Green Matters

Armor takes part in eco-label trial

Nantes, France

Aftermarket imaging supplies vendor Armor has been chosen by the French government to take part in trials aimed at introducing new eco-labels on consumer products.

A law passed in France in 2009 known as Grenelle II established the right of a consumer to have information on the environmental impact of a product so that he or she may make more sustainable choices when purchasing goods.

A 2010 update to the law required a trial period to demonstrate the feasibility of environmental labelling based on a lifecycle assessment (LCA) approach.

Armor was one of 168 companies selected for this trial and the only representative from the compatible printing consumables sector.

The company has been working with specialist organisations on the relevant data to collect, the most appropriate assessment method and the calculations needed for LCA.

Three models of cartridges were examined closely and a tool was created so that the same calculations could be applied to Armor’s full range of cartridges. 

Consumers now have two environmental indicators that appear on a printer cartridge in order to show the impact of printing 100 pages on both climate and natural resources.

Armor shared its findings with the French Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development last month, claiming that its products have a much lower impact on the environment than certain equivalent OEM cartridges.

OP dealer awarded top German eco prize

Osnabrück, Germany

Jurgen Schmidt, Founder and CEO of German OP dealer memo AG, has been awarded the German Environmental Award, worth 

€500,000 ($683,000).

Memo AG produces environmentally friendly items, including paper and office furniture, from ecologically sustainable materials.

Schmidt shared the prize with Joachim Alfred Wünning and his son Joachim Georg Wünning from WS ärmeprozesstechnik.

Together they created a new industrial combustion technology called FLOX (flameless oxidation), which can use 20-50% less energy compared to the traditional furnaces used in high-temperature processes.

The German Environmental Award has been handed out to individuals who “demonstrate the necessity of finding new ways to be energy efficient” since 1993. 

Depot ranks highly in competition

Boca Raton (FL), USA

Two Office Depot outlets made the top ten on the Energy Star National Buildings competition.

The Office Depot branches in Plano (TX) and Raleigh (NC) were among the buildings that reduced their energy consumption the most during the 12-month competition period. The two stores cut their energy use by 34.1% and 33.1% respectively.

The overall winner was the University of Central Florida parking garage, with a total saving of 63.2%.

A total of 245 teams representing different buildings participated in the competition.

“We applaud the Energy Star programme for hosting these types of positive competitions that bring fun into environmental initiatives,” said Yalmaz Siddiqui, Senior Director for Environmental Strategy at Office Depot.

In other Depot news, the retailer has been ranked among the best green companies in the US by Newsweek.

As part of its annual Greenest Companies list, Newsweek chose the office supplies retailer as the eighth best company in the US segment with a green rating of 73.6%.

Depot was the lone US retailer on a list crowded with technology companies.

According to Newsweek, Depot’s notable initiatives include a $20 million investment in energy efficiency, creating an emissions reduction of more than 10% in a year. 

IBM was ranked in first place on the US companies list, with insurance firm Munich RE being crowned the global number one.

The low carbon office of the future

London, UK

As part of Workplace Week in the UK, the ‘Life, Work and Place in 2020: ACTION NOW’ convention saw a number of speakers discuss the changing nature of the workplace in regard to sustainability, technology and working practices.

Katharine Deas of the Low Carbon Workplace was one of the keynote speakers at the event. Her seminar entitled ‘Low carbon workplaces in 2020: Important or irrelevant?’ explored the environmental agendas that will shape businesses in the future.

Deas also presented findings from a survey conducted by her company with the support of the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM)

The survey asked a number of facilities managers how they believed workplaces would change in regards to sustainability. The most popular reply (39%) was that respondents envisaged more carbon-related roles developing, if not already in place, by 2020. These will include such positions as energy and carbon managers.

Additionally, a widespread belief (55%) among facilities managers is that by 2020 employers will operate a ‘per person carbon’ measure. As a result, the carbon footprint of individual employees will be taken into account.

Deas concluded the seminar by stating: “In the future, occupier behaviour and technology will need to be balanced in order to maximise energy efficiency. This requires ongoing commitment.”

The ‘Life, Work and Place in 2020: ACTION NOW’ convention was chaired by Ian Ryder of the BCS The Chartered Institute for IT and Ian Fielder, CEO of BIFM. 

Workplace Week took place in the UK during 7-11 November with 100% of the proceeds from its associated events going to the Children in Need charity.

International Paper sets sustainability targets

Brussels, Belgium

Paper and packaging manufacturer International Paper has announced that it plans to use 15% less energy by 2020. 

As a result, the company claims it will be able to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20%.

International Paper says that these reductions will be achieved through manufacturing efficiencies and the research and implementation of new technologies.

“The goals of improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions go hand-in-hand,” said Greg Gibson, VP Sustainability EMEA. 

“In the last five years we have been able to reduce our global energy usage by 12% and we feel confident that we can improve upon this performance.”

International Paper added that further environmental targets would be announced over the coming months.

Green news in brief

Waitrose to stock Remarkable stationery

UK-based recycled stationery manufacturer Remarkable has won a contract with supermarket chain Waitrose. As part of the contract Waitrose will stock Remarkable’s full range of products across its 240 stores in the UK.

Clover subsidiary wins award

Clover Technology’s subsidiary, The Wireless Source, has won Automation Alley’s Global Trader of the Year award. The Wireless Source is headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and offers private label solutions for in-store and online trade-in and recycling programmes. 

Its services include the recycling of electronic items such as cell phones, laptops, GPS devices, e-readers, digital cameras and MP3 players.

HP and Depot partner in Thailand

HP has joined forces with Office Depot in Thailand to launch the ‘Office Go Green’ environmental programme.

As part of the initiative, a number of activities are being held at Depot stores throughout the country to educate customers on how to reduce energy consumption and cut down on consumables use.

A recycling programme is also currently taking place at Depot stores nationwide. 

This intiative involves HP toner supplies, which customers can return to the stores free of charge. These products are then processed and recycled by HP.

Keywords: Green matters, environment, news, office products, low carbon