OPI APP NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 B

30 Celebrating

thirty years

BIG INTERVIEW

Johan Tops, Greenspeed November/December 2021

INSIDE THIS ISSUE l OP operators feeling the squeeze l ODP and Sycamore Partners – still talking l Hot topic: COP26

l Striving for a circular economy l NAOPA winners revealed l It’s a wrap: the first-ever Industry Week

Special issue THINKING

Special issue THINKING

CONTENTS 16 Big Interview Cleaning up at Greenspeed 24 Hot Topic COP26: key takeaways from and reaction to the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference 28 Spotlight The circular economy and how to get there 30 Feature Packaging developments 34 Advertorial Sylvamo’s core brand values 36 Category Update MPS, print and imaging supplies in pandemic times

Big Interview: Johan Tops, Greenspeed

As governments ramp up plans to reach net-zero in the coming decades, the world’s attention is on tackling the climate emergency. The business supplies industry overall may not currently be lauded for its environmental credentials, but there are a few standout companies that are leaders in the field of sustainability. One of them is European jan/san vendor Greenspeed.

The manufacturer’s passion for responsible cleaning flows through every aspect of the business, according to Commercial Director Johan Tops – from its production factory and the raw materials it sources, to the packaging and distribution of the products it makes.

HOT TOPIC: COP OUT?

44 How To... ... make the furniture sector more sustainable 46 Research Green words that work 50 Research OPI Green Thinking survey 52 Preview: Paperworld The world’s premier OP show returns to Frankfurt 54 Review: NAOPA The winners of the 2021 North American Office Products Awards 60 Review: Industry Week ’21 The first-ever Industry Week wrapped up 62 Review: Climb of Life Getting out there to raise money for cancer

REGULARS 7 Comment 8 News 64 5 minutes with...

Jeanette Bresitz 66 Final Word Lidia Fati

November/December 2021

In his opening speech, COP26 President Alok Sharma was forthright, stating that the recent IPCC report in August was a “wake-up call for all of us [and] it made clear that the lights are flashing red on the climate dashboard”.

He added: “Human activity is unequivocally the cause of global warming. And we know that the window to keep 1.5°C within reach is closing. The rapidly changing climate is sounding an alarm to the world, to step up on adaptation, to address loss and damage, and to act now to keep 1.5°C alive.

“We know that this COP, COP26, is our last best hope to keep 1.5°C in reach. And I know that we have an unprecedented negotiations agenda ahead of us. But I believe this international system can deliver.

It must deliver.”

42 Advertorial Making a difference at Germany’s edding

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COMMENT The OPI team EDITORIAL Editor Heike Dieckmann +44 1462 422 143 heike.dieckmann@opi.net Deputy Editor Michelle Sturman michelle.sturman@opi.net News Editor Andy Braithwaite +33 4 32 62 71 07 andy.braithwaite@opi.net Freelance Contributor David Holes david.holes@opi.net

SALES & MARKETING Chief Commercial Officer Chris Exner +44 7973 186801 chris.exner@opi.net Head of Media Sales Chris Turness +44 7872 684746 chris.turness@opi.net Digital Marketing Manager Aurora Enghis aurora.enghis@opi.net

EVENTS Events Manager Lisa Haywood events@opi.net Event Programmer Sophie Carus sophie.carus@opi.net

PRODUCTION & FINANCE Studio Joel Mitchell joel.mitchell@opi.net Finance & Operations Kelly Hilleard kelly.hilleard@opi.net

PUBLISHERS CEO Steve Hilleard +44 7799 891000 steve.hilleard@opi.net Director Janet Bell +44 7771 658130 janet.bell@opi.net

s the OPI team were in the final throes of putting this magazine to bed, the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference, or COP26 as it’s commonly known, was still taking place in Glasgow, Scotland. Having followed proceedings closely and watched hours of seminars and talks to write this issue’s Hot Topic on the subject (page 24), I have incredibly mixed feelings about it all.

On the one hand, I’m excited to hear progress appears to have been made in areas that will see countries commit to protecting forests and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. On the other, I’m both sad and angry this last chance saloon has failed on so many levels to make meaningful advancements on a lot of issues.

While governments and policymakers enjoy their moment in the spotlight with their declarations and pledges, ostensibly to keep the 1.5°C goal alive, it will ultimately be left to civil society and business leaders to accomplish this. The good news is the office supplies industry has some very passionate people when it comes to the topic of climate action.

The office supplies industry has some very passionate people when it comes to the topic of climate action Greenspeed’s Johan Tops is one of these people, and this is very evident from our Big Interview (page 16). Our sector also has plenty of sustainability advocates, European reseller Lyreco being one of them. Both firms are pursuing a circular economy (page 28) which, as Lyreco’s Marc Curtis remarks, makes ethical and economic sense.

‘Circular economy’ is most certainly a 2021 buzzword as the world works towards reaching net-zero targets and vastly reducing waste.

And there is a wealth of inspiration, ideas and help out there to achieve the transition, whether it’s dealing with packaging (page 30), print (page 40) or office furniture (page 44).

To accomplish what’s required will take ingenuity and innovation but, more importantly, collaboration and partnerships connecting every part of the value chain. This is exactly the call to action put forward by Lidia Fati in the Final Word (page 66).

It would be great to hear more industry stories from those tackling the climate emergency. After all, fortune favours the bold.

But beware of using ‘stock sustainability’ MICHELLE STURMAN, language in your communications (page 46).

DEPUTY EDITOR The carrier sheet is printed on Satimat Silk paper, which is produced on pulpmanufactured wood obtained from recognised responsible forests and at an FSC® certified mill. It is polywrapped in recyclable plastic that will biodegrade within six months.

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30 Celebrating

thirty years

Office Products International Ltd (OPI) Focus7 House, Fairclough Hall, Halls Green, Hertfordshire SG4 7DP, UK Tel: +44 20 7841 2950

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.

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November/December 2021

Executive Assistant Debbie Garrand +44 7718 660249 debbie.garrand@opi.net

A

Fortune favours the bold

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NEWS

provided a cushion for Acme in 2021, but now the manufacturer is working on extended lead times for 2022. For example, products are being made currently that might not be delivered until next summer – something Johnsen described as “completely ridiculous”.

Analysis: Supply chain squeeze

OP companies battle to overcome supply chain and inflationary pressures

www.opi.net

The quarterly earnings season at the end of October/early November has been an interesting one this year, given the well-documented distribution and cost input challenges impacting the global economy.

As Acme United CEO Walter Johnsen summed up: “We have had supply chain shortages, increased labour costs, extraordinarily high shipping costs, heightened energy costs and inflation nearly across the board. In addition, we have had many positions unfilled at most of our locations despite increasing wages. It was, and is, a very challenging time.”

He referred to the situation as “a mess” and “chaos”, saying the supply chain was being run “cluelessly” and that not enough was being done on a macro level to alleviate the problems of containers stuck in ports and a lack of truck drivers. He warned it was much more serious than consumers simply facing a shortage of toys over the holiday period and that the US economy could “grind to a halt” if essential parts and components do not get through.

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INFLATION CONTINUES According to Johnsen, inflationary trends aren’t going to dampen in the short term and he feared that higher consumer prices could be a drag on the US economy. In addition to increased shipping costs, he noted that production costs in China had also risen by around 10% this year, fuelled by more expensive raw materials, energy and transportation, plus labour shortages.

The vendor began stepping up inventory levels in the middle of 2020. This 30% build-up was in anticipation of disruptions caused by the Chinese New Year in February 2021, not the pent-up, post-COVID demand which has strangled supply chains. It has

INVENTORY CHALLENGES ACCO Brands is another company holding more inventory than it normally would. It has also benefited from shorter supply routes, with around 40% of its products made in the regions where they are sold. Indeed, this is something Acme has been looking at, too. Today, approximately half of its SKUs are sourced from the US and all of its acquisitions over the past six years have been North American companies.

One strategy at Newell Brands over the past few years has been to rationalise the number of products it sells. It has gone from more than 100,000 at the end of 2018 to 42,000 today, with a target of 30,000. While this process started before the pandemic, one result has been the simplification of Newell’s US supply chain.

Furthermore, the vendor recently announced Project Ovid. To be implemented in phases over the next 18 months, Ovid will consolidate 23 business unit-specific distribution networks into an integrated group platform. This will not only create efficiencies for customers (one order and one invoice, versus 23 currently), but enable more full truckload shipments and reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

The US economy could “grind to a halt” if essential parts and components do not get through LAST MILE SOLUTIONS Meanwhile, in The ODP Corporation’s (ODP) Q3 earnings call, CEO Gerry Smith said the reseller was better placed than many others to deal with the current supply chain and sourcing challenges. For instance, contracted shipping prices have reduced the need to pay extortionate spot rates for containers.

Another focus for ODP has been maintaining service levels in terms of last mile deliveries, where capacity has been severely constrained. This is something its private fleet and relationships with more than 25 parcel carriers have helped achieve.

US wholesaler S.P. Richards is also addressing this last mile issue as third-party carriers struggle to meet next-day deadlines and increase their prices. It launched an initiative called the Reseller Delivery Network, a matchmaking programme that will enable dealers with their own fleets to deliver on behalf of fellow independent resellers.

As suppliers, distributors and resellers look to alleviate supply chain disruptions on many different levels, consensus is that the problems aren’t going away anytime soon and will be a factor in doing business well into 2022.

NEWS

Enter now for EOPA 2022

There are just a few weeks remaining to submit your entries and nominations for the next European Office Products Awards (EOPA).

EOPA 2022 will take place at the Hotel Okura in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 22 March, coinciding with the OPI Partnership event that is being held at the same location.

The awards – the 21st EOPA – will recognise and celebrate the companies and people that have excelled during another extraordinary year. Don’t forget, as well as your own company, you are free to nominate other businesses and individuals that have gone the extra mile.

Entries and nominations will be accepted in the following categories: • • • • • • • • • •

Sustainability Excellence Marketing Campaign of the Year Initiative of the Year Business Product of the Year Reseller of the Year Vendor of the Year Wholesaler of the Year Young Executive of the Year Professional of the Year Industry Achievement

22

Hamelin acquires in school segment

French stationery group Hamelin has acquired a majority stake in Italy-based book cover specialist CoLibri System.

Founded in Milan 20 years ago, CoLibri System is the maker of a patented solution for covering schoolbooks. Its devices are now used in more than 10,000 sales outlets across Italy, while the company has also developed an international presence in over 40 countries.

Hamelin CEO Eric Joan commented: “This acquisition and partnership with the management of CoLibri will enrich the portfolio of products and services we offer to our customers worldwide. It will [also] allow the acceleration of the development of CoLibri System in Europe and Australia.”

The deadline for receiving entries and nominations is 10 December 2021.

For more details, visit www.opi.net/EOPA2022 or email awards@opi.net

www.opi.net

ODP and Sycamore: still talking

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In early November, The ODP Corporation (ODP) confirmed that it was still involved in “ongoing conversations” with Sycamore Partners, the owner of Staples in North America.

During its Q3 2021 earnings call, ODP said its board continues to review Sycamore’s June 2021 offer to acquire ODP’s US retail operations and the officedepot.com e-commerce site for $1 billion.

For its part, on 5 November, Sycamore reaffirmed its $1 billion offer, saying the terms remain unchanged.

Nevertheless, there were signs of a positive relationship between the parties when the PE firm confirmed it had abandoned plans to launch a tender offer for all of ODP. While a tie-up of the Office Depot and Staples store networks in the US is still very much on the cards, the exact nature of a potential transaction remains unclear. ODP is pressing ahead with its plans to separate the company into two publicly traded entities – a B2B-focused ODP and the other (to be called Office Depot Inc) involving the same assets Sycamore is seeking to acquire.

The ODP split is expected to take place in the first half of 2022, and it now looks as if Sycamore and the ODP board are waiting for this process to be finalised before they take things further. It is a complicated process, but one which will achieve much of the legwork required for an Office Depot and Staples retail merger. It’s also expensive: ODP estimates total costs to be in excess of $120 million.

While the focus so far has been on Sycamore acquiring ODP’s consumer-facing businesses, it is not the only possible transaction. When Office Depot Inc becomes independent and, presumably, well-funded, its shareholders may see more value in being the acquirer. That would also provide Sycamore with a convenient exit from its Staples US Retail investment.

RAJA closes Viking deal On 1 November, RAJA Group completed its acquisition of Viking and other assets of Office Depot Europe. The transaction – announced in August – involves operations in seven countries that generate annual sales of almost €500 million ($590 million), and employ around 1,500 staff (see Analysis, OPI September/October 2021, page 6).

The closing of the deal represents the exit from Office Depot Europe of private equity firm Aurelius, which acquired the reseller from its US parent company in 2017. It also completes the break-up of the former Staples and Office Depot operations in Europe.

For the most part, these have been successfully divested to existing players operating in local and pan-European markets, with the biggest deals involving RAJA and Lyreco.

NEWS

Amazon makes UK retail move

In October, Amazon opened its first non-food 4-Star store outside of the US as it continues to bridge the gap between digital and bricks-and-mortar retailing. The location chosen for the new store is a shopping centre in the UK town of Dartford, near London.

The name of the shop (4-Star) comes from the range of products on sale – all rated at four stars or above on Amazon.co.uk. Categories include consumer electronics, toys, games, books, kitchen and home. As you would expect, Amazon is pushing its own products, such as Kindle e-readers, Fire tablets and Echo Dots, but it is also promoting goods from small business marketplace sellers. Items will change on a regular basis.

The new store does not feature Amazon’s Just Walk Out payment technology and is open to anyone, not just those who have an Amazon account. In fact, it looks similar to any other modern consumer electronics retail outlet.

Amazon opened its first 4-Star location in New York City in September 2018; there are now more than 30 of them in cities across the US. The company did not say if it plans to open more 4-Star stores in the UK or other markets.

ON THE MOVE

Andrew Morgan

Alex Kalvin

www.opi.net

Seth Raley

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Steve Harrop

Morgan joins ESG Red Cheetah Software co-founder Andrew Morgan has joined US consultancy firm Execution Specialists Group (ESG). Morgan – President of ECI’s Distribution division after it acquired Red Cheetah – has been appointed as a Principal Consultant with ESG and will lead the practice in the areas of sales effectiveness, operations and go-to-market strategy.

Key US hire for ES Tech Group E-commerce software provider ES Tech Group has appointed Alex Kalvin as VP of Sales to grow its presence in the North American market. Kalvin has joined the company from Sage’s Intacct ERP software business, where he was an SMB Account Executive, and he has more than 13 years of sales experience.

Highlands names B2B President Sales and marketing agency Highlands has appointed Seth Raley, the former General Manager of Zep’s North American Distribution business, to head its US B2B division. Prior to Zep – where he spent seven years in a number of roles – Raley worked for Ecolab, which provided an opportunity for him to develop relationships within the foodservice, hospitality and jan/san distribution channels.

Harrop joints Nectere Well-known UK business products exec Steve Harrop has been appointed as Head of Commercial at dealer services organisation Nectere. The former Office Friendly Managing Director and Advantia CEO started in his new role at the beginning of November.

Sara Armbruster

Allan Smith

Michael Voll

Frank Exslager

Executive changes at Steelcase Workplace furniture manufacturer Steelcase has a new CEO and Chief Revenue Officer. As previously announced, Sara Armbruster took on the CEO role in October. She succeeds company veteran Jim Keane, who will retire early next year.

Another important change has been the promotion of Allan Smith to Chief Revenue Officer. Smith is a long-serving Steelcase exec, having joined the firm in 1991. Over the years, he has held a variety of key roles, and was most recently VP of Global Marketing.

Expanded role for Voll Michael Voll, Managing Director of Depsec Nordic’s operations in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, has also taken on responsibility for Sweden and Finland at the distributor. It follows the retirement of Staffan Söderberg, who 28 years ago co-founded the company that became Despec Sweden.

