Green thinking 2013 type a small

Green light for EU labelling initiative p10

Transpare cleans up FM category p24

Eco-warriors to the rescue p38

3OPI MAGAZINE

Despite people’s best intentions, there’s probably a tendency for ‘green’ to slide down the list of priorities during an economic downturn. However, take a look through the 2013 edition of OPI’s Green Thinking supplement and you’ll realise that this doesn’t hold true for a lot of office products companies where the environment – or more widely sustainable development – is not just an item on the agenda, it’s part of their DNA.

Being committed to sustainable development can, in fact, be a powerful marketing tool. It’s interesting to see how Staples Canada (see Green Leader, pages 18-20) really engages with clients and the community in its environmental programmes. And, of course, it’s not just the largest global office supplies reseller that does this; for a number of resellers it has become a unique selling point.

Two of our main features this year come from Europe. One highlights the importance of following EU directives, but the other is an example of what the OP industry is doing to actually shape these regulations. Indeed, the OP industry could be thrust into the spotlight over the lead it is taking in product labelling.

A project launched last year by French trade association UFIPA (see page 10) could well be selected by the European Commission as a model for many other categories of consumer products.

And that would be a feather in the cap of the European office products industry as a whole.

Andy Braithwaite, Editor

EditorialEditor Andy Braithwaite+33 4 32 62 71 07 [email protected]

Features Editor Heike Dieckmann+44 (0)20 7841 2950 [email protected]

Sales and MarketingVP – Continental Europe, Middle East and Africa Ewan Dickson+44 (0)20 7841 2954 [email protected]

VP – North America and UK Chris Turness+44 (0)20 7841 2953 [email protected]

VP – Asia Tony Yao+86 186 021 29588 [email protected]

Digital Manager India Pride+44 (0)20 7841 2959 [email protected]

Sales Executive Fergus Cox +44 (0)20 7841 2952 [email protected]

EventsEvents Manager Lisa Haywood+44 (0)20 7841 2945 [email protected]

Production and FinanceOperations Manager Nicky Coulson +44 (0)20 7841 2943 [email protected]

Designer Charlotte Gerhardt+44 (0)20 7841 2950 [email protected]

Accountant Charles Edwards+44 (0)20 7841 2956 [email protected]

PublishersCEO Steve Hilleard+44 (0)20 7841 2940 [email protected]

Director Janet Bell+44 (0)20 7841 2941 [email protected]

Managing Editor Niall Hunt+44 (0)20 7841 2946 [email protected]

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

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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 Offi ce Products International to ensure accuracy. However, due principally to the fact that data cannot always be verifi ed, it is possible that some errors or omissions may occur. Offi ce Products International cannot accept responsibility for such errors or omissions. Offi ce Products International accepts no responsibility for comments made by contributing authors or interviewees that may offend.

EDITOR’S COMMENT

CONTENTSNews...............................................5

EU labelling........................... .10

Timber regulations .............15

Interview...................................18

FM and green.........................24

Paper update............................30

Marketing language............34

Eco-warriors............................40

Most wanted ..........................49

OPI is printed by Publishers Press

NEWS | GREEN THINKING 2013

5OPI MAGAZINE

Schneider staff e-bike take-up hits 15%More than 15% of staff at German writing instrument manufacturer Schneider now commute by electric bicycle following the launch of a scheme last year.

The initiative, inspired by CEO Roland Schneider – a keen cyclist – has almost 50 employees using ‘e-bikes’ to get to and from the office each day.

Workers that sign up get a free e-bike that they can also use in their spare time. The only requirement is that they must use it at least 80 times a year to travel to work.

More than 50,000 kilometres of commuting distance are now covered by e-bike instead of car – well ahead of Schneider’s original target – and the initiative has been recognised by the local authorities in the manufacturer’s home region of Baden-Württemberg.

New e-waste recycling initiativeFundingFactory, Clover Technologies’ collection programme for schools and non-profits, has launched an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling scheme called COLLECTED, which allows higher education institutions to exchange e-waste for cash or rewards.

COLLECTED pays higher education establishments for collecting used inkjet and toner printer cartridges, cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras and laptops. Through online accounts at FundingFactory.com, participants can track their reuse and recycle rates, raw materials breakdown, carbon emission offsets, as well as shipments and earnings.

“As sustainability becomes a primary focus for colleges and

universities, disposing of e-waste in a safe and efficient manner is of upmost importance to eco-minded student bodies around the country,” said COLLECTED Channel Development Manager Conor MacDowell. “COLLECTED offers a 100% free recycling solution for e-waste, while also providing promotional materials to support each school’s collection programme.”

Stora Enso responds to NGO Chennai reportNGOs Finnwatch and Swedwatch have released a report on an investigation into Stora Enso’s Inpac Delta India Chennai Mill facility.

The report recognises the decrease in the mill’s work-related accidents, but finds several deficiencies in Chennai Mill’s working conditions and safety practices. The report also criticises the living conditions of low-wage employees and lack of positive discrimination practices.

“We welcome the report and would like to thank Finnwatch and Swedwatch for the co-operation and constructive dialogue we had during the process,” said Mats Nordlander, EVP Stora Enso Renewable Packaging. “We agree with many findings of the report and some

of the findings we are investigating further. There are also findings we do not agree with, such as the company not reporting all accidents.”

He continued: “Our staff in Chennai have made good progress on sustainability and the mill is now on the right path. However, we are never fully satisfied with our performance and we are now focusing on several occupational health and safety issues at the mill, some of which were noted in the report.”

Staples reaches recycling milestoneStaples announced in August that it had recycled 350 million ink and toner cartridges since 2005, averaging more than 60 million per year for the past three years. Through its cartridge recycling programme, Staples has recycled about 90 thousand tonnes of plastics and metals, roughly the equivalent weight of an aircraft carrier.

Chennai have made good progress on sustainability and the mill is now on the right path. However, we are never fully satisfied with our performance and we are now focusing on several occupational health and safety issues at the mill, some of which were noted in the

Mats Nordlander

GREEN THINKING 2013 | NEWS

6 GREEN THINKING 2013

Office Depot updates paper purchasing policyOffice Depot has released a new greener paper purchasing policy designed to increase its use and tracking of environmentally preferable paper products.

The new guidelines – drafted over a 12-month period with input from World Wildlife Fund, other environmental non-governmental organisations and several paper suppliers – updates the company’s 2004 paper policy and have garnered support from a wide range of forest sector stakeholders.

The policy scope includes all paper purchased or sold by Office Depot globally, with initial implementation focused on high-volume categories such as copy paper and marketing papers, as well as a secondary focus on other paper-based office products and delivery packaging.

Improvement targets will be set for high-volume paper categories first, with an intention to add further categories as new data is gathered from vendors and across regions. These targets and progress towards

them will be communicated in the annual Office Depot Corporate Citizenship Report.

The previous version of the Office Depot paper policy had a preference for “certified” fibre, but gave no guidance on which forest certifications were acceptable.

The new policy includes Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), American Tree Farm (ATF), Program for Endorsement of Forestry Certification (PEFC) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Controlled Wood schemes as minimum requirements. However, there is a

preference for FSC-certified products, which should see an increase in the use of FSC fibre in Office Depot’s virgin copy paper.

The new policy also includes a set of specifications for greener papers divided into three shades of green: light green, mid green and dark green.

“By offering a clear perspective on how different papers are greener, our new paper policy allows our buyers and our customers to make informed decisions on their paper purchasing,” said Office Depot VP of Merchandising

Linda Boykin.Commenting on Depot’s new paper policy,

FSC Director General Kim Carstensen said: “Office Depot’s new purchasing policy sets an important precedent by recognising the very real benefits unique to FSC and reflects a deep understanding of what it takes to protect forests for future generations. When companies ask us what a good forest policy should look like, we will point to Office Depot. We commend Office Depot for its forward-looking leadership.”

Paradigm’s Emerald shines as sales rocketUS vendor Paradigm has reported strong double-digit growth of its Emerald brand of environmentally friendly products.

Emerald’s sales soared more than 32% in the first half of 2013 compared with the same period last year, driven by organic growth and the introduction of new products.

The Emerald brand includes USDA-certified sugarcane-based towel and tissue products, cutlery made from plant starch and DfE-certified cleaning chemicals, and the line now consists of 170 individual SKUs.

“Our dealers all over the US and in Europe are experiencing great success because they are able to bring something new and different to the table,” said Paradigm CEO Ralph Bianculli.

OfficeMax wins WBDC Corporate Support AwardOfficeMax has received the 27th Annual Corporate Support Award from the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC).

OfficeMax was presented with the award on 26 September at the WBDC’s annual Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference in Chicago.

Representing the office supplier at the event was Carolynn Brooks, Chief Diversity Officer and President of OfficeMax Charitable Foundation, and Anthony Billinger, Director of Supplier Diversity.

The WBDC said it had honoured ‘Max for its ongoing commitment to the advancement of women and minority-owned businesses.

Diversity Officer and President

Billinger, Director of Supplier

Carolynn Brooks

GREEN THINKING 2013 | NEWS


Green Mountain Coffee joins The Sustainability ConsortiumGreen Mountain Coffee Roasters is the newest member of The Sustainability Consortium (TSC). The Keurig brand owner will be participating in the Food, Beverage and Agriculture working group, as well as the Electronics and Packaging working groups. The company will also participate in the General Merchandise Committee.

TSC boasts more than 90 members from all corners of business employing over 57 million people and whose combined revenues are in excess of $1.5 trillion.

TSC is administered by Arizona State University and University of Arkansas with additional operations at Wageningen University in The Netherlands and has recently launched an office in China.

Green certification for BongEnvelope and packaging manufacturer Bong has said it has been re-certified to carry the Carbon Trust’s Carbon Reduction Label on its mailing and packaging solutions made by DuPont Tyvek.

The products awarded with the Carbon Reduction Label are mailing solutions manufactured from DuPont’s Tyvek material.

The label applies to all Tyvek mailing and packaging products produced by Bong subsidiary Bong Security Solutions in Luxembourg.

The Tyvek products were the first European mailing products to achieve Carbon Trust product carbon footprint certification in June 2010 and are marketed exclusively by Bong

throughout Western Europe, Poland and Russia.“The information on the label continues

to provide our customers with reliable and independently verified data that they can use

to make decisions about the benefits of choosing Tyvek mailing solutions,” said Bong Security Solutions European Product and Marking Manager Bill Callcut.

“The label has also proven to be an effective and valuable incentive for us to further reduce the carbon footprint of our warehousing and distribution process. We want mailing solutions made of Tyvek to be the first-choice material for European businesses that want a robust mailing product with strong green credentials.”

CEPI protests over EU paper recycling planThe Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) protested in front of the EU Commission building in Brussels in September over proposed changes to European paper recycling regulations.

According to CEPI, the EU Commission’s proposals on end-of-waste criteria for paper fail to address the objectives of increasing the quality and availability of paper for recycling. In addition, the European paper industry fears the new legislation poses a threat to the high levels of paper recycling, standing at almost 72% in Europe.

“With this proposal, the European Commission will be exporting pollution to the poor and importing unemployment to Europe,” said CEPI Recycling and Environment Director Jori Ringman.

