

The companies that were involved in EPCI included: Arjowiggins Graphic, Domtar, KimberlyClark, Metsä Group, Mondi, Resolute Forest Products, SCA, Sofidel, Stora Enso and UPM. For the full report visit www.panda.org/epci2015

Since the beginning of 2015, there has been much encouraging news, with new environmentally friendly paper products released, and a number of manufacturers recognised for sustainability efforts by various associations.

North Pacific Paper Co (NORPAC), for example, made its move into the office paper market with the launch of its environmentally friendly Natural Choice Paper, made from a chlorine-free process of grinding Douglas firs into pulp.

NORPAC says twice as much paper can be produced from the same tree, as groundwood paper has a higher yield than chemical pulp. The paper is designed to be recycled, and the company is working on lowering the ink level of the reused paper.

Meanwhile, North American paper manufacturer Mohawk was recognised by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Top 100 list of Green Power Users for the tenth year in a row.

“We see companies and individual consumers

trying to find answers to the

issue of sustainability in the consumption of

office paper”

Anther company that was recognised for its sustainability efforts was Domtar which received the first ever Forestry Stewardship Certification (FSC) Leadership Award for the paper sector last year.

In addition, the manufacturer was recently handed the Pulp and Paper International 2015 Environmental Strategy of the Year Award for its revitalised Paper Trail digital transparency tool, which enables customers to find out where their paper comes from and track its environmental impact across numerous categories.

Improving transparency Domtar is not the only company that is determined to improve transparency within the supply chain. Resolute Forest Products says 100% of its North American manufacturing facilities have a chain of custody tracking system including

FSC and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). Resolute believes that this enables manufacturers and traders to avoid timber and timber products from unacceptable sources.

Earlier this year, WWF launched a free service for pulp and paper manufacturers to examine their environmental footprint. The Environmental Self-Check online tool is featured within WWF’s Check Your Paper public database and provides five steps to check the footprint of pulp and paper brands, which can be filled in confidentially. Companies can then download the score for internal use.

A major part of the environmental footprint is trusting suppliers and the sourcing network. UPM, for example, has 22,000 suppliers ranging from private forest owners and local companies to large international corporations in many different cultures.

As UPM Head of Environment UK & Ireland John Sanderson points out, the variety of suppliers, both in size and culture, makes the task of securing responsible sourcing based on its harmonised requirements “quite a challenge”.

“We continuously evaluate the performance of our suppliers and seek to develop key supplier relationships,” he told OPI. UPM adds that its primary key performance indicator is to qualify 80% of its supplier spend based on the UPM Supplier Code by the end of this year.

Domtar agrees with UPM’s assertion that the supply chain is vital to any sustainability claims. Paige Goff, the firm’s VP of Sustainability and Business Communications, says that while the company is seeing an increase in consumer demand for responsibly sourced products, it is about more than just recycled paper products. “At Domtar, we feel that it’s important to be accountable – not just for our end products, but for our entire supply chain.”

www.opi.net | OPI Magazine

27

Paper Update Domtar developed its Paper Made Here programme to raise the importance of buying North American paper and to encourage customers, environmental groups, policymakers and the public to ask: “Where does my paper come from?”

“It’s important to be

Change from within

accountable – not just for our end products, but for our entire supply chain”

While external factors such as the entire supply chain present particular challenges for paper manufacturers, internal business elements also have to be dealt with. Portucel, for example, recently changed the company’s organisation and created an institutional Sustainability Department, integrating its sustainability senior experts.

In September, the company also launched its first Sustainability Forum, which brought together Portucel’s resident experts with those from its different stakeholders

such as NGOs, suppliers, customers and universities. Everyone involved debated the important issues that are key to the manufacturer’s sustainability programme.

Getting employee buy-in is absolutely vital to the success of any change in corporate culture. Domtar, for instance, plans to expand its employee engagement programme – the EarthChoice Ambassador Teams – to all its facilities by 2020.

Other sustainability goals for most paper manufacturers include reductions in total waste to landfill from pulp and paper mills, increased procurement of FSC-certified fibre, independent third-party audits, and self-generating energy programmes.

A mixed year for APP As one of the more controversial paper manufacturers in recent times when it comes to environmental performance, Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), has made great strides this year in its sustainability efforts.

The company started the year with the announcement of the Rainforest Alliance’s independent evaluation of its Forest Conversation Policy (FCP).

The FCP – developed by APP, The Forest Trust and Greenpeace – declared an immediate end to natural forest clearance by APP’s pulpwood suppliers and a host of other measures.

At the time, APP Managing Director Sustainability Aida Greenbury said the company had been calling for other stakeholders to support its zero deforestation policy as the Indonesian rainforest continues to disappear due to illegal activities, forest fires and encroachment.

The FCP includes priorities for 2015 and onwards, and draws upon Rainforest Alliance’s most significant findings. These relate to third-party forest clearance, peatland best management practices, as well as the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous and local communities and social conflict resolution.

Other areas covered in the plan include workers’ rights and welfare, sustainable wood supply, a landscape conservation initiative and wildfire prevention and management.

The WWF, however, while applauding APP’s invitation to the Rainforest Alliance to audit the FCP, said that forests are still disappearing and the company had even failed to protect the forests it was legally bound to conserve.

In August, APP announced it was to retire around 7,000 hectares of commercial acacia plantations in two of Sumatra’s threatened carbonrich peatlands – the first time plantations on tropical peatland have been retired for conservation purposes worldwide.

On fire Unfortunately, in October, APP was one of a number of companies blamed for the haze pollution hovering over Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore caused by burning rainforests.

In response to the accusation, APP issued the following statement: “The fires in Indonesia and the haze that is currently blighting the wider region are never acceptable. Fires harm the economy, the environment and most importantly people’s lives. They also cost our

business financially through losses of plantation and conservation areas, costs of restoration as well as through the millions of dollars we spend annually to monitor, contain and put out fires.

“We would like to reiterate that none of our pulpwood suppliers practice burning to clear land. APP has implemented a zero burning policy since 1996 and, as far as we know, we are the only industry player that voluntarily makes public the full list and maps of its pulpwood suppliers. We also submit this information to both the government of Indonesia, and the World Resources Institute.

“As work being undertaken by the Center for International Forestry Research shows, fire is a hugely complex issue. It involves the rights of local communities, illegal activity by small enterprises and fundamental complexities over land use rights, maps, ownership and protection.