Lyreco confirms Germany MD Lyreco has appointed Frank Exslager to lead its operations in Germany, succeeding Marc Gebauer who left earlier this year.

Exslager joined Lyreco in April 2021 and officially took over the reseller’s German subsidiary in August. In this role, he is also responsible for the former Staples Solutions business in Germany following the departure of Christian Grosse. This entity now trades as Lyreco Advantage.

Independent Suppliers Group (ISG) and the Education Market Association (EDmarket) have created an education industry purchasing consortium called EDmarketplace powered by IS Contract.

Officially launched at Charles Forman the EDspaces event in early November, the initiative encompasses educational furniture and fixtures sales, marketing, and technology purchasing capabilities. It is designed to provide a platform that, on the front end, facilitates product and inventory searches, and cataloguing for dealers and manufacturers, while managing administration, billing and receivables on the back end.

“The combination [of ISG and EDmarket] will give dealers the flexibility they need to continue to compete more effectively in the education furniture category,” noted Charles Forman, EVP of Sales and Marketing at US dealer organisation ISG.

New set-up for OPWIL Office Products Women in Leadership (OPWIL) has announced it is taking a new direction by becoming a ‘social organisation’.

OPWIL was co-founded in 2008 by Kathy Hoyle of Hoyle Office Solutions and K Coaching’s Krista Moore. Their vision was to address the need for women in the office products industry to more easily network, collaborate and grow as leaders in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

Since then, it has operated as a non-profit entity, benefitting its executive members through mastermind groups, educational events, workshops and retreats, for instance. It has also supported the City of Hope cancer research programme through fundraising and donations.

Going forward, OPWIL is opening itself up to more people by becoming a social organisation, a less formal set-up that will require no membership fees. The goal is to involve more women in the industry and encourage growth and leadership.

More details about activities and OPWIL’s collaborative leadership structure will be available in due course.

NEWS

ISG and EDmarket announce collaboration

November/December 2021 13

GREEN NEWS

IN BRIEF

Emerald Brand in US supply agreement Sustainable breakroom products manufacturer Emerald Brand has signed an exclusive supply agreement with US producer Tissue Plus (TP). TP will now act as a production unit for clients of Next Generation Solutions, Emerald’s sales and marketing arm.

The multi-year deal is for all production out of TP’s two facilities in Maryland and Maine, adding 5,000 tons of additional capacity in finished goods.

“This sales and consulting agreement will accelerate the production output that TP has on 12 lines of towels, tissues and napkins, […] securing capacity for all Emerald Brand Tree-Free paper products on the eastern seaboard of the US,” said Emerald Brand CEO Ralph Bianculli Sr.

Pilot reaches EMAS milestone

Writing instruments leader Pilot is celebrating ten years of achieving Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) certification. EMAS is a high-performance management tool established by the European Commission in 1993, and Pilot is one of just a handful of companies to be accredited for a ten-year period.

All activities of Pilot’s main European production site in Allonzier-la-Caille in France obtained EMAS registration in 2011. Since then, the manufacturer has increased the share of recycled materials in its products by 50%, reduced the amount of virgin plastic used by 80% and cut the energy consumed in making its iconic G-2 gel ink roller pen by 40%.

Special issue THINKING

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s mpanie New co Amazon’s ed that join ledge, JulyP Climate ber 2021 Septem

56,7000 tonnes Reduction in use of virgin fossil-base d plastics pledged by 3M, 2021-2025

Reckitt takes centre stage at COP26

Reckitt – maker of the Dettol and Lysol brands – was the official hygiene partner at the recent COP26 climate conference (see Hot Topic, page 24) in the Scottish city of Glasgow. Reckitt’s Pro Solutions team of virologists, microbiologists and medical scientists worked closely with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine over a nine-month period to support the United Kingdom Cabinet Office, the host of COP26.

Reckitt Pro deployed its largest-ever targeted hygiene programme to protect more than 25,000 delegates at the event.

The project involved: • focusing on 12 key zones with 60 high-risk surfaces; • ensuring the disinfection of 123 office spaces, 99 large meeting rooms, 747 toilets and 694 washbasins; • carrying out 4,800 ATP swab tests on high-touch points; • providing each delegate with a hygiene pack.

www.opi.net

Essity to run hydrogen production pilot

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Hygiene products manufacturer Essity is testing the use of green hydrogen at its site in Mainz-Kostheim, Germany, to run a paper machine CO2-free. The Tork brand owner is trialling to what extent green hydrogen can replace natural gas in the tissue manufacturing process without compromising product quality.

The €4 million ($4.6 million) investment will require rebuilding the facility’s largest paper machine.

The plan is to run the drying hood on 100% green hydrogen by autumn 2022. Essity said the project would contribute to its goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

PICTURE OF THE MONTH Australia’s Officeworks is one of the country’s first retailers to support a new, UN-backed global climate change initiative – The Race to Zero Breakthroughs: Retail Campaign.

The goal is to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 at the latest.

Pentel launches plastic-free packaging Pentel UK is replacing all its key blister cards with a range of plastic-free packaging made from 100% recyclable cardboard.

One challenge in developing the new format was to make the products visible to retail customers. Pentel overcame this by creating an angled aperture that allows consumers to see how many items are in each pack and to identify the ink colour of the pens.

The new packaging is the same size as the previous blister cards, which means it will not affect retailers’ planograms. It also comes with strong branding and prominent messages about recycled product content, designed to attract attention and generate swift purchasing decisions.

$80 million

Investment by H P Inc in expanded WW F partnership, Octo ber 2021

GREEN NEWS

Primo to exit single-use plastic business Water delivery giant Primo has announced plans to exit its small-format, single-use plastic bottled water business for the North American retail channel.

The product line includes 24 and 36-bottle packs, and one and 2.5-gallon (3.7 and 9.5 litres respectively) plastic jugs.

Primo said the move will improve profitability and help it become more environmentally responsible.

Epson converts to renewable energy

On 1 November 2021, Epson became the first company in the Japanese manufacturing industry to convert to 100% renewable electricity – amounting to 530 GWh a year – for all its domestic sites. As a result, Epson said it would reduce its annual CO2 emissions by 25,000 tonnes.

In the current financial year ending March 2022, around 40% of Epson’s power needs will come from renewable sources.

November/December 2021 15

BIG INTERVIEW

Special issue

Cleaning UP THINKING

As governments ramp up plans to reach net-zero in the coming decades, the world’s attention is on tackling the climate emergency. The business supplies industry overall may not currently be lauded for its environmental credentials, but there are a few standout companies that are leaders in the field of sustainability. One of them is European jan/san vendor Greenspeed

N

www.opi.net

etherlands-based professional jan/san manufacturer Greenspeed is passionate about responsible cleaning. It flows through every aspect of the business, from its production factory and the ingredients it sources and uses within its detergents and microfibre cloths, to packaging and distribution.

Innovation is in Greenspeed’s DNA and the company is constantly improving the efficiency, user-friendliness and sustainability of its products, with everything tied to the circular economy. While its principles and vision offer a blueprint for sustainable manufacturing, it hasn’t always been plain sailing and an easy sell.

In what could be considered a perfectly timed interview – just before the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), and with the ongoing pandemic inducing a fervent focus on health and hygiene – OPI’s Michelle Sturman spoke to Greenspeed Commercial Director Johan Tops.

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OPI: Greenspeed may not be a familiar name to many of our readers outside Europe, so let’s start with a brief description of the company.

Johan Tops: Sure. Greenspeed’s sustainable detergents foundation lies with some diehard hippies sporting long beards and sandals who wanted to change the world for the better. They also happened to be scientists.

It marked the beginnings of Ecover around 40 years ago on a small farm in Belgium where the idea was to make the very first phosphate-free washing powder. It was made in a concrete mixer – so originally low skill, low budget and slightly amateurish – but born out of a big dream and vision.

In 1992, Ecover’s business had taken off and it built a big ecological factory – another world first, I believe. Then, in 2000, the company decided to

enter the professional market. The initial five years were quite difficult as, at that time, there wasn’t really a demand for ecological cleaning products in the B2B sector.

I arrived at Ecover Professional in 2006 to help develop the B2B business. At about that time, Ecover signed its first large distribution partners.

However, these were not in the OP industry, but came from the traditional jan/san arena.

So, for us, and equally for Europe, it was the beginning of ecological cleaning products in the B2B market. A few years later, there were several early adopters in the office supplies industry.

OPI: Let me guess. Lyreco was one of them?

JT: (laughs) Yes. I think that was in 2009.

OPI: Where does Greenspeed fit in?

JT: Ecover decided to refocus on the consumer sector and, on 31 December 2015, divested its professional division to Greenspeed. It was a pretty good match because, at the time, Greenspeed had already been in the B2B market for 20 years with its microfibre products.

Greenspeed had been looking for a sustainable detergents brand, and that’s what it acquired with Ecover Professional. It bought Ecover’s entire B2B division, except for the brand name.

BIG INTERVIEW Johan Tops

Greenspeed’s sustainable detergents foundation lies with some diehard hippies sporting long beards and sandals OPI: So Ecover Professional as a brand name no longer exists in the B2B market.

JT: No. They didn’t want to sell the brand name Ecover Professional as it was too close to Ecover.

Except for that, the whole concept hasn’t really changed. In fact, around 80% of the formulas Greenspeed uses today were originally developed

by Ecover’s R&D department.

OPI: Are you talking about the last mile?

JT: No. I’m referring to logistics in general, especially as cleaning items are relatively heavy.

One solution to reduce CO2 emissions could be the introduction of innovative methods of shipping goods such as carbon-zero transport.

November/December 2021

OPI: Let’s talk about Greenspeed as it stands now and its sustainability mission.

JT: It’s pretty interesting as we identified two big challenges, not just for Greenspeed alone, but the whole sector. Our entire philosophy is derived from these themes.

The first involves air, water and soil pollution while the second concentrates on user health, both directly and indirectly.

We focus primarily on the aquatic impact when it comes to the pollution of air, water and soil, as it’s

virtually impossible to prevent cleaning products from ending up in the hydrological cycle.

Then there’s user health. A study by Laura Van den Borre – a PhD student from Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium – investigated the cause of death of 250,000 people over 20 years. Her thesis exposed that mortality rates for the jan/san sector were 36%-45% higher than other occupational sectors – a considerable difference.

Moreover, she revealed cleaning staff are twice as likely to suffer from chronic lung and cardiovascular diseases. As an industry, we absolutely need to be aware and, more importantly, act on this kind of information.

Another critical issue the world is working on is the elimination of CO2 emissions and reaching net-zero. We are currently focusing on this and introducing new products that support this endeavour. However, most of the CO2 emissions from our operations come predominantly from inbound and outbound transportation.

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Johan Tops BIG INTERVIEW

Another is a totally radical way of thinking in terms of product development. Either way, the answer should always be sustainable and healthy.

Perhaps we could simply remove the water from the detergent to make it super concentrated and less weighty. These are the kinds of things Greenspeed is thinking of in the long term.

The company’s overriding mission is to have a positive impact on people and the planet. The vision, or dream if you like, is our long-term goal – to have circular economy cleaning products that have a restorative effect on the environment and a potentially healing influence on the user.

OPI: Sounds like an extremely big mission.

What’s the specific plan?

JT: Restoring the planet is a big thing, but it’s something Greenspeed is already trying to do.

Two years ago, we added probiotics – non-toxic, non-pathogenic bacteria – to the cleaning range and created our Probio plant-based cleaners.

When they end up in the environment, the bacteria can potentially also restore nature.

Another example is the circular economy, with our recently designed circular microfibre cloth.

OPI: I guess you’re referring to the Re-belle microfibre cloth.

JT: Yes, in keeping with our vision of selling circular products, we’ve recently introduced Re-belle – I really like the name – and it’s a microfibre that rebels against waste.

Instead of working with virgin materials, it starts with waste and out of this, mono-material microfibre is made. It has a long lifecycle of at least 500 washes, is fully recyclable at its end of life and represents a great example of fulfilling our mission.

www.opi.net

OPI: What is the waste you use?

JT: Re-belle is manufactured from PET plastic waste, so it’s a fantastic innovation. But sustainability is about marginal gains too. For example, the packaging used is recycled cardboard rather than single-use plastic. The cloth’s lighter colours also help with the recycling of the product. It really is microfibre for the future.

As a side note, the production of our microfibre cloths meets the standards of the International Labour Organisation, while our manufacturing sites are audited by Sedex, one of the world’s leading ethical trade membership associations.

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OPI: I don’t think many people truly understand what the circular economy means. How would you explain it in layman’s terms?

JT: It’s very easy. The last century of business practice has followed a linear path – we take ingredients, make something, and at the end of its lifecycle, dispose of it. This has created a double problem: depletion of resources at the beginning and waste at the end.

A circular economy is based on a cycle rather than a process. Also referred to as circularity, it is ‘a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing,

refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible’. It aims to tackle global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste and pollution, and is defined in contradistinction to the traditional linear economy.

This definition has been interpreted by Greenspeed through the concept of circular cleaning. By this, I mean rather than starting with petrochemical-based commodities – depletion – we use plants that can be grown time and again.

At the end of the product lifecycle, when it’s poured down the drain, the fully biodegradable plant-based cleaning detergent is recognised by nature and may be utilised by plants again to aid growth. This is the biological cycle.

There’s also no technological waste such as plastic containers, for example. The bottles we make are designed in such a way that they can be upcycled. In other words, be recycled without losing quality and turned around endlessly in the technical cycle.

OPI: Companies frequently refer to Cradle to Cradle certification when talking about the circular economy.

JT: Cradle to Cradle (C2C) is a certificate that follows a vision of circularity and circular economy with an additional health aspect. When something is C2C certified, an independent organisation has approved that item. With the five pillars of sustainability performance, it’s easy to provide proof a product is both circular and healthy to the user, and it’s what we pursue.

OPI: There are quite a few certifications and labels on the market…

JT: Hundreds and hundreds.

OPI: How is anyone supposed to know the ones worth paying attention to?

JT: It is confusing. As a company, we have been discussing the fact there are so many certifications, and you can’t have them all. It makes no sense.

After much debate, we looked at the two formidable challenges already mentioned and believe the EU Ecolabel and Nordic Swan are

becoming the standards. The Ecolabel, for instance, has been developed in Europe, is a reliable label, generally well-recognised, and is demanded in public tenders.

In addition, because we believe in the circular economy, for the past decade, we’ve opted to have our detergents C2C certified. For Greenspeed, it is the one certification that comes closest to addressing the industry challenges and nearest to our mission and vision.

Restoring the planet is a big thing, but it’s something Greenspeed is already trying to do

OPI: Congratulations! Sticking with the theme of overarching environmental goals, how does the new EU Green Deal affect Greenspeed?

JT: Greenspeed has been on the right path for some years as regards the three key points in the European Green Deal – reducing the net emission

OPI: Where do the remaining 20% come from?

JT: There are some sales in emerging markets, and we have just entered Australia and the US. OPI: What’s happening in the US market?

JT: Greenspeed has excellent partners in the consumer market that are developing very fast, and there are some good initiatives. But the go-to-market strategy is altogether different, and we are not fully experienced in this yet. Plus, the CO2 implications are constantly being examined – how do we ship goods? What is reasonable?

OPI: This leads nicely to my question about the current supply chain situation. What’s been your experience?

JT: In the office supplies industry, Greenspeed is mainly known for sustainable detergents, but we also have innovative microfibre cleaning tools for the professional market, which is in fact around half of our business.

As such, there have been various supply chain constraints with materials originating from Asia; this has meant dealing with the rise of container prices.