CEPI placed seven bales of paper for recycling in front of the EU Commission's Berlaymont building in Brussels to demonstrate what recycled paper would look like under the new criteria.

“CEPI challenges anyone to use this ‘recycled paper’ in their printer or to draft a legislative proposal on it," added Ringman.

quality and availability of paper for recycling. In addition,

NEWS | GREEN THINKING 2013

9OPI MAGAZINE

Tree Planet backed by Double APaper manufacturer Double A is supporting digital tree planting initiative Tree Planet.

Tree Planet is an application that allows players to grow virtual trees via Facebook, PCs or smartphones. Once these virtual trees are fully grown, real trees will be planted by Tree Planet on behalf of the players at one of four pre-selected locations: Sudan, Mongolia, South Korea or Thailand.

Tree Planet is available in two languages, English and Korean, while a Thai version is expected to be launched shortly.

The game has more than 300,000 users around the world and has planted more than 250,000 trees.

VOW to launch green FM rangeVOW is expanding its 2Work range of facilities products to include a new green line.

Early next year the wholesaler will launch a brand called 2WorkEco in a move designed to clarify the eco-credentials of the 2Work chemical cleaning and paper disposables ranges.

Products will include 100% recycled paper and chemical cleaning lines such as disinfectant, washroom cleaner, antibacterial spray, multi-surface cleaner, kitchen cleaner and washing-up liquid.

“2WorkEco is a range with the dual benefits of delivering the highest standards of professional cleaning and meeting some of the most rigorous environmental criteria around,” said VOW Head of Facilities Supplies Debbie Nice.

“The fact that these paper disposables and chemical cleaning ranges meet exacting eco-credentials will also give resellers an excellent additional opportunity to compete in the eco-arena and increase their offering to appeal to buyers looking for extra reassurance on environmental issues as well as high cleaning standards.”

UK dealer services group nectere has made major improvements towards reducing its carbon footprint.

An entire roof of photovoltaic panels has been put in place at nectere House in Birmingham and the group is forecasting that it will reduce its carbon emissions by more than a tonne per year.

“It is very exciting to be able to get this project finished,” said nectere Managing Director Paul Musgrove. “We are really dedicated to protecting the environment and it’s a massive step into becoming a carbon neutral company.”

Nectere HQ gets solar panel roofERPC educates

office workersThe European Paper Recovery Council (ERPC) has published a poster with nine rules for paper recycling that answers many of the common questions that office workers have about what can and can't be recycled.

The campaign targets offices in particular, where paper can make up 90% of the waste generated. Often half the amount of paper an employee uses a year ends up as waste rather than being recycled.

ERPC says the rules are simple and can make a big difference if applied. Even though nearly 72% of all used paper in the EU is recycled, about 10 million tonnes of paper are still potentially available for recycling. There are many reasons for this, but one of them is ignorance as to how paper for recycling should be collected.

For example, many do not know that non-confidential paper documents should not be shredded, as fibres are damaged, adding an unnecessary cost.

GREEN THINKING 2013 | EU LABELLING


KEY leaders from the office products industry

met in Frankfurt in September to discuss a major initiative to develop a unified system aimed at evaluating the environmental performance of products sold in Europe.

The event, organised by French trade association UFIPA and held at the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel, attracted more than 80 key executives from 45 of the region’s leading vendors and resellers including nearly all of the top multinational manufacturers and distributors.

There were, however, several notable paper producers absent, but this may reflect the fact that there is already a confusing plethora of labels in this category and it’s likely most will watch from the sidelines for now to see whether this initiative can be pulled off before getting more actively involved.

The event was kicked off by Marcel Ringeard, CEO of Pilot Pen Europe and Chairman of UFIPA, who explained that the raison d’être behind the move was the multitude of incomprehensible labels currently in existence. This, he pointed out, led to a situation where there is no consistency and compatibility between the different evaluation systems of industry players, something that is undoubtedly costly and inefficient, and confusing for consumers.

Major challengeThe major challenge, he said, is to ensure the provision of transparent and objective information for customers on product environmental performance, reconciling sustainable development and value creation

Green light for European product labelling initiativeNew association set to meet for fi rst time during Paperworld Frankfurt in January

and helping to alter the perception that consumers have of the office supplies industry. The goal is to produce a scale system of ratings – akin to the scoring widely used to assess energy performance of electrical appliances – and not to merely assess whether a product is green or not green.

The project to date has been managed for UFIPA by business consultant Christophe Girardier and he took the microphone to explain that for this initiative to succeed there are two key prerequisites: an adapted methodological approach to guarantee irrefutable technical credibility and a governance process that must be accepted by all stakeholders.

To the relief of many present, Girardier explained that the aim is “not to reinvent the wheel”, but rather to partially exploit the guidelines of the existing ISO 26000 social responsibility standard with a focus on two major sustainable development issues – the environment and human rights.

We’re looking for proactive companies to be involved Marcel Jacobs, Offi ce Depot

“

Working groupsThe operational implementation of the product evaluation system has been carefully thought through and it’s proposed that a multi-stage process is followed to define the criteria and evaluation process.

Technical working groups for each different product category will feed recommendations into an independent scientific committee comprised of between five and ten prominent members of the European scientific community from several countries, many of whom have already been identified (indeed one, Dr Michael Holland, spoke briefly – and reassuringly – about his personal experience with similar projects in other industries). They in turn will

assist a European management committee to produce definitions for determining both the criteria and methods for the evaluation.

Christophe Girardier: UFIPA Project Manager Marcel Ringeard: Legacy

EU LABELLING | GREEN THINKING 2013

13OPI MAGAZINE

Key to a successful implementation of the system, explained Girardier, is the establishment by the management committee of a web-based platform for the exchange of information between all stakeholders to be run by a to-be-formed pan-European non-profit association that will take over responsibility for the whole initiative. It is understandable why this may be a prerequisite, but that will undoubtedly need some careful attention to detail to address the data security concerns of participating vendors and resellers alike.

That management committee also has the task of appointing a trusted third-party certifier to execute the product evaluation process and the issuing of relevant certifications.

EndorsementThe meeting also provided an opportunity for several industry leaders to endorse the initiative. Torsten Froh of Germany-based closed loop producer Steinbeis spoke briefly about the major industrial challenges of devising and running such a universal system as well as the significant potential economic benefits to those who embrace the initiative, sentiments echoed by Marcel Jacobs, Office Depot Europe’s Senior Manager for Environmental Strategy who spoke on behalf of his company and also fierce rival Staples in support of the plan.

Using the examples of two recent disasters in other sectors – the Bangladesh building collapse and Ikea’s faeces-in-cake problems – Jacobs pointed out that “sometimes it takes an issue to get action” and that the office products industry should be trying to avoid having an issue. “We’re looking for proactive companies to be involved,” he said.

Finally, Bruno Peyroles, CEO of Bureau Vallée, spoke about his experience in implementing an A-E grading of all the products sold by his organisation and that, despite some initial vendor resistance, the initiative has been a great success. He admitted, though, that it had required the threat of de-listing all grade E products from his stores to get everyone on board.

VoteFollowing several hours of presentations and discussion, participant companies were asked to vote privately on three proposals suggested by the organisers: the creation of an evaluation and rating system to measure the environmental footprint of office products in Europe; the establishment of a non-profit pan-European association to drive

the initiative; and the establishment of a transitional steering committee

whose role will be, among other things, to set up this new association.

The nine resellers present were unanimous in

their support of all three but there was

some reticence amongst the vendors, although a majority still supported the proposals.

Several organisations volunteered their services to serve on the transitional steering committee and its final composition will be announced shortly. Whatever the final make-up, a key principle is that vendors and resellers will have equal voting rights.

The goal is to have all the preparations for the new association ready in time for an inaugural general assembly to take place at Paperworld at the end of January. This will mark the end of UFIPA’s control over the project, but the whole initiative will remain an important legacy of the French association and the presidency of Marcel Ringeard.

So to the $64,000 question: How will all this be funded? The UFIPA working party proposes “a balanced business model which involves the pooling of costs and a fair contribution of all stakeholders”. The system design and update costs, as well as the operating costs of the European association, will be funded by manufacturers and resellers alike through a “fair contribution”, while product evaluation costs will be met by manufacturers based on a number of criteria.

Delegates OPI spoke to at the end of the event were mostly very enthusiastic about the aims and appear willing to embrace the initiative, especially the big three resellers Office Depot, Staples and Lyreco. If they continue to take a lead then it is highly likely to get universal buy-in from the European supplier community.

EU COMMISSION APPLICATION

Participation in EU project would be a major boost

UFIPA Project Manager Christophe Girardier shared with the audience in Frankfurt that UFIPA has applied to participate in the Product Environmental Footprint pilot phase of the EU Commission’s ‘Single Market for Green Products’ initiative. News of whether UFIPA’s application to the EU Commission has been successful or not is expected shortly, but if it is, then that would be a major boost, not only for the credibility of the labelling project itself, but also for the European office products channel as a whole as office products would be used as a test category for many other consumer products.

Staples in support of

Bangladesh building

proactive companies

pan-European association to drive the initiative; and

the establishment of a transitional steering committee

whose role will be, among other things, to set up this new association.

resellers present were unanimous in

their support of all three but there was

Bruno Peyroles, Bureau Vallée: Bureau Vallée is already successfully using A-E grading system

EU TIMBER REGULATION | GREEN THINKING 2013

15OPI MAGAZINE

New European timber legislation was introduced earlier this year. OPI investigates the key issues concerning EUTR and our industry

THE new European Union Timber Regulation

(EUTR) came into force back in March this year, bringing with it a number of implications for the office supplies industry.

Since its introduction it has become a criminal offence to place illegal timber on EU markets, with all organisations affected by the regulation now having to implement procedures to ensure that the timber they trade and supply has been legally sourced.

Companies handling timber or timber products, such as paper and card, are now obliged to perform due diligence by assessing the risk that those products could have come from an illegal source. They must now take action to mitigate that risk.

The onus falls on those companies first placing timber and timber-related products onto the market, but the firms selling these goods – including office supplies wholesalers, retailers and dealers – also need to ensure they are compliant.

Stuart Andrews, Director of environmental consultancy Sustainable Options, wants those operating in the office supplies world to understand that there might be products they work with where due diligence is perhaps

unexpectedly required.In an advisory note to the industry

called ‘EUTR compliant?’, he acknowledges that there is a “quite extensive” list of stationery items to watch, including – among others – envelopes, notebooks, diaries, duplicating stencils, lettercards, printed bags and printed cartons.

“Looking at the types of paper stationery goods included and the traceability rules for EUTR

due diligence, there are probably numerous stationery buyers and specifiers across the EU who have yet to realise the full implications of their goods in relation to EUTR and the necessity for due diligence,” he adds.

“In some instances these buyers may simply switch to a domestic

EU manufacturer for ease, but with many

if they have not already started the process they should now be building a database of

verifiable sourcing information on these imported

timber-based products.”

EUTR is being

enforced by separate “competent authorities” across Europe, as appointed by the individual Member States. In the Netherlands, for example, the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority has been tasked with the role, while the Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung and the Ministry of the Environment are taking responsibility for this legislation in Germany and Denmark respectively.

