Posts Tagged ‘sustainability’

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Tons of Work Goes Into IWCO Direct’s Recycling Efforts

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

April is an important month when it comes to the environment. Earth Day is this coming Sunday and National Arbor Day falls on Friday, April 27th. You might know that not all states recognize Arbor Day on the same day. Certain states celebrate it at different times of the year, depending on their climate and when it’s best for them to plant trees. For example, Florida observes Arbor Day on the third Friday in January while New Mexico celebrates on the third Wednesday in March. The National Arbor Day website has a map showing the date for each state.

Each year we do our best to calculate the extent of our recycling efforts to help our environment. It’s important to realize this is sort of like an election. It takes a while before all the results are in. However, I’m proud to share we put tons of work into our 2011 recycling efforts – literally.  Here are the totals:

  • 17,447 tons of paper recycled (and still counting).
  • More than 65 tons of cardboard
  • More than 96 tons of scrap metal (printing plates, etc.)
  • More than 339 tons of mixed plastic
  • More than 558 tons of wood pallets
  • 1,972 fluorescent and HID lamps

Because connecting audiences through ink on paper is such a large part of what we do at IWCO Direct, I want to take a minute to elaborate on what our paper recycling efforts mean. By recycling more than 17,000 tons of paper (nearly 35,000,000 pounds), we saved an estimated:

  • 296,606 trees
  • 1,046,820,000 gallons of water
  • 3,925,557 kw hours of electricity
  • 57,575 cu. yds. of landfill space

I’m pleased to report these tremendous totals from 2011. A special thanks goes to the terrific work of our employees, and to our customers who constantly challenge us to make the best use of our resources for their direct mail campaigns.

-Karen Weil
Director of Procurement

Reduce Reuse Recycle Replenish

Speaking Direct is a blog about building customer acquisition, customer loyalty and customer engagement using direct mail and digital marketing programs. We also discuss postal rates, regulations and how to reduce postage costs.

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IWCO Direct Celebrates America Recycles Day

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

Did you know yesterday was America Recycles Day? Since 1997, communities across the country have come together on November 15th to celebrate the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling in the United States.

In recent years a tremendous amount of effort has been placed on recycling by both consumers and printers alike. You might be surprised to learn more paper is recovered for recycling from municipal solid waste streams than glass, plastic, and aluminum combined. In fact, according to the American Forest & Paper Association, 63.5% of the paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling in 2010. Based on those figures, this represents an 89 percent increase in the recovery rate since 1990.

We’ve really stepped up our recycling efforts at IWCO Direct. When you handle as much paper as we do, it just makes sense to recycle our scrap paper. But we also recycle tons of cardboard, scrap metal, mixed plastic, wood pallets and electronics too.

To celebrate America Recycles Day we joked about recycling a previous blog on our environmental efforts. But actually, those prior figures don’t tell the whole story. Once we were able to calculate the paper recycling efforts at all our facilities in Minnesota, Pennsylvania and California, we saved:

  • 336,260, trees;
  • 1,186,800,000 gallons of water;
  • 4,450,500 Kilowatt Hours of electricity;
  • 65,274 cubic yards of landfill space.

We can all do our part to make recycling an even bigger priority in America. Try to recycle as much as you can at home, and if you’re in the direct marketing business, be sure to ask your production partners about their recycling efforts and always encourage them to do more.

-Karen Weil
Purchasing Manager

Reduce Reuse Recycle Replenish

Speaking Direct is a blog about building customer acquisition, customer loyalty and customer engagement using direct mail and digital marketing programs. We also discuss postal rates, regulations and how to reduce postage costs.

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The SmartWay to Transport Mail

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

October is recognized as National Energy Awareness Month, but IWCO Direct works year-round to reduce our energy consumption. Our commitment to sustainability impacts all areas of our supply chain—from paper and ink suppliers to the transportation of direct mail pieces.

Today, we want to highlight our relationship with King Solutions, our third party logistics provider whose SmartWay certification aligns with our commitment to sustainability and ensures that our customers’ direct mail is transported in an environmentally sustainable way.

By working with King Solutions, IWCO Direct can distribute and transport direct mail pieces with the smallest possible carbon footprint that current technologies allow.

Here is some more information about the SmartWay Partnership drives more sustainable transportation.

SmartWay encourages reduced fuel consumption and carbon emissions, as well as improved fuel efficiency and performance in the transportation sector. SmartWaySM Transport Partnership is a collaborative program developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the freight transportation industry. Established in 2004, SmartWay encourages reduced fuel consumption and carbon emissions, as well as improved fuel efficiency and performance in the transportation sector.