“Solutions are possible, but they must address these root causal factors and avoid the blame game which has, so far, achieved very little. Critically, these solutions have to be delivered by a wide range of stakeholders. Needless to say, if a supplier of APP were to be found to have been involved in setting fires, then APP would disengage with that

supplier. We have been in regular contact with relevant authorities and provided all information requested, to deadline.”

Clearly, over the course of 2015, APP has made a concerted effort to engage with environmental groups such as Greenpeace and the Rainforest Alliance. It also opened dialogue with the FSC over the establishment of a roadmap towards compliance with the FSC Policy of Association.

The company admits, however, that it is under no illusion as to the many challenges it has to overcome with regards to implementing its FCP, but is confident of the progress made so far.

www.opi.net | OPI Magazine

29

jan/san & breakroom

A clean break Green jan/san and breakroom products are no longer just a trendy alternative and are quickly shifting to become the industry standard

by David Holes According to industry specialists, the greening of the jan/san and breakroom sectors is now an unstoppable trend, with a number of key drivers – environmental, regulatory and economic – all playing their part.

As David Fisher, VP Office Channel, R3 Redistribution at Bunzl, explains: “Sustainability is increasingly important in these sectors for several reasons. Firstly, building owners and managers need environmentally friendly products in order to comply with green building certification requirements.

“Secondly, manufacturers are working to reduce their impact on the environment because it makes good business sense. They’re producing concentrated products that require less packaging, which reduces manufacturing and shipping costs.”

Paul Wonnacott, Managing Director at Vectair Systems, adds: “Manufacturers have to prove their environmental credentials or risk their products not being featured in public buildings. Architects will now pick products to place in offices, washrooms and corridors based on how environmentally friendly they are.”

Sustainability needs have now reached critical mass, according to Ralph Bianculli, CEO of Emerald Brand at the Paradigm Group: “We see greater demand every day.

Our core target segments include tech groups, law firms, financial institutions and universities, all of which are very environmentally aware. We're finding the larger the organisation, the stronger its sustainability goals are. Everything is now happening very quickly.

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Green Thinking 2015

JAN/SAN & BREAKROOM "Take New York City, for example – it banned expanded polystyrene at the start of July and is now pushing through legislation to ban the disposal of food waste in the garbage, meaning it will have to be composted or digested on site. Sustainability is the direction where everything is heading and other cities will follow.”

Millennial motivation As Generation Y moves up the corporate ladder and holds increasingly influential positions, the environmental zeitgeist becomes ever more pervasive.

example: “Take it from a millennial, we insist upon having sustainable choices that are economical. But we don't just want to be sold products; we want to be educated so we can make the correct decisions ourselves. Millennials are reaching their peak buying period and will soon surpass the baby boomers as the number one generation of buyers.

Get ready.”

However, David Baumgarten, EVP at Baumgartens in Atlanta, Georgia, explains that although millennials are becoming the largest sector in the workforce, they also take marketing claims with a

"YOU HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE THE PROCESSES YOU HAVE IN PLACE TO BACK UP YOUR CLAIMS" Bill Balek, Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs at cleaning trade association ISSA, spells it out: “Millennials are far more positive about products that have a sound environmental, safety and health profile.

They’ve grown up in a time when these issues have moved to the forefront, been educated about global climatic concerns and come of age at a time when these issues are given high priority.”

Nasser Kahil, Group Quality, Security & Sustainability Director at Lyreco, is in complete agreement: “Younger generations have been aware of climate change and environmental topics since primary school as these are now hardwired into national curricula. And with the rise of social media they can now closely follow health, environmental or social accountability issues (or scandals) as they happen.

But simply offering green products is not enough – you have to demonstrate the processes you have in place to back up your claims.”

Bianculli cites himself as a prime

large pinch of salt: “If a company isn’t moving in a green direction, they are held publicly accountable and punished if their environmental claims are found not to be authentic.”

As a recent international survey by research firm GfK showed, 76% of consumers think that brands must be environmentally responsible, with two-thirds saying they will only buy services from brands that appeal to their beliefs and values. A similar number feel guilty if they do something that’s not environmentally friendly, with teenagers interestingly scoring highest in the guiltfactor stakes.

As Baumgarten continues: “I have direct evidence that the younger generations increasingly care about these issues as my dozens of nephews and nieces constantly scrutinise the family business to ensure we are both talking the talk and walking the walk.”

Public sector push With national and local government bodies now firmly behind the push for a more sustainable future, their procurement policies are having a massive effect on the greening of the industry.

As Balek explains: “In the US, the federal government and 22 individual states have started implementing green cleaning initiatives that are fuelling demand for these products and driving the market for environmentally benign products. Stringent regulation of chemical products, limitations on volatile organic compounds, ingredient disclosure and hazard communication initiatives are all driving innovation.”

Vince Phelan, Director, Category Marketing & Communications of Business & Facility Essentials at Essendant, agrees: “Public sector sustainability goals have a big impact on the need to offer products with favourable environmental characteristics because bids and contracts are written requiring these attributes. As the government sector takes an ever-larger share of the overall economy, it’s boosting demand for those products that can help government agencies achieve their sustainability goals.”

Agree or not: brands and companies have to be environmentally responsible

Average % Totally agree

Source: GfK

Strongly agree

www.opi.net | OPI Magazine

31

The European Commission’s Green Public Procurement (GPP) programme is having a similar effect on the other side of the Atlantic. By leveraging the combined purchasing power of Europe's public authorities, it’s helping to stimulate the demand for more sustainable goods and services which otherwise would be difficult to get onto the market.

Although GPP is a voluntary instrument rather than a legal requirement, it’s playing a fundamental role in the European Union’s efforts to become a more resource-efficient economy and acting as a strong stimulus for eco-innovation.

As Lyreco’s Kahil notes, GPP and other European legislation will have an increasingly strong influence on the market: “The conclusions of the EU’s ‘Single market for Green Products’ initiative will have a big impact when

it comes up for policy discussion in 2017. Pilot studies are underway, with major jan/san and breakroom players involved. Henkel, P&G and Unilever are part of the ‘Detergents’ pilot and Danone and Nestlé integral to the ‘Waters’ project. It’s obvious that they see their participation as relevant and crucial for the future.”

But not everyone is a fan of all legislative change. Baumgarten cites California’s Proposition 65 as an example. It requires businesses to publish any significant amount of chemicals known to cause cancer and birth defects contained in their products or released into the environment.

“It was sold to the public as a way to make products safer for people,” he says, “but the only people who have benefitted are insurance companies and lawyers. Businesses have lost revenue,

cost of products have gone up and people are arguably no safer.”

Costing the earth Sales of sustainable products in this sector have been dogged by a reputation for being more costly and less efficient, but this is a stigma that the industry is fighting hard to overcome.