Michael Kearney, Enforcement Project Manager at the National Measurement Office (NMO) and the man in charge of EUTR implementation in the UK, explains: “With regards to stationery products and OP, a core focus will be paper. There have been some high profile

cases of problems within the pulp and paper sector – so it is an area we are conscious of.”

In terms of the organisation’s approach, there are no plans to be “overzealous or draconian” in the implementation process, according to Kearney. It is, after all, part of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and is in support of British industry.

He does emphasise, however, that the body has a duty to enforce the regulation and companies that are found to be dealing in illegal products or buying from high risk areas without appropriate due diligence procedures in place “will be dealt with in a robust and proportionate fashion”.

“If you’re seeking to comply and need guidance, the key message is contact us and feel comfortable in

supplies wholesalers, retailers and dealers – also need to ensure they are compliant.

Stuart Andrews, Director of environmental consultancy Sustainable Options, wants those operating in the office supplies world to understand that there might be products

work with where due diligence is perhaps

“In some instances these buyers may simply switch to a domestic

EU manufacturer for ease, but with many

if they have not already started the process they should now be building a database of

verifiable sourcing information on these imported

timber-based products.”

EUTR is being

There have been high profi le cases of problems within the pulp and paper sector

“

GREEN THINKING 2013 | EU TIMBER REGULATION


doing so without fear,” he notes. “If you’re a

deliberate, serious or persistent offender we’ll take a different approach to you than if you’re a company that just needs compliance support.”

Industry responseWith potentially serious consequences at stake, there has been a relatively muted response from companies actually operating in the stationery industry. Essentially, if a business is being run properly, senior management will have a thorough understanding and trust of their supply chain.

And Kearney says: “A lot of companies are saying that the EUTR processes are not really anything new for them and that they’ve been sourcing responsibly for many years.”

Certification organisations such as the PEFC and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), however, have been busy raising awareness of the new legislation.

The PEFC announced in the spring that its new standard will bring additional requirements of the EUTR regulation when manufacturers renew and upgrade their PEFC chain of custody. The FSC, meanwhile, held a forum at this year’s Paperworld Frankfurt trade show in January, which highlighted the importance of a due diligence system and emphasised that orders of timber-related goods should not be

made until thorough research has been conducted.

European paper merchant Antalis is one company that did make its position clear at an early stage. Ahead of the EUTR being introduced in March, the business released a statement to reassure commercial print customers that its products are all

fully compliant with new regulation.Antalis Environment Manager

Matthew Botfield commented at the time: “Following the implementation of this legislation, traders of paper products should look more carefully at how these products are sourced.

“However, Antalis customers can rest assured that all of our products are fully compliant with the new EUTR as we have long been aware of the need to ensure that our paper and board products come from legal and well-managed sources.”

Traders and operatorsIn terms of where the responsibility lies, Antalis said that most UK businesses trading wood and paper products do not have to gather the same detailed information on timber and paper products as operators – defined as anyone that first places timber or timber products on the internal market – but there is still an

important role to play in ensuring illegal timber does not contaminate supply chains.

As a result, traders – including anyone that buys or sells timber products in the course of a commercial activity, such as printers, print managers, stationers, wholesalers, shops and supermarkets – are required by EUTR to be able to identify the upstream

and downstream suppliers for their timber and paper products.

This is a point clarified by the NMO’s Kearney, who says that EUTR is “a lot more straightforward” for companies defined as traders as they “just need to know who they are buying from and the companies they are selling on to”.

He adds: “The threat of seizures is prompting companies to go beyond what is required of them regarding EUTR, with some firms supplying more extensive details about their supply chain.

“For understandable commercial reasons, many ‘operators’ are unwilling to give their customers full disclosure on supply chains, particularly as the regulation does not require them to do so. Indeed, in some instances we are in fact finding that operators are instead guaranteeing, through contracts, that due diligence has been applied to the products in question and reaching agreements on liability in the event of seizure.”

Many industries are impacted by the legislation, which has resulted in various consultancies offering help and guidance. One particular course of this nature, which is run by the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA), is focused on those dealing in furniture products – another area where office supplies firms must be compliant.

Grant Hilliker, Purchasing Manager for wooden products manufacturer Burbridge & Son and a FIRA event

attendee, offers some insight to other firms that might be looking for advice on the subject.

“The word ‘complex’ was used several times during the course… and with good reason,” he notes. “There are lots of factors to consider and every company affected by this new regulation needs to understand the significance and importance of due diligence.”

Orders of timber-related goods should not be made until thorough research has been

conducted

“

doing so without fear,” he notes. “If you’re a

Green ThinkinG 2013 | StapleS canada

18 Green ThinkinG 2013

Green leaderStaples Canada’s Director of Facilities, Environment and Procurement Services Leigh Pearson expands on the retailer’s constant focus on being a green leader

OPI: Could you give me an outline of Staples Canada’s environmental policy in general?Leigh Pearson: Ideally we want to lead how business gets done sustainably in Canada. We want to build programmes and services that have a positive impact on our associates and communities. It’s really important that our associates are proud to work for a successful company that is committed to doing what’s appropriate for the planet.

Sustainability is very broad and can encompass many areas. We believe that to be successful we need to have clear areas of focus. Towards that end we created four pillars that drive our sustainability initiatives. They are: Easy to Choose, Easy to Recycle, Easy to Operate and Easy to Impact.

Easy to Choose is our focus on products and packaging. We want to offer a broad assortment of products so that customers have a choice when it comes to responsible products. Our efforts around packaging reduction and the removal of materials like PVC also fall under this pillar.

Easy to Recycle is our commitment to making it easy for our customers to recycle many of the products we sell such as ink/toner, electronics and batteries. Easy to Operate is our commitment to being energy efficient, but also looking at how we operate and ensuring we’re walking the talk, and are reducing waste in our own operations.

Finally, Easy to Impact is really about how we tie it all together to engage customers and associates. Without this pillar we would not be telling our story, and if we don’t engage associates then we’re limited in the amount of change we can impact.

OPI: You mentioned waste from your own operations; is that a specific initiative that you’re working on at the moment? LP: Yes, for example making sure we’ve got proper recycling programmes in place for the pallets that our products come in on.

Ensuring that we’re bailing and recycling the packaging of our products and not just putting it in a dumpster is one example. Right now we’re piloting shrink wrap recycling for all of the stretch film that comes around the pallets because while it is light, it takes up a lot of space in a dumpster and it’s certainly something that can be recycled. So by looking for ways to do that, we’re reducing how much we send to landfills every year.

OPI: Can you tell me about the recycling that you and Steve Matyas [President of Staples Canada] are carrying out in the photos?LP: Yes, we’ve been recycling electronics for some time now. Originally we had some stores try it locally in the Alberta market and then in 2009 we started a pilot programme in south-western Ontario. I’m happy to say that as of the end of this year every store in Canada will take back electronics.

There’s been a really wonderful evolution to that programme. We started small because we wanted to make sure we understood how to do it and that our initiative would not impede with the customer experience or our associates’ ability to help their customers. We also want to make sure the programme is safe and effective and organised in such a way that we can manage what’s coming into our stores. So we’re very, very happy with how electronics have gone. Last year we collected approximately 3,000 metric tonnes and

LP: Yes, we’ve been recycling electronics for some time now. Originally we had some stores try it locally in the Alberta market and then in 2009 we started a pilot programme in south-western Ontario. I’m happy to say that as of the end of this year every store in Canada will take back electronics.

There’s been a really wonderful evolution to that programme. We started small because we wanted to make sure we understood how to do it and that our initiative would not impede with the customer experience or our associates’ ability to help their customers. We also want to make sure the programme is safe and effective and organised in such a way that we can manage what’s coming into our stores. So we’re very, very happy with how electronics have gone. Last year we collected approximately 3,000 metric tonnes and

I’m happy to say that

as of the end of this year every

(Staples) store in

Canada will take back

electronics

“

StapleS canada | Green ThinkinG 2013

19OPi MAGAZine

the goal this year is 3,600 metric tonnes, which is pretty significant for our store base.

OPI: Have you had good feedback from customers about these sorts of initiatives?LP: Yes, certainly we’re seeing more sales of responsible products. We’re getting good feedback through social media and other forums from customers. If nothing else, it’s dialogue and that’s what we want.

There’s more work to be done to evolve our programmes, and we welcome constructive feedback so that we can continue to move forward to meet customer and associate needs as it pertains to sustainability.

OPI: So how long has Staples Canada had such a focus on sustainability? LP: Sustainability has always been integrated into who we are. Frankly, I think the reality is that to be successful you have to be a sustainable organisation; you have to be efficient and look at ways to do things differently. We’ve been doing that since our inception.

I think as we’ve evolved and the term sustainability has evolved we’ve realised that there’s probably a story we haven’t been telling. I will say that we’ve seen incredible momentum in the last few years.

OPI: So your efforts have sped up a bit.LP: Absolutely and that’s again due to programmes like electronics, which our associates and customers have now really embraced.

OPI: Could you tell me about some other green goals that you’ve achieved? LP: Battery recycling is very important to us, as a lot of our products include batteries and we sell batteries. Last year we collected 50,000 metric tonnes compared to about 15,000 two years ago so we’re very happy about that. We have a very large presence in the retail space for bringing other items back too, like ink and toner. We launched writing instrument recycling last year. We’re the only retailer in Canada that will take back old pens, highlighters, markers and so on.

We also saw an opportunity because we have a very strong delivery customer base in Canada as well. In 2012 we rolled out a programme to take back electronics, batteries and ink and toner from customers when we deliver an order. That was a big accomplishment for 2012 and we want to continue to grow that programme.

OPI: Do you have many partnerships to carry out these sorts of green services?LP: We are partnered with a lot of groups, such as eCycle Solutions which handle all of our electronics, and Call2Recycle does

our battery programme. We have a number of partnerships on the energy side to help with anything from managing utility bills to helping us work on the commodity side and ensuring we’re making decisions that are appropriate for Staples.

We utilise these partners because, well, why reinvent the wheel? We are working towards the same objectives so if we really want to continue to make changes we have to see more collaboration and increase the sharing of information.

OPI: I understand that green product sourcing is part of your strategy. How does that work? LP: We are working with suppliers to understand the attributes of every product that’s in their assortment they sell to us. We’re also working on attribute tracking, to understand the percentage of our assortment that is environmentally responsible. In doing so, we are working with partners on initiatives like reducing or eliminating PVC in packaging.

I would say it’s a focus of Staples on a global scale and many supplier discussions take place at our headquarters in the United States. In 2010 we had a summit bringing together our top suppliers and had a really candid day-long conversation about sustainability, including what it means to us, and what it means to the partnership.

OPI: It must be quite tricky to monitor so many suppliers.LP: Absolutely, but I think plenty of opportunities lie in the fact that many retailers will actually be asking similar things of their partners. So that’s again where collaboration comes in.

The reality is that to be successful you have

to be a sustainable

organisation; you have to be effi cient...

“

Green ThinkinG 2013 | StapleS canada

20 Green ThinkinG 2013

OPI: You said at the beginning that Staples wants to lead the way with sustainability.LP: Well, we definitely want to be a leader. I think in many ways we are a leader and certainly, while we’re happy to be having conversations about what we’re doing, we’re also very open to listening to what others are doing, which is why we participate in external forums, associations and committees.