As a SmartWay certified provider, King Solutions’ top-rated score proves that their internal best practices and the practices of the carriers they choose meet the rigorous standards established by the EPA, including fuel consumption. King Solutions’ SmartWay scores are based on the fuel efficiency of the carriers’ fleets as well as the investments the carriers make in technology to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, like wind resistance technology.

Working with King Solutions is just another way IWCO Direct helps to advance the direct mail industry’s sustainability efforts. Read more articles to learn how our other suppliers are making an impact.

- Dave Johannes
VP Digital Print & Mailing Operations

Speaking Direct is a blog about building customer acquisition, customer loyalty and customer engagement using direct mail and digital marketing programs. We also discuss postal rates, regulations and how to reduce postage costs.

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Look for the Little Green Frog – A Symbol of Sustainability

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

IWCO Direct is strongly committed to sustainability, but the upcoming Rainforest Alliance Week is a great reminder to all of us in the direct marketing industry of the need to do our part to help preserve the environment.

Rainforest Alliance WeekRainforest Alliance Week will be celebrated around the world next week, September 19-23, 2011. As part of this awareness week, the Rainforest Alliance encourages you to look for the little green frog.  This is a symbol of sustainability that you can find on products ranging from McDonald’s® coffee cups, Lipton® tea and Newman’s Own® chocolates to many paper stocks.

Because IWCO Direct is FSC-certified by the Rainforest Alliance’s SmartWood program, we can display their seal alongside the FSC label. It gives our customers the opportunity to differentiate themselves with the little green frog, which is recognized around the world as a symbol of environmental, social and economic sustainability.

You can find more information at rainforest-alliance.org, but here is a quick summary of the Rainforest Alliance’s involvement in forest stewardship:

Rainforest Alliance Facts

  • The Rainforest Alliance established its SmartWood forestry certification program in 1989. In 1993 it helped establish the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the premier standard-setter for forestry certification.
  • FSC/Rainforest Alliance certification provides a better future for workers and forest communities while conserving nature and protecting wildlife.
  • Active in more than 60 countries, the Rainforest Alliance has worked in all forest types, with small businesses, indigenous communities and fortune 500 companies alike.
  • FSC/Rainforest Alliance Certified forestland covers more than 160 million acres (65 million hectares) around the world.
  • The Rainforest Alliance is the world’s leading FSC certifier of forest management operations, enterprises run by indigenous populations and non-timber forest products.
  • FSC/Rainforest Alliance certification benefits wildlife, people and the environments they call home.

Let’s all be aware, spread the word, and look for the little green frog to help create a more sustainable future!

Follow the frog to Rainforest Alliance Week

 

-Karen Weil
Purchasing Manager

Reduce Reuse Recycle Replenish

 

Speaking Direct is a blog about building customer acquisition, customer loyalty and customer engagement using direct mail and digital marketing programs. We also discuss postal rates, regulations and how to reduce postage costs.

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Committed to Environmental Stewardship

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

At IWCO Direct, we’ve fully adopted the “reduce, reuse, recycle & replenish” mantra into our workplace practices. We’ve made concerted efforts to not only conserve energy use but to recycle paper both on the production floor and in our offices. We’ve also embarked on Lean Manufacturing efforts that help reduce waste, and believe our Total Package platform also helps reduce unnecessary waste and lessens environmental impact.

While we are committed to continue to improve upon these efforts, we’re proud of the accomplishments our team has made so far to be better stewards of the environment. We think you may be too. Our calculations show that in 2010, our recycling practices saved:

  • 251,233 trees;
  • 907,879,800 gallons of water;
  • 3,404,549 Kilowatt Hours of electricity;
  • 49,933 cubic yards of landfill space.

But it’s not just what happens inside IWCO Direct that counts. Raw material choices are an integral part of our environmental and sustainability policies. That’s why we investigate our supplier’s “green product” offerings and incorporate them into the solutions we offer our customers.

We also attempt to educate others in Speaking Direct posts about the efforts of the direct marketing industry to reduce waste, and provide tips for making direct marketing campaigns more sustainable.

We’re not done yet. Stay tuned for future Speaking Direct articles as we highlight the efforts of some of our suppliers who are helping to advance the industry’s sustainability practices.

-Karen Weil
Purchasing Manager

Reduce Reuse Recycle Replenish

Speaking Direct is a blog about building customer acquisition, customer loyalty and customer engagement using direct mail and digital marketing programs. We also discuss postal rates, regulations and how to reduce postage costs.

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