Over the past few months, outbound transport from our central European warehouse in Antwerp to the UK has also run into some trouble. This is primarily due to Brexit-related issues such as the doubling of transportation times and costs.

OPI: What has been the net effect of the pandemic on Greenspeed’s business?

JT: Foremost, I would say COVID has been traumatic for the world; so many died and suffered, and a lot of people are still recovering. It’s a dreadful thing.

That said, with the increased attention on hygiene, business-wise, it’s been good for Greenspeed and the entire industry.

November/December 2021

OPI: Your mission dovetails perfectly with a few of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Are you actively pursuing any?

JT: We have been thinking a lot about them during the past few years. You’re right, we focus on several of the goals and have defined SDG 3 and 6 as the foundation of our operations. SDG 3 is good health and well-being and is vital with respect to the problem revealed by Laura Van den Borre.

SDG 6 is clean water and sanitation.

We’ve identified others that also represent key elements for our business. These are SDG 8 – decent work and economic growth; SDG 12 – responsible consumption and production; SDG 13 – climate action; and SDG 17 – partnerships for the goals. But, ultimately, 3 and 6 are the most important for us to work on.

Our actions were recently assessed in line with the SDGs, which I am proud to say have now been recognised – we received the Voka Charter for Sustainable Entrepreneurship from the Belgium Chambers of Commerce.

BIG INTERVIEW Johan Tops

The Greenspeed team

of CO2, economic growth without depletion, and making sure no one is left behind.

With respect to reducing CO2, for the past ten years we’ve solely used renewable energies in our factory operations and already discussed C2C. As a European company, it doesn’t make sense to ship products more than 1,200 km due to the resulting CO2 emissions.

Although we are present in 30 countries, around 80% of our sales are from Benelux, France, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the UK. This means within 800-1,000 km from our centrally located ecological factory in the north of France.

There may be some instances where we use international shipping services. Sending a pallet of cleaning products to the Far East on a ship is probably more environmentally friendly than dispatching it from Brussels to Seville by road. If we exploit sea or rail freight transportation, then markets further afield are possible.

However, in the short term, we do not intend to cover the whole world because of the resulting CO2 impact. Our principal aim is to improve the cleaning market by introducing circular and healthy products, mainly in the aforementioned countries, but perhaps as far as Scandinavia.

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Johan Tops BIG INTERVIEW

People are more aware of the importance of hygiene, which was often not the case pre-COVID, so that’s at least a beneficial side effect.

As a company, we had to change a lot because the sales of some categories declined rapidly last year, while others, such as hand soaps, doubled.

It was fortunate timing that our plant-based disinfectant Lacto Des had just launched before the pandemic hit. It was a runaway hit as everyone wanted disinfectant, and we sold a lot of it.

However, there was a minor issue from the end of March 2020 for a few months in terms of securing the hand soap pumps as there was a global shortage.

Fortunately, the market was accommodating at that time in acknowledging the exceptional circumstances we all found ourselves in. We were able to substitute most of this business with five-litre refills instead.

On balance, the decline in some product groups was offset by others, and 2020 was profitable for us. In fact, we enjoyed low double-digit growth, which is in line with previous years. We essentially kept up the pace.

This year has been slightly more difficult, as our hand soap sales have declined due to the number of products currently available in the market.

Again, it’s swings and roundabouts as other categories are recovering to take up the slack.

OPI: You talk about hand soaps rather than hand sanitisers.

JT: Alcogel is not part of our range because you can’t really make it more ecological, unlike hand soap that we create out of plant-based surfactants.

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OPI: I believe during the first wave of the pandemic last year, you developed work-from-home (WFH) packages? What did that involve, and do they still exist?

JT: We moved with the big shift when employees were told to work from home and created some packs with cleaning items. They were introduced to the market just to help our resellers and we thought it was worthwhile at the time.

We still have them, but individual items do much better than the packs. They weren’t really a growth driver and were offered more as a service than anything else.

Having said that, with the onset of hybrid working, there is definitely the potential to distribute lots of products for the WFH sector.

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OPI: Post-COVID and the current handwashing obsession, will sustainability be a core focus in the broad cleaning context?

JT: Undoubtedly. We see trends like ‘build back better’ whereby companies are rethinking their cleaning and hygiene requirements and protocols to make them more sustainable. Sales are recovering and the past few months have unquestionably been good with higher demand from both dealers and end customers.

Europe is really pushing hard on sustainability.

Where it used to be a trend, it’s now becoming the norm. We witness this with new businesses,

especially those started by the younger generation where sustainability is the only way to go.

In the office supplies sector, the growth will come from circular and healthy cleaning and hygiene products. Every reseller and dealer should have them in their assortment.

OPI: Do you think it’s ultimately going to be the younger generations that propel us towards more sustainable cleaning in the workplace?

JT: Absolutely. They are creating market demand before they even step into the workplace. If they stay in a hotel, one is chosen based on its sustainability credentials. If they’re attending a festival, the expectation is that it will be organised in an environmentally friendly manner.

It filters through to the decision-making stage in the workplace, and it’s certainly the personal experience I have when I visit bigger end customers in facilities management.

The younger they are, the easier it is for us as we don’t need to convince them about green cleaning.

For young people, it’s obvious, logical, and the norm to select the most sustainable solution possible.

OPI: This probably doesn’t apply as much to the younger demographic, but do you still have to overcome the perception that ‘green’ products are more expensive?

JT: It’s sadly something still frequently heard. I can only speak for Greenspeed when I say this, but thanks to the skill and experience we have in this business, as well as lower overheads, our prices are equivalent to the street price of brands.

Start thinking about how to transform your business from a linear to a circular economy This is achieved even though we are not a multinational company, and our plant-based ingredients are on average 20% more expensive.

OPI: Talking specifically about the office supplies industry, is it a battle to persuade dealers to opt for environmentally friendly products and solutions?

JT: The business supplies sector has been a tremendous growth driver for us. Admittedly starting from a small base, we’ve enjoyed double-digit growth rates for the past ten years, and it continues to grow.

If you look at our range, it can be divided into easily understandable items such as toilet cleaner or dishwashing tablets. These represent the typical fast-moving items that sell really well.

Next are the technical products where there is often a requirement for some kind of field sales support. For these specialised jan/san items, we are helping to educate and train sales people to enable them to become more knowledgeable about cleaning, health and hygiene. After all, cleaning is a profession.

OPI: Which is your largest market now for our sector, geographically speaking?

JT: Interestingly, people are often under the impression that Scandinavia would be the correct answer, but it’s not. For us, it is equally Benelux, France and the UK, and then the DACH countries – they all possess a similar level of focus on sustainability in the office supplies industry.

OPI: How difficult is it to ensure the rest of your supply chain is compliant with your own rules and regulations, or at least as regards participating in sustainable practices?

JT: We need to inspire people, like through this interview, rather than point the finger and say: “You can’t do this, or can’t do that.” That’s not our goal or how we work. Preferably, we should be educating everyone on the circular economy and healthy and ecological cleaning, explaining why it is the way forward for the planet, businesses and people. It’s also spreading the word via social media and our sales teams.

OPI: Can it be done? The first major deadline to improve the situation is 2030.

JT: On the one hand, yes, it is scary, but on the other, there are many initiatives underway. Let’s stay positive. Hopefully, the European Green Deal and the corresponding billions in investment will inspire the world.

OPI: What can you use instead of plastic?

JT: If we don’t make liquid cleaning solutions anymore, then there are plenty of options. Think about dishwashing tablets. You don’t need plastic packaging for those.

If a dishwashing tablet can be made without water, it begs the question why the same process cannot be applied to dishwashing liquid or toilet cleaner? They could then be packed in cardboard which is easy to recycle.

We have to think differently. Maybe the future of jan/san products lies in the form of a powder or a tablet, a pot or other non-liquid. Then we can be plastic-free.

OPI: Are you giving away trade secrets?

JT: (laughs) No, just thinking big.

OPI: One final question. What is the most pressing message would you like to convey to the business supplies industry?

JT: In 2009, I watched a documentary on the principles of C2C and it was incredibly inspiring. I understood what a transition from a linear to a circular economy would mean for the business and the planet. For weeks afterwards, all I thought about was how we could make the switch – and we did.

Accordingly, my message would be this.

Start thinking about how to transform your business from a linear to a circular economy, by what method products are manufactured and sold, and in what way operations can be made healthier for employees and customers.

If everybody does that, I believe there is a bright future. Ultimately, it will pay off because we will all soon be left with no other choice but to think and act sustainably.

November/December 2021

OPI: Sometimes it feels hard to be inspired when the latest IPCC report, for example, is quite frankly terrifying, and COP26 may be our last chance to really alter things for the better.

JT: Well, I want to be positive. The climate report says we’ve got a window of ten years to implement a lot of changes and it’s what almost 200 countries have agreed to do within the Paris Agreement framework – stay below the 1.5ºC or 2ºC temperature increase. I remain optimistic.

OPI: One recent initiative is the new plastic packaging tax. Let’s face it, we all hate taxes of any kind.

JT: Exactly. It will absolutely force companies to innovate. Everyone should be reducing, reusing and recycling as much as possible anyhow.

It’s really important manufacturers reduce the amount of plastic from the offset. Where this cannot be achieved, offer reuse options, such as in our case, with our refillable bottles.

It is possible that, in ten years, we might have cleaning products without any plastic packaging at all. Our detergent bottles are already made from sugar cane (75%), with recycled plastic making up the remainder. In other words, the containers are 75% renewable, 100% recyclable, and reusable.

BIG INTERVIEW Johan Tops

In the next decade or so, we’ll see huge technological innovation and there will be a modification in behaviour towards sustainability, driven by young people who really do think and act differently.

In the face of massive upheaval, businesses must ensure they are – if they are not already – ahead of the curve, and do everything possible to reach climate change goals.

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HOT TOPIC

Special issue THINKING

COP out?

The aim of the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) was to build on the landmark Paris Agreement. Was it all hot air and bluster, or was meaningful progress made? – by Michelle Sturman

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he world has been attempting to negotiate ways to manage the climate crisis for 29 years under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). ‘Negotiate’ is the key word here, as 197 nations regularly meet at the UN Climate Change Conference – known as the Conference of Parties, or COP – to discuss and agree on climate action measures.

Some meetings have been successful, such as COP3 (1997) held in Japan which resulted in the Kyoto Protocol, and COP21 in France that brought about the 2015 Paris Agreement.

COP26 – the 26th conference – hosted by the UK and taking place in Glasgow – was considered crunch time by many to build on the

aims of the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change. The goal of the agreement is to limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels.

SOUNDING THE ALARM In his opening speech, COP26 President Alok Sharma was forthright, stating that the recent IPCC report in August was a “wake-up call for all of us [and] it made clear that the lights are flashing red on the climate dashboard”.

He added: “Human activity is unequivocally the cause of global warming. And we know that the window to keep 1.5°C within reach is closing. The rapidly changing climate is sounding an alarm to the world, to step up on adaptation, to address loss and damage, and to act now to keep 1.5°C alive.

“We know that this COP, COP26, is our last best hope to keep 1.5°C in reach. And I know that we have an unprecedented negotiations agenda ahead of us. But I believe this international system can deliver. It must deliver.”

Indeed, it must. We’re already at 1.1°C of global warming which has resulted in more intense and catastrophic weather conditions around the world.

To achieve 1.5°C, non-binding national targets – nationally determined contributions (NDCs) – to cut or curb greenhouse gas emissions were

THE INDUSTRY SPEAKS…

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OPI asked members of the business supplies sector for their thoughts on COP26, what they’re up to, and sustainability in general.

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Simone Hindmarch, co-founder and Managing Director, Commercial I am hopeful and remain positive that we will see a lasting impact from COP26. I am looking forward to seeing how the cards fall and how the recommendations truly affect business.

As a company, we will always do everything we can to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and this drives our organisation’s goal to be net-zero by 2028.

It has been tough to keep doing the right thing when the goalposts keep changing, but our determination is stronger than ever to help affect real and lasting change. With our fleet, for example, we changed to bio-diesel and then moved to hydrogen, as

recommended – then the government moved away from hydrogen to electric vehicles. We need consistency in the messaging from the experts.

We have some great organisations like the Planet Mark supporting us and there is certainly a collective determination in business to change.

Stephen Ashkin, President, The Ashkin Group The cleaning sector is a relatively small overall contributor to global environmental challenges. But let us not forget how big our industry is, annually consuming tens of billions of pounds of chemicals, paper, plastics and other materials, while employing millions of workers around the globe. It is incumbent on us to do our part.

Reducing waste, improving efficiency, utilising responsible sourcing, meeting the requirements of our customers, and caring for our employees – it’s good

fundamental business now as well as in the future.

Hopefully, the cleaning industry will be a leader and demonstrate how even SMEs, including those in the services sector, can contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future.

Anil Abrol, President, Eco Guardian We’re happy to see progress being made towards protecting and restoring ecosystems, with an emphasis on ending deforestation. Eco Guardian has always invested in renewables, recyclables, and rapid growth crops which come from highly sustainable and certified sources to produce our products.

We only align ourselves with manufacturers that have the means to generate their own power and use efficient processes to reduce their carbon footprint. We’re constantly reviewing our products and production to make improvements where possible.

HOT TOPIC COP26

agreed under the Paris Agreement, with countries submitting their emission reduction targets and roadmaps every five years. That was supposed to happen last year, but the pandemic forced the rescheduling of COP26.

MOVING FORWARD The event comprised four official goals: secure global net-zero by mid-century and keep 1.5°C within reach; adapt to protect communities and natural habitats; mobilise finance; and work together to deliver.

There are always numerous sticking points on any of the issues a COP tries to resolve, with political wrangling and horse-trading continuing throughout the days and nights to find consensus between all 197 nations. The draft agreements – known as cover decisions – undergo several versions as negotiators tussle back and forth over subtle changes in language that can result in an immense impact on their country’s future.

The first two COP26 drafts were criticised in many quarters for being “too weak” in their wording, specifically around the text relating to fossil fuel subsidies and the use of coal. However, it was the first time fossil fuels have been included.

Sticking to 1.5°C, which means cutting global emissions by 45% by 2030 and net-zero by 2050, and how to achieve this was the main crux of

Our goal is to produce and distribute items that help our customers improve their businesses and have a low to zero impact on our climate.

Russell Hodson, Group CSR Director, Complete Sustainability has, quite rightly, moved to the top of the agenda for forward-thinking businesses and COP26 couldn’t be happening at a more relevant time.

IT’S A START There was no sign of a final cover decision at the time of going to press (12 November), but a lot is riding on the outcome of COP26. A new report by The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) revealed that the world could be heading for 2.4°C of warming based on the short-term commitments made by governments before and during the conference.

Worse still, when CAT analysed actual current policies, the data suggested a warming of 2.7°C. It’s not all doom and gloom, however. Plenty of deals were struck during COP26, offering signs of positive progress. These include: • A historic deal on climate cooperation between the US and China, despite the absence of Xi Jinping at COP26.

• A first-time net-zero carbon emissions pledge from India. The announcement was bittersweet,

One of the main goals of this summit was to keep alive the 1.5°C target to be compliant with the Paris Agreement.

This has to all intents and purposes been achieved through the Glasgow Breakthrough Agenda which will assist in global efforts to halving emissions by 2030 and keep 1.5°C alive.

It was backed by nations representing more than 70% of the world’s economy and there have been many other notable commitments made.

However, as we have seen in the past, talk is cheap, and if we are going to avoid the catastrophic results of global warming, we need actions, not words.

Despite the cynicism that climate action attracts, we are seeing a massive shift towards sustainable procurement.

As with most things, the pressure for us to change is coming from our customers and their stakeholders, rather than from the government. This is where the momentum for action is being generated.

It is why Complete has committed to building a zero-emissions logistics platform across the UK by Q4 2022. It’s also why we quote Christina Figueres, ex-UN Climate Chief, on the cover of our environmental brochure: “This is the decade and we are the generation.”