As Bianculli explains: “Our solution is simple. We ensure our programme is cost neutral or better than national brands. That doesn't mean every one of our products is cheaper, but when we conduct our cost analysis we will gather what the end users are utilising, their volume and their total costs and illustrate to them that overall a business’s spending will be the same or less if it goes completely sustainable.”

Baumgarten takes a similar stance: “Green products must have overall price parity or some other benefit such as

Gimme a break A company’s environmental policy often forms an integral part of its stance on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Apart from monitoring its effect on the wider world, a firm’s implementation of CSR also usually aims to have a positive impact on the health and well-being of its employees. As such, many companies are now promoting healthy eating, which is leading to changes in the way they view their breakroom spaces.

As Jeff Bobroff, VP of Merchandising at Essendant, explains: “We live in a culture where ecological issues and healthier lifestyles are increasingly linked in the minds of today’s consumers. As such, employers are very aware of the value of providing inviting breakroom spaces and stocking them with plenty of healthy snack and beverage options. It makes good business sense to keep employees on site, happier, healthier and more productive.”

The breakroom category is often seen as an alternative route for manufacturers to gain a foothold in a potential customer’s business. It’s also a sector being increasingly affected by environmental influences.

Bill Marsh, Region Manager at Reckitt Benckiser in the US, notes: “Cleaning products are sometimes difficult to get into traditional offices because cleaning companies generally provide their own supplies. But the breakroom category is different because cleaning companies don't usually stock the machines with snacks and drinks. As such, the breakroom can make an office attainable for many manufacturers by offering another way into the building.”

Safco Products is a good example of an organisation branching out into this sector. Marketing Manager Carrie Eidem says: “Breakroom is a growing category and a key interest area for us. We are leveraging our success in traditional categories to meet the expanding needs of our customers in the breakroom. We’ve expanded our Onyx line to include a variety of hospitality organisers specifically for

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Green Thinking 2015

coffee pods, utensils and other breakroom supplies. They are also a part of our Greenguard certification programme which evaluates product emissions to ensure they meet stringent criteria set by the UL Environment standard.

“We believe it’s important to test and certify our products to help sustain a healthier work environment. We also have customers asking for products to help their projects qualify for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) points. Having the vast majority of our products certified, including those used in breakrooms, helps them achieve this.”

Eidem also mentions another breakroom product that’s an area of focus for Safco – recycling receptacles: “From a sustainability standpoint, businesses are continually looking for these to meet their needs across the workspace, especially in larger gathering spaces such as the breakroom. The ability to have recycling centres easily accessible by their employees is essential as they try to reduce their environmental footprint and become more sustainable.

“This is especially true for outdoor break facilities, where we continue to expand our lines to meet customer concerns about trash in these public spaces. Not only can litter be unsightly in these areas, but it can also harm the environment.”

On the back of New York City’s ban on polystyrene, Emerald Brand CEO Ralph Bianculli has also seen considerable success with the provision of eco-friendly food service products. He reports a recent 75% uplift in sales of bio-based plates, bowls and containers and an 85% increase in its FSC-certified hot cups.

Likewise, Bobroff cites Essendant’s commitment to this area with its range of disposable cups, cutlery and dinnerware manufactured from plant-based plastics such as sugarcane fibres – alternative materials that utilise renewable resources.

jan/san & breakroom better functionality or faster delivery time if they are to get the sale over a traditional item. If we can ensure that, on balance, they are on a par, then the desire to ‘do the right thing’ will ensure the green product wins.”

As manufacturers become more efficient and demand for environmentally friendly products increases, the pricing gap to standard products has closed significantly, adds Phelan: “Production costs are now lower and this gets passed downstream to end consumers. Some green products today are only marginally more expensive and some cost even less than their traditional counterparts. In the past there was a high premium to pay for being green, but that’s no longer true.”

Mike Foster, Director of Merchandising at Independent Stationers, remains to be convinced: “The price differential can be as little as 5%, but it can be up to 20% depending

on the item. Some are very overpriced and others don’t work well. Consumers seem to be sticking with the products they know, and the high-priced, unproven brands are not selling.”

Kahil paints a more complex picture: “Customers are not prepared to pay a huge amount to be green. However, we’ve found that as long as price differences are reasonable and explained, they are willing to pay more if they really believe it’ll benefit their health, the planet or the community as a whole. Our 2014 sales growth of 35% for green products supports that. It’s also important to consider the life cycle costing (LCC) of products, not just their

Changing tastes For many, the trend for a more environmentally friendly world and a greener lifestyle goes hand in hand with the desire to eat better and more healthily.

As Bobroff reveals: “The definition of a snack is changing. With our busy lifestyles, the use of snacks as a meal replacement and a ‘grab and go’ mentality continues to influence an employee’s eating habits. In addition, the quest for healthier snacks and beverages is on the rise as today’s consumers look for maximum nutritional value, as well as enhanced flavour and more variety.

“We’ve broadened our selection of snacks to include more glutenfree options and added all-natural, non-GM choices. Products

initial purchase price. It’s not always easy to access this information, but the European Commission is developing a calculation tool for public authorities that aims to apply LCC methods for purchasing certain products. It will be available during the second half of 2016.”

Sustainability and green thinking within the jan/san and breakroom sectors are now mainstream and have built up an unstoppable head of steam.

Bianculli has some advice for those operating in this category: “Stop selling and start helping. Research your clients’ environmental goals and show them a solution that will help them achieve them – that’s where success lies.”

that contain protein, whole grains, fibre or antioxidants continue to be on the rise, as well as those with reduced sugar and fat content.

“In the beverage category, we’ve added more sparkling and mineral water as consumers seek hydration alternatives to sugar-laden beverages.

Coffee and tea have long been breakroom staples and, as more research points to their health benefits, their popularity should continue to grow. As part of our commitment to sustainable practices, we also offer an assortment of organic and fair trade coffee.”

Debbie Nice, Facilities Supplies Category Head at UK wholesaler VOW, agrees to an extent: “Coffee sales continue to grow, with a trend towards more barista-style brands.

There’s also change in the tea category, with all suppliers reporting a slowdown in the sales of normal tea and an increase in speciality, fruit and herbal blends. Plumbed-in water coolers are now overtaking reusable bottle coolers as more people drink water during the day.”

However, she adds: “I'd like to say that the demand for healthy snacks is growing, but it seems most delegates in meetings still prefer coffee, tea and biscuits. Offering sweets is important in meetings now and we’ve had a big success with the introduction of a wider range of confectionery.”

