Category Update

GREEN Thinking Thinking 2022 2022 2022

Green INVESTMENTS

The scope of eco-friendly initiatives that businesses are adopting is broad. OPI takes a look at what our industry’s vendors are doing – by David Holes

When OPI asked a selection of manufacturers across the business supplies spectrum for details of their sustainability programmes and projects, the answers were manifold. But, while diverse, they could be grouped into three broad areas. Here’s an overview:

1. Conserve resources, recycle, reuse

“Sustainability is a journey, not a destination,” says Guillaume Desfourneaux, Director of Brand and Sustainable Development at writing instruments manufacturer BIC. “Our products have always been designed to use the minimum amount of raw materials, but sustainability has increasingly become the norm as we strengthen our efforts to reduce our impact on the planet.

“We’ve committed to many different programmes, such as halving the amount of virgin petroleum-based plastic used and ensuring that all packaging will be 100% recyclable, recycled or compostable by 2025. To increase BIC’s contribution to the circular economy, we’ve launched a proprietary data-driven design tool into our product engineering phase, known as EMA (Environmentally and Socially Measurable Advantage). Additionally, we’ve announced the world’s first lighter dissembling machine at our factory in Redon, France.

“We still have a long way to go and will continue to find innovative solutions that lessen our environmental impact.”

Fellow writing instruments vendor edding sees the preservation of resources as one way in which businesses can make a significant contribution to sustainability. The company says 70% of its products – including its range of markers and highlighters – are now refillable. This extends a product’s lifetime, prevents waste and conserves raw materials such as plastic and aluminium (see also Advertorial, page 42).

Business Developer for Office & Industry Supplies, Sabine Brooks, explains how this is done: “For capillary systems, the marker is simply placed tip down in the refill bottle for an hour [see picture, right]. Alternatively, where the marker’s mouthpiece can be unscrewed, ink drops are dispensed into the barrel using a

pipette and then it’s ready to use again. Each bottle holds enough for 15 refills. The writing tip can also often be replaced when it wears out.”

GOJO Industries-Europe, meanwhile, has issued a commitment to use fully recyclable materials in its quest to supply hygiene products that are good for both people and the planet. From 2023, its collapsible polyethylene terephthalate refills will be made from 100% recycled material, and they themselves will be fully recyclable once used up. This reduces the company’s selection of virgin plastics and helps it contribute to a circular economy.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CERTIFICATION

The vendor regards respected third-party certification as vitally important as it offers customers additional reassurance that they are making a responsible purchase.

Last year, over 350 of its products from the PURELL range achieved Cradle to Cradle certification, a standard which acknowledges the safe, circular and responsible use of materials and products.

GOJO has also been recognised by sustainability business ratings provider EcoVadis, acknowledging it as a growing leader in sustainability and placing it in the top 25% of businesses evaluated by the organisation worldwide.

Chris Wakefield, GOJO’s Managing Director for the UK & Ireland, concedes that, in times of financial hardship, green goals can be impacted as customers make the trade-off between affordability and premium-priced eco-friendly products. “However, it’s possible to strike a balance on a budget”, he says.

“For instance, PURELL Healthy Soap was developed to clean effectively and preserve precious resources. It rinses quickly, saving an average of 22 litres of water per refill. This helps organisations meet both their green goals and lower their water bills.”

RECYCLING OPTIONS

Cutting down the amount of waste produced in offices was a major goal for Tork manufacturer Essity when it introduced PaperCircle. It’s a recycling service for paper hand towels which helps businesses reduce their environmental footprint by 40% compared with conventional paper towel waste-handling options. The scheme is now operational in 14 countries across Europe.

Essity aims to reach net zero by 2050 and is looking at using hydrogen, geothermal steam and sustainable biomass as alternatives to fossil fuels. “We’ve already made significant progress with a biomass-powered plant in Lilla Edet, Sweden,” reports Sustainability Communications Director Reneé Remijnse. “Additionally, in Kostheim, Germany, we have invested in a paper machine that uses green hydrogen to power it.”

REDUCING WASTE

In its latest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report, China-based print solutions provider Ninestar gives an update on all its green initiatives, with a focus on eco-friendly and low-carbon printing. As Chairman Jackson Wang asserts: “We give top priority to ESG advances and strive to pave the way for green and low-carbon sustainable development.”