We need to deliver a 50% reduction of our CO2 emissions by 2030 if we are to achieve the UK’s target to be net-zero by 2050. COP26 and the UN can set out a framework, but it is up to all of us to do our bit and act now to drive the necessary change to achieve this.

Don Lewis, President, Professional Hygiene, Essity The climate emergency drives actions from many actors and requires a global answer where private sector leadership is important. In conjunction with COP26 in Glasgow, the Consumer Goods Forum held a panel discussion – Net Zero Industry Transition with the Consumer

November/December 2021

Ralph Bianculli Jr, Managing Director, Emerald Brand If we wait for politicians to get these initiatives done, they will never happen. The key to this movement is cross-generation education.

The private sector must lead the way in terms of innovation and transformation.

Both will only occur when enough of the world has been educated and will accept nothing less than the necessary change needed to clean the planet up.

COP26; the second draft “urged” parties to “revisit and strengthen” 2030 targets by the end of 2022.

Financing always causes a kerfuffle. The promised $100 billion-a-year pledge by 2020 by the richest nations destined to help developing ones has not yet been met – and is not expected until 2022 at the earliest. The second draft, however, did recognise the need for increased finance beyond this figure.

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COP26 HOT TOPIC •

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however, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a timeline of 2070 – 20 years past the summit’s key goal. Meanwhile, China and Saudi Arabia have plumped for 2060.

More than 130 leaders committed to ending deforestation and reversing land degradation by 2030. Brazil and Indonesia were signatories, although observers were sceptical of the reality.

Over 100 member states signed up to the Global Methane Pledge to reduce the potent greenhouse gas by 30% by 2030. However, big methane emitters including Russia, China, India and Australia did not.

The end of coal-fired energy – the single biggest contributor to climate change – may be in sight as 40 countries agreed to transition away from the fossil fuel. Those that did not include some of the biggest coal-dependent countries such as the US, China, India and Australia.

The COP26 declaration on accelerating the transition to 100% zero-emission cars and vans include Ford, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. Among those missing were Toyota, Volkswagen, Renault-Nissan and Hyundai-Kia.

THE NET RESULT The goings-on at COP26 may seem far removed from real life but, make no mistake, the drive to net-zero and adopting a circular economy will affect every business moving forward. The event is also a pretty good indicator of the legislation and regulations that are likely to be implemented.

A good case in point is the recent announcement that the UK will become the first G20 country to enshrine in law the mandatory Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. From 6 April 2022, over 1,300 of the largest UK-registered companies will have to divulge climate-related financial information.

Climate change is high on the public agenda, especially with the younger generation. This cohort of people is already wielding enormous influence, making conscious choices to opt for those brands that address the climate emergency and protect the environment. They will carry this preference into the workplace.

Additionally, net-zero-related technologies and innovations will produce entirely new business models, services and products, creating opportunities that we haven’t even dreamt of yet.

THE INDUSTRY SPEAKS…

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Goods Industry – on the industry’s transition to net-zero emissions.

Essity CEO Magnus Groth took part in the discussion together with other business leaders and Gonzalo Muñoz, High-level Champion, United Nations Climate Change.

Essity cooperates with suppliers, governments, customers, experts, and industry peers to lead the change we so urgently need. As such, we have joined the UN’s Race to Zero and the Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign.

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Wendy Vickery, Marketing Manager, Pentel Many brands in the OP industry have been committed to improving sustainability for more than the last few years, recognising – as COP26 does – that we all have a duty to safeguard the earth’s resources for future generations.

In the UK, the Plastic Packaging Tax comes into force next year and Pentel has already launched a range of plastic-free packaging options. Globally, we’ve always used cardboard to pack our loose products for the OP sector.

I believe the major brands in the writing instruments industry are making genuine efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle. It remains to be seen whether COP26 will do more than just encourage governments and manufacturers in all countries to implement similar initiatives.

Sarah Hunter, Managing Director, Officeworks [Referring to Officeworks’ support for the UN-backed global climate change initiative, Race to Zero Breakthroughs: Retail Campaign]: Collectively, the retail sector serves millions of Australians every day, so the choices we make can have an enormous impact beyond what we can directly control.

This includes everything from powering our operations with 100% renewable energy to reducing emissions associated with how we source, design, create and transport products, to helping customers make sustainable choices.

By working together as an industry, we can demonstrate the leadership and action needed to limit the worst impacts of climate change.

Lawrence Savage, UK Marketing Manager, ExaClair Recent reports show consumers are increasingly willing to pay up to 5% more for environmentally friendly items, while additional research highlights that 74% state they would pay more for sustainable packaging.

We are continuing to see the augmentation of ecological products and packaging materials across the sector, including cellogreen, PLA and oxo-biodegradable plastics, as well as more efficient processes that create less excess waste.

Initiatives across the ExacomptaClairefontaine group include using pulp from sustainably managed forests and powering our sites through the use of clean, converted energy, as well as continuously promoting recycling and waste limitation.

A growing number of our products carry the Blue Angel, PEFC and FSC accreditations, including the new Forever Young filing and desktop range from Exacompta, which is made from 100% recycled post-consumer plastic waste.

SPOTLIGHT

Special issue THINKING

Waste not, WANT NOT Climate change, pollution and the loss of biodiversity are current issues the world is trying to address. Transitioning to a circular economy is a vital component of the solution, as OPI’s Michelle Sturman finds out...

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ave you heard of environmental adviser Kate Krebs? Perhaps not, but one of her notable sayings, “waste is a design flaw”, hits the nail on the head in terms of one of the biggest environmental issues we need to solve. It’s eliminating waste.

The goal is to shift from the current linear economy and throwaway culture of take-make-waste to a circular one of reducing, reusing, repairing, remanufacturing and recycling.

It starts with smart design principles that extract fewer raw materials, conserve resources and create products which can be returned to the biological or technical cycle at the end of their use.

As the principal aim of the circular economy is to maintain the highest value of products, materials, components and resources for as long as possible, the transition is not going to be easy.

According to the Circularity Gap Report 2020, the global economy is only 8.6% circular. A raft of new legislation including the plastic tax, extended producer responsibility, deposit return schemes and right to repair, is a step in the right direction.

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WHERE TO START There are plenty of initiatives and advice to help businesses deal with the shift. The packaging sector, for example, has seen the Confederation of European Paper Industries launch a cross-industry alliance, 4evergreen, to increase the recycling rate of fibre-based packaging; the CEFLEX consortium has published Designing for a Circular Economy guidelines for flexible packaging, and

the HolyGrail 2.0 project for digital watermarking has been launched to help sort and recycle waste.

To achieve true circularity, however, there is an absolute necessity for partnerships and networks between all stakeholders from grassroots level and communities to governments, academia and businesses – plus everyone in-between.

Forming part of its Circular Economy Action Plan, the European Commission proposed a “global alliance to identify knowledge and governance gaps in advancing a global circular economy and take forward partnership initiatives, including major economies”.

The resulting Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency (GACERE) involves the EU, 15 other countries so far, including Canada, India, South Africa, New Zealand and Peru, as well as the United Nations Environment Programme and United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

There is growing global consensus to change direction and embark on a path to a sustainable, climate-neutral and resource-efficient model In September, the first GACERE meeting took place during the fifth World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF), where European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said: “There is growing global consensus to change direction and embark on a path to a sustainable, climate-neutral and resource-efficient model.

“The EU is setting an example with actions under the European Green Deal. In July, a law entered into force to help reduce plastic litter across the EU and we see increasing support

INDUSTRY INNOVATION But, of course, actions speak louder than just words. Our sector is gradually edging towards a systemic change as regards the circular economy, with plenty of innovation from which to draw inspiration. Visual communications vendor Bi-silque, for example, is well-known for its sustainability leadership and Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certified Earth range.

C2C certification represents a global standard for products that are safe, circular and responsibly made. These criteria are assessed across five categories: material health, product circularity, clean air and climate protection, water and soil stewardship, and social fairness.

We realised it made both ethical and economic sense to get ahead of the trend towards circularity Jan/san supplies vendor Greenspeed is another company supplying our industry with C2C certified products and is also vigorously pursuing a circular economy vision (see also Big Interview, page 16).

After a successful pilot, AstraZeneca is the first customer of Essity’s paper hand towel recycling service Tork PaperCircle in the UK. The facility sees used paper hand towels picked up and taken to a local Essity mill where they are turned into new tissue merchandise.

The cleaning and hygiene product manufacturer says Tork PaperCircle helps clients meet sustainability targets by reducing waste by up to 20% and cutting carbon emissions by approximately 40% compared with other waste management systems.

CLOSING THE LOOP Most recently, Lyreco has partnered with Fellowes Brands on a closed loop project for the French market. The collaboration sees Lyreco place recycled cardboard bins for waste office paper at customer locations which are picked up when full by its drivers during regular deliveries.

The collected paper is sorted and then used by Fellowes in the production of the archive boxes it supplies to Lyreco.

In the UK, meanwhile, Lyreco was the first business to partner with global reuse platform Loop in a B2B trial for a sustainable, circular shopping cycle. Hand soap and hand sanitisers are ordered through the reseller’s web shop and delivered in a bespoke reusable tote bag.

When the product is finished, customers alert Lyreco and the empty, stainless-steel containers are taken away, cleaned and refilled. The bottles can be reused up to 100 times. Curtis says: “We’ve successfully tested the Loop proposition with two key corporate customers using two products from our hygiene range.

“We are in the process of working with a lead supplier of hygiene products to expand the range we can offer with Loop compatible containers. We also have a long list of customers that have asked if they can join the next phase of the rollout.”

November/December 2021

GETTING THE BALL ROLLING There are many more industry examples. That said, establishing a circular economy cannot rest solely on the shoulders of manufacturers. All companies in the supply chain must play their part.

European business supplies reseller Lyreco is renowned for its advocacy of a wide range of sustainability practices. Last year, Lyreco launched its 2025 Circular Economy pledge consisting of five pledges to provide fully circular solutions to its client base (see How To..., OPI November/December 2020, page 38.

Alternatively, listen to OPI Talk and the ‘Circular economy and sustainability with Lyreco’ on opi.net/podcast).

Speaking to OPI, Lyreco Group Innovation Catalyst Marc Curtis explains the importance of the circular economy and the meaningful role the company can play: “We recognised we are in a uniquely influential position, sitting – as we do – between a diverse collection of suppliers and companies of all sizes and from every sector.

“We realised it made both ethical and economic sense to get ahead of the trend towards circularity by committing to a range of ambitious targets – especially when it comes to the products we sell which currently have limited end-of-life recycling possibilities.

“It is our hope we can use our market-leading position to influence suppliers in terms of changing their manufacturing processes – to move towards mono-materials, for example – while providing the infrastructure to manage the flow of waste materials back into the asset chain.

It is a huge undertaking for a company operating in 25 countries, but we are of the view that, if we don’t start the ball rolling, who will?”

SPOTLIGHT Circular Economy

around the world for a new, legally-binding global agreement to combat plastic pollution. We’re [also] building key alliances on circular economy and resource efficiency.”

Held in Toronto, Canada, WECF 2021 convened business leaders, policymakers, civil society, youth, indigenous leaders and other interested parties to discuss the ‘game changers’ required to accelerate the circular economy.

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Special issue

FEATURE

THINKING

Packaging up a SOLUTION Tackling the mounting packaging problem is no easy feat, but there is a profusion of companies devoted to finding answers. OPI’s Michelle Sturman takes a look at some of the developments

I

www.opi.net

t doesn’t take a genius to work out that the mammoth rise in packages being shipped around the world isn’t great for the environment. To put the $900 billion global packaging industry into perspective, the most recent Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index reveals global parcel volumes reached 131.2 billion in 2020. Or, to put it another way, 4,160 parcels are shipped per second.

According to the Index, parcel volumes could be as high as 303 billion by 2026, although the most likely outcome is that they will double to reach about 266 billion with an 11% CAGR from 2021-2026. Whatever the final figure, it’s a staggering number of packages and accompanying packaging material which are finding their way into our homes and workplaces.

Some progress is being made in addressing the issue, with the banning of single-use plastic gaining momentum, for example. But different plastics are still found in packaging materials.

And while the focus has been on increasing recycled content within packaging and improving overall recyclability – although global recycling rates remain below par – the emphasis is now in fact shifting to reaching net-zero.

One way to help reduce carbon emissions is to embrace a circular economy which calls for significant advancements in solving the complex issue of making packaging more sustainable and non-linear (see also Spotlight, page 28).

OPI looks at a few of the interesting innovations that are already available or are in the testing/ prototype phase.

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THE BOUNTY OF THE SEA The humble seaweed, found in abundance in seas the world over and with the added ability to be farmed sustainably, is becoming a genuine contender for replacing plastics in packaging. The European seaweed industry

alone is predicted to be worth almost €9 billion ($10.4 billion) by 2030. Companies that include traditional packaging giants as well as start-ups are currently investigating its potential.

UK-based paper and packaging firm DS Smith, for instance, is exploring how seaweed fibres can be used as a raw material in products as an alternative to wood. The company is also examining the potential of using seaweed as a replacement for petroleum-based barrier coatings.

In addition, as part of its £100 million ($134 million) circular economy R&D programme, DS Smith is researching other natural materials.

These include straw, hemp, miscanthus and cotton as well as agricultural waste such as cocoa shells and bagasse.

Parcel volumes could be as high as 303 billion by 2026 A collaboration between two Finnish companies is analysing the possibilities of seaweed and algae. Origin by Ocean harvests algae and seaweed from the Baltic Sea and transforms it into sustainable ingredients. In partnership with bio-sourced materials business Brightplus, the focus is on examining the different decorative and barrier properties of the biomass.

THE WHOLE PICTURE Creating circular products isn’t solely about the packaging material itself. It equally involves right-sizing containers and ensuring eco-friendly void fill options are included.

US-based Cruz Foam has been operational for a few years, but its product is now gaining real traction as businesses look for viable eco-friendly and circular economy alternatives.

The company uses chitin from shrimp shells

Sustainable Packaging FEATURE www.opi.net 32

sourced from sustainable farming and paper recycling waste to manufacture a compostable foam. It’s comparable to polystyrene in terms of its mechanical properties and thermal insulation.

FOR THE LANDLUBBERS Back on dry land, mycelium – the mass of branched, tubular filaments of fungi, or mushroom roots – is proving its worth as a packaging material. One of the forerunners of this technology is US-based Ecovative, a biotech firm that uses mycelium to combat problems such as plastic pollution. Mushroom Packaging, a division of Ecovative, focuses on custom-moulded protective packaging.

This solution is made with two ingredients: hemp hurd and mycelium. It is grown to shape in seven days, is flame and water-resistant, biodegradable and fully home compostable.

Mushroom Packaging is, furthermore, Cradle to Cradle Gold Certified.

A Life Cycle Assessment found the packaging consumes a tenth of the energy and emits an eighth of the greenhouse gases as an equivalent volume of foam. Currently, there are four licensees of Mushroom Packaging based in New Zealand, the US, the Netherlands and the UK. Using Ecovative’s mycelium composite technology, UK licensee Magical Mushroom Company takes post-processing waste from agricultural products, including hemp, hops, corn and timber, and combines it with mycelium.

The firm says its product performs as well as polystyrene and also avoids the new plastic packaging tax.

PAPERCHASE While not being liable for the tax may serve as a minor motivation, for the biggest plastic polluters like The Coca-Cola Company, Nestlé and PepsiCo, consumer backlash will likely provide the biggest incentive to up their environmental game. To be fair, many global businesses – on the surface at least – seem to be searching for sustainable and circular alternatives already.