OPI: What committees do you sit on?LP: We sit on a few committees within the Retail Council of Canada, including their sustainability council. We’re actively involved in the Electronics Product Recycling Association, which looks to harmonise the way electronics are recycled and the processes around that in Canada.

OPI: Looking within Staples Canada itself, how do you make sure staff are on board with your green policies?LP: We do things to keep telling the story. These photos of Steve and I are a great example. Quite frankly we try to have a little bit of fun with this and really engage our associates. We’re trying to make sure they understand that sustainability is not just the responsibility of large companies, nor is it so daunting that only a large company with teams of people could do it.

There are changes that individuals can make that collectively make a difference. So it’s good that we can get in front of them – whether with short videos, presentations at conferences or creating internal competitions, to again have some fun – and engage them, and have them realise that while they may not have a 20,000 sq ft house full of light fixtures, similar to a store, they can still make a change to compact fluorescent lights for the fixtures that they do have.

OPI: Have you had good feedback from your staff?

LP: We have, and I think one of the best examples is that we have working groups that focus on every pillar that we mentioned at the beginning of this conversation. So those groups are cross functional, made up of people from throughout the organisation that come together to work on recycling or energy efficiency, whatever it might be.

Rather than one or two individuals in the company coming up with the ideas or the programmes, we’ve evolved to it now being this army of what we call ‘eco-enthusiasts’ who are helping to come up with ideas that we should be pursuing.

OPI: Would you say that being sustainable impacts the company financially – saving money as well as waste, for example?LP: Yes, I think it’s about being efficient and any company that wants to be successful and is looking for longevity needs to be efficient, which means it needs to be sustainable environmentally, financially and socially.

OPI: What do you find to be the main challenges to your sustainability efforts?LP: I think it’s always communication, getting the message out there and making it clear what’s in it for the customer. Taking what we’re doing here and making it accessible, understandable and transparent is key.

We have many associates who work for us and obviously their first focus will always and should always be customer service. We need to make sure that we can continue to have a dialogue with them where they’re still getting the message but we’re not necessarily taking time away from them serving their customer.

OPI: Last question: if you had to give a piece of advice to other businesses in the industry about how to really up their sustainability game, what would you say?LP: It’s important to know where you are; for example if you’re talking about energy, have a baseline about where you are as an organisation right now. Also, pick areas of focus because it’s such a broad subject and it’s likely that resources will be limited. You can stretch yourself too thin if you try to pick up on every topic.

So in essence I think it really is critical to know what you’re already doing, know the areas where you truly feel you can make an impact, focus relentlessly on those and once you’ve done that, have a little fun along the way to engage people.

Taking what we’re doing

here and making it accessible,

understandable and

transparent is key

“


GERMAN adhesive tape

manufacturer tesa and France-based reseller Lyreco have been European partners for many years and have found particular common ground in their commitment to sustainability with shared values and targets.

As part of Lyreco’s global sustainability strategy ‘Eco Future’ – of which tesa is a sponsor – it has defined three strong environmental commitments, including the desire to develop and strengthen its environmentally preferable products (EPP) and services.

With sustainable products of such high importance to Lyreco, it has created a new and unique methodology to assess EPP – the Green Products Assessment.

A Sustainable PartnershipSupplier and reseller relationships are always vital but when they concern sustainability – such as the one between tesa and Lyreco – they take on added signifi cance

This new initiative will support its customers in their sustainable approach and green products selection by presenting a reliable and fair methodology to identify those products that are shown to have effective environmental benefits. Customers’ understanding of selected green products will also be improved through the Green Tree Certificates accessible online, while introducing a consistent approach across product categories and countries.

In addition to this, Lyreco will challenge its suppliers to enhance the sustainability credentials of their products.

Independent approval by SGS for the new initiative as well as its international roll-out have been major steps in strengthening the company’s strategy for sustainable products.

By having tesa as a partner, the Green Products Assessment process went particularly smoothly as the supplier’s claims were previously matching the ISO 14021 criteria and tesa had a long-standing commitment to sustainability. Therefore tesa was already aware of the requirements of the selection process/green assessment.

Lyreco’s eco strategy is in line with tesa’s own sustainable strategy and this combination leads to a perfect partnership (Gold partner) for sustainability initiatives with both parties sharing similar objectives in order to make the office supply business greener.

Tesa ensures that products stick to customer expectations with environmental credentials clearly defined and supported by the right evidence. Environmentally preferable product categories are also subject to continuous improvement and there is ongoing dialogue between tesa and Lyreco to share points of view and best practice.

Under tesa’s strategy for sustainable products, all tesa factories are certified according to the ISO 14001 environmental standard and the company has set itself ambitious targets for reducing its VOC-emissions by 80%; use of organic solvents by 16%; energy consumption by 13%; waste disposal by 6% and CO2 emissions in Europe by 11% in the period from 2007-2015.

In addition to this, tesa’s ecoLogo sub-brand products – which are solvent free, refillable where appropriate and mainly made from and packaged with recycled and

SPONSORED ARTICLE | TESA & LYRECO

Nasser Kahil

TESA & LYRECO | SPONSORED ARTICLE

23OPI MAGAZINE

renewable materials – are in line with DIN EN ISO 14021 guidelines for environmental products standards with all sub-contractors required to confirm this in writing.

To delve a little deeper into this significant partnership OPI sat down for a roundtable discussion with Lyreco’s Group Quality, Security & Sustainability Director Nasser Kahil and tesa’s Head of Office Supply, Stationery & Online, International Sales Consumer & Craftsmen Falk Butterwegge.

OPI: What is the key to a successful vendor/reseller partnership when it comes to sustainability?Nasser Kahil (NK): Sustainability remains a broad concept. Therefore, a successful partnership on the matter requires it to have shared sustainability values and principles. This is the key to mutually understanding and building consistent project plans such as which green product categories should be developed and what are the most important criteria.Falk Butterwegge (FB): It is mandatory to understand customer needs and to surpass their expectations. Also avoiding greenwashing and relying on only common understandings of reliable sustainable criteria and sharing social and sustainable responsibility is obligatory.

OPI: How have vendor/reseller partnerships changed since sustainability has become a more important consideration in the wider business environment?NK: Quality and price have always been the two main points for our customers. With the increased consideration for sustainability, our customers expect more: they want to have the right

product, with the best price while respecting the sustainable angle (eg limited impact to the environment, proper manufacturing conditions, etc).

This last point requires having closer and larger contacts with the stakeholders of the supply chain, so vendors and resellers are communicating over price, quality and services as well as green credentials, working conditions, delivery optimisations, supporting programmes for the community, packaging, etc.FB: At the beginning green products were limited due to the price and the product potential. However, the market has now changed as up to 25% of the population is interested in sustainable products if they are available at reasonable prices. Public and large companies do not limit their tenders to aggressive price offers only. Sustainability is of importance as well.

Therefore, it is important to offer a full line-up of green products which meet the different needs of the market and cover all different applications. Tesa is the leading adhesive manufacturer setting benchmarks in this area, offering more than 80 different sustainable eco solutions for customers.

OPI: What are tesa’s views on Lyreco’s recently stated commitment to sustainability through its new Green Products Assessment?FB: We commend Lyreco for setting the goal of generating up to 25% of their total sales from selling sustainable eco products. But in addition to this it is vital that Lyreco has also committed itself to pursuing a real sustainable green strategy which is not limited to its assortment but also includes the total production and delivery process of

its products.

OPI: How do you define your common aims for 2013 and ahead?

NK: The development of the EPP remains a

priority. Tesa products belong

to categories for which independent and wider eco labels do not exist so far, so this is very much a process of evolution.

Our other common aims for the middle term are to reduce our environmental footprint and promote joint sustainable principles throughout the supply chain, especially in developing countries.FB: Tesa is committed to supporting Lyreco’s efforts to further develop its sustainable strategy. The regular launch and addition of new products to our ecoLogo range establishes our brand as the sustainable environmental choice.

Moreover, it is our vision to continuously contribute to sustainability issues at tesa by setting ourselves ambitious goals, such as waste and energy reduction, which are targets that fit in perfectly with Lyreco’s green approach.

OPI: How does tesa differ from other Lyreco suppliers in terms of sustainability?NK: Quite simply tesa has a consistent and long-term approach in terms of sustainability that really makes it standout in this area. It has a clear and measurable sustainability strategy allied to a focus on quality.

The company also uses reputable international standards such as ISO 14001 for its environmental management system and ISO 14021 for its self environmental claims. So what tesa presents is a perfect example of a modern and effective sustainable company. It’s the perfect partner for us.

For more information visit www.lyreco.com and www.tesa.com

TESA & LYRECO | SPONSORED ARTICLE

OPI MAGAZINE 23

Falk Butterwegge

its products.

OPI: How do you

NK: of the EPP remains a

priority. Tesa products belong

GREEN THINKING 2013 | FM & GREEN


Breaking through the cloudGlobal cleaning industry association ISSA has partnered with analysis fi rm Ecoform to launch a tool to clean up the plethora of confusing certifi cations and greenwash proliferation that clouds the environmental issue in FM. ISSA Cleaning for Health Programs Account Executive David Schweizer explains how it all works

IF you deal with green or sustainable products, how would you like a

simpler way to cut through the greenwash and confusion to get your job done faster and more effectively?

For anyone who makes, sells or purchases green cleaning products, ISSA has launched the much anticipated Transpare, an online registry that promises to cut through the fog of confusion that has hamstrung the sustainability issue.

Ten years ago, having your product certified by a major eco-label organisation was sufficient to compete in the green arena, but today’s green marketplace is substantially different than it was a decade ago in terms of the education and knowledge of what is truly green.

Today, there are more than 3,000 certified green products in the market, and the number continues to grow. This dramatic increase makes it ever more difficult for

manufacturers to differentiate their green products. It also makes it a challenge for purchasers to identify and select those green cleaning products that best meet their sustainability goals.

On top of this, institutional and commercial organisations are demanding greater product information as a condition of purchasing products, but they are frustrated by the lack of credible detailed information about the environmental health and safety attributes of cleaning products.

This situation is exacerbated by the fact that a growing number of purchasing organisations are embracing sustainability and environmental initiatives which, in turn, they use to position themselves in the marketplace as environmental leaders. And in this age of instant information, many are wondering why the environmental profiles of cleaning products are not more readily available.

DevelopmentIt was as a result of these changing market conditions that ISSA, with partner Ecoform, decided to develop Transpare.

Transpare is a web-based product registry that provides specific information about the key environmental, health and safety attributes of cleaning products to commercial and institutional purchasers. It was designed by ISSA and Ecoform, the David Schweizer

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wherever in the world your business takes you.

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FM & GREEN | GREEN THINKING 2013

27OPI MAGAZINE

leading technical analysis company that focuses on the environmental performance of companies and their products. Its intent is to meet the needs of the evolving green marketplace by providing a way for manufacturers to differentiate their products from the thousands of other green products in the industry. At the same time, Transpare provides institutional organisations and other prospective purchasers of cleaning products with pertinent, easy-to-use data in order that buyers can be sure the products they’re buying and using are suitable for facility occupants.

