Environmental Responsibilities

Imagine Fulfillment Services (IFS) with corporate headquarters in Torrance, California is going through ISO 14000 environmental certification. We are finding new ways to be green on a daily basis and learning a lot along the way!

If all of us just make a few of these easy, minor adjustments in our daily business and personal lives, it will add up to make a big difference! Here are some things we can do to help the climate:

Before throwing paper into the recycle bin, we can reduce the amount of discarded paper.

• Write on used paper – Create a scrap paper pile for writing paper. Importantly, the greenest paper is no paper at all. The more you do online, the less you need paper. Keep files on your pc instead of in file cabinets. Review documents online rather than printing them out.
• Buy recycled paper
• E-faxing cuts down paper use and lets you save attachments right to your computer
• Review and edit on screen rather than printing out a document
• Use email and instant messaging instead of written memos
• Optimize use of Microsoft Outlook program for calendar and reminder alerts instead of using post its and calendar
• Do a computer “notepad” to-do list or checklist
• Scan documents being exchanged on a regular basis with vendors instead of generating copies for each recipient
• Process invoices/payments online to save on envelopes, letters, stamps, etc.
• Photocopy on both sides – Photocopy your work on both sides of paper whenever possible and use misprints as notepaper. Choose photocopiers and printers that do the double-sided printing.
• Print on used paper – Laser printers can be fed with unwrinkled paper that has already been printed on one side. Make a diagonal pen strike across the previously printed side of the paper to ensure minimal confusion.
• Print multiple photos on one sheet of paper.
• Each company work station supervisor needs to assess how much paper is really needed monthly –management of paper used monthly.
• Use notice boards rather than circulating non-urgent memo’s
• Use products with a longer life, such as low energy light bulbs, which last up to eight times longer than ordinary light bulbs and also reduce energy costs

Toner Cartridges– Purchase cartridges that can be returned and re-filled. Recycle them to save the environment and save money. Recycling printer cartridges is often free and recycled replacements are less expensive than new ones. Pens and pencils can also be made of recycled materials and refillable pens and markers are preferable to disposable ones.

Replace petroleum-based ink with soy-based ink–Ink made from soybeans is not only better for the environment but better for your company’s bottom line, as well. Soy ink has lower levels of volatile organic compounds than ink made from petroleum, so it emits less harmful toxins into the air. Soy ink produces brighter and sharper colors because of the innate clearness of the soybean oil, which petroleum and other vegetable oils don’t have.

Paper with soy ink is easier to recycle because soy-based ink is easier to remove in the de-inking process of paper recycling than petroleum-based ink. Prices for color soy-based ink are comparable to those for petroleum-based ink, but less soy ink is needed per print job and soy ink reduces paper waste, so you are actually saving money! If those reasons aren’t enough, by using soy-based ink, you are also supporting American crops rather than relying on the foreign oil industry.

Soy ink is currently only available for commercial printers, however, and can’t be used for personal printers or ballpoint pens. Most ink manufacturers produce at least one soy ink, so check with your local ink manufacturer about purchasing soy ink.

Use recycled packaging—use recycled materials with less ink and more biodegradable adhesives.

Lights—Always turn off lights in space that are unoccupied. Install energy efficient office and warehouse lighting. IFS switched to more efficient lighting in 2005 and this has reduced energy consumption significantly. Energy-efficient practices are a smart business strategy. Use natural sunlight whenever possible which can be as simple as opening the window blinds.

Computers have become an integral part of the workplace. Here is what you can do to help the environment and save some money.

• Turn off your computer – If your computer does not need to be on during the night, turn it off. For example, if 20 coworkers turned off their PC during a lunch hour, your company would save over 3700 watts of electricity in just 60 minutes; that’ is enough power to keep an energy efficient light bulb burning for over eight and a half solid days.
• Turn off your monitor – If you are leaving your desk for the day, turn off your computer monitor as screensavers do not save money.
• Learn your computer’s energy-saving functions – Most computers have an energy-saving function. Right click on the desktop, select “Properties,” and click on the “Screensaver” tag. Click on the button by the “Energy Star” logo to adjust your computer’s power settings. Printers, scanners and other peripherals that are only used occasionally can be unplugged until they are needed.
• Recycle old computer parts so they can bring old machines back to life again
· Memory
· CD/DVD Rom Drives
· Hard drives
· KVM switches
· Network Switches
· Cables
· Video Cards
· Sound Cards
· CPU Processors
· Power Supplies
· Complete desktops and towers
· Servers
· Printers
• Lunch time- Bringing lunch to work in reusable containers is likely the greenest and healthiest way to eat at work. Consider purchasing a bento box set made from biodegradable, plant-based plastic

Refrigerators & Furniture – Prior to disposal, old office fridges must first be emptied of ozone-depleting chemicals. Donate old office furniture, do not trash it. Make it a policy to buy furniture, carpeting, and paint-free of volatile organic compounds and will not release toxic chemicals.