Organizations of every size, from regional small businesses to multinational corporations, are finding new ways to use fewer natural resources and use them wisely. Driving fewer miles, adopting the most energy efficient technologies and reducing office waste are just a few of the ways organizations can cut down their energy use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It all starts by assessing the needs of a company and identifying changes that will have a significant impact.

Companies can help sustain natural resources by looking for environmental papers and by decreasing the amount of paper they use. Steve Simpson, vice president and general manager, Xerox Paper and Supplies Business Unit, suggests people should ask themselves two questions before printing a document: “Do I really need to print this?” and “Am I printing it on the right paper with the most efficient machine for the job?” Doing this will help cut down on non-archival documents that might be recycled the next day and will limit excessive energy use from firing up large printers for small jobs.

From the Source
In addition to recycling and monitoring the quantity of paper that is used, organizations can (and do) make sure the paper is coming from a responsible source. Scholastic, one of the largest publishers of children’s books and educational resources, recently announced it aims to increase its use of responsibly sourced paper to 30 percent and recycled paper to 25 percent. According to the Rainforest Alliance, a nonprofit conservation organization, purchasing sustainable paper can help organizations such as Scholastic meet carbon footprint targets. It also helps ensure sustainable forestry.

The demand for environmentally friendly paper has significantly grown in the past two years. “Larger customers are developing their own sustainability plans as they become more knowledgeable about long-term environmental choices,” Simpson says. “There’s such a groundswell of interest and passion around this topic that businesses are voluntarily saying, ‘This is what I’m going to do to sustain the environment.’”

“Small and mid-size businesses are acknowledging their role in sustainability, as well,” Simpson says. “Customers from every segment are demanding that the suppliers they do business with adopt responsible energy and waste management practices.”

Sustainable Certification
Xerox is meeting this request. In December, the company earned chain-of-custody certification from the Forest Stewardship Council and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification through the Rainforest Alliance, which grants third-party certification. Chain-of-custody ensures products are harvested from responsibly managed sources and can be traced through the supply chain — from the forest to the consumer. Xerox papers with FSC or PEFC logos are manufactured using raw materials collected from certified sources, controlled wood sources or post-consumer reclaimed sources.

The certification helps Xerox accomplish its biodiversity and forest preservation goals by sourcing from responsibly managed forests. “Sustainable forest management means that the practices we’re following today preserve the forest and ensure that it is going to be a natural resource for generations to come,” Simpson says. “The whole industry is being challenged to be more careful and more protective of the natural resources we have, so forestry companies must take the necessary steps to replenish forests in the most optimal way. Because of the rigorous processes required to receive FSC certification, paper suppliers and distributors, such as Xerox, must look at the entire production process to save resources and consume responsibly.”

Depending on an organization’s benchmarks and goals — and what its customers want — it can choose from a variety of products and practices that help manage forests responsibly, in addition to choosing certified papers. Recycled paper made from post-consumer waste and products such as Xerox’s High Yield Business Paper, which uses more of the tree fiber, hydroelectricity and no chemical brighteners in its production, are sustainable options.

Whatever a company’s environmental initiatives, taking steps to support sustainable forestry and promote sustainable practices ensure that the most precious resources on Earth are available for generations to come.

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