Another issue, says Nice, is image: “Staff welfare and business image are factors that resellers can take advantage of when selling breakroom solutions. Encouraging customers to think about what their reception, boardroom or staff breakroom areas say about their business is key.”

www.opi.net | OPI Magazine

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edding

tAking the neXt step edding makes strides in its efforts towards a green future – with ecoline products made from post-consumer materials At edding, sustainable business practices have nothing to do with just following current trends – they have been part of the company’s philosophy right from the start. As a medium-sized enterprise operating on the global stage, edding takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. For example, even the very first markers produced by the company over 50 years ago were refillable.

In 2008, edding launched its environmentally friendly EcoLine series, manufactured largely from renewable resources and recycled material. The Ahrensburg, northern Germany-based, firm is now going one step further by manufacturing most of its EcoLine products largely from post-consumer materials.

Post-consumer plastic waste

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Green Thinking 2015

New raw materials from recycled waste

New edding EcoLine marker

advertorial

As a medium-sized enterprise operating on

the global stage, edding takes

environmental responsibilities seriously

its

The evolution of EcoLine: changing the world with edding edding’s sustainable use of post-consumer plastics means that it not only uses recycled plastic waste, but is also able to reduce its consumption of new materials considerably, thereby saving up to 83 tonnes in CO2 emissions every year – which equates to the emissions produced by a car driving around the world ten times!

Post-consumer plastics are obtained from both domestic and industrial plastic waste, which explains why the raw materials used to make edding’s EcoLine markers include empty yoghurt pots and old plastic buckets, for example. This development means that 83% of the plastic parts that make up permanent, whiteboard and flipchart markers in the edding EcoLine range are made from post-consumer plastics. When you take into account recycled materials as a whole, that figure is as high as 90%.

An all-round green package In the EcoLine range, edding manages natural resources responsibly from the start of production to the finished marker – by making the packaging completely plasticfree, for example. All packaging, sets and even blister cards are made entirely of cardboard. It is instantly recognisable from the eco-friendly design at the point of sale that this product line is green in all respects.

For those who prefer to write in permanent, broad strokes, the edding 21 and edding 22 EcoLine permanent markers are still the ideal solution. The edding 28 and edding 29 EcoLine whiteboard markers, meanwhile, can be dry-wiped from almost any non-porous surfaces. For flipchart presentations, the edding 31 and edding 32 EcoLine flipchart markers are still the perfect environmentally friendly solution. What’s more, both the whiteboard and the flipchart markers can even be left with their caps off temporarily without drying out, thanks to the special cap-off ink.

The range also includes the edding 24 EcoLine highlighter: a high-quality product that is largely made from renewable resources. This green classic, with its 2-5 mm chisel tip and water-based ink in a range of vibrant neon colours, is ideal for marking and highlighting passages of text.

The strength of all the products in the edding EcoLine series lies in their special eco-friendly qualities – and it goes without saying that they are all refillable. Every product in the range can be filled with edding refill ink multiple times, thus avoiding unnecessary waste and guaranteeing a longer product life.

The next generation of green products: the stars of the edding EcoLine range From 2016, the EcoLine family will have a new addition in the form of the edding 25 permanent marker. The extension of the range to include this fine-tipped permanent marker comes in response to frequent customer demand. Its fine, 1 mm bullet tip is perfect for marking, labelling and writing on almost any surface. This newcomer to the family is available in a set of four colours (black, red, blue and green) and also in a box of ten.

The familiar EcoLine permanent, whiteboard and flipchart markers have also undergone further development, and they too now largely consist of postconsumer materials. These products are available in four different colours and in stroke widths of 1.5-3 mm (bullet tip) and 1-5 mm (chisel tip).

www.opi.net | OPI Magazine

35

csr initiatives

Making a difference OPI: Are there financial incentives for companies like Stride that have these types of diversity initiatives?

KB: Yes, there are sheltered workshops, government assistance, non-profit labour and some other incentives. These can be complicated and are burdened with rules, regulations and red tape.

We do what we do without incentives because it is truly an underrepresented workforce that gives us tenfold what we put into it in terms of dedicated staff. Our special needs employees are no different from anyone else at Stride. They are fully integrated and may receive advancements and promotions depending on skill set and performance.

Over the next few pages OPI has collated a number of initiatives from companies in the OP sector with a variety of corporate social responsibility projects. Whether they benefit the environment, are charitable or humanitarian, they all have one thing in common: they help people lead better and healthier lives The first story is about Stride, an OP manufacturer and distributor based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that has made it its core purpose to employ people with special needs. OPI spoke to company CEO Kerry Bertram about Stride’s background, its philosophy and why it makes a lot of sense doing what it does.

OPI: Could you just summarise what Stride is all about?

Kerry Bertram: Sure. Stride was the result of my brother's birth back in 1962. Joey – the third child of Barbara and Don Brennan – was born with a condition called hydrocephalus, or water on the brain. Joey was severely disabled, he never walked or talked and was blind by the time he was three, but his short life of just seven years took my family on a different path – a lifetime of working with adults with special needs.

In 1981, Stride was started as a sheltered workplace, an organisation that employed people with disabilities in an environment separate from others. My mother Barbara managed the organisation. A not-for-profit, she loved the business but felt that competing for business in the OP industry, as a non-profit, did not allow for integration of those people who had the ability to move up within the organisation.

So she and Don started asking: Why use government funding? Why not operate a for-profit with a goal of paying real wages? Why not integrate them? They bought the business and began doing just that.

Three months after they purchased Stride, Don died and Barbara found herself carrying on their dream alone. She did this for 35 years before retiring recently. I have that same vision now and will move forward with our brand statement, ‘Changing lives with Stride’.

OPI: How many staff do you have in total and how many of those have special needs?

KB: We employ 14 people here in Albuquerque and eight of them have an intellectual or physical delay; two of them are in management positions.

OPI: Are there ‘typical’ jobs that your special needs staff carry out?

KB: Typical jobs involve hand assembly, packaging and labelling, and some light machine operation as well as quality control. When somebody shows a desire to advance and has the skills needed, we work on building those skills to move them up within the firm.

The head of our shipping and receiving department, for example, came to us with an intellectual delay and today is a salaried staff member with a team to manage.

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Green Thinking 2015

OPI: Are there any particular challenges?

KB: There are challenges, but not with regards to the workers per se, as we work with adults who are typically semi-independent. Even so, they may rely on Medicare or have special housing. How much they earn can affect these benefits. Also, most of our special needs workers don’t drive so we have to be flexible and shuttle people around occasionally.

