The company sets
new goals for 2012.
xpedx(xpedx.com) exceeded its
sustainability goals in 2011 and is already making aggressive plans for 2012. A
leading business-to-business distributor of packaging, facility and printing
supplies and equipment in North America, xpedx’s environmental platform focuses
on continuous improvement in the areas of sustainable leadership and operations
as well as making, and helping its customers make, sustainable product choices.
“We
have been a leader on sustainability issues since 2007 when xpedx began helping
our commercial print customers become chain-of-custody certified to the FSC,
SFI and PEFC standards,” says Mary Laschinger, xpedx’s president. “Since then,
we have broadened our environmental platform and set increasingly high goals
for our business every year. Our success in 2011 reflects not just what xpedx
values, but what our customers and suppliers value.”
Sustainable
Leadership
In
2011, the company worked with student teams from Net Impact to develop a
sustainability survey and scorecard for its supply chain. Representatives from
the Environmental Defense Fund, xpedx, and select manufacturers of products
sold by xpedx, formed the review board that chose the winning entry. The survey
and scorecard are in use today, and xpedx will analyze its results throughout
2012.
Sustainable
Operations
In
early 2011, the company set a goal to earn the ENERGY STAR in eight of its
largest locations, surpassing its goal by qualifying for the mark in nine.
xpedx’s ENERGY STAR-qualified buildings save money and protect the environment
because they meet strict energy performance standards, use less energy, are
less expensive to operate and cause fewer greenhouse gas emissions than peer
facilities.
It
also set a goal at the beginning of the year to recycle 2,400 tons of material.
It achieved 109% of its goal, dramatically reducing the amount of
material it sends to landfills throughout the U.S.
The
xpedx distribution business earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s
SmartWay℠ Transport Partner
certificate, reflecting its commitment to improve the environmental performance
of its fleet of trucks.
Sustainable
Choices
Sony
Corporation reinstated xpedx’s certification as a Green Partner in 2011, affirming
that xpedx met procurement standards outlined in Sony’s Green Partner
Environmental Quality Approval Program.
It
also established an internal procurement policy for the use of paper in
marketing materials and catalogs. As a result, 95% of its catalogs and 85% of
its collateral materials are sourced using certified papers.
Throughout
the year, xpedx continued to enhance environmental reports available on
xpedx.com that help customers quickly track purchases
that contribute to LEED certification, and document compliance to sustainable
purchasing policies.
xpedx
Sustainability in 2012
According
to Dave Wallace, xpedx’s director, Sustainability, the company has established
new goals in 2012 to measure its success in sustainability. “xpedx has great
momentum from our sustainability accomplishments as we start to move through
the new year. So we’re raising our expectations even higher in areas such as our
supply chain, recycling and energy efficiency.”
xpedx
will expand implementation of its sustainability survey and scorecard to
additional suppliers representing more than 75 percent of
its purchases.
The
xpedx business will continue its work to expand recycling, aiming for another
15% increase this year. Recycling is also part of its long-term goal to reduce
its trash cost by 10% over a three-year period ending December 2013.
xpedx
will qualify nine new locations with the ENERGY STAR this year and will also
continue its goal to reduce emissions and lower its carbon footprint by
renewing SmartWay certification for its fleet.
