Green Thinking News

GREEN THINKING Sustainability project tops On a mission Lyreco innovation search

You may have noticed that we have included a Green Thinking section in the regular OPI newsletter emails over the past few weeks. We also published a podcast where I chatted to our News Editor Andy Braithwaite about OPI’s increasing coverage of all things sustainability and CSR (see OPI’s ‘CSR mission statement’ below and check out www.opi.net/podcast).

While OPI has focused on these topics for a long time, we feel it is time to seriously ramp up coverage, over and above our annual Green Thinking special issue at the end of the year.

If you’re wondering why we have kept the title ‘Green Thinking’ when environmental, social and governance (ESG) is so much more than just sustainability, the answer is simple. It is a well-known OPI brand. But rest assured, we will be covering all aspects of ESG, including diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). You’ll see a lot more of both these acronyms in the future.

As a trusted source of information, we are in a position to help the industry become more sustainable – in all its guises. Moving forward, you’ll find plenty of news, thought leadership and opinion articles, features and case studies, not only in these pages but across various OPI platforms.

To achieve this, I’d like to call upon our readers to get in touch with Andy for any news-related stories or feel free to email me if you’d like to contribute in any way. I look forward to hearing from you. European reseller Lyreco recently held its first Demo Day event as teams from across the group pitched new ideas as part of the company’s intrapreneur programme, Lyreco Pioneers. In the inaugural year of the initiative, the first round of Lyreco Pioneers had attracted 261 entries. The brief called for concepts that could either help simplify the way in which Lyreco manages internal or customer processes or further the work already being undertaken by the company as a leader in the sustainability space.

After the initial selection process, six ideas were taken into the ‘incubation phase’. This provided the selected teams with an opportunity to be coached on what it takes to develop a business concept by external partner Schoolab, an innovation studio that specialises in training clients in responsible innovation.

At the Demo Day in the Belgian capital Brussels, the six teams presented their projects to a panel of internal and external judges in front of an in-person and online audience. They had just six minutes to convince the judges why their idea should progress to what is known as the ‘acceleration phase’.

The winning entry was from Jaroslaw Chwastowicz and Krzysztof Szewczyk from Lyreco Poland. They pitched a Sustainability Dashboard concept, and now have four months to turn their prototype into a live service that can be tested with customers.

“The launch of Lyreco Pioneers provides our teams with an opportunity to release their pioneering spirit,” said CEO Greg Liénard. “To be a pioneer, you need to push the barriers, to look at the impossible and go further to challenge the status quo. Sometimes it is difficult and sometimes we fail, but we consistently try to get better – particularly when it comes to sustainable practices.”

Programme leader Marc Curtis added: “Through the incubation period, the teams had an opportunity to learn so many new skills partnering with Schoolab. From design thinking to running customer research, they were exposed to the methodologies required to take an idea to the next stage. This valuable experience will make them great innovation ambassadors within our organisation.”

The reseller will begin the search for its next group of Pioneers in September.

US-based retailer Best Buy is launching a service to collect old tech from customers’ homes and then recycle it. Anyone in the country can now go online and request pick-up and recycling for old and unwanted electronics through Best Buy’s Standalone Haul-Away service.

For $199.99 (or $160 for Best Buy Totaltech members), it includes two large products (such as TVs, major appliances, monitors and all-in-one computers) and an unlimited number of select smaller items (including laptops, cameras, phones, etc).

This new offering is in addition to the current Haul-Away service offered by Best Buy when customers order a new appliance or TV. Consumers can also continue to drop off for free up to three electronics items per household per day at Best Buy stores.

Tim Dunn, Best Buy’s Head of Environmental Sustainability, pointed to the company’s role in being there for the entire life cycle of a product, from the time a buyer starts shopping until the item is responsibly recycled.www.opi.net

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MICHELLE STURMAN, DEPUTY EDITOR

CSR MISSION STATEMENT

OPI aims to be a driving force behind the business supplies industry’s move towards more effective environmental, social and economic governance. Our goal is to facilitate meaningful conversations that help keep sustainable development at the forefront of every business action.