One such substitute being explored is the paper bottle. Formed in 2019, Paboco is a joint venture between Swedish paper packaging material developer BillerudKorsnäs and Austrian bottle manufacturing specialist Alpla. Paboco’s mandate is to create the world’s first 100% bio-based and recyclable paper bottle at scale.

Drinks manufacturer The Absolut Company was the first to launch a test batch of around 2,000 bottles containing 57% paper and 43% plastic.

The plastic barrier was made from 100% recycled PET which could be recycled after use.

This was followed by a Coca-Cola prototype trialled in Hungary. These launch trials will help provide valuable learnings throughout the value chain, including logistics, consumer experience, recycling, etc.

Paboco recently launched its next-generation bottle, where the plastic barrier film has been replaced with a new, fully integrated version, and different bio-based coatings are being tested.

From top left clockwise: Absolut paper bottle; Cruz Foam chitin-based foam; Returnity reusable shipping package; Mushroom Packaging mycelium protective packaging

The company, together with digital services firm recycl3R and traceability platform Kezzler, has developed a recycling app concept. Consumers can scan a QR code on a bottle for information on recycling depending on their location. It will further contain details about the packaging, sustainability footprint and product journey.

Pulpex – a collaboration between drinks manufacturer Diageo, venture management firm Pilot Lite and Stora Enso – is another entity racing to develop paper bottles for global brands such as Unilever and PepsiCo. RETURNING FULL CIRCLE Finding a single solution that addresses every aspect of sustainability is difficult. US-based start-up Returnity aims to overcome part of the problem by providing reusable shipping and delivery packaging systems.

The custom-designed mailer bags, envelopes and shipping boxes are made from recycled plastic bottles, eliminate over 40 single-use packages, and are fully recyclable at their end of life. Returnity provides client-specific circularity systems to ensure the right economic, operational and environmental choice to help the shift to a non-linear economy.

With COVID-19 still top of mind, the company has teamed up with chemicals firm Polygiene to use its ViralOff antimicrobial treatment which is effective for 30 washes.

All the aforementioned innovations represent just a tiny selection of what’s achievable, but they aptly demonstrate that the packaging issue is being confronted head-on. This bodes well for our industry in terms of increasing the availability of sustainable options.

ADVERTORIAL

Special issue

A sustainable THINKING

JOURNEY T

he path to sustainability has been continuous for REY; it’s a ride the brand takes incredibly seriously and which has no specific end point – it’s a constant endeavour to improve.

REY is one of the leading European brands of Sylvamo, the new group originating from International Paper’s global papers business as of 1 October 2021. Positioned as ‘The Conscious Choice’, the REY brand underwent a significant transformation in 2019 and has proactively enhanced its environmental footprint ever since.

Today, REY’s entire white office range is, as a standard, available with 100% paper packaging.

It’s climate neutral and 100% sustainably sourced.

Gerald Demets

www.opi.net

REY promotes three core brand values as part of its sustainability focus: plastic-free packaging, climate neutrality and sustainable sourcing

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NO PLASTICS Most recently, the brand has taken further steps in strengthening its sustainability engagement by making its ream packaging completely plastic free.

Gerald Demets, Director Sales, Marketing & Innovation EMEA of Sylvamo, comments: “Around 95% of office paper wrappers still contain a thin polyethylene layer; it’s invisible plastic that acts as a moisture barrier. Our goal was to eliminate this use of plastic completely from the REY ream, so we have brought to market a new material to replace the plastic layer with a renewable and recyclable wood-based solution with the same look and feel. It’s strong enough to protect the paper during transport and storage, and contains the same humidity resistance. It’s quite simply a smarter, greener solution.”

Key benefits of switching to a plastic-free wrapper mean that the base material is biodegradable and compostable, made from renewable, responsibly sourced fibres, is FSC or PEFC certified. The advantage is that the

wrappers can go straight into the paper bin without hesitation.

The new paper wrapper will be used for the REY white range which is now being produced at Sylvamo’s Saillat mill in France.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CLIMATE NEUTRALITY In addition to removing unnecessary plastic from its packaging, REY is also responding to another consumer concern: our planet and global warming. The brand has decided to make its entire white paper range climate neutral.

Demets is quick to point out that the company chose to go down the climate – as opposed to carbon – neutral path. He says: “Climate neutral was chosen over ‘carbon neutral’ or ‘CO2 neutral’ because there are four types of greenhouse gases responsible for climate change. REY offsets all emissions linked to its sourcing, production and distribution activities, through third party certified projects.

“In collaboration with external expert Climate Partner, we are offsetting every single tonne of greenhouse gas emissions we can’t avoid along the lifecycle of our white paper products.”

One of these projects is REY’s support of the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve in Indonesia. It is the world’s first REDD+ project validated for its impact on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (Editor’s note: REDD+ is a United Nations-backed framework that aims to curb climate change by stopping the destruction of forests. REDD stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation).

It protects 65,000 hectares of tropical peat swamp forest in Central Kalimantan, Borneo, and preserves 300 species of birds, 122 species of mammals and 180 species of trees and plants. It also improves the livelihoods of local communities in nine nearby villages.

Overall, REY promotes three core brand values as part of its sustainability focus: plastic-free packaging, climate neutrality and sustainable sourcing. There’s plenty to be done yet, says Demets, with the journey being a considerable part of the destination.

For more information, visit www.rey-paper.com

CALL FOR ENTRIES Entries are now being accepted for the 21st European Office Products Awards (EOPA) THE CATEGORIES ARE: • • • • •

Sustainability Excellence Marketing Campaign of the Year Initiative of the Year Business Product of the Year Vendor of the Year

• • • • •

Reseller of the Year Wholesaler of the Year Young Executive of the Year Professional of the Year Industry Achievement

THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED DURING A PRESENTATION DINNER AT THE HOTEL OKURA IN AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS, ON 22 MARCH 2022

Let’s celebrate the resilience, innovation and thriving community spirit that make our industry so special!

HOW TO ENTER

Simply complete an entry form (there’s no charge!) online at www.opi.net/EOPA2022 or email your nominations to awards@opi.net The closing date for entries is 10 December 2021

30 Celebrating

thirty years

For more information, including the full criteria and a list of the judges, please also visit www.opi.net/EOPA2022 or email awards@opi.net

CATEGORY UPDATE

The print industry has taken a massive hit during the pandemic, but the sector is adapting quickly to minimise disruption to all involved – by David Holes

A

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dapt and survive seems to have been the collective mantra of the print industry as it grappled with the immense turmoil caused by COVID-19.

With business premises and schools shut down, and employees forced to work remotely, the category had to make rapid changes to how it serviced its customers and find new operating approaches in a very different landscape.

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SWINGS AND ROUNDABOUTS Different parts of the printing and supplies sector got hit in various ways when COVID struck, but it was the hurried and widespread shift to homeworking that was the biggest single factor affecting them all.

“It had a dramatic effect on the MPS and imaging supplies categories,” says Tony Wills, Country Director of Document Solutions for Canon in the UK & Ireland. “Unsurprisingly, as staff migrated to work from home, we saw a decline in office print requirements, and this continued throughout the pandemic period.”

Sales of A3 devices, large multifunction devices and anything associated with centralised print room facilities plummeted. Simultaneously, there was a surge in the purchase of inkjet printers as businesses scrambled to get their employees set up domestically, according to Marc Pinner, Marketing Director at print supplies specialist Data Direct. “However, in the rush, they often settled for low-ticket items,” he reveals, “only to belatedly realise the true costs and inconvenience of keeping these running reliably.”

ECI’s Elise McFarlane

ECI Software Solutions, for example, saw a noticeable increase in the deployment of printing devices in the first half of last year. The company’s Global Product Portfolio Manager Elise McFarlane says that, thankfully, its hosted printing service allowed businesses to make their network printers available to home workers.

Additionally, ECI’s ability to install its data collection agent software in any type of environment, helped many customers as it could be updated, configured and troubleshot remotely, removing the need for teams to be working on-site.

For Epson UK, its ink subscription service ReadyPrint has become increasingly popular during the crisis due to its compatibility with

SUPPLY CHAIN WOES The disruptive effect COVID is having on global supply chains across industries is well documented, and the printing and imaging supplies sector has been no exception.

“It’s had a massive impact over the past 18 months,” admits Pinner. “Costs have spiralled, plus we have had increased lead times due to the reduced frequency of shipping vessels. This perfect storm meant we now plan much further ahead and our stockholding has vastly increased to ensure uninterrupted service for our dealers.”

At US MPS specialist Distribution Management, VP of Services and Solutions Sarah Custer reports that at first, there was little disruption in the supply chain with plenty of inventory available and less demand due to reduced print

Supply chain issues will dominate well into 2022. You can’t escape them – every part of the industry is affected and you can’t sell product you don’t have volumes. “Unfortunately, we are now seeing the exact opposite of that, with significant inventory shortages across the entire category, combined with volumes picking back up again.”

She adds: “Especially in the back-to-school season, this has created real challenges. Our product team has worked diligently to minimise the impact but, in reality, these problems aren’t going away anytime soon.”

Sarah Custer

Those with manufacturing facilities close to home, such as remanufacturer Clover Imaging Group in the US, seem to have fared comparatively well. “While we have had to deal with a few shortages,” says President Eric Martin, “we have been in a much better situation than some of our counterparts that are 100% dependent on Asian products and components.

“But supply chain issues will dominate well into 2022. You can’t escape them – every part of the industry is affected and you can’t sell product you don’t have. And as the cost of labour, raw materials and freight increases, companies are being squeezed for profitability and looking for areas to make back these losses. We see this as a great time for dealers to review customer accounts for OEM conversion opportunities.”

November/December 2021

THE CLOUD AND CYBERSECURITY COVID has been a game changer for everyone, according to Nicola De Blasi, CEO of print management software specialist MPS Monitor in Italy. What were previously trends have now become vital to all stakeholders. The need to move applications and processes to the cloud is one of them, he explains.

“The shift to hybrid working has accelerated this hugely. But for operators that previously had their platforms entirely sited within business premises, this progression to the cloud can be a major challenge.

“Security requirements have also changed dramatically as the pandemic has opened a new world of opportunities to cybercriminals,” he adds. “With employees working outside the company perimeter, it has introduced a layer of risk which is difficult to mitigate, with more target devices and less capacity available to keep them controlled and secured.

“Additionally, changing working patterns are causing headaches. Companies previously going through a fleet consolidation process to concentrate on fewer – but better performing and more cost-effective – devices, are now facing the challenge of having multiple users printing at home on a variety of products.

CATEGORY UPDATE Imaging Supplies/MPS/Print

many home printing devices. Peter Silcock, Business Manager for Business Print, adds that the company’s range of home EcoTank models has also been in high demand. “They offer ‘fit-and-forget’ benefits for those working from home as they come with up to three years’ worth of ink included in the box, with one set of bottles lasting as long as 72 traditional printer cartridges.”

HP Inc, meanwhile, said demand for its Instant Ink subscription service has grown substantially during the pandemic. It now has over ten million subscribers, more than double the count pre-COVID, with the OEM citing the rise in homeworking as the primary driver.

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Imaging Supplies/MPS/Print CATEGORY UPDATE www.opi.net 38

For more industry feedback on topics such as innovations in print and imaging supplies, and customer expectations around MPS, see Xtra content in the November/ December issue on opi.net

“All this creates a lot of uncertainty as to how things will pan out over the coming year. It presents a strong case for organisations with an effective analytics software package so they can monitor key operational metrics and keep an eye on this highly dynamic situation.”

Canon’s Wills agrees. With employees now moving seamlessly between workplaces, ensuring high-quality remote working standards is crucial. Having key applications in the cloud offers the possibility of mirroring information access, print services and technology across several working environments.

He says: “The importance of cybersecurity is paramount. With IT professionals needing to manage hundreds of different devices and networks across multiple locations, having a robust digital roof is essential to ensuring employee and company data is safe, wherever they are based. The benefits of cloud-based document management systems are undeniable – their implementation has grown exponentially in recent months and they will continue to be a powerful tool for the future.”

According to ECI’s McFarlane, cloud-based MPS solutions can be extremely effective in helping to facilitate a hybrid working situation, as they allow employees to carry out printing tasks with ease, from any location.

“The ability to add jobs to a print queue at home and then get hard copies when next in the office is an increasingly sought after feature.

Businesses also want the functionality to assign every employee their own unique PIN which they can link with project codes and set cost limits associated with their account. We expect features like this to become a priority for many companies moving forward.”

RETURN TO NORMALITY? As we emerge from the pandemic and there’s more of a transition back to the office, it’s becoming clear that some things have altered permanently for the category.

“Our monitoring software has shown a steady reopening of print devices, with a significant surge in October, but several changes which have occurred will be irreversible,” explains Pinner. “Many companies are adopting a 40% hybrid homeworking regime, and this will impact ongoing print volumes.

The younger generation in particular is much more averse to printed documents. There will still be a requirement for quality output, but transactional document printing will disappear in favour of digital alternatives.”

There will still be a requirement for quality output, but transactional document printing will disappear in favour of digital alternatives Clover’s Martin, meanwhile, still anticipates continued demand for lower cost, SOHO inkjet printers and the consumables to service them.

That being said, current global microchip shortages are causing some OEMs to temporarily shift manufacturing volume to more profitable, higher-cost products. But in the longer term, Martin predicts increased inkjet penetration among business users.

Ultimately and overall, De Blasi believes the category needs to rethink its strategy. “There is no long-term future for disconnected solutions and technologies. The entire sector will need to embrace the concept of an integrated ecosystem.

Customers will favour companies doing this and penalise those trying to shield themselves from the rest of the pack.

“Once the majority of processes and applications are cloud-based, this trend will be accepted by everyone. It seems a long way to go at the moment, but I’m very optimistic. The market will drive this transformation – as it already has in other industries – and new solutions will take over from legacy technologies.”

Nicola De Blasi

Imaging Supplies/MPS/Print CATEGORY UPDATE

THE GREENING OF A CATEGORY Environmental concerns are finally taking centre stage within the print and imaging supplies sector, with all key executives OPI spoke to keen to highlight the measures they are implementing. But while there’s general agreement something must be done, there is not always consensus on the best approach to take. Unsurprisingly, individual views vary depending on the side of the industry they advocate for.

DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW Peter Silcock is Business Manager for Business Print at Epson UK – a company which now exclusively sells inkjet printers. Silcock urges that switching away from traditional laser printers to inkjets would make a huge difference environmentally if we did this en masse: “Choosing business inkjet printers reduces the energy consumed by up to 83%, and their high-yield ink means an overall reduction in consumables of 96%.

“Making the simple switch to heat-free inkjet technology could save European businesses enough energy annually to power 800,000 electric cars, cut €152 million ($176 million) in costs and lower CO2 emissions by 410,000 tonnes.

We’re working with our partners to replace large volumes of laser printer fleets with inkjet alternatives once customers understand the high environmental impact of laser devices.”

Interestingly, HP is moving in the opposite direction following the company’s recent announcement it’s discontinuing its A4 and A3 PageWide business inkjet products. HP’s reasoning is that its LaserJet products – which use energy-saving, lower melting point toner – now match inkjet products for environmental performance, reliability and cost per page.

As such, HP maintains there is no longer a compelling need to have inkjet products in the office space, though it will still continue to supply them for the SOHO market.

Special issue THINKING

THE IMPORTANCE OF MPS Distribution Management VP of Services and Solutions Sarah Custer explains that MPS provides an important part of the overall sustainability jigsaw puzzle.

“A successful MPS solution minimises waste, while delivering superior customer experience and better value,” she says.

“More often than not, users replace print supplies too early, leaving an average of 15-20% of toner still in the cartridge. Our latest predictive analytics replenishment programme brings this down to 6% – a significant improvement.

