PrintIT Reseller - issue 67

01732 759725 40 VOX POP Last year, 100 per cent of products, parts and consumables returned by customers at end-of-life were diverted from entering landfills Often defined as a megatrend, sustainability continues to become more important for all companies, across all industries. This month’s panel share their thoughts on corporate responsibility and sustainable procurement practices The business of sustainability Lars Hargaard, Marketing Director, OKI NW Region Europe : “As a key player within the global printing industry, CSR is not a choice, it is a must. Printing can be perceived as a threat to our environment, so it is an integral part of our strategy and daily operations to ensure we maintain well defined standards for clean production methods, energy consumption, reuse of consumables, transportation etc.” Jeremy Spencer, Director of Marketing, Toshiba Tec : “Our pioneering Carbon Zero scheme was launched in 2009 as an initiative to offset our own environmental impact, and the scheme was then offered up to our partners, so they could do the same. “We started working with customers to expand on the carbon neutrality of our products and services to consider other green initiatives that helped further. We also took the significant step of making our own business more environmentally friendly with the successful adoption of the stringent PAS 2060 standard.” Carlo Longhi, Director for Channels, Xerox : “Corporate Social Responsibility is part of our business DNA, and we believe what’s good for society is good for Xerox. “We’ve embedded our CSR initiatives into our business operations and strategy. Six per cent of our total supplier spend is with small businesses, minority-, women- or veteran-owned businesses, while six per cent of our employee population are military veterans. We also invest in the communities where we work for reasons beyond fulfilling our obligation as corporate citizens – we do it because it makes our company stronger and more competitive. Since 2017, more than 91,000 hours have been volunteered by our employees to local community projects. “From an environmental perspective, we continue to deliver on our promise to make environmentally-friendly choices when it comes to our products and processes. Last year, 100 per cent of products, parts and consumables returned by customers at end-of-life were diverted from entering landfills. Instead, we re-manufactured, reused, recycled, or provided the waste to suppliers who were able to convert it into an energy source. We also ensure that all of our newly-launched, eligible Xerox products satisfy the EPEAT and EPE Energy Star eco-labels.” Trevor Northfield, National Operations, Sharp UK : “We have made sure to embed CSR across the whole of Sharp UK and drive many local and national initiatives. Our team are highly motivated by environmental conservation as well as activities to support charities across the country and within the areas in which we operate. “Given Sharp’s extensive work in the education sector, our teams spend a lot of time working to enrich the lives of pupils through charitable efforts. We are also closely involved with a school in Ghana, to which we regularly donate everything from financial contributions to furniture. “Another way we help is to offer free of charge consultancy to support small businesses – this ranges from advice on cost-effective office technology solutions and software services all the way to financial advice. “A growing initiative is our employee PrintIT Reseller: How have you embedded CSR into your business operations and strategy? continued... Lars Hargaard Trevor Northfield