More standards needed?The obvious question at this point is ‘Why do we need another green standard?’ The simple answer is we don’t. Programmes such as Green Seal, Ecologo, and Design for the Environment have already done an excellent job in defining what a green cleaning product is. However, Transpare is significantly different from the traditional eco-labels as it is designed to operate as a tool for communicating information to institutional and commercial purchasers.

It is not a standard that defines green and it doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel

by offering yet another standard. In fact, Transpare isn’t really a standard at all, but rather a tool for finding specific information on the environmental profile of a product. It allows institutional purchasers to see exactly what it is that makes a product green and how green it is, and helps them to find products that meet the specific needs of their facility occupants.

It actually complements the existing green standards by providing a way for products to differentiate themselves using hard, credible and verified data. In fact, representatives from all three of the previously mentioned programmes served on the development committee for Transpare. However, while Transpare works with existing standards, it can also be easily used as a standalone tool.

In addition to the major eco-labels in the industry, Transpare was developed with the help of a number of purchaser, manufacturer, and non-governmental organisations

including the States of New York and California, Purdue University, Colgate University, the Healthy Schools Campaign, Diversey, Ecolab and Betco. ISSA brought together this diverse group of organisations to help create a new tool that would meet the needs of all industry segments in the new green marketplace.

One of the features of Transpare for purchasers is the search filter that allows users to easily find products that meet their needs by selecting the criteria they want. They can even go so far as to select specific thresholds for various environmental, health, and safety attributes important to them and their organisations.

For those purchasers who don’t feel comfortable with that level of detail, Transpare also offers preset filters that search the system for products which meet the standards created by other organisations. For example, Transpare opens with a filter for the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Efficient Design for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EBOM) standard ready to find products compliant with the green cleaning section of LEED-EBOM.

Transpare has a similar filter for ISSA’s Cleaning Industry Management Standard for Green Buildings (CIMS-GB) certification.

Comparison featureIn addition, Transpare gives users the ability and opportunity to perform side-by-side comparisons of products. They can then easily see which product best meets their needs with the option of creating an electronic summary of the data for a specific product that can be easily saved to a computer or emailed to a colleague.

Users can create a login and password for themselves that then allows them to save their favourite products and their preferred search filters.

It compliments the existing green standards by providing a way for products to

differentiate themselves using hard, credible and verifi ed data

“

FM & GREEN | GREEN THINKING 2013

29OPI MAGAZINE

Mutual benefi tsThe benefits of Transpare span both ends of the market. First and foremost, of course, is helping commercial facilities select cleaning products that are best suited to protect the environment while still ensuring the health and safety of the facility occupants.

Transpare also makes it easier for manufacturers to differentiate their products and, perhaps more importantly, allows purchasers to recognise and reward manufacturers for their innovation and product development along the environmental, health and safety spectrum.

Purchasers can additionally be recognised for their environmentally friendly purchasing habits by becoming part of the Transpare Informed Purchaser programme.

Informed Purchasers pledge to use Transpare to select cleaning products where practical (Transpare has only been developed for chemical cleaners so far, other product categories are coming soon). To reward Informed Purchasers, Transpare provides them with an Informed Purchaser logo to be used on business cards and organisation websites as well as recognition on the Transpare website.

The new tool has the potential to reduce or even eliminate greenwash (aka, market confusion) in the market by creating a uniform language for manufacturers to use

when communicating information on the environmental qualities of cleaning products.

It also opens the door for a larger number of products to be recognised for their environmental attributes by keeping the economic barriers to entry for companies to have products listed on Transpare low as well as decreasing the time it takes for a product to be listed. Ultimately, this will lead to an increase in the number of manufacturers and products that can do business in the green marketplace which, in turn, offers a greater number of options to institutional and commercial facilities looking for safe, environmentally preferable products.

To help open the green marketplace to more manufacturers, while still offering purchasers and end-users a reliable source of information, Transpare allows manufacturers to list products under one of two listing tiers.

The first tier is what is called the Registered tier. Transpare Registered products have their data subjected to an ongoing audit process. As part of this audit, products are regularly and randomly selected to have a number of their environmental, health and safety data points verified. This ensures the accuracy of the data while minimising the resources needed for manufacturers to list their products.

For those manufacturers that wish to take their transparency and environmental stewardship a step further, Transpare offers its second tier, Transpare Verified. Transpare Verified products have all of their data points pre-verified as a precondition of listing.

Transpare Verified products receive special recognition on the website, and the companies that produce them can make a strong claim of environmental stewardship.

Easy online processFor both Registered and Verified products, Transpare employs a unique online data upload process. Manufacturers can literally sign on to Transpare.com with their unique login and password and upload information about their products at their leisure. All confidential data is protected behind the Ecoform firewall and is only accessible to the Ecoform-trained verifiers performing the actual verification of product data.

ISSA is working with other associations and non-governmental organisations through the programme. This helps spread the word about Transpare and the benefits it offers to the cleaning industry. The hope is that it will cut down the confusion around sustainability and eliminate greenwashing.

The new tool has the potential to reduce or even eliminate greenwash in the market by

creating a uniform language for manufacturers

“

pre-verified as a precondition of listing.

Transpare Verified products receive

For more information on using or registering a product on Transpare, contact David Schweizer at [email protected] or visit www.Transpare.com.

EVERYONE has a stance

to take on the paper industry and its relationship with the environment. And while the WWF, as the most vocal of green leaders, is cautious of how it views the environmental progress of paper companies, the companies themselves and the organisations that talk for them are understandably more bullish.

Perhaps the real status of the industry lays somewhere in between these two points of interest.

Helma Brandlmaier, WWF Senior Advisor Paper Footprint and

Market Change, views the past 12 months for the industry as one where there have been “a few companies who increasingly take environmental and social matters very seriously and take leadership”. That sounds a little like damning with faint praise, but is positively jubilant compared with the following statement that “there are also companies who are more stagnant and some that really do damage”.Paper manufacturer Stora Enso is aware

of how much harder it can be for paper companies to convince industry outsiders

of a paper company’s green commitment.

It’s never easy making an annual judgment on how the paper industry is doing in terms of environmental progress. For so long it has been the natural bogeyman of environmental campaigners

The company says: “The forest industry is sometimes portrayed as a pillager of protected forests. However, Stora Enso has long been committed to its targeted environmental work, with all wood traceable to sustainable forestry. No wood is taken from mountain forests or rainforests – all production uses renewable raw materials in plentiful supply. Europe’s forests are growing

at a rate of 1.5 million football pitches a year.

“Our MultiCopy is manufactured at Nymölla Mill. The majority of our raw materials derive from wood cut down as part of thinnings in forests in southern Sweden

and wood chips from local sawmills. Most of the fibre is sourced from within a 100 km radius of the mill, allowing us to minimise the environmental impact of transportation. In order to be able to document and establish the origin of the wood, we employ a traceability system. The traceability guarantee is Stora Enso’s most important tool for ensuring that the raw materials meet our standards.”

ProgressWWF accepts that it is impossible to make a general statement on the entire paper industry, especially as so much depends on circumstances and geographical aspects that change from country to country and legislation to legislation.

The industry has reduced its atmospheric emissions, effl uent load, carbon foot-

print, water intake and energy use

“

Seeing the good for the trees

GREEN THINKING 2013 | PAPER UPDATE


European paper recycling rate is at a

record

71.7%

of water used is returned to its source

94%14% reduction

in energy consumption

since 1990

80%

of the wood used by CEPI members comes from CEPI countries

71%71%of virgin wood fibre used

by the industry is certified

86% less CO2 since 1990

90% of production capacity

has environmental management certification

For the CEPI (Confederation of European Paper Industries), the year has been one of cautious success on green issues with the “notable strides” in the European pulp and paper industry of the past two decades continued.

Daniela Haiduc, Communications and Public Affairs Manager at CEPI, says: “The industry has reduced its atmospheric emissions, effluent load, carbon footprint, water intake and energy use. Energy and resource efficiency is at the heart of the industry, which has become a beacon of best practice internationally.”

Office Depot is pleased that some long-standing issues have been addressed. Other companies that have been persistent non-environmental offenders have also made movement towards more ethical business practices.

Yalmaz Siddiqui, Senior Director, Environmental Strategy, Office Depot says: “There has been a lot of progress towards forest certification, chain of custody legality verification and greenhouse gas reduction. There have also been some very positive developments in the Far East, with APP (Asia Pulp & Paper) showing real signs of progress and near-resolution of long-standing environmental controversies.”

However, there are still many unresolved questions in terms of paper sourcing in general: will the FSC/SFI/PEFC debate finally get solved? How will the revisions of the SFI standard affect that debate? How will the environmental community and western suppliers, respond to the APP sustainability roadmap? What new approaches can

suppliers bring forward to simplify traceability and transparency of fibre sources? Can some suppliers of recycled paper breakthrough the historic cost barrier? Clearly, there are just as many questions as there has always been.

Siddiqui also sees a more sophisticated and knowledgeable industry developing on these matters, however, and says manufacturers are more open to getting their claims third-party verified; increasingly open to pursuing Life Cycle Analysis and more responsive

31OPI MAGAZINE

PAPER UPDATE | GREEN THINKING 2013

Source: CEPI

OPI: What new green initiatives have you undergone in the past year?Johannes Klumpp, Marketing and Sales Director, Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper: This year we hosted our first Green Event on a headquarter level in Vienna, where we had FSC, PEFC and WWF among our guest speakers to address key issues in the paper industry today, such as the EU Timber Regulation and new generation plantations. The customer feedback was excellent so we plan to offer another Green Event in 2014. We have also launched several internal Green Trainings for all our Uncoated Fine Paper employees, explaining the key concepts behind the jungle of certifications and labels on the market and other topics, like recycling, carbon neutral papers, etc.

OPI: How have you improved environmental performance?SB: In terms of sustainable forestry, we have continued our commitment to have 100% of our leased, owned and managed forests FSC certified and 25% of our landholdings are set aside for conservation. 65% of all timber-based products are sourced from Chain-of-Custody certified timber, an improvement of 8% against 2010. We are also on track for all forestry operations to be certified to ISO14001 during 2013. Concerning energy and climate change, our CO2 emissions per unit of saleable production have been reduced 25% since 2004 and carbon-based energy consumption per unit of saleable production has been cut 16% since 2004. We have achieved 93% self-sufficiency in electricity and 58% of fuel consumption at our material operations was derived from biomass. By using wood to make paper, before burning it to create energy, we are creating five times more value and seven times more jobs.

OPI: What are your current green goals?SB: Long-term electricity self-sufficiency (currently 93%); reduction of waste to landfill by 20% until 2015 against a 2010 base year (currently 9%); implement ecosystem management plans (EMPs) at all forestry locations by 2013; carry out water impact assessment of forestry operations and mills by 2013.

VENDOR VIEW – MONDI GROUP

OPI: What new green initiatives have you undergone in the past year?Johannes Klumpp, Marketing and Sales Director, Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper: This year we hosted our first Green Event on a headquarter level in Vienna, where we had FSC, PEFC and WWF among our guest speakers to address key issues in the paper industry today, such as the EU Timber Regulation and new generation plantations. The customer feedback was excellent so we plan to offer another Green Event in 2014. We have also launched several internal Green Trainings for all our Uncoated Fine Paper employees, explaining the key concepts behind the jungle of certifications and labels on the market and other topics, like recycling, carbon neutral papers, etc.