“Another key area is shipment aggregation. It’s not uncommon for an unsophisticated program to get a low-supply alert and trigger the shipping of a single print cartridge – a tremendous waste of resources. Our platform analyses the entire environment for all A3 and A4 devices and then aggregates the shipment. Obviously, this is better for the environment as it minimises packaging and transportation, but it delivers a big cost saving to boot.”

www.opi.net

Expectations have clearly been heightened [...], with consumers demanding action on both the products sold and the packaging they come with

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In the remanufacturing segment of the market, Bob Reynolds, Sales Director at Armor Group, says giving a second life to OEM cartridges is a highly sustainable approach. He argues: “With 80% of CO2 emissions coming from the initial cartridge production phase, it’s clear that using remanufactured supplies is the most effective way of tackling this issue in our industry.

“Of course we still need new product in the mix, but this should be around 50:50, not the 10:90 we typically see today.

The goal is to help our partners and customers get there.

“Additionally, within the Our Way to Act [OWA – see top right] brand, we have completely eradicated all single-use plastics and reduced the packaging. We’ve also recently added a range of reconditioned multifunction printers, which fit perfectly with our brand philosophy and the requirements of consumers today.

As Reynolds adds, yes, printing is in decline generally, but the market is still huge. “In many European countries, it’s also compulsory that a proportion of the consumables used in the public sector are fully recyclable. Consequently, we see demand for remanufactured printer consumables growing over the coming years. This is despite OEMs employing increasingly sophisticated electronic chips on their cartridges to force customers to use brand new products.”

Expectations have clearly been heightened during the pandemic, with consumers demanding action on both the products sold and the packaging they come with. Marc Pinner, Marketing Director at Data Direct, says: “We’re aligning ourselves with those innovating in this area. For example, we are now master distributors for Pelikan’s Bio-based cartridge range – an excellent example of a truly green product.”

At remanufacturer Clover Imaging Group in the US, President Eric Martin also sees this shift in public perception, citing a recent survey which revealed 60% of consumers are willing to pay more for products and services from companies with a positive environmental impact. “You now see tangible examples of a new mindset at both state and federal levels.

We’re excited by the opportunities this will provide as awareness gathers momentum across the globe.”

When questioned by OPI, several organisations also mentioned their adoption of the PrintReleaf certification system and software platform. “This enables businesses to reforest an area of their choice according to the amount of paper they use – one new tree is planted for every 8,333 printed pages,” explains Custer. “We apply it to our own print environment and provide it as an optional service to our customers. In total, they have planted over 2.5 million trees so far. Clearly, this is something we can all feel good about.”

ADVERTORIAL

MAKING

Special issue THINKING

a difference

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ince its creation in 1960, German writing instruments manufacturer edding has been striving to find sustainable solutions in all areas of the organisation.

Patricia Siebel, responsible for environmental management and CR coordination at the vendor, refers to edding as a purpose-driven company that wants to empower people to be daring, caring and fearlessly authentic – with sustainability at the very heart of their approach.

OPI: What is edding’s core priority right now in terms of its sustainability values?

Patricia Siebel: Total customer satisfaction and the saving of resources is a main and continuous focus for us. The two combined enable us to offer only products that match demand and align with our sustainability policy. We are currently investing heavily into reshaping our admin, production and supply chain processes for a carbon neutral future. Our aim is to take our business partners and even our customers with us on this path in the coming years.

Patricia Siebel, Head of CR Coordination, edding

We’ve arrived at a decisive turning point towards a real sustainable mindset

www.opi.net

OPI: How are you going to achieve your goal of becoming climate neutral by 2025?

PS: Initially, we will do this with the help of offsetting. A first step was taken in 2020 when the edding EcoLine product range was certified as climate neutral.

In order to further reduce our overall carbon footprint, we’ve initiated numerous measures at our production sites, including more energy-efficient machines or using less or different packaging materials. The remaining, inevitable CO2 emissions are at the moment offset through investment in global climate protection projects.

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That said, carbon offsets cannot be a long-term solution and we want to be climate neutral as far as possible without offsetting by 2050. The principle is always: first, to avoid emissions, then to reduce and, finally, to offset them.

OPI: You mention your EcoLine. Tell me a bit more about that product range.

PS: The edding 24 EcoLine highlighter was the first and so far only marker to be awarded the Blue Angel ecolabel. Its cap and barrel, for instance, are made predominantly from renewable raw materials based on sugarcane from a certified supplier. The residual, unavoidable carbon emissions are offset through climate protection projects, specifically the reforestation of the Brazilian rainforest.

In general, it is important to acknowledge that the best way to be sustainable is to minimise the consumption of resources and materials wherever possible. Up to 90% of the plastic parts used in our permanent, whiteboard and flipchart markers are made of recycled material, most of which – 83% – being post-consumer recycled material recovered from different types of plastic waste, such as old yoghurt pots. This means a saving in new materials, enabling edding to avoid up to 83 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.

OPI: Another edding initiative I recall is the ‘return box’. How is that scheme going? I believe it started in the German market.

PS: This has long been a crucial topic for a writing instruments manufacturer like edding – what to do with empty markers and writing implements? They contain valuable materials that should be recycled so just throwing them away seems unnecessary and wasteful.

The initiative is going very well. And you’re right, after a launch in Germany, the boxes can now also be used internationally. They can be ordered on the websites of our international edding branches.

The filled boxes are then sent to a workshop for pre-treatment and after that are moved to a recycling company.

The return box is for any empty products regardless of the brand – single use or refillable.

Together with a specialist plastics recycling expert, edding has developed an approach whereby some of the plastic recovered can be used for the production of high-quality items such as new EcoLine products, for instance.

OPI: Finally, what do you believe COVID-19 has done in terms of where sustainability is placed on the agenda currently by businesses as well as end consumers?

PS: Overall, the pandemic has increased sensitivity for health and environmental issues.

We’ve arrived at a decisive turning point towards a real sustainable mindset and believe that edding can support this development with new actions, processes and products.

Special issue

HOW TO...

The long road from

THINKING

LANDFILL…

In this How To… guide, Joanna Knight identifies some of the environmental issues facing the furniture industry and the practices that can be adopted to support greater sustainability within it

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urely by now, any doubts about climate change and the impact human activity is having on the planet have been well and truly quashed. Google, for example, has announced that it will explicitly prohibit all advertisements which contradict the “well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change”.

With the UK hosting the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow this November (see Hot Topic, page 24), attention is focused on positive action to halt our environmental damage. The office furniture market is not exempt from this damage. Furniture manufactured from virgin resources, which is currently the majority, contributes to 30% of the carbon footprint of a commercial building over its entire life.

In 2017, the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) reported that over 600 tonnes of furniture and mattresses are sent to landfill every year, with an estimated £760 million ($1 million) of recyclable and reusable resources from all waste materials being lost to UK landfills annually.

www.opi.net

POSITIVE START BUT NOT ENOUGH

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Some suppliers have made a start by implementing environmental management systems (EMS) and assessing the carbon footprint of their operations. These actions are positive but do not, unless emissions are measured throughout the supply chain, incorporate the impact of components or imported finished products.

FIRA’s Healthy Workstations report, back in 2011 meanwhile, acknowledged that in the majority of furniture ranges examined, the embedded carbon contained within the materials and processes used for the manufacture of the product were the highest contributors to its carbon footprint, rather than company factors such as utilities or transportation.

As such, reducing the materials used or opting for lower impact alternatives can considerably reduce an item’s carbon footprint.

MEASURING ‘GREEN’

Sustainability is ultimately about balancing three key factors: the environment, society and the economy. Any organisation should therefore be reviewing and committing to an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy embracing overall corporate and social responsibility – not just carbon emissions.

An EMS provides a framework through which environmental performance can be monitored, improved and controlled. Many members of the furniture industry have already achieved the international standard ISO EN 14001, but this is just a starting point. Working on the basis that ‘what gets measured gets managed’, an EMS is based around continuous improvement and a mechanism to set targets and goals.

The office furniture market is not exempt from [environmental] damage Carbon footprint is now an important metric and greenhouse gas emissions are categorised within three scopes. Scope 1 covers the emissions that a company puts out directly while Scope 2 incorporates those it makes indirectly such as the electricity and energy it purchases.

Scope 3 is more challenging. This category includes all the emissions an organisation is indirectly responsible for. It works upstream and downstream – from buying products and materials from suppliers all the way to the emissions from the final marketed items when customers use them.

There is plenty of guidance available – from government websites, for instance – to assist in

THE WAY FORWARD: ECO-DESIGN

The main goal is to anticipate and minimise negative environmental impacts in terms of manufacturing, using and disposing of products.

The design stage is an important part here. By developing items that are durable, easy to repair and upgrade, and where recovery and recycling is enabled at the end of life, designers can provide the best possible conditions for material efficiency.

Some manufacturers are focused on introducing more responsible materials within existing designs. This approach, however, doesn’t consider the full lifecycle – what happens when the product is no longer required?

The UK government’s Waste Prevention consultation paper in early 2021 reported that “an estimated 80-90% of the environmental impacts in the lifecycle of furniture items is linked to the design and components of the products”.

Composite materials frequently prevent recycling. Similarly, manufacturing techniques may also avert material reclamation. The staples used in soft seating, for instance, reduce the reuse potential of wooden frames.

Durability and longevity are important features for eco-design. The idea is to maximise the lifecycle of the raw materials. But this concept is not supported by the ‘fast fashion’ approach of the workplace sector over recent years. We need to change our attitudes or accept that we must embrace products which are specifically designed for remanufacturing or redesign.

Eco-design considers the complete lifecycle including ‘design for disassembly’ – aimed intentionally at material recovery, value retention, and meaningful next use. This is a major step forward and a start down the road to circularity.

AIMING FOR A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

recognised by many specifiers. According to the International EPD system, “manufacturers report comparable, objective and third-party verified data that show the good, the bad and the evil about the environmental performance of their products and services”. However, achieving a registered EPD requires considerable effort and is expensive, prohibitive even, for some manufacturers.

Equally, there are numerous eco labels for environmentally sound furniture, but there’s no universal recognition. This is very much an area requiring further development.

An attitude of ‘one furniture company won’t make that much difference’ is not acceptable anymore WHY IT MATTERS

Joanna Knight has over 30 years’ experience in the office/workplace sector. She currently works as a marketing consultant focused on sustainability.

Knight is also Sustainability and Circular Economy Manager at Women in Office Design and a Council member at FIRA

It’s hard to ignore the immense publicity surrounding climate change. An attitude of “one furniture company won’t make that much difference” is not acceptable anymore. Specifiers and clients now have the tools to ask questions of manufacturers relating to sustainability. This is leading to preferred supplier lists and the exclusion of those not complying.

In June 2021, the UK government issued a Procurement Policy Note setting out how public sector buyers should take account of suppliers’ net zero carbon reduction plans in the procurement of major government contracts. This will undoubtedly filter through to the commercial sector too.

Corporate investment is increasingly dependent on the potential recipient being able to demonstrate green commitments – across its entire supply chain. Caution is necessary though: some manufacturers are turning to greenwashing for commercial gain, ie they make exaggerated or misleading claims about sustainability and environmental impact.

That said, greenwashing is becoming more treacherous, with publications and websites now naming and shaming the culprits. The Competition and Markets Authority also warns that “manufacturers or suppliers making dubious claims are putting themselves at risk of prosecution”. A measure of deterrence, at least.

November/December 2021

The office and contract furniture market has historically been highly linear, with a ‘take, make, use, dispose’ culture. A circular economy is an alternative approach in which we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life (see also Spotlight, page 28).

But the furniture market has long been driven by the quest for greater efficiency to ultimately bring down the purchase price. Just-in-time manufacturing has reduced warehousing and stockholding costs. As a result, it is now difficult and costly for many manufacturers to restructure to facilitate reverse logistics, disassembly and ‘triage’ necessary to achieve circularity.

New commercial models are on the horizon, with take-back, exchange or Furniture-As-A-Service schemes being developed. They will help facilitate greater reuse. The potential here is enormous.

Proving the environmental credentials of furniture products is complicated. A registered Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is

Bisley’s EPD-registered Caddy range. Caddy provides secure storage for personal items in flexible working environments

HOW TO... Sustainable Furniture

the measurement of Scope 1 and 2. The process of undertaking this task will then create a template for commencing Scope 3 assessments.

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RESEARCH

Special issue THINKING

The write DELIVERY

UK-based creative consultative agency Radley Yeldar reveals how to deliver effective sustainability communications

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ith the climate emergency high on the business agenda, communicating any message on sustainability appropriately is imperative. However, with the rising quantity of dialogue, the corresponding level of quality in terms of language used has failed, according to research carried out by creative consultancy agency Radley Yeldar (RY). The company found the vocabulary deployed on the subject was often “boring”, “sounds the same” and “ineffective”.

At a time when environmental protection is leading the political, news and public debate, businesses are still pumping out standard and indistinguishable messages, some of which could arguably be construed as greenwashing.

RY’s Words that Work report involved collaboration with a range of experts, comprising academics and sustainability communication specialists, along with a literature review and an analysis of the language used by those on the Forbes ‘50 Most Valuable Brands’ list (see ‘Ditch the clichés’, page 48).

An accompanying webinar discusses the findings, delving deep into the issues – it’s definitely worth watching. Included on the panel were Ollie Burch, Campaigns Director for Radley Yeldar; Dr Arran Stibbe, Professor of Ecological Linguistics at the University of Gloucestershire; and Rodney Irwin, Managing Director, Redefining Value and Education at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

RY found the written word often corresponds to the same pattern of ‘stock sustainability’ that earlier research investigating the use of imagery within environmental messages revealed. Think green coloured palm prints, Earth encapsulated in a water droplet on a leaf, etc. Neither the images nor words really work or engage anyone.

RY discovered ‘stock sustainability’ wording overwrote normal branding and tone, watering down messages at a time when increased understanding of the issues, solutions and required actions is paramount.

It also reduces differentiation, engagement and action which not only potentially harms brands in terms of reputation and the bottom line, but may actually be holding back the progress of sustainability itself.

Burch does point out that, ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with using the word ‘sustainability’ as it’s in fact one we all agree on. Additionally, while we can change it to another word, it won’t rectify the problem which is potentially at the heart of it – misuse or indeed overuse in language and communications.

Dr Stibbe agrees, adding that effective dialogue starts at the core of the company. How are employees talking about the issues, what are their convictions and beliefs? Only when you know these, he says, can external discourse be an authentic representation of a company genuinely committed to sustainability.

For Irwin, in a world of misinformation, we need to divorce ourselves from the emotional and saccharine-coated wording of sustainability as it’s not necessarily driving the required results. He believes one of the first questions to ask is: why are you doing this? If you don’t know, then stop.

Because if you don’t know, how is anyone else going to grasp what you’re trying to say?

One of the first questions to ask is: why are you doing this?

If you don’t know, then stop Ultimately, the use of ‘stock’ language renders brands indistinguishable from one another, not just within the same sector but even across industries. As a result of its research and to aid companies in improving their language and communication around the subject of sustainability, RY has arrived at ten principles.

SUSTAINABILITY TALK 1. Put your audience first Know where the understanding of your audience lies. If the writing is too technical, you risk losing readers. Conversely, too simple and credibility may be in doubt. Preferably, ensure communication is tailored, so those least familiar with sustainability jargon will understand.

Know what your clientele expects to hear from you and, importantly, manage separate messages based on audience segmentation.

2. Bring in diverse voices and opinions Avoid communications sounding identical by using diverse opinions and voices. These could include external content creators and employees from different departments to push the boundaries and appeal to more types of audiences.

Sustainability Language RESEARCH

3. Be specific Steer away from ‘lofty macro statements’ and be specific. Get down to the nitty-gritty of sustainable attributes, especially if talking about a product.

4. Frame it right Striking the perfect balance between motivating people through positive communications and scaring them with negative statements is hard.