Another challenge is trying to explain the benefit of this type of workforce to other people. Recently at a Walmart ‘Buy America’ conference, a manufacturer asked a question about finding dedicated workers from the millennials pool. It was generally concluded by the large group in attendance that there is an issue in finding dedicated, hard-working and reliable workers.

I sought out this individual and we talked about the hiring of employees with developmental delays. They are so dedicated. Their job is paramount in their life and makes them successful as a person.

OPI: What are your future plans?

KB: We intend to expand the mission. Stride has a sister company in Reno which works with part-time high school students with special needs. We also recently bought a company called Aurora General Box in Georgia and we intend to add integrated employment there too.

CSR initiatives

Brother grows partnership with Cool Earth Brother increases eco commitment with more charity collaboration Brother Europe has teamed up with rainforest sustainability charity Cool Earth as part of its eco commitment.

Cool Earth works with indigenous communities in at-risk rainforest regions to prevent deforestation, thereby helping to reduce CO2 Dame Vivienne Westwood emissions and protect endangered wildlife.

Brother became the charity’s first major corporate partner in 2009 and the relationship has evolved over recent years.

The office technology brand annually pledges funds to the charity through its Eco Rewards initiative. This has helped to save over 1.3 million trees in the Peruvian Amazon, based on the number of ink and toner cartridges returned by customers as part of Brother’s free European return and recycle scheme.

Brother also provides funds from other initiatives, including its internal Eco Points project for Brother employees in Europe and the global Click for the Earth customer campaign.

More recently, Brother Europe has become involved in Cool Earth’s brand new initiative in Papua New Guinea. Launched by fashion designer, long-term supporter and now patron of the charity, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Brother in this project helps to protect more than 2,000 acres of pristine forest in the Milne Bay province.

Matthew Owen, Director at Cool Earth, said: “This new initiative has been three years in the making and Brother has played an absolutely crucial role in making it a reality.”

Antony Peart, European Marketing and Communications Manager for Brother International Europe, told OPI: “Brother’s partnership with Cool Earth began as a European initiative and has now been adopted globally. It is fantastic to see the remarkable work Cool Earth does come to fruition – and for our customers and employees to be able to get involved too.”

P&G expands water programme P&G’s clean water programme is one of its many philanthropic initiatives. And after a decade, it's still getting bigger As you would perhaps expect from a company the size of Procter & Gamble (P&G), the manufacturer has a wide and varied social responsibility programme. Among its philanthropic initiatives in the health and hygiene category is the Children’s Safe Drinking Water programme (CSDW) that has been running since 2004.

CSDW aims to bring clean drinking water to the world’s most vulnerable groups, including malnourished children, people living with HIV/AIDS, families living in rural areas that do not have safe drinking water and victims of natural disasters.

P&G scientists first used the research behind laundry detergent to invent its water purifying packets more than 15 years ago in partnership with the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Now the power of a water treatment plant comes in the size of a tea bag and the technology used in the CSDW programme is simple: with only a bucket, a spoon, a cloth and a small P&G packet, people can purify ten litres of dirty water in 30 minutes – that's enough drinking water for a family of five for one day.

In September of this year, P&G pledged to deliver 15 billion litres of clean drinking water by 2020 to reduce illness caused by contaminated water and help save lives in developing countries.

As part of that pledge, the company will launch more than 25 new projects over the next five years. By expanding CSDW’s reach, P&G has committed to help in the fight against the clean water crisis in partnership with NGOs, governments, companies and consumers.

Since 2004, P&G has worked with more than 150 partners to distribute the packets during emergencies and to those who lack clean water every day.

“Having clean drinking water is something many of us take for granted, but is a daily challenge for many families around the world,” said Marc Pritchard, P&G Chief Brand Officer. “P&G is proud to use its cleaning technology to help make a difference in people’s lives, and we are looking forward to expanding the Children’s Safe Drinking Water programme to have an even greater impact.”

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CSR initiatives

Hamelin Group: the road to sustainability One of the cornerstones of Hamelin Group’s CSR policy is to significantly reduce the environmental impact of its products. To make this happen, the company has been involved in a variety of initiatives, with European trade association SOfEA, the French government and its supplier partners Back in 2005, Hamelin Group began supplying its factories with FSC and PEFC-certified paper as a standard. It also sought to reduce the environmental impact of its products by: • reducing its paper waste to less than 3% by redesigning its products • replacing all hazardous chemicals in the production process • reducing volatile organic compounds used in printing processes below 3.5 kg per tonne of paper • ensuring that rinsing water from printing processes is discharged to a sewage treatment plant • improving the energy consumption of its facilities Five years on, through the introduction of an ambitious eco-design programme, Hamelin worked towards improving the sustainability of its products throughout their life cycle. The company was involved in the French governmental initiative for developing a standard to make life cycle assessments and by displaying the environmental footprint of branded products such as Oxford, Elba and Canson.

In 2012, Hamelin defined its ‘Sustainable Suppliers Charter’.

With the intention of – voluntarily – further increasing its suppliers’ environmental performances, purchasers and quality managers have worked closely with paper suppliers. As a result, when the European Commission published its EU Ecolabel standard for stationery paper products in May 2014, Hamelin and its suppliers were already engaged to comply with the most demanding criteria (see also page 22).

Virginie Ori, Director of Sustainable Development at Hamelin, told OPI: “We are proud to achieve our ultimate objective by receiving the first European certification in October 2014 of the EU Ecolabel for stationery paper products. This gives our customers real confidence in our claims about our environmentally friendly products. Now my mission is to promote the EU Ecolabel to our European customers and to create a win-win partnership.”

Ecover receives B Corp status

Biodiversity starts at the office

Ecover takes sustainability a step further in Europe Ecover is one of 60 sustainable businesses that have been awarded B Corp status in Europe in April 2015. Following a rigorous – and publicly-available – screening process, B Corp recognised Ecover's CSR approach and the results it has achieved.

Being a B Corp company – the B standing for ‘benefit’ – means it’s a business that has been certified by non-profit organisation B Lab as meeting stringent criteria in the areas of social responsibility, environmental impact, transparency and business management. B Corp certification originally began in the US, but following its success in South America, Canada and Australia, the movement has now arrived in Europe.

Since it was founded about 35 years ago, Ecover has always tried to keep the impact of its activities on people and the planet to a minimum by manufacturing cleaning products that use sustainable raw materials and production processes.

