PrintIT Reseller - issue 67

01732 759725 VOX POP 46 everything we do. “This has been a worthwhile cost in two very important ways. First, it has given us a significant commercial advantage that comes with strong environmental and wider sustainable business credentials. But, more importantly, it has allowed us to create a business that is making a positive impact on our people, our local community and the planet as a whole – something we are deeply committed to as a business that is focused on true long-term sustainability.” James Pittick: “Environment standards push businesses to constantly look for ways to innovate and reduce the environmental impact of their products. Working towards standards such as the EcoVadis accreditation, highlights that a business is committed to working sustainably and driving its standards upwards. “Accreditations clearly outline a commitment to customers. They showcase Canon and its partners’ commitment to working together, helping customers reduce their environmental impact through cutting-edge, energy efficient products.” Martin Fairman: “We don’t regard achieving environmental accreditations as a cost to Lexmark, as ultimately making sure we can reuse and recycle as much as possible will reduce our materials and manufacturing costs in the long run. Certifications also provide us with clear selling points and outside recognition of our products. For example, “Ultimately, being ethical and sustainable is an important factor in remaining competitive and attractive in today’s world. Pressure from investors, consumers and regulators can directly affect your bottom line, and businesses must adapt to this new environment or risk being left behind.” Trevor Northfield: “Environmental accreditations are a completely worthwhile investment as these can firstly reduce energy costs and ultimately help secure new business. Our customers – both current and prospective – are increasingly concerned about using sustainable services and partnering with companies that have a proven track record. “This is where accreditations can prove the difference between for our sales team. Accreditations have the potential to pay for themselves very quickly!” Gemmer Crozier: “Brother has been awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise for sustainable development – twice. This puts us in a very small club of multiple winners. Our UK operation has also been independently certified as zero-waste-to-landfill and we are the only North West business to maintain the industry leading standard for over nine years. “These achievements are the culmination of a huge amount of investment in best practice to ensure we don’t just say the right things and conduct a few token initiatives, but that we live and breathe sustainability in being able to say that we’ve met Energy Star requirements in over 90 per cent of Lexmark devices not only gives us a clear reference point but leaves customers safe in the knowledge that they are buying a product that will have minimal impact on their energy consumption.” Gillian Anderson: “Definitely! Not only is certification a pre-requisite for many of our contracts but the standard provides a fantastic management system framework. For example, ISO 14001:2015 makes sure that we fully understand the context in which we work, and allows us to risk assess and control our environmental aspects. It then provides us with the tools to ensure we are continually monitoring and improving our performance. The standard provides us with the ability to make sure we are doing the right thing and the certification enables us to demonstrate this to others.” Daniel Quelch: “Provided that the work towards these accreditations and standards pushes companies to review their practices and become more sustainable, it is definitely a worthwhile cost. It is important for us to educate, raise awareness and set industry benchmarks for others to learn from and build on, so we can assume collective accountability of how we influence a more sustainable future. “We are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accredited and our products carry many sustainability accreditations, including TCO, Red Dot and Market Intelligence Award. However, accreditations should be the foundation of sustainability, and where possible businesses should look to go further. Epson does this, for example through our cartridge recycling scheme. By becoming part of something bigger such as the Responsible Business Alliance, we believe we can set industry foundations that others can learn from and follow.” In next month’s issue, we include the channel’s perspective. www.oki.com www.toshibatec.co.uk www.xerox.co.uk www.sharp.co.uk www.brother.co.uk www.canon.co.uk www.lexmark.co.uk www.konicaminolta.co.uk www.epson.eu ...continued Martin Fairman Definitely! Not only is certification a pre-requisite for many of our contracts but the standard provides a fantastic management system framework Certifications provide us with clear selling points and outside recognition of our products