Listen and understand your audience – do they display a low concern for the environment? If so, a negatively framed message can be the key to being more effective.

Alternatively, if you need them to take action, information around individual tangible gains could be the right choice.

5. Avoid the ‘s’ word It might seem counterintuitive to not use the word sustainability when that’s exactly what you’re referencing, but bypassing it enables you to get more specific (see point 3). RY’s research reveals that the most sustainable brands employ the label comparatively sparingly.

The ‘s’ word is a barrier to normalising it. While people may be concerned about environmental issues, they don’t link the term directly to their lives. Tesla, for example, is thought of as an exclusive futuristic brand first, electric car second.

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6. Explain the why Companies considered to be excellent communicators all have one thing in common – they explain the specific motives behind every action. It may not be applicable to every sustainability story, but opening up about why certain decisions were made adds a human element that can create trust.

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7. Make it personal Adding the human touch and telling the stories behind a company’s efforts make commentary more authentic. The use of ‘stock’ language creates distance between a brand, sustainability and its audience. Combine this with point 2 to accomplish diversity and a range of perspectives.

8. Be honest Be brave and be honest; it’s ok to admit faults and address challenges. They help to create trust and

To download a copy of Words that Work or watch the accompanying webinar, visit https://ry.com. For more information, email hello@ry.com

transparency. Remember, when things seem too good to be true, they typically are.

9. Make the future tangible According to RY research, 68% of companies refer to a ‘better future’ but fail to define what that would really look like. Most talk of what lies ahead involves disasters and a scarcity of resources.

A better way is to motivate audiences to take part in your journey by painting a clear picture of what outlook you’re working towards.

10. Say it your way Don’t fall into the trap of being a ‘stale, corporate version’ when speaking about sustainability.

You likely have a unique brand tone, and although the topic can be serious, technical and may require a slight adjustment, it should nevertheless still be your tone of voice. The most effective brands keep their unique personality regardless of topic, channel or audience.

Try this: write some copy and remove as many clichés as possible; take out all references to your company name. Show it to some people.

Are they able to guess the company, or at least the industry, based on what’s been written?

If the answer is no, think of ways to make your sustainability communications more intricately tied to your brand.

DITCH THE CLICHÉS Radley Yeldar (RY) analysed the sustainability websites of Forbes’ ‘50 Most Valuable Brands’ and identified eight common clichés used in ‘stock sustainability’ communications.

Findings from the Words that Work report reveal that 44% of companies use, on average, four out of eight clichés on their website, while 63% applied several in the same sentence in a ‘buzzword salad’.

WHAT THEY SAY...

1. Our commitment: we are committed 2. The future: future generations, sustainable future, better tomorrow 3. The planet: protect the planet, help the planet, people and the planet 4. Biggest challenge: world’s biggest, urgent issue, unlike any other we’ve faced, of the 21st century 5. Our journey: climate journey, sustainability journey 6. Together, we can: in this together, work together, together, we can 7. Building a better: creating, shaping 8. Good for business: win all round, improves business

Special issue

RESEARCH

THINKING

A green LIGHT OPI’s Green Thinking survey recently polled industry members from around the world, providing a valuable snapshot of how the business supplies sector is embracing sustainability

T

he third OPI Green Thinking survey reveals that the topic of sustainability has certainly crept back up the agenda. Noticeable changes compared to the 2020 poll results include an increase in the importance of sustainability for businesses in our sector, and steps towards aspects such as reducing carbon footprints.

Clearly, more work is required as there is a disconnect between what is being asked for by customers and what is offered by industry members in terms of environmentally friendly products, packaging and solutions.

30%

5%

2%

25%

4%

What percentage of your current sales mix is due to ‘green’ products? n 1-25% n 26-50% n 51-75% n 76-100%

69%

65%

Are customers asking for more environmentally friendly products? n Yes, definitely n Not noticeably so n No

19% of it l l Do a , Yes cusyou o sustomerffer ome pactainabs kag le Yes, s5% ing ? of it 6 6% No 1

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0

50

60%

60%

40%

60

40

33%

26%

In which categories do customers request more sustainable products?

48%

80

25% 20 0

Safety

Jan/san

10

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20

Office paper

30

Stationery

40

Office furniture

50

Breakroom

Education/ school

100

10%

32% 20%

Will the move to the ‘sustainable office’ transform your overall product mix? n It already does n It will soon n Not in the next few years

YES 55% Specifically referring to single-use plastic, are customers asking you to reduce this?

NO 45%

Do you have an e-waste policy for customers and/or your own business? n Yes, for customers n Yes, for my own business n Both n No n Thinking about it n What’s e-waste?

50 40 30 20 10 0

13% Not important

Important

Very important

16%

9%

6%

6% No 8

Are you working towards attaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? n Yes, several of them n Yes, one or two of them n No n Thinking about it n What are SDGs?

100

31%

14% s e Y

80

Do y hav ou e pac a k take aging sch -back eme ?

60

19%

29%

40

Have you taken steps to reduce your carbon footprint in the past 12 months? n No n Yes

37%

0

70%

51%

3%

5%

20

30%

36%

10%

RESEARCH Green Thinking Survey 2021

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How important is sustainability to your organisation?

What are the primary influences that drive sustainability in your organisation?

It’s the right thing to do

85% 69%

Customer expectations

60%

Good for the brand

43%

Employee expectations

41%

New product opportunities

24% Legislation 21% New category opportunities

35%

What does your CSR programme mainly focus on?

Workplace health and well-being 55% External charity/community programmes 30% Pay and employee welfare, such as diversity and equality 15%

What are the primary drivers of your CSR initiatives?

It’s the right thing to do 81% Customer expectations 64% Good for the brand 62% Employee expectations 55%

November/December 2021

Do you have a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme?

Yes 55% No 36% Working on it 9%

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Safety FIRST

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PAPERWORLD 2022 PREVIEW

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uring a virtual press conference held in the middle of October, executives from Messe Frankfurt confirmed that Paperworld 2022 will be taking place at the end of January. The news marks a welcome return for the iconic stationery and office products trade fair following its enforced absence as an in-person event in 2021.

Naturally, the priority for Messe Frankfurt is the safety of all those who attend Paperworld and the team has developed detailed organisational, hygienic and medical measures. These include wider aisles and spaces throughout the showgrounds, a 100% fresh air ventilation system, intensive cleaning measures and a hygiene-adapted catering concept.

“We can ensure the all-important personal contact at our trade fairs with the necessary security,” said Philipp Ferger, VP of Consumer Goods Fairs at Messe Frankfurt. “After all, the need for personal encounters and physical exchange continues unabated in our sectors and we are pleased to be able to make this possible again.”

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It is also essential that attendees prepare for their visit. Tickets must be purchased online prior to the event – no on-the-day admission will be allowed – and proof of complete vaccination, recovery from COVID-19 or a recent test result will be required.

We can ensure the allimportant personal contact at our trade fairs with the necessary security

Paperworld 2022 will be held 29 January to 1 February. For more information, visit www.paperworld. messefrankfurt. com and/or the German Foreign Office at www. auswaertiges-amt. de/en/visa-service/ EinreiseUndAufenthalt

As it stands, the wearing of masks will not be required on exhibitors’ booths – as opposed to upon entering the show, walking in aisles, etc – which will be welcomed by many. However, we all know how quickly things can change with COVID, so it is advisable to consult the Paperworld and German Federal Foreign Office websites for the latest information nearer the time (see below left).

SALES PUSH Now that the green light has been given, it’s all hands on deck at the show organiser as the commercial team looks to make up for lost time.

Normally by early November, more than 80% of floor space would be sold, but pandemic uncertainties have put the process back by several months.

Exhibitors such as Durable, edding, HSM, Navigator, Novus Dahle and Sigel have already confirmed their presence, and Messe Frankfurt is

EVENT Paperworld

currently doubling its efforts in the supplier community as the trade looks forward to being able to meet face to face again.

One positive is the easing of travel restrictions, both within Europe and – as of early November – between Europe and North America. Business trips to Germany to attend events are possible without having to quarantine.

Nevertheless, the situation for visitors and exhibitors from the Fast East is more complicated, which could mean lower bookings in the International Sourcing section of the show and fewer attendees from Asia.

COMPLEMENTARY DIGITAL TOOLS A distinct advantage for exhibitors is exclusive access to Messe Frankfurt’s digital offerings. And while the organiser is adamant that these solutions will not replace physical events, it has been developing complementary online tools for some years.

For Paperworld 2022, a digital networking platform will be available one week before the start of the show and stay open until 15 February. Online assets will also be accessible at no charge – next year at least – to all registered visitors.

New for 2022 is a Future of Work programme replacing the Future Office concept that has been held for a number of years. This will take place in Hall 3.0 and highlight changes to the ways of working which have been accelerated by COVID. It will feature a series of lectures and presentations, plus an expo and a networking area.

Last, but by no means least, sustainability will be in the spotlight again at Paperworld. Exhibitors can, for example, apply to be included in a programme called Special Interest Sustainability; the Future of Work will include presentations on eco-responsible purchasing and environmentally friendly solutions for the modern workplace; and Sustainable Office Day is moving to a more prominent location in Hall 3.0.

NEW SHOW DIRECTOR FOR PAPERWORLD Paperworld 2022 is to have an interim Show Director after Eva Olbrich was appointed to take over from Bettina Bär in the middle of October. Bär had only been named to the role in July, but has now been put in charge of Messe Frankfurt’s textile shows Neonyt and Val:ue which will take place during Frankfurt Fashion Week in January.

In addition to her new responsibilities at Paperworld, Olbrich will continue as Director for both Christmasworld and Creativeworld.

Eva Olbrich

November/December 2021 53

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NAOPA: back with a bang

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NORTH AMERICAN OFFICE PRODUCTS AWARDS 2021 REVIEW

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f all the in-person events missed over the past 20 months or so, award ceremonies have been among the hardest to replicate in any other format.

The buzz and anticipation beforehand, and then the industry recognition and standing ovations after a win can simply not be conveyed without a lot of people being physically in the same room.

And it was a very full room indeed when the North American Office Products Awards (NAOPA) were announced at Industry Week ’21 in November (see also ‘Together again’, page 60).

After a COVID-induced 2020 absence and a category rejig which factored in the changes that have occurred – or been accelerated – as a result of the pandemic, a total of nine awards were handed out.

Six vendor awards acknowledged product innovation and excellence in several segments. The three individual awards, meanwhile, rewarded executives who, in one way or another, have made – and continue to do so – an outstanding contribution to our industry, be it in the early days of their ascending career, at their peak or towards the end of it.

BEST PRODUCT – CORE BUSINESS PRODUCT WINNER: COLOP – E-MARK Core office products remain a fundamental, but ever-evolving part of our industry – and of the NAOPA. And the winner has done exactly that – inject new and exciting life as well as growth into a traditional and mature segment. It’s COLOP’s e-mark.

The e-mark is a portable printing device that is battery-operated and based on inkjet technology. It works in combination with an app which comprises an automatic date, time and numbering function, plus a barcode and QR code generator. This product is currently available in three editions – e-mark, e-mark create and e-mark secure.

Winning the NAOPA in the Core Business Product category is a milestone in the history of COLOP, commented Christoph Skopek, Managing Director of COLOP Digital, and Head of Sales & Marketing Franz Ratzenberger (pictured, left to right), especially given the tough competition from other nominations. They said: “This unique award is a reward for our entire team.

We are more than proud and it gives us a lot of motivation for the future. It shows that COLOP’s decision to invest in the digital marking sector was absolutely right and forward-looking.”

BEST PRODUCT – TECHNOLOGY WINNER: ONESCREEN – ONESCREEN GOSAFE Away from the traditional, Technology has become a wide open category which encompasses many different products serving many different purposes. The company taking home the trophy was perhaps not well known to many OPI readers – or indeed Industry Week delegates. It is now, in our COVID-dominated new world where employee safety has moved to the top of the agenda.

OneScreen’s GoSafe is an entryway management device that uses biometric technology for scanning and recognition to help firms keep staff and visitors healthy and safe. GoSafe adapts to a company’s access control needs with features including hands-free rapid and secure temperature scanning, mask detection, and 99% accurate facial recognition without a mask.

The NAOPA judges were particularly impressed with how fast GoSafe progressed from concept to customer installation. Says Zee Munir, OneScreen VP Global Business Development (pictured right, with OPI’s Janet Bell): “We knew we had to come up with a high-quality solution quickly that would not only address health needs, but also revive and re-energise activity in schools and in all types of organisations.”

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BEST PRODUCT – FACILITIES, BREAKROOM, SAFETY & INFECTION CONTROL WINNER: FELLOWES BRANDS – AERAMAX PRO This is a category that was adapted from previous incarnations, with COVID-19 and its impact on the workplace in mind. The winning entry – Fellowes Brands’ AeraMax Pro air filtration system – isn’t in fact a COVID product and has been on the market for a while. But the pandemic has propelled it to extraordinary importance, with air purifiers now essential components of healthier working and living environments.

As the vendor’s Beth Wright, VP of Sales, Americas (pictured, second from left), commented: “We are thrilled to be awarded the best product in this new category. Our solution has enabled a safe and effective way to get back to life for over 200,000 businesses and schools during this pandemic. Many independent dealers have become trusted advisors to their customers by providing Fellowes’ air purification solutions.”

BEST PRODUCT – FURNITURE & DESIGN WINNER: SPECIAL-T – CORE BY SAFE-T Safety was a primary concern in several of the entries for the new Furniture & Design category. Special-T’s CORE

by Safe-T pipped everyone else to the post, with the NAOPA judges impressed with the way this product creates safe environments.

CORE by Safe-T consists of three 120° workstations that allow each person to be seated six feet apart. In the middle is a medical-grade air purification system while, also centrally positioned, a power hub gives easy access to electricity. For extra safety, barriers extend 30 inches above the work surfaces and are made from durable PET material.

VP of Sales Ian Hicks and Special-T’s Florida Sales Manager Michael Maloney (pictured, middle and right) said: “We began developing CORE at the height of the pandemic. Our motive was simple: provide employees with the safest possible workspace while offering our dealers something relevant to sell.”

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR WINNER: 3M – POST-IT FLEX WRITE SURFACE The penultimate product award highlighted overall innovation in our industry, in no particular sub-sector.

The winner was a well-known recipient, having won this category several times. Always highly regarded for its continuous innovation, not to mention commercial success for new launches, it was, of course, 3M. The winning product in this hotly contested category was Post-it Flex Write Surface. It quickly transforms a work surface of any size into a whiteboard by simply unrolling, peeling and sticking. The item is designed to stick to a variety of surfaces, including primed and painted drywall, painted metal, glass, finished wood, and existing whiteboards or chalkboards. Users can customise the size and shape of any roll to fit their needs and both dry erase and permanent markers can be used.

Heather Green, Global Portfolio VP, Post-it and Scotch Brands, 3M (not pictured), said: “It’s such an honour to receive this award. We have a relentless passion to get it right and an unwavering dedication to our customer, so the whole team feels extremely proud of this accomplishment.”

PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER: KENSINGTON – STUDIOCADDY WITH QI WIRELESS CHARGING FOR APPLE DEVICES No other award encapsulates the ‘live’ and community aspect of the NAOPA as much as the People’s Choice award where voting goes right down to the wire and the winner is decided entirely by OPI’s US readers and attendees of Industry Week.

The winner of this hugely popular trophy is indicative of today’s work (and life) priorities: tech-orientated, mobile and space-saving. Kensington’s StudioCaddy with Qi Wireless Charging for Apple Devices is a versatile solution that maximises desktop space while keeping all devices charged, organised and within reach.