Ecover Innovation Manager Tom Domen said: “We are delighted Ecover is a founding B Corporation in Europe as we believe businesses should go further and be restorative to society, the environment and our economy. Our B Corp rating gives us a great benchmark for continuous improvement and it’s important to us that the rating and our progress is available for all to see. As a B Corp we will continue in our mission to engage and inspire our peers, competitors and ourselves to do better, and help revolutionise the way modern day businesses do business.”

The happiness of a company’s workforce is often directly linked to a better work ethos and higher productivity. It’s a concept French manufacturer Tarifold has embraced and is now benefitting from France-based Tarifold created an internal CSR committee in 2008 when it launched its partnership with Institut Pasteur, a private, non-profit research firm that helps prevent and treat diseases. The committee comprises seven members of staff from all areas of the company.

One of the committee's current initiatives is the biodiversity zone at Tarifold's premises. The idea behind the project is quite simple, Group Marketing Manager Benjamin Baruteaud told OPI: “Frequently mowing the lawns outside our company premises is stopping the growth of flora and thus the thriving of environmentally beneficial insects. So we decided to use a 'trial area' to create a so-called ‘self-maintaining’ flower meadow. It only needs to be mown twice a year, the mown flowers can be left on the ground and will initiate the growth of new flowers and so on.”

Baruteaud added: “To encourage the social aspect of the initiative we also decided to plant apple trees. The fruit can be picked by personnel and distributed around the company – we even thought about having a cake-making competition with our apple harvest!”

The project has been a resounding success for Tarifold, according to Baruteaud. Not only does the meadow look beautiful, with staff enjoying their breaks in this new environment, they also bring the flowers into the building to decorate their working environment.

www.opi.net | OPI Magazine

39

CARBON NEUTRALITY

THE FINAL STEP Avoiding, reducing, compensating – that’s how Trodat in Austria approaches its carbon neutrality goals

by Heike Dieckmann Striving for carbon neutrality is nothing new and any firm that genuinely regards corporate social responsibility as core to its business will have calculated its carbon footprint and worked towards reducing that footprint. Becoming a carbon neutral-certified company is no mean feat – Commercial Group in the UK is a well-known example in the OP sector – but the majority of OP operators start out by having a carbon-neutral product range.

OPI speaks to Andreas Poimer, International Marketing Manager at Austrian stamp manufacturer Trodat about its carbon neutral range and its broader sustainability goals.

OPI: When did you first start making climate-neutral stamps? Do you believe it still gives you a competitive advantage?

Andreas Poimer: We started to offer climate-neutral stamps in 2010 with the launch of the Original Trodat Printy 4.0. The Printy 4.0 is the fourth generation of our bestselling product Original Printy, which has been sold over 300 million times worldwide since its first launch back in 1976.

SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT Trodat is currently investing in a biomass project in Brazil as part of its commitment to Gold Standard, a standard and certification body for climate protection projects in voluntary emissions trading.

This carbon offset project covers five production sites for ceramic tiles and bricks, operated by a traditional company called Grupo Tavares in the state of Ceará in north-eastern Brazil.

Traditionally, non-sustainably produced firewood is used for fuelling ceramic kilns in Brazil. This leads to a massive deforestation of woods, which mainly consist of mangroves in this area. Grupo Tavares changed the fuelling of the kilns to renewable and sustainably-produced biomass, using cashew nut shells, coconut husks and wood exclusively from areas with a sustainable forest management plan. The project started in 2010 and is certified by the non-profit Gold Standard Foundation.

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Green Thinking 2015

And yes, although much of the competition now also offers climate-neutral stamps, we still think that it gives us a competitive advantage because we offer it as standard on our bestselling products. This helps our customers minimise their number of listed products as well as their space and warehousing costs because our climate-neutral products cover both – the standard and the green range of products.

OPI: I believe the majority of Trodat stamps now offer climate neutrality as a standard. Are there plans to increase that number to 100%?

AP: There are currently no plans to further increase that percentage as our range of more than 70 climateneutral products already represents millions of units sold every year.

This is the big difference versus an approach whereby just one or a few green product lines are launched.

These lines will never account for such high volumes and therefore never contribute as much to the environment and climate protection as when you offer the majority of your standard product range as climate neutral.

OPI: Are the climate-neutral stamps more costly than the rest of the range?

AP: Although we're investing in Gold Standard climate protection projects that are recommended by the WWF to compensate for the unavoidable CO2 footprint of our products, we do not charge more for these products. So customers get climate neutrality at the same price.

OPI: What have been – and still are – the core challenges of making stamps carbon neutral?

AP: The biggest challenges lie in the steps that need to be taken prior to the investment in climate protection projects. Our principle has always been in line with the recommendation of WWF Austria to: a) avoid CO2 emissions, then b) reduce CO2 and c) only as a last step compensate for the unavoidable CO2 emissions.

Just making up for CO2 emissions would be quite an easy thing to do, but that’s not acceptable, as you should always strive to avoid and lessen as much in the first place, and only then seek to compensate for CO2 emissions as a last resort.

SCHNEIDER

in tough economic as well as competitive times, German writing instruments manufacturer Schneider sets out its environmental goals and achievements

On two days in September of this year, the sixth EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) audit took place at the facilities of writing instruments manufacturer Schneider Schreibgeräte in Germany.

EMAS has strict rules that need to be adhered to. Every three years the member companies of EMAS have to define targets on how they are going to improve their environmental performance. An independent auditor will then verify if the company has either met its target, or if it’s been successfully working towards it.

The rules are simple: EMAS participants must provide information about their environmental policies and management systems, and their organisations' essential environmental impacts. They must also report on compliance with regulations, their environmental programmes and targets.

An EMAS environmental statement establishes transparency, simplifies performance comparison within economic sectors, and provides a good basis of information for competent authorities, scientists, environmental organisations as well as, of course, for environmentally aware consumers. Focusing on an entire production process that is environmentally friendly is what sets EMAS members apart from the rest – not just another 'green product'.

Being an EMAS member has changed Schneider’s environmental credentials immensely over the past few years: ●

Regenerative: energy

Schneider has consistently strived to avoid all energy sources which use non-renewable resources that pollute and endanger the environment. The company started the transition to regenerative power sources back in 1998, and completed this target in 2010. Schneider also generates its own power both from its own co-generation and solar panel systems. ●

Saving energy: electricity

Regardless of the use of clean energy and increases in efficiency, reducing energy consumption overall remains the highest goal. With an investment of around €3 million ($3.3 million), Schneider replaced the machinery of its injection moulding fleet with more powerful, yet extremely fuelefficient, models.