OPI: How have you improved environmental performance?SB: In terms of sustainable forestry, we have continued our commitment to have 100% of our leased, owned and managed forests FSC certified and 25% of our landholdings are set aside for conservation. 65% of all timber-based products are sourced from Chain-of-Custody certified timber, an improvement of 8% against 2010. We are also on track for all forestry operations to be certified to ISO14001 during 2013. Concerning energy and climate change, our CO2 emissions per unit of saleable production have been reduced 25% since 2004 and carbon-based energy consumption per unit of saleable production has been cut 16% since 2004. We have achieved 93% self-sufficiency in electricity and 58% of fuel consumption at our material operations was derived from biomass. By using wood to make paper, before burning it to create energy, we are creating five times more value and seven times more jobs.

OPI: What are your current green goals?SB: Long-term electricity self-sufficiency (currently 93%); reduction of waste to landfill by 20% until 2015 against a 2010 base year (currently 9%); implement ecosystem management plans (EMPs) at all forestry locations by 2013; carry out water impact assessment of forestry operations and mills by 2013.

VENDOR VIEW – MONDI GROUP

to marketplace shifts towards greener choices.

Clover’s pursuit of EcoLogo certification and 3M’s entry into the LED business are two tangible examples cited here.

TransparencySo if an increase in transparency and generally ‘getting onboard’ with the green issue have shaped the past 12

months what is the path ahead?George Orwell once wrote that the

future authors the past. If this is true, then WWF projections – that by 2050 a

rising population and an increase in use of wood for bioenergy could triple demand for wood – are a good indicator of where the industry should be heading now. To put it simply the challenge for forest-based industries is to supply more wood products with less impact on nature.

Brandlmaier adds: “This challenge spans the whole supply chain, from where and how wood is grown and harvested to how wisely and efficiently it is processed, used and reused. Given the massive projected increase in wood and paper demand, forest-based industries are key to conserving forests.

“For wood to play a positive role in a green economy based on renewable resources, production forests need to be managed to the highest ecological and social standards, and the use and recovery of wood products must

become more efficient. And the industry should be more transparent.”

At Depot, the desire is for a cleaning up of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) standard. The standard had its credibility dented

after ForestEthics filed a complaint with the FTC saying the standards were developed “by timber industry personnel in a closed process”.

Siddiqui says: “Paper industry players need to recognise that the

wider environmental community do not believe that the SFI standard is credible enough, notably the SFI Certified Fiber Sourcing label.

Perhaps dropping that label and including the training and

communication elements of that programme into the SFI Chain of Custody standard may be the way to go. I'd also suggest the paper

industry finds a way in 2015 to help resolve the long-lasting debate between FSC and SFI/PEFC. I think an answer may be to push for collaboration between the standards by advocating use of forestry certifications as a way to prove fibre legality. Then after some trust building, perhaps we could find a path to mutual respect and eventually, mutual recognition.”

Mutual respect and recognition? Sounds like a plan.

To put it simply the key challenge for forest-based industries is how to supply

more wood products with less impact on nature

“


GREEN THINKING 2013 | PAPER UPDATE

GREEN THINKING 2013 | MARKETING LANGUAGE

34 GREEN THINKING 201334 GREEN THINKING 2013

WE’RE past the stage of still needing to appreciate

the dangers intrinsic to using the wrong language or claims when it comes to the environment, but are we closer to making things any clearer? Well not yet but perhaps we’re somewhere nearer the right track.

The major pitfalls certainly remain here and they are being exacerbated by competing materials and techniques that can be rather liberal in their communication and language. In addition, it is still too easy and perhaps tempting to use fluffy terms with no clear meaning or context.

The WWF in particular is rankled by “claims without proof or green imagery that implies something that simply does not have substance, making inappropriate reference to consultations or working with NGOs that implies a green association that does not exist”.

In truth, the lack of an industry-wide definition of ‘green product’ is still the lightning rod for most issues here while controls within green marketing language are still lacking.

This is an issue of particular concern for resellers as Office Depot has experienced.

Depot’s Yalmaz Siddiqui, Senior Director, Environmental Strategy, explains: “We’ve had cases of vendor reps putting inaccurate information into our item set up systems because they had not communicated

Mind your languageThe ongoing minefi eld that is the use of valid language and claims in green marketing continues to make the industry shiver, but help is fi nally at hand

with marketing or product development. As a reseller we rely on

our vendors being truthful, so if their

lack of controls risks false claims that is

bad for us. I also know of some manufacturers who

have released products with environmental messaging on them, but the product itself had no environmental attribute. That is not just a major pitfall, but is ethically questionable. The rule is: if you want to make a green claim, make sure that it is accurate and specific.”

IssuesPaper manufacturer Mondi Group is one company keen to avoid the kind of issues highlighted by Depot.

Its annual report and integrated sustainable development report are developed in line with GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) and the UN Global Compact and certain key performance indicators (KPIs) have been externally assured.

Mondi’s Johannes Klumpp, Marketing and Sales Director, Mondi Uncoated Fine

past the stage of still needing to appreciate

the dangers intrinsic to using the wrong language or claims when it comes to the environment, but are we closer to making

language and claims

continues to make the industry shiver, but help is fi nally at hand

with marketing or product

reseller we rely on reseller we rely on our vendors being truthful, so if their


bad for us. I also know

and they are being exacerbated by competing materials and techniques that can be rather

of some manufacturers who have released products with environmental messaging on them, but the product itself had no environmental attribute. That is not just a major pitfall, but is ethically

past the stage of still needing to appreciate

continues to make the continues to make the

help is fi nally at handor product

reseller we rely on reseller we rely on our vendors being truthful, so if their


bad for us. I also know of some manufacturers who

The lack of an industry-wide defi nition of ‘green product’ is still the lightning rod for

most issues here

“Yalmaz Siddiqui

MARKETING LANUAGE | GREEN THINKING 2013

37OPI MAGAZINE

Paper, says: “To ensure that we captured the interests of stakeholders, reported on those issues that are critical, and reported in a balanced way, we asked Business in the Community (BITC), a UK-based charity,

to act as an independent reviewer of our publication Shaping Our Sustainable Future, which is designed as a platform to highlight our priorities within the broader global climate and context of sustainability. BITC is a business-led charity focused on promoting responsible business practice.”

As a byproduct of all this concern over valid claims and tangible proofing, it can still feel as if companies are scared to make any environmental claims on their products in case they step on legislative toes, but that would be a great shame.

“From our perspective it’s ok to be proud of things that are done well,” says WWF’s Helma Brandlmaier. “However, it’s very important that companies don’t follow the temptation of using language that might put them close to greenwashing – that does a disservice to themselves and the entire industry.”

HesitancyNevertheless, as the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) will testify, some companies are hesitant to even step onto the minefield by publicising their own hard work on green initiatives.

Daniela Haiduc, CEPI Communications and Public Affairs Manager, explains: “The European paper industry is sometimes too hesitant to communicate the values of paper even though we produce original bio-products, made from a renewable raw material, recyclable and a perfect for the bioeconomy.”

Last year, there was at last help at hand in the US when the US Federal Trade Commission released its new Green Guides

which sought to address some confusion by offering a higher degree

of specificity while DEFRA in the UK launched

the Green

Claims Guidance with the aim of helping manufacturers navigate these tricky waters.

Office Depot’s Siddiqui says: “It does not need to be a minefield if you invest in resources to understand environmental issues and strive to get it right. Environmental marketing is still marketing but there is added complexity in terms of compliance. The answer for suppliers is to realise that if they are going to try to tap into large and growing markets for environmentally sustainable products that

FTC’S GREEN GUIDES

In 2012, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) revised its Green Guides in order to reflect a wide range of public input and industry comment. Changes include updates to the existing Guides, as well as new sections on the use of carbon offsets, ‘green’ certifications and seals, as well as renewable energy and renewable materials claims.

The Green Guides describe the types of environmental claims the FTC may or may not find deceptive under Section 5 of the FTC Act. Under Section 5, the agency can take enforcement action against deceptive claims, which ultimately can lead to the Commission prohibiting deceptive advertising and marketing and issuing fines if those orders are later violated.

FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz said: “The introduction of environmentally friendly products into the marketplace is a win for consumers who want to purchase greener products and producers who want to sell them. But this win-win can only occur if marketers’ claims are truthful and substantiated. The FTC’s changes to the Green Guides will level the playing field for honest business people and it is one reason why we had such broad support.”

Essentially, the revised Green Guides modified and clarified sections of the previous Guides and provided new guidance on environmental claims that were not common when last reviewed.

Principally, the Guides caution marketers not to make broad, unqualified claims that a product is “environmentally friendly” or “eco-friendly” because the FTC’s consumer perception study confirms that such claims are “likely to suggest that the product has specific and far-reaching environmental benefits. Very few products, if any, have all the attributes consumers seem to perceive from such claims, making these claims nearly impossible to substantiate”.

The revised Guides also:• Advises marketers not to make an unqualified degradable claim for a solid

waste product unless they can prove that the entire product or package will completely break down and return to nature within one year after customary disposal

• Cautions that items destined for landfills, incinerators, or recycling facilities will not degrade within a year, so marketers should not make unqualified degradable claims for these items

• Clarifies guidance on compostable, ozone, recyclable, recycled content, and source reduction claims.

New sections in the Green Guides include: • Certifications and seals of approval• Carbon offsets • Free-of claims• Non-toxic claims• Made with renewable energy claims • Made with renewable materials claims.

Commission released its new Green Guides which sought to which sought to

the Green

which sought to

the Green

It can still feel as if companies are scared to make any environmental claims on their

products in case they step on legislative toes

“

GREEN THINKING 2013 | MARKETING LANGUAGE


Ensure the content of the claim is relevant and reflects a genuine benefit to the environment1) Fundamentally, ensure the claim reflects a real environmental benefit or

improvement that is relevant to communicate to your customers. First consider the full environmental impact of your product (and supply chain), service or organisation.

2) Check the claim is relevant to those environmental impacts and/or your business and consumer interests. Ensure the claim does not focus on environmental issues of low significance or importance.

3) Check the claim reflects an additional benefit to the environment beyond what is already happening in the market and goes over and above what is required by legislation.

4) When making claims of superior performance to others on the market ensure the comparison is fair/relevant. The basis of comparison should be clearly stated in the claim.

Present the claim clearly and accurately1) Ensure the whole claim (including imagery) is a truthful and accurate

representation of the scale of the environmental benefit or what is likely to happen in practice and does not overstate the benefit achieved. Even if literally true, a claim shouldn’t be easily misinterpreted or omit significant information.

2) Ensure the scope and boundaries of the claim are clear. A claim should make clear whether it refers to the whole product or organisation or just one aspect. The specific environmental impact or process it addresses should also be clear.

3) Use plain language that is clear and easy for consumers to understand. Check that the claim does not use vague, ambiguous words (eg. “environmentally friendly”) or jargon that may be easily misinterpreted or confuse consumers.