Collecting the award on behalf of the entire Kensington team, Sales Manager Erin McGivern and Susan Tiffany, Business Development Sales Manager – East Coast (pictured middle and right), said: “We’re grateful and proud to be recognised with the People’s Choice award. The StudioCaddy is a great example of how Kensington crafts professional tier products to inspire and allow the modern workforce to perform at its peak.”

NAOPA 2021 EVENT

YOUNG EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR WINNER: HUNTER JORDAN, HERALD OFFICE SOLUTIONS It’s vitally important that, in addition to benefitting from the experience of our OP legends, young talent continues to come through in our sector. NAOPA’s Young Executive of the Year award seeks to recognise those who make an impact from early on in their career.

Being part of a family business, Hunter Jordan (pictured) learned plenty about business supplies before he even started his career properly. As his father Thomas Jordan, introducing this year’s winner, explained, Hunter spent all his middle and high school summers getting up at 5.30am to make deliveries for Herald Office Solutions in South Carolina.

To learn not just ‘at home’ at Herald, but gain a broader view of the sector and particularly the sales function, Hunter also interned with an industry partner in Florida for two summers.

After graduating from The Military College of South Carolina in Charleston – commonly known as The Citadel – he joined the furniture team at Herald.

Over the past seven years, aside from honing his skills and doubling sales of his division, he’s also become increasingly connected with the wider business community. Hunter serves on the furniture committee of Independent Suppliers Group (ISG) and is involved both in ISG’s NEXT as well as S.P. Richards’ YES group of young leaders. His already strong leadership skills will only get more impressive as his career progresses.

PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR WINNER: IAN WIST, GENERAL MANAGER, WIST BUSINESS SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT Professional of the Year is an award that gives credit to an individual at the peak of their career, someone who is doing an outstanding job for their company, but also a person who has the ability to influence the future of our industry.

Ian Wist fits the bill perfectly. Announcing Ian as the winner, ISG CEO Mike Gentile (pictured left, with Ian) referred to his long history of industry involvement, both at his family dealership Wist Business Supplies & Equipment and the IDC as a whole.

Using attributes like “dynamic business leader”, “brilliant strategic planner” and “strong negotiator”, Gentile also referred to Ian’s tremendous work ethic and determination.

Since taking over the family reins in 1987 following graduation from Arizona State University, the dealership has grown sixfold and become the largest privately owned business products reseller in the southwest of the US. Ian is not just known for his accomplishments at Wist, but also for being instrumentally involved in a wide variety of other industry entities. Among these, he’s part of the Pinnacle board and purchasing committee, the ISG board of directors and City of Hope fundraising groups.

It is this overarching participation in our sector that Ian attributes receiving this award to. He said: “I’ve had the opportunity to learn from so many industry leaders. My amazing staff, manufacturers, wholesalers, buying groups, fellow independents – they’ve all taught me so much over the years and I’ve made lifelong friendships. And then I get an award for it – what could be better?”

INDUSTRY ACHIEVEMENT WINNER: YANCEY JONES SR, CHAIRMAN, S.P. RICHARDS The final award of the NAOPA always goes to someone who has made a truly outstanding contribution to the business supplies industry over the course of their career.

‘Inspirational’ and ‘dedicated’ are words often associated with the winner of Industry Achievement. This year, ‘entrepreneurial’ is another adjective to add. Yancey Jones Sr, Chairman of S.P. Richards (pictured), is all of the above and plenty more.

include acquiring over 40 companies in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and increasing sales of what is now known as The Supply Room from $3 million in 1988 to $175 million in 2019.

Most recently, of course, Yancey – along with Mike Maggio – invested time and money in acquiring S.P. Richards (SPR).

Family has always been vitally important to him, but this extends far beyond blood bonds, as was evident when an emotional Yancey accepted the award to a rousing standing ovation. He warmly referred to SPR as family, to the IDC and, in fact, the entire Industry Week congregation. As Gentile poignantly put it: “The industry is in a better place because of Yancey Jones Sr.”

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The industry is in a better place because of Yancey Jones Sr

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Taking a trip down memory lane, ISG’s Gentile went back to Yancey’s early career, explaining how he started his working life in the family-owned general store, selling office supplies and everything else the people of his town needed. From there, he went on to earn a marketing degree and gained the business experience that would help his career flourish down the road.

Having learned the theoretical ropes, he got on with the practice and purchased Meade and Company following his father’s retirement in 1981. The rest – 40 years – is history.

There is too little space in these pages to detail even a fraction of what happened during these decades, but they

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Industry Week ’21 photography sponsored by Certain Supply

TOGETHER again

INDUSTRY WEEK ’21 REVIEW

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pirits were high in November when the dealer members and supplier partners of Independent Suppliers Group (ISG) gathered at the World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida – more than two years after our sector was last able to meet in large numbers.

After a number of postponements and continuing uncertainty over COVID-related restrictions, the decision to go ahead with Industry Week ’21, powered by ISG, was widely welcomed. And while some dealers and vendors decided not to travel, the event was both well attended and received.

The first two days were largely devoted to ISG’s Pinnacle group, comprising one-on-one meetings between Pinnacle members and vendors. On day three – 10 November – the event widened to include the entire ISG membership. The General Session began with a welcome address by ISG CEO Mike Gentile. This was followed by a short speech by Yancey Jones Sr, Chairman of the event’s premier sponsor S.P. Richards (SPR).

The main attraction at the General Session was a panel discussion with industry experts headlined From Crisis to Opportunity – Capitalising on a post-Pandemic Environment and chaired by OPI’s CEO Steve Hilleard. The panel comprised Beth Wright, VP of Sales, Americas, Fellowes Brands; Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance; Nick Lomax, SVP Jan/San, SPR; and Steve Danziger, CEO, AAA Business Supplies and Interiors.

After an engaging and lively debate, OPI Director Janet Bell took to the stage to present the 2021 North American Office Products Awards (see ‘NAOPA: back with a bang’, page 54).

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LEARNING AND NETWORKING Day three also saw the educational programme kicking off. A selection of 17 seminars covered a wide variety of industry topics, hosted by both ISG staff and external industry experts. The latter included Fortune Web Marketing’s Jennifer Rae Stine; Methods in Motion’s Marisa Pensa; Janet Collins from TurningPoint Strategy and selltoWIN. com’s Rick Lambert.

The only slightly disappointing moment of the week came when the evening’s Welcome Reception and City of Hope fundraiser had to be moved indoors from its planned poolside location due to the weather. That, however, did not stop guests from having a great time, networking and meeting up with old friends and colleagues.

One of the core reasons for Industry Week had always been that it would help condense the annual show calendar for busy vendors and dealers. This it did, with a broad array of meetings taking place between SPR and Essendant and their customers as well as the Business Supplies Association (BSA) and their vendor members.

We’re ecstatic with the attendance we’ve had.

It’s been too long With so many industry peers from across the channels finally under one roof again, there was also the opportunity for a special awards lunch on 11 November. This saw the previously announced BSA Awards being presented to SPR’s Mike Maggio, Bill Cardone of TOPS and former Essendant executive Joe Templet.

It was followed by ISG’s own supplier awards where Certain Supply won Best New Supplier, Fellowes was recognised for Most Successful Pivot to PPE and Avery took home Supplier of the Year.

The final highlight – aside from the concluding Havana-themed party – was the afternoon trade show. Predictably, exhibitor numbers were slightly lower than hoped for given the circumstances, but the show floor was still active and carried a real buzz of excitement. Booths were busy and orders were written, as the industry got back to conducting business face to face once more.

“The members and suppliers of ISG showed how resilient and committed they are towards each other and the IDC,” noted Gentile. “We understand why some suppliers and members could not attend, but we are ecstatic with the attendance we’ve had. It’s been too long.”

A flamboyant Mike ‘Elvis’ Gentile announced that Industry Week 2022 will take place at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, Nevada, from 6-11 November 2022

EVENT

Getting out there CLIMB OF LIFE REVIEW

TO BEAT CANCER

O

n 5 November 2021, OPI once again joined approximately 90 UK industry peers to raise money for the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) after a one-year, in-person event hiatus due to COVID-19. And they didn’t come together for a walk in the park – quite the opposite.

In customary cold, windy and incredibly wet conditions, the team climbed some of the toughest mountains in the UK’s Lake District as part of the long-running Climb of Life (COL) initiative. This year’s theme of Get There By Getting Out There seemed particularly poignant as it’s a sobering reality that the pandemic has done little to make cancer go away.

There’s a considerable backlog of diagnosed cancer sufferers, meaning many people will now have lower chances of survival as a direct result of the delays caused by the pandemic.

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FUNDRAISING GOALS The hope was to bring the amount of money raised for the ICR to well over £1 million ($1.4 million). This was more than achieved. Over £72,000 were added to the pot this year, taking the grand total beyond the £1.2 million mark.

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OPI was one of the main sponsors of COL, alongside many others such as VOW Wholesale, Hamelin, Office Power, Avery and Commercial.

It smashed its own target, contributing £22,000 to the overall figure and making it the top fundraiser in 2021.

Said CEO Steve Hilleard, who was one of the climbers on the day: “OPI has been proud to support the ICR for the past 12 years. Sadly, during that period, two of our youngest colleagues lost their courageous battles with cancer. This always remains uppermost in my – and my team’s – minds when we commit to the task every year. I would like to sincerely thank everyone for donating, fundraising and organising in whatever capacity – and simply for getting stuck in at a time when cancer needs to be top of mind again.”

Philip Lawson, former BOSS CEO who took over as organiser from industry legend and COL inventor Graeme Chapman MBE in 2019, added: “Several members of the ICR team took part in the climb, among them senior scientist Dr Irene Chong and Director of Fundraising Lara Jukes.

Talking to them and hearing what they do makes you realise that raising awareness of and money for the ICR has never been more important.”

Next year’s Climb of Life will take place on 4 November 2022. The base for participants will again be The Coniston Inn, part of The Inn Collection Group

Left & middle: The hard way to the top; at the top.

Below: A few brave people went the extra (nautical) mile by taking an ice-cold plunge into Coniston Water to raise more funds

5 MINUTES WITH...

Jeanette Bresitz

CAREER Q&A Describe your current job.

I recently joined as Managing Director of UK dealer group Office Friendly.

What’s your life philosophy?

Treat everyone with respect and show kindness.

Best compliment you’ve ever received?

That I look younger in person than in my picture.

What words do you use the most?

“Thank you” and “brilliant”.

Best way to spend the weekend?

Friday: takeaway and a movie. Saturday: an outdoorsy, fun activity followed by beers and music. Sunday: Chilled day with a homemade roast dinner.

Early bird or night owl?

Early bird.

Where would you most like to visit and why?

I’m lucky in that I have travelled quite a lot already, but firmly on my list are Chicago and the Great Lakes. The city is for the music scene, while the Lakes are all about the great outdoors.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Maltesers eaten from an old school, rectangular box.

What is humankind’s greatest invention?

IVF. Your childhood ambitions?

To run a post office – I’ve always loved stationery and office products. I was also absolutely fascinated by the Argos catalogue. Make of that what you will!

Your favourite musician?

Equally split between singer-songwriter Frank Turner and indie band Ocean Colour Scene. I love live music and it’s great to have it back in our lives again. Our first proper gig after lockdown was Sheffield band The Sherlocks.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

My Mum. She fought hard as a single mum to give me the very best start in life.

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What skill would you like to master?

Learning a language, Spanish in particular.

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Jeanette Bresitz, Office Friendly

Favourite book?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – it’s magical. I must have read it six or seven times over the years.

What song always puts you in a good mood?

Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations, although the lyrics are a bit sad.

What irrational fear do you have?

Edges. I’m terrified of edges on train platforms, swimming pools, roads with a drop off, etc. I get hot sweats and heart palpitations.

What subjects should be taught in schools, but aren’t?

Real-life maths and finance, Excel wizardry and how to network.

Best moment in your career so far?

There hasn’t been one specific moment, but many occasions when someone has believed in me and given me the chance to progress. Several people have helped plot my journey from answering phones at Viking Direct to leading a dealer group in an industry I’m passionate about.

Your best piece of advice to someone who has just joined the OP industry?

Keep your eyes wide open – there are so many opportunities at every turn.

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

Encourage more female managers and leaders to join us.

What is the best way to stay motivated and complete goals?

I break down tasks and projects into smaller chunks.

There’s a great level of satisfaction in getting closer to completion by ticking off stages throughout.

Your favourite office product?

The iconic BIC Orange Original pen – black or green ink, I don’t mind.

FINAL WORD

MAKING things

Special issue THINKING

HAPPEN

I

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n August of this year, Dacris was accepted as a signatory member of the United Nations Global Compact, a network of over 13,000 companies and approximately 3,000 non-business participants from about 130 countries. Currently, 14 other organisations in Romania from a wide range of industries are part of this initiative.

The ten principles of the Global Compact are derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organisation Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

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HUMBLE BEGINNINGS For Dacris, being socially responsible has never been just a marketing strategy. It’s been a vision for the past 27 years since our inception. The mindset has always been: what kind of world are we leaving behind for our children?

As pioneering American aviator Elinor Smith once said: “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” Wise words.

Our corporate history towards recycling has followed the same trajectory. When we started, over ten years ago, care for the environment in our specific market of Romania was at best a ‘nice to have’, most definitely not a ‘must have’.

It was difficult. But we wouldn’t be entrepreneurs if we didn’t like a challenge.

We started in our own backyard and made changes across our facilities in the country. It’s been a company-wide effort, with all staff on board: we recycle whatever we can, unplug our devices when they are fully charged and turn off the lights in rooms not being used.

These are all comparatively small activities and gestures, but when many people make them every day, they soon start to make a difference. And, importantly, it simply becomes a way of life – second nature that starts at work and gets taken home or vice versa.

We then began offering some services to our customers, in the hope of ultimately sharing the same set of values with them. We collect their recyclable paper and other materials, for free and on a monthly basis, for example, to make sure everything is recycled in proper centres.

With these initiatives, between 2012 and 2020, we saved thousands of trees (13,000) and hectares of forest (13.9 ha – 30 football fields).

We stopped pollutants from getting into the

atmosphere as well as tonnes of toner waste ending up in landfill (65 tonnes).

In all of our sales conversations, we urge partners to make smart investments: to use recyclable products or those that can be reused or recharged, and to consider eco-friendly solutions for a more sustainable office.

We have recently started working on another big project: to change all our vehicles – cars for the salesforce and our entire delivery fleet – to hybrid

Lidia Fati, cofounder and Head of Strategy & New Markets, Dacris

Being part of the UN Global Compact was a real ambition for Dacris because our industry needs more forward thinking in these difficult times and electric ones. We began with hybrid cars at the end of their four-year lifecycle this quarter.

In 2022, we will replace our delivery vans with electric ones and salesforce cars at the end of their lifecycle with electric versions. Over the course of 2023, we aim to complete the project and only work with hybrid and electric vehicles.

THINK AHEAD AND WORK TOGETHER Markets are rapidly reshaping due to megatrends such as climate problems, dwindling resources or global health risks. At the same time, customers and partners are now better informed than ever before about the challenges and want their suppliers to take responsibility and lay the foundations for a solid path into the future.

Being part of the UN Global Compact was a real ambition for Dacris because our industry needs more forward thinking in these difficult times. The network is driven by the Sustainable Development Goals set at the historic UN Summit on Sustainable Development in 2015. And while the scale of these goals is huge, everyone can make a difference.

The UN Global Compact specifically asks companies to first do business responsibly and then pursue opportunities to solve societal challenges through innovation and collaboration.

We need to adapt not only to a new world and a new way of working, but also to the demands of the next generations; this involves including sustainability in everything we do. Working together is a core part of it – if we can do that, the future looks bright.

NEXT ISSUE Big Interview Peter Kelly, Winc Australia Focus Key takeaways – European Forum Online Category Updates l Writing Instruments l Education & BTS Research State of the Industry 2022 Preview