However, electricity is not just required to run the machines. By using energy-saving systems, power consumption was reduced by more than 50%. In addition, lower consumption flat screens with the Green IT, Energy Star and Blue Angel labels have been installed. Energy consumption in the data centre has also been significantly cut by using external air for climate control purposes. ●

Saving energy: fuel

In recent years, Schneider has consistently replaced older vehicles in its fleet with cleaner, more ecologically-sound models. In 2014, the company replaced the first conventional car with an electric car. This year, another two hybrid cars were bought, demonstrating the manufacturer’s desire for a petroleum-free future.

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Green Thinking 2015

advertorial In addition, more and more employees choose to keep fit and at the same time help the environment by coming to work by bicycle. Schneider now offers a fleet of approximately 60 company e-bikes.

These e-bikes, as well as a company bus, are provided free of charge and help Schneider to cut down emissions: so far, more than 160,000 km travelled by car and about 25 parking spaces have been saved just by using the bicycles.

Also, if at all possible, the train is the preferred method of transport when it comes to Schneider business trips. The company further ensures that transportation routes are kept to a minimum by favouring regional suppliers.

Carbon footprint focus In order to extend climate protection to the entire supply chain, Schneider is now working with ClimatePartner, a leading business solutions provider for climate protection.

In conjunction with ClimatePartner, the manufacturer has calculated the carbon footprint for the entire company.

This corporate carbon footprint discloses how much CO2 is generated by all of Schneider’s activities. Analysing this data provides an overview of all business divisions and enables the company to identify where there is reduction potential. Research established, for example, that 70% of Schneider’s CO2 emissions are derived from the raw materials of its suppliers.

With this new information available, the company has implemented a number of further steps: Schneider has purchased more electric cars and also installed a video conferencing system to reduce journeys between its two subsidiaries in the east and south of Germany.

Most of these initiatives are not visible when it comes to the product itself. Integrating climate protection into the product and thereby making it more tangible for customers, is one of the company’s focus areas.

Indeed, just like the corporate carbon footprint is used to reveal avoidable emissions in the entire company, the product carbon footprint quantifies the degree to which carbon emissions are generated by individual products.

In collaboration with ClimatePartner, Schneider has offset the exact volume of emissions generated by its Slider series of writing instruments by supporting an internationally recognised and certified carbon offset project. This process makes it possible to attain climate neutrality in a product.

Quality and longevity Consumers have become obsessed with ‘going green’. Organic fruit, vegetables, meat and so on are offered to them on a daily basis as something particularly healthy, non-artificial and ecologically more sound.

However, producing a green product is somewhat more complex. And organic products that don’t serve a purpose or have merely the same quality are just another burden for our already overtaxed environment.

That's why, for instance, Schneider carefully checks whether it makes sense to use recyclable materials and organicallybased plastics. The company works closely with researchers, such as the IfBB Institute for Organic Plastics and

Composite Organic Materials at the University of Hanover, where research projects include the development and processing of organically-based plastics.

Naturally, Schneider is unwilling to compromise on high quality products and a long service life. After all, preventing waste is the best way to protect the environment and Schneider’s longlasting writing instruments are a core contributing factor to avoiding that waste.

The products’ sound workmanship ensures that they enjoy full use over a period of many years. The ink capacity is the maximum possible and most products can be refilled cleanly and easily. In addition, the use of special ink formulas and barrel materials maximises storage ability.

All wrapped up The majority of Schneider’s packaging consists of cardboard boxes made from a minimum of 80% recycled paper. Plastic packaging is not made of PVC but noncritical PET film and its blister packaging is made of 30% bio-based plastic.

In addition, the manufacturer obtains more than half of its packaging materials from suppliers located within a 50 km radius, avoiding long transportation distances.

The Germany-based company remains consistent and loyal to its principles. Searching for new solutions for a greener world remains one of Schneider’s top priorities.

www.opi.net | OPI Magazine

43

RECYCLING

A NEW GENERATION

OF RECYCLING

The continuing integration of millennials into the workforce is starting to make a significant impact on the environmental credentials of businesses

by Michelle Sturman However, recycling is not just about office Recycling has been around in Circular economy (ˈsɜːkjʊlə ɪˈkɒnəmɪ) paper. Millennials demand environmental offices for decades, admittedly mostly in the form of paper An industrial economy in which materials responsibility from every aspect of their working and consumer life. As Carl Kinkel, recycling. But while most are consistently reused rather than Executive Director of Sales and Marketing businesses today engage discharged as waste at OP in some form of recycling, manufacturer and the influx of millennials into the distributor Stride says, workplace is forcing businesses to rethink policies on green Recycling (ˌriːˈsaɪklɪŋ) when millennials are fully purchasing, sustainability and recycling.

Converting waste material As Beth Wright, Chief Commercial into reusable material Officer at Bi-silque explains, 20 years ago demand for recycled paper, for er example, was created at corporate the European Recovered Pap itoring Report 2014 – released by all of 71.7% , 2014 level, driven mainly by marketing in A report – Paper Recycling Mon that aled paper recycling in Europe reve ease of Council (ERPC) investigating departments in response to managing ting 58 million tonnes, an incr esen repr , cled recy was ope in Eur d ume cons er pap customer perceptions.

0.7% over 2013. us 2013, reaching 81 This desire wavered when the 2008 umption increased by 1.2% vers , According to ERPC, paper cons cannot be collected or recycled global economic recession hit and 22% of all paper consumption million tonnes. However, as l. ntia pote price took priority over sustainability to reach its maximum this means Europe is starting w 60% has dropped, while the tries with recycling rates belo initiatives. This is now changing coun of ber num the Overall, l level, Europe is the world iona rnat increased. On an inte again as millennials are increasingly number with a rate of 70% has wed by North America. er taking up positions as procurement leader in paper recycling, follo is aimed at improving the pap EcoPaperLoop project which the and nd Pola influencers and decision makers. As , Italy The report also updated , gary y, Hun s and institutes from German tion: Wright points out, their heightened recycling loop. Ten organisation s during the project implementa tool new ral seve d lope deve and ed erat coop enia Slov focus on quality, transparency and paper recyclability a new lab method for testing • sed packaging products corporate social accountability is clability results of 160 paper-ba recy with base electronic data an • e of CO2 emissions valu creating a more sincere and deeperulator which provides the an eco-recycling web-based calc • seated demand for recycling. aperloop.eu For more information visit www.ecop

PAPER RECYCLING

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Green Thinking 2015

RECYCLING engaged, they will simply expect this.

“Our next generation will take this type of philosophy for granted and people UK-based Banner launched its Closed Loop system five years ago – the first of its kind in and companies in non-compliance will the country. It created a full life cycle of paper purchasing to destruction to recycling and be shunned and fall away,” he states. back to purchasing again.