Best Buy launches home pick-up recycling

More firms adopting science-based climate targets

Dr Luiz Fernando do Amaral

A record number of companies are setting science-based climate targets, according to new research by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the global body enabling businesses to set emission reduction targets in line with science.

The SBTi has published its third annual assessment of the initiative’s impact since its launch in 2015. The 2021 progress report, titled Scaling Urgent Corporate Climate Action Worldwide, revealed that the SBTi has entered a period of exponential growth, with SBTi companies now representing over 33% of the global stock market capitalisation of $94 trillion – up from 20% in 2020.

Dr Luiz Fernando do Amaral, CEO of the SBTi, said: “The world today is faced with many challenges. There’s the devastating Russian war in Ukraine, the ongoing pandemic and the increasingly urgent climate crisis.

“At this critical time, we cannot let ourselves be divided. In the face of these existential crises, the SBTi will continue to work with governments, companies and NGOs through strong collaboration, healthy debate and scientific research to reinforce 1.5°C corporate climate action as the new normal.”

He continued: “The science is clear – we are already experiencing the impacts of climate change, and continuing on the current trajectory equals catastrophe. This report shows that the value the SBTi brings to society is more needed now than ever before – we must continue to drive the exponential growth of science-based targets and make them ‘business as usual’ for companies and financial institutions worldwide.”

Microsoft report confirms benefits of right to repair

Microsoft has published findings from a third-party study – Summary of Sustainability Benefits of Microsoft Device Repair – that evaluated the benefits of the company improving the repairability of its devices. It was conducted in response to a shareholder resolution filed by advocacy group As You Sow, which was withdrawn after Microsoft agreed to increase consumers’ options to repair their devices by the end of 2022.

The report recommends several actions Microsoft can take to improve the repairability of its devices and concludes that doing so would significantly reduce waste generation and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Key findings include:

• For the seven devices evaluated, the study showed that repairing the product instead of device replacement can yield up to a 92% reduction in potential waste generation and GHG emissions. • Greater than 20% of the net sustainability benefits of repair are determined by the transportation method and logistics for delivering devices to repair facilities. • ‘Mail-to’ repair services offer the lowest GHG emissions, even over long distances, compared with other transportation methods, such as consumers driving their own vehicles to repair facilities.

“Microsoft has communicated that these findings have been embraced throughout the company, which is laudable and signifies that successful implementation is more likely. Just one year ago, we were hearing a different message on device repair and now, with the release and adoption of these study findings, the company is demonstrating important action to leverage device repair as a significant mechanism for meeting its climate goals,” said Kelly McBee, Waste Programme Coordinator at As You Sow.

To fulfil the remainder of its commitments to As You Sow, Microsoft will continue to use these findings to expand the availability of certain parts and repair documentation beyond its Authorized Service Provider network – which has recently begun. It will also initiate new mechanisms to enable and facilitate local repair options for consumers.

Bureau Vallée opens eco-designed store

French office supplies retailer Bureau Vallée recently opened its first outlet specifically designed with the environment in mind. The idea was the brainchild of Olivier Lepelleux, a Bureau Vallée franchisee in the Loire Valley region of France.

His store was initially due to have refurbishing work done on it in 2020, but this was delayed due to the pandemic. In the meantime, Lepelleux completely rethought the project and developed a store concept based on carbon-positive building principles and low emissions. 18 months later – six to find contractors capable of doing the job and another 12 for the building work itself – and the 509 sq m (5,090 sq ft) shop opened this February. It includes:

• A double-insulated timber frame of almost 930 sq m. • A roof that is entirely covered with solar panels – this meets the store’s needs, with excess sold to energy providers (resulting in savings of €17,000/$20,000 a year). • A natural ventilation system that reduces the need for air conditioning. • Two large skydomes providing natural light throughout the day, complemented with an LED lighting system.

Lepelleux is now looking forward to developing the concept on a larger scale within the Bureau Vallée network.