4) Where necessary use clear, prominent and complementary supplementary information to qualify the main claim. But before adding further detail, check whether the main claim could be made clearer so that further explanation is not needed.

5) Is all imagery (i.e. symbols, pictures or labels) relevant to the claim and not likely to be misinterpreted?

Ensure the claim can be substantiated1) Make sure the evidence is clear and robust. Measure claims using the most

appropriate standard methods. Consider seeking independent assurance by a third party. Ensure claims are reviewed and updated over time to ensure they remain relevant.

2) Ensure claims about aspirations of future environmental performance are also supported by evidence and action (e.g. publicly available plans or strategy).

3) Information to substantiate a claim should be retained by the person making the claim, be transparent about the assumptions and approach taken, and be made available to those seeking reasonable justification of it.

DEFRA’S QUICK GUIDE TO MAKING A GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL CLAIM

they need to invest in people and processes to avoid false claims.”

So are things becoming less or more clear? The CEPI says its industry is increasingly confronted with confusing ‘tree-saving’ messages where banks and telecom operators ask their customers to go online for their

invoices and to deny paper invoices as it is better for the environment. It refers to this as ‘tree-washing’ and says they are incorrect and usually simple cost-saving measures that harm the image of paper as a green product.

At Depot, the belief is that things have become less

confusing and more confusing – a kind of ‘It was the best of times; it was the worst of times’ scenario to quote Dickens.

Siddiqui explains: “ Previously there was a lot of noise about ‘greenwashing’ and what you should not say, but much less guidance on what you could say. Now it is

less confusing because government entities are finally providing concrete guidance on what constitutes a credible green claim. It will also become more confusing in the future because there are emerging themes like Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), Healthy Product Declaration (HPD), Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), Organizational Environmental Footprints (OEF), Green Chemistry and others.”

So if the industry wasn’t awash with acronyms already there’s yet more to familiarise yourself with. But familirise one must as making sure your green claims are accurate and substantiated remains the only way forward.

When colleagues aren’t green or are deliberately wasteful the most

common responses are to feel

frustrated-29%irritated-26%

DISAPPOINTED IN THEM - 28%

Individuals are championing

greener working in the office

FOUR IN TENpeople say that they are more likely to be

environmentally-friendly in the office if they work with a colleague who is passionate about green issues.

1) Fundamentally, ensure the claim reflects a real environmental benefit or improvement that is relevant to communicate to your customers. First

or your business and consumer interests. Ensure the claim does not

beyond what is already happening in the market and goes over and

ask their customers to go online for their invoices and to deny paper invoices as

4) When making claims of superior performance to others on the market ensure

invoices and to deny paper invoices as it is better for the environment. It refers to this as ‘tree-washing’ and says they are incorrect and

measures that harm the image of paper as a green product.

confusing and more confusing – a kind of

invoices and to deny paper invoices as it is better for the environment. It refers to this as ‘tree-washing’ and says they are incorrect and

Government entities are fi nally providing concrete

guidance on what constitutes a credible

green claim

“

source: Avery Green Offi ce Week research

GREEN THINKING 2013 | ECO-WARRIORS


Green benchmarksThere are many stakeholders in the overall sustainability debate. OPI selected a few that stand out with their green initiatives

Lyreco’s Supplier Audit Programme is a benchmark for ensuring that suppliers are keeping in line with reseller demands and a focal part of the company’s green policy

OPI: Can you tell me what the Supplier Audit Programme entails?Lyreco: The whole process depends on whether the product is imported directly or indirectly by Lyreco, but the main principles remain the same.

All the factories producing Lyreco branded products in emerging countries must be duly audited once a year. The standard used to support those audits cover all the key Sustainability Principles, including labour, health & safety, environment, management systems, ethics and fulfilling legal requirements. To be compliant with the Lyreco requirements, the last audit should not have revealed any major non-conformance and highlight a continuous improvement approach to deal with the minor non-conformances and/or observations.

For the indirectly imported products, we ask that audit reports only come from well known and established auditing third parties. At the same time, an audit report that seems to be suitable at first glance is not necessarily enough. Thus, you need to know that all the large auditing companies have a complete independent ‘corporate governance’ entity doing ‘shadow audits’ to check the accuracy and completion of the audits made by their own staff.

In case of any doubt or higher risk, the Lyreco QSS (Quality, Security & Sustainability) department conducts an additional on-site visit/audit. This approach is really useful as we recently raised major non-conformances that had not been reported and/or identified in the original audit reports.

OPI: Depending on the result of those audits, what are the options then?Lyreco: There are three options:

1. The factory is validated if it is compliant.2: The factory is blacklisted in case of major issues and

no effective progress.3. The factory is supported if issues are found,

but only if at the same time there is a strong willingness to improve.

The outcomes of the audits are reviewed at a high organisational level since the status of each factory has to

be reviewed by the Group Marketing and QSS Directors. Lyreco’s Group Management is also regularly informed of the programme as the topic is on the agenda of our wider Quarterly Sustainability Meeting.

OPI: How successful has it all been and what goals do you now have for the programme?Lyreco: Following use of the programme,

we unfortunately had to stop doing business with a few factories because there was no progress following first warning and no real willingness to improve. At the same time, we worked closely with the factories we decided to support. A six-month lead time was then given to set up a proper action plan and a monthly update is organised to review the progress, making sure we are on track and taking decisions accordingly.

The whole process has always been completed with an on-site surveillance and combined with an audit made with the supplier, factory and Lyreco representatives.

We have been quite impressed by the massive amount of work done by the factories to fix the issues and apply the requests and recommendations raised by Lyreco. In the end, all these actions also bring effective improvements to the employees concerned.

Our overall goal is quite simple: 100% of the factories producing Lyreco branded products in developing countries have to be audited and compliant with our requirements, whether they are producing directly imported or indirectly imported goods.

Lyreco: Supplier Focus

ECO-WARRIORS | GREEN THINKING 2013

43OPI MAGAZINE

Green benchmarks WWF: Sustainability on paperThe World Wildlife Fund’s Environmental Paper Company Index (EPCI) was launched in 2010 and is one of the WWF’s key tools to promote and reward transparency and improvement to reduce the environmental footprint of paper production

OPI: What can you tell us about your new Environmental Paper Company Index? WWF: The EPCI offers an opportunity for paper producers in all product sectors to set a signal for transparency on environmental performance. It also allows companies to have their production data analysed by environmental experts which can be an important element of their continual improvement strategy.

We are very happy that we have such good participation in the 2013 EPCI – it’s a good signal that the industry is increasingly taking environmental and social issues seriously and is transparently reporting on what they do about it. We’re hoping to have even more participants next year.

OPI: Where did the idea for the Index come from?WWF: The idea came from wanting to hold a mirror up to companies – asking for company data that we then put through an environmental lens, showing them from an NGO perspective where they stand and encouraging continual improvement.

Transparency is a basic prerequisite for continual improvement in the sector and it can help better the reputation of the industry as a whole.

OPI: What does the Index mean for paper companies and the industry as a whole?WWF: WWF applauds all companies that take leadership in transparency. They are the vanguard that will assist to improve the reputation of the industry. Not every company can have the very best scores, but we expect companies to be willing to improve over time and to transparently show this.

OPI: How will it help sustainability in this area?WWF: We don’t want the Index to be a comparison

tool between companies, even though a slight competitive element might assist continual improvement. We want

firms to reflect on their company data seen through an environmental lens, hopefully motivating them to make changes. We can then track these changes over time.

With increasing participation in our Index, we also hope that companies participating in our Index will have an advantage over those that are unwilling to disclose data.

OPI: Do you have any specific targets for the Index? WWF: We want to have important and strategically relevant companies from all parts of the world participate in it. We increase our invite list every year. Last time we invited 50 and 19 participated – this time we invited 70 and 25 took part. Companies can also participate spontaneously.

OPI: How does the Index fit into your overall initiatives in terms of your campaign to improve paper companies’ green qualities?WWF: WWF has various tools to work towards increasing environmental and social performance. In the Global Forest and Trade network, WWF assists companies in overcoming forest management and purchasing challenges while progressing towards credible certification through the proven ‘stepwise’ approach.

We work to increase consumer and paper buyer awareness. We manage learning platforms, for example, on how to improve the plantations of the future together with companies.

And, of course, there are the transparency tools. WWF considers transparency as a cornerstone of CSR – a focus on transparency supports continual improvement, applauds leaders and makes it harder to hide bad practises. We therefore offer two transparency tools – the EPCI, which focuses on companies’ overall performance and environmental footprint, including targets, and our database Check Your Paper www.checkyourpaper.panda.org, which focuses on actual products and shows in a concise way the forest, climate and water performance of individual brands.

Our method focuses on the most relevant environmental parameters and companies post the data themselves. Some companies use our product database as stepping stones in B2B information sharing on environmental performance.

tool between companies, even though a slight competitive element might assist continual improvement. We want

GREEN THINKING 2013 | ECO-WARRIORS


Soennecken: War on energy2012 was a big year for Soennecken in environmental terms. At the core of the German dealer group’s environmental efforts has been its focus on sustainable energy, as Dirk Leischner, Head of Engineering and Environmental Management Offi cer, points out

OPI: Please tell me about the energy analysis that you carried out at Soennecken last year. Dirk Leischner: In 2012, international supply and building engineering company, Bilfinger Berger, drew up an energy report for Soennecken, essentially to identify and then capitalise on any energy efficiency potential in our firm. The analysis revealed that our main admin building is well insulated and that at the moment there is no need for action, except that the heating system should be modernised at some stage in the future.

In addition, we commissioned the University of Cologne to assess the energy performance of our logistics operations. This long-term recording of our energy requirements shows clearly the power consumption during rest hours and on rest days, for example.

OPI: So what is happening in the warehouse? DL: There are a number of initatives. As part of its environmental management system DIN ISO 14001, Soennecken has set itself the goal of saving 10% on its electricity consumption by 2014, calculated from 2010.

Materials management and IT have the highest electricity consumption at our organisation and for this reason we are implementing comprehensive energy savings measures in these areas: from machine parts in logistics that automatically switch off during unproductive times to retrofitting LED lights to virtualising servers in IT (30% saving on electricity); it’s all part of it.

OPI: How ‘on board’ are your staff with these projects and initiatives?FL: Very. We have issued an energy guideline, which should make all employees more ecologically aware, so

that everyone is pulling together and working in the most energy-efficient way possible.

It works both ways, of course. Last year, in an effort to create a pleasant working climate for our employees in the logistics centre – in a manner that protects both resources and the environment, even when outside temperatures are high – Soennecken

installed seven evaporative coolers.Compared with a conventional compression refrigeration machine, this technology uses 25% less electricity while yielding almost identical overall cooling power – without using a refrigerant.

This type of cooling works on the principle of water evaporation – a concept that was incidentally already in use in the ancient world to keep wine cool. As a result of the evaporation, cold is created inside the Breezair evaporative air conditioner, which is then carried through a ventilator into the logistics hall. This contributes to the creation of an optimal climate.

We thereby achieve an incoming air temperature that is about 10 degrees cooler than the ambient temperature, and humidity of approximately 50%, which is supposed to be ideal workplace humidity.