Its SmartMate brand, for instance, includes extended-yield toner cartridges which prolong service life and reduce plastic waste. Ninestar has also introduced a zero plastic packaging policy, with 96% now made from recycled and biodegradable products.

Waste – or the reduction of it – is core to 3M’s ambitious sustainability targets. By 2025, the US-based global manufacturing giant pledges to cut down production remains by 10% and achieve zero landfill status at 30% of its sites. By that date, it will have reduced its dependence on virgin petroleum-based plastics by the equivalent of £125 million ($140 million).

Five years on, by 2030, it aims to decrease its global water usage by 25% and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, with further reductions of 80% another ten years later by 2040. 3M is committed to achieving net carbon neutrality by 2050, with 100% of its electricity coming from renewable resources.

Sustainability is a journey, not a destination

2. Green energy and CO2 reduction

Like 3M, many vendors are seeking to drive down their greenhouse gas emissions and convert to sustainable energy supplies.

Stamping manufacturer COLOP has taken a big sustainability step forward this year, with 90% of its products now CO2 neutral. The CO2 emissions of products – manufactured at one of its two production sites in Austria and the Czech Republic – which have already been significantly reduced by comprehensive measures but are unavoidable, are being compensated by investments in climate protection projects since the beginning of this year. Continuous further development and the associated further reduction of CO2 emissions is COLOP’s goal.

Fellow Austrian stamp vendor Trodat has also made significant progress in reducing its CO2 output. Its Original Printy 4.0 product is now climate neutral, with a 49% reduction in emissions having been achieved through a redesigned production process and the rest accounted for with carbon offsetting programmes recognised by the World Wide Fund for Nature.

CREATING EFFICIENCIES

Improved energy efficiency and reduced consumption are long-term projects at its facilities. The use of heating oil has been completely discontinued and plans are underway to reduce gas usage and convert to renewable sources. Plus, the company is changing its fleet of diesel vehicles to electric power and is already seeing energy savings of around 66% thanks to increased efficiencies associated with the new technology.

Trodat has been awarded the Austrian Ecolabel for over 90 of its bestselling products. It continues to optimise its entire manufacturing process to support the circular economy and waste avoidance.

Surface protection mat vendor Floortex, as of this year, has been powering its UK production facility with 50% renewable energy. In terms of product credentials, its Ecotex range contains up to 50% of recovered material and all its chair mats are 100% recyclable, with packaging including up to 90% of reused content. Products are delivered in rolled, folded or flat formats to maximise transport efficiencies and reduce carbon footprint.

3. Paper and fibre

In the hygiene sector, German manufacturer WEPA – through its Satino brand (see picture, left) – is dedicated to presenting washrooms as a company’s showpiece – while protecting the planet at the same time.

The firm’s UK & Ireland Sales Manager Alasdair Sharp comments: “Recycled fibres have contributed to our source streams since the 1950s, with cardboard packaging, office and printing waste making up the majority in 2022. In fact, 36% of the raw materials used are now recycled and we are committed to growing those figures to 60% by 2030 and then 100% by 2050.”

Elaborating further, he says: “We have been investing in alternative fibre research since 2013 and this had led to the company embracing miscanthus grass – a natural, renewable raw material rich in cellulose that’s one of the most sustainable fibres in the world. The plants are grown locally without fertilisation, irrigation or the use of pesticides. They grow to their full size – up to four metres – every year and have an impressive 20-year life span. We’re proud to be the first manufacturer to utilise it in hygiene paper production.”

STRIVING FOR BETTER SOLUTIONS

Tom Crowley, co-President at US-based NORPAC concurs, adding that providing sustainable solutions is the goal of every paper manufacturer: “Truly sustainable papers are both environmentally friendly and cost-effective. To assess the sustainability of a paper mill, one must understand the story of both the fibre and the energy used.

“NORPAC is located in Washington state where we have abundant, green hydroelectricity – 96% of the electricity we use is renewable. The company has ready access to two types of fibre – wastepaper and waste chips from sawmills. We use wastepaper to produce high-quality, lightweight recycled

packaging and waste chips to make graphic paper, including our Natural Choice Copy Paper. This is made with half the fibre, half the water and half the carbon footprint of regular copy paper.”