It’s not just about pleasing the crowds.

Closed Loop paper production uses 81% less water, 71% less energy and 53% less There is constantly new and updated carbon than manufacturing virgin copier paper. legislation to adhere to. According to Banner is now the third largest document destruction provider in the UK – responsible shredder manufacturer HSM, failure to for closing the loop on more than 600,000 boxes of paper for central government and manage environmental risks can damage destroying over 25,000 tonnes of paper waste annually. reputations, disrupt the business and The Closed Loop business has been so successful that Banner clients have been turning lead to prosecutions or hefty fines. to the company to fulfil more recycling requirements. As a consequence the service has The company's spokesperson Stefanie expanded beyond closed loop to the compliant destruction Keller adds that recycling can also of just about anything an organisation asks for, including reduce financial expenditure, as making workwear, documents, data and medicine. products from raw materials is often The merger of office2office and Vasanta has given the more expensive compared to using Closed Loop service even more opportunities, as Banner recycled products.

Managing Director Richard Costin explains: “Our focus However, she says that businesses need has been on the direct channel as we integrated Banner to think about the whole sustainability Business Supplies and Supplies Team, but there are further cycle – reduce, reuse and recycle – and opportunities across the EVO Group. We are excited to apply these principles to the production launch the service to the VOW dealer community in early process, materials selection as well as the Richard Costin 2016, for example.” use of energy.

The good news is that there is lots of innovation with regards • Stride offers the Eco-Fit binder with Closed loop (kləʊzd luːp) to environmentally friendly individually replaceable parts, as well manufacturing processes and products A production process whereby waste as a pen that features ink made from or by-products are collected and used available, particularly in traditional reconstituted laser toner and inkjet ink, to make another product office products. and a barrel and cap made from recycled A few good examples: toner cartridges.

• COLOP’s Green Line • Bi-silque’s cork board and ceramic board – part Upcycle (ˈʌpˌsaɪkəl) stamps are CO2 neutral of the Earth-It collection – were awarded the Silver Reusing discarded objects/material to and made mainly of Cradle to Cradle certification, while its dry erase create a product of higher quality or recycled plastic. board was awarded a Bronze. value than the original • Shredder vendors such There are many more examples e-waste (iː- weɪst) as HSM use recyclable of innovation from across the entire materials to manufacture low energyoffice supplies spectrum. And with Discarded electronic appliances consumption devices. millennials busy taking charge, such as mobile phones, copiers and • Brazilian manufacturer Acrimet uses companies will have to eventually computers, but also includes used bamboo fibre for a range of files and folders make eco-friendly offices and electronics that are destined for reuse, and has also installed a compact waste purchasing the norm rather than resale, salvage and recycling water treatment plant on its premises. the exception.

Closed Loop update – Banner

Counting the cost of e-waste A recent report, Waste Crime – Waste Risks, by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) revealed some interesting facts regarding e-waste.

According to the report, around 41.8 tonnes of e-waste were generated in 2014, an amount expected to increase to 50 tonnes by 2018. UNEP says the e-waste sector globally is worth around $410 billion a year – from collecting to recycling – a figure that excludes a very large informal sector.

However, estimates indicate that the amount of e-waste properly recycled and

disposed of ranges between 1040%, which means more than half is simply dumped or used in illegal activities.

A survey in Australia showed that e-waste demand exceeded around 25,000 tonnes a year, but only about 10% is recovered and processed, with the majority being exported.

In the EU, it is estimated that up to 38% of electrical and electronic equipment and waste collected is shipped out each

year, often to Asia, or emerging countries.

However, the idea that a producer is responsible for the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle is gaining in popularity globally.

To read the full report visit: www.unep.org

www.opi.net | OPI Magazine

45

ADVERTORIAL

Bottle

88%

plant-based raw materials

58

Container % plant-based raw materials

MESSAGE IN A

BOTTLE

Bottle

88%

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UHU’s recently-expanded 58 ReNATURE range is further

Container % plant-based raw materials

proof that yellow is the new green

Germany-based UHU – part of Bolton Adhesives, the glue division of the global Bolton Group – has had a strong commitment to sustainability for many years. Indeed, environmental awareness is at the core of the manufacturer’s business, and measures are applied in all areas of the supply chain, from product innovation and production processes to usage and disposal by consumers.

With the introduction of the UHU stic ReNATURE glue stick in 2014, the company has shown that even a small product can make a big contribution to protecting the environment and conserving scarce fossil resources. The glue stick was voted Product of the Year 2014 in the environmental protection category by German paper, office and stationery industry association PBS Industrie and commended for its pioneering use of renewable raw materials and its focus on plant-based plastics.

Reducing carbon footprint Over 90% of all plastics produced are still manufactured from dwindling supplies of crude oil, equating to a yearly global consumption of more than 250 million tonnes of crude oil.

Bio-based plastics, meanwhile, are made partially or even completely from renewable materials.

Specifically, the UHU stic ReNATURE glue stick consists of 58% renewable bio-plastic, extracted from sustainably grown sugar cane. Compared to a conventional UHU stic glue stick, this means a reduction of 46% in CO2 emissions and a 48% reduction in the use of fossil fuels.

46

Green Thinking 2015

Commending this progressive approach, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Life – which awards products that fulfil a wide range of environmental criteria – highlighted the UHU stic ReNATURE glue stick as the first-ever glue to carry the ‘Austrian Eco Label’ in 2014.

Since then, UHU has taken its ReNATURE commitment further. Earlier this year, the company introduced the first liquid glue in a bottle made from renewable materials.

The UHU twist & glue ReNATURE is a multi-purpose adhesive that is ideal for a comprehensive range of gluing tasks with paper, cardboard, wood and many other materials.

The bottle of this UHU glue includes 88% bioplastic sourced from renewable sugar cane. Compared to the conventional UHU twist & glue adhesive, this reduces CO2 emissions by 46% and cuts fossil fuels by 45%, equating to a reduction of more than 50 tonnes of CO2 and savings of more than 100 barrels of crude oil each year.

In addition, the UHU twist & glue ReNATURE adhesive is completely recyclable as well as refillable. The glue itself is environmentally sound too, consisting of 70% nature-based, solvent-free ingredients.

Growing family Both UHU ReNATURE products are available in a range of bottle and stick sizes, meaning that the ReNATURE family of the adhesive brand is getting ever bigger. As a result, UHU's initiative for a sustainable 'made in Germany' world is also becoming increasingly important.