OPI: Soennecken has also completely swapped to eco–friendly electricity now I believe. Can you tell me a bit more? DL: Since the beginning of this year, the municipal energy service provider for our region, Agger-Energie, has been supplying Soennecken with electricity from renewable sources, in this case hydroelectricity from Scandinavia.

In addition, we’ve made all of our natural gas purchases climate neutral. Here, Soennecken has opted for the ‘Grubengas’ (pit mine) project (Hugo 9). This project is validated and certified by TÜV Nord to the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS). It involves the installation of systems to contain and process methane from coal mines and use it for energy purposes. The pit gas captured is used directly to operate co-generation units supplying electrical and thermal energy.

OPI: Do you have any other plans specifically with regards to green energy at Soennecken?DL: For 2014, Soennecken is planning to certify its energy management system to DIN ISO 50001. This will be yet another milestone for Soennecken’s progress in using resources in an environmentally friendly manner. Moreover, the heating system will be replaced with a co-generation unit in the near future – this was one of the energy efficiency measures recommended by Bilfinger Berger, as I mentioned earlier.

Dirk Leischner

ECO-WARRIORS | GREEN THINKING 2013

47OPI MAGAZINE

Offi ce Depot: Early AdopterIt’s been ten years since Offi ce Depot began its journey towards environmental effi ciency; it can now boast some impressive achievements over that decade

OPI: How has Office Depot improved its green credentials over the last decade?Office Depot: Since starting our green journey in 2003 we have achieved some incredible results.

These for example include increasing our mix of products with green attributes by 414%; reducing our facilities carbon footprint in North American by 43% and growing the volume of materials taken back from customers by 291%.

OPI: What specifically have you been focusing on over the past year?OD: In 2012 we were focused on ensuring vendors that didn’t have eco-labels gave us signed affidavits on their environmental claims. We’ve jumped from a total of

1,000 SKUs for which we had a signed affidavit to more than 6,000.

We’ve been focused on the assortment because so much of the risk, opportunity and environmental footprint associated with our organisation is embedded in our products.

We’ve also continued our groundbreaking work in influencing

our customers towards greener options, whether in store, online, catalogue or B2B account management.

OPI: Can you tell me about the Terracycle initiative?OD: For years, we have been partnering with other recycling partners to take back cartridges and technology. Mor recently we’ve been partnering with Terracycle and Sanford to allow recycling of writing instruments as well.

We’re now actively exploring how Terracycle can bring additional creative solutions for previously unrecyclable office supplies. There will be more to come in the future – both in Europe and the US.

OPI: What are your future green goals?OD: Our environmental strategy is really one of continuous improvement. We have a commitment to buy greener, be greener and sell greener; that affects all aspects of business rather than being a specific initiative.

That said, our big goal for the future is to transition from an environmental strategy to a ‘sustainability’ strategy. That means a more integrated platform for environmental, social and economic sustainability. We want to have a coherent approach to driving positive impact on all three dimensions, in a unified way.

Paradigm Group: Switching to greenParadigm Group’s The Emerald Brand is a comprehensive sustainability product and service solution for breakroom, facilities and jan/san

OPI: Can you tell us about The Emerald Brand and its green virtues?Paradigm Group: The Emerald Brand product line consists of 170 assorted SKUs made with alternative renewable materials such as Bagasse (sugarcane fibre) and corn starch. Emerald Brand ‘tree-free’ towels, tissues, plates and bowls are all USDA-certified bio-based products.

The Emerald sustainability programme delivers the most robust line of USDA-certified products on the market today, providing a solution to the growing problem of deforestation at a comparable cost.

OPI: You also offer clients reports on how they are doing in terms of reaching their green performance goals through the Emerald brand, don’t you?PG: Yes, we offer corporate clients quantitative reports to show their positive environmental impact based on the purchase of Emerald Brand products.

Sustainability reporting is performed in-house and provided to both distributors and clients on a quarterly basis. Many participants are also enrolled in the EPA WasteWise programme, which is endorsed by the group.

OPI: I believe you offer a training platform as well?PG: That’s correct, the Emerald sales training platform teaches distributors everything they need to know about green products and certifications in addition to the unique ‘Cost-Neutral Conversion’ platform. Our

distributors can now offer a sustainable solution bundled into a single brand for breakroom and jan/san customers.

OPI: Please tell me more about this conversion?PG: Our sales team gathers data on products being used at a given facility to determine the appropriate Emerald Brand substitute. The ‘green

team’ then uses that data to estimate the facility’s potential environmental impact. Once the conversion is approved and implemented, we will provide quarterly reports as mentioned earlier.

Terracycle CEO Tom Szaky

GREEN PRODUCTS | GREEN THINKING 2013

49OPI MAGAZINE

EDDING ECOLINE SERIES EDDING

The edding EcoLine series is an environmental friendly marker series. It not only offers 100% proven edding quality, but is also a sustainable solution that is kind to the environment. It includes the permanent markers edding 21 and 22, the whiteboard markers edding 28 and 29, the flipchart markers edding 31 and 32 and the highlighter edding 24. At least 90% of the plastic parts of the permanent, whiteboard and flipchart markers are made from recycled material. Thanks to continous research and development,

the cap and the barrel of the edding 24 highlighter are now even made from at least 90% renewable resources.

Contact: Eva GottschalkTel: +49 4102 808 137

Email: [email protected]: www.ecoline.edding.com

www.edding.com

highlighter are now even made from at least 90% renewable resources.

MULTICOPY ORIGINAL STORA ENSO NYMÖLLA

MultiCopy Original is a bright white (CIE 168), multipurpose paper that works perfectly in all office machines; laser, inkjet, copiers and faxes.

The runnability is unbeatable and the printing result is excellent in both colour and B/W. The ColorLok label guarantees razor-sharp lettering, more vivid colours and faster drying.

MultiCopy is labelled with the Nordic Ecolabel, EU Ecolabel, TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) and is available as FSC®-certified. The most unique feature is that the emission of CO2 from fossil fuels is zero during production. The mill is ISO14001 certified and EMAS registered.

Contact: Dean GlewTel: +44 776830 7744 Email: [email protected]: www.storaenso.com/multicopy

CLIMATE-NEUTRAL AS STANDARD

TRODAT

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

“From our point of view, true environment and climate protection orientation manifests itself by the company showing that it commits its main business - ie its standard products, to environmental and

climate protection, thus maximizing the positive impact.” says Dr Hildegard Aichberger, Managing Director of the WWF® Austria in an interview with Markus Würcher, Managing Director at Trodat GmbH in July 2012. “The path taken by Trodat to offer its main products as carbon neutral is therefore exactly the right one. That should be

preferred to just offering green secondary product lines because of the more positive climatic effect.”

For more information, please visit www.trodat.net

Contact: Cornelia BartakTel: +43 7242 239 225

Email: [email protected]: www.trodat.net

with the highest content of post-consumer recycled plastic that is technically possible in order to reduce its CO2 footprint. In a second step, the residual, unavoidable CO2 footprint of those products is compensated by investment in Gold Standard climate protection projects recommended by

as carbon neutral is therefore exactly the right one. That should be preferred to just offering green secondary product

please visit

VARIO-SYSTEM ‘PLUG+PLAY’ AND K3 BIOSAFESCHNEIDERThe ecologistsVario-System “Plug & Play“ Refilling reduces waste and saves costs. Schneider ballpoint pens with Plug & Play system have a universal fit for different refill formats. This makes a replacement very easy. Instead of buying a completely new pen, you just need to replace the refill. A few simple adjustments and your ballpoint pen turns into a gel writer or vice versa. K3 BiosafeThe barrel of the ballpoint pen K3 Biosafe is made of bioplastics, which is natural, renewable and compostable cellulose.

Contact: Martina SchneiderTel: +49-7729-888235Email: [email protected]: www.schneiderpen.com

Most WantedThere are innumerable products vying for the green crown. Here is just a glimpse of those on offer

GREEN THINKING 2013 | GREEN PRODUCTS


SUPERIOR MAXI JUMBO TOILET PAPERSOFIDEL

BioTech is an active toilet paper that helps to keep sewer pipes clean, eliminates bad smells, minimizes the need for sewer and drain cleaning interventions and optimises utilisation costs. Produced thanks to BATP (Biologic Active Tissue Paper) technology, BioTech contains five types of active microorganisms that, in contact with water, unleash enzymes that remove dirt and surfactants released by detergents. A simple daily action thus becomes a source of savings and a gesture of attention towards the environment.

Contact: John KieleTel: +49 36848 3850 Email: [email protected]: www.biotech.papernet.itwww.sofidel.it

HP COLOUR LASER INTERNATIONAL PAPER

• Super smooth for uniform toner gloss and sharp colour images • High whiteness for sharp text and colour contrast • Highly opaque for two-sided printing• Certified Ecolabel and PEFC• Range: 90 – 100 – 120 – 160 – 200 – 250 – 280 – 300 gsm

in A4 / A3 / SRA3. 350 gsm in SRA3

Contact: Katarzyna KozmikTel: +34 93209 4132

Email: [email protected]: www.internationalpaper.com/EMEA

GREEN STAMPS COLOP

A lot of interest cause COLOP´s environmentally friendly “Green Line”, which is produced predominantly from recycled plastic and the Printer “Liquid Wood”. As the term “Liquid Wood” already implies, the material has something to do with wood. Specifically, it is a bio-plastic made predominantly from lignin, which is 100% biodegradable. Together they form the group of “Green Stamps”. These stamps not only have in common that they are optimized according to ecological principles, but they are also CO2 neutral. This means, that unavoidable CO2 emissions will be offset by investments in climate protection projects (GOLD STANDARD projects) – based on the system boundary “cradle to gate”.

Contact: Gerald BinderTel: +43/7242/66104-124Email: [email protected]: www.colop.comwww.greenstamps.colop.com

RECYCLED PROJECT FOLDERS C-LINE PRODUCTS, INC

Recycled Project Folders help you divide, organize and file projects. Use them by themselves or to subdivide file folders. They contain at least 70% material diverted from the solid waste stream and meet the FTC definition of recycled. They may not meet your state’s definition of recycled. Recycled Project Folders are made from heavyweight, tear-resistant polypropylene. They are open on two sides with a thumb cut front for easy loading and access. The unique corner

design lets them expand to hold up to 100 pages. Available in both letter and

legal sizes. 25 per box.

Contact: Jean AndersenTel: 800-323-6084

Email: [email protected]: www.C-Line.com

IDEAL SHREDDERS

KRUG & PRIESTER

IDEAL shredders awarded the ”Blue Angel“.For more than 60 years, quality, ecology and sustainability have

been at the heart of Krug & Priester’s philosophy. This company is the first manufacturer of document shredders to be awarded the “Blue Angel” for the energy efficiency and environmental friendliness of its shredders.

IDEAL shredders are manufactured in an environmentally friendly way, certified by the Environment Management System according to DIN EN ISO 14001. Features include the “Zero Energy Standby Mode“ with automatic, complete power cut-off after 30 minutes. High-quality components, cutting shafts with a lifetime guarantee,

as well as sustainable production procedures stand for the IDEAL shredder range “Made in Germany”.

Tel: +49-7433 269-131Website: www.krug-priester.com

Documents

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