WEPA’s Sharp admits virgin fibres still play a vital part in its production, but that these are 98.5% sourced from FSC or PEFC-certified forests located in Scandinavia and Southern Europe to minimise the carbon footprints of the logistics. The remaining 1.5% come from FSC-controlled wood sourced further afield.

Another company in the broad paper category is ExaClair – part of the Exacompta Clairefontaine group. It has recently received a bronze medal from EcoVadis, ranking it in the top 25% of companies operating within the paper and cardboard sector.

The group uses pulp from sustainably managed forests and powers its sites with clean energy, while promoting recycling and waste limitation. This includes the incorporation of solar panels within its UK King’s Lynn facility and biomass boilers at its Everbal site in France.

Many of its products carry Blue Angel, PEFC and FSC accreditations, and some are made from 100% recycled post-consumer plastic waste. Innovations in operational processes have also enabled the vendor to cut waste thanks to the use of production offcuts. For example, up to 25% of the Exacompta Teksto range is made from previously discarded materials that are now being reintegrated into the manufacturing process.

Exacompta neutralises the carbon emissions caused by the production of its desktop accessories range 1928 by investing in a hydroelectric plant in the Congo.

Within the UK, it works in partnership with the Woodland Trust Carbon Capture programme which has contributed to the mitigation of 82,994 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Through ExaClair’s activities, over 2,000 sq m (20,000 sq ft) of native woodland have been created.

Truly sustainable papers are both environmentally friendly and cost-effective

All of the examples highlighted in these pages are just a small selection of the initiatives being undertaken by vendors across our industry – for space reasons, we couldn’t include more. You can also find regular updates on sustainability topics in the Green Thinking news section of OPI and on opi.net

The breakroom, and coffee within it, is an important part of the workplace – wherever that workplace happens to be nowadays. But this ‘business product’ too is under threat as a result of climate change.

It’s predicted that rising temperatures will reduce the area suitable for growing coffee by up to 50% by 2050. At the same time, around 125 million people depend on coffee for their livelihoods and an estimated 80% of coffee-farming families live at or below the poverty line. As such, action is needed to ensure the long-term viability of this crop.

Nescafé, Nestlé’s largest coffee brand, has outlined its plan to help make coffee farming more sustainable. Known as the Nescafé Plan 2030, the brand is working with coffee farmers and investing over CHF1 billion ($1 billion) to accelerate the transition to a regenerative food system and achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Says Philipp Navratil, Head of Nestlé’s Coffee Strategic Business Unit: “Nescafé aims to have a real impact on coffee farming globally. We want farmers to thrive as much as we want coffee to have a positive impact on the environment. Our actions can help drive change throughout the industry.”

SUPPORTING FARMERS

Regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming that seeks to improve soil health and fertility – as well as protect water resources and biodiversity. Healthier soils are more resilient to the impact of climate change and can increase yields, helping improve farmers’ livelihoods.

Nescafé’s mission is to provide farmers with training, technical assistance and high-yielding coffee plantlets to help them transition to regenerative farming practices. These include:

• Planting cover crops which help to protect the soil. This also adds biomass which can increase organic matter and thus carbon sequestration. • Incorporating organic fertilisers to boost fertility – essential for good soil health. • Increasing the use of agroforestry and intercropping which contributes to biodiversity preservation. • Pruning existing coffee trees or replacing them with disease and climate-change-resistant varieties. This will help rejuvenate coffee plots and increase yields for farmers.

The company will be working with coffee farmers to test, learn and assess the effectiveness of these regenerative agriculture practices. The focus will be on seven key regions where Nescafé sources approximately 90% of its coffee: Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia and Honduras.

AMBITIOUS TARGETS

Targets are ambitious and the manufacturer aims to produce 100% responsibly sourced coffee by 2025. 20% should be sourced from regenerative agricultural methods by 2025 and 50% by 2030.

Nescafé is committed to supporting farmers who take on the risks and costs associated with moving to regenerative agriculture by offering a number of measures. These include cash incentives for adopting new practices and greater access to credit lines for farmers, for instance. It will track progress and assess the results of its programmes through a monitoring and evaluation partnership with the Rainforest Alliance.

In addition to improving soil health, regenerative agriculture contributes to absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere and reducing GHG emissions. This project forms a core part of Nestlé’s CO2 elimination roadmap which aims to halve its emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.

Action is needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of coffee