Sustained Efforts

Between 2006 and 2007, OfficeMax cut CO2 emissions by nearly 11 percent and reduced the amount of electricity and fuel it used by 7 percent and 9 percent, respectively, even as it opened more than five dozen new stores. It is also the first company to distribute nationally 100 percent post-consumer color copier paper manufactured by wind power.

Ryan Vero, OfficeMax's executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, discusses the environmental initiatives under way at the Naperville, Ill.-based office supply retailer.

What are the major initiatives OfficeMax is taking in terms of sustainability?
Vero: Our sustainability efforts, which stem from a controlled rollout starting at OfficeMax headquarters, are focused on four key areas. These are:

Management approach, in the form of two internal policies: the OfficeMax Environmental Policy and the OfficeMax U.S. Paper Procurement Policy. The Environmental Policy states, in part, that "OfficeMax strives to promote sustainability and minimize the adverse environmental impacts of our operations and products in a manner responsive to the needs of our customers, our shareholders, our associates, our suppliers, the communities in which we operate and the public."

According to the Paper Procurement Policy, the company "will give purchasing preference to suppliers that provide paper products from certified forests whenever feasible."

Managing our carbon footprint. In recent years, OfficeMax has made a concerted effort to reduce our carbon footprint through facility energy management and transportation initiatives. In 2007, our U.S. operations cut its total amount of CO2 emitted from 2006 levels by more than 43,000 metric tons, despite opening a net 65 new stores.

Additionally, our participation in the World Resource Institute Business Climate Change Collaborative provides opportunities to share best practices and solutions with a diverse set of peers.

Stakeholder engagement. Our director of environmental practices sits on the board of NAEM, a professional association dedicated to advancing the knowledge and practice of environmental, health and safety management.

We are members of the World Resource Institute U.S. Climate Business Group and have worked with the American Forest & Paper Association, Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Abundant Forests Alliance to promote responsible forestry practices and education. We have also worked with non-governmental environmental groups such as ForestEthics and Dogwood Alliance.

Product stewardship, including sourcing and using paper products responsibly; offering ink and toner cartridge choices that help customers save money and reduce their environmental impact; providing supplies, electronics and furnishings that feature environmentally preferable properties; packaging and shipping products in a manner that reduces solid waste and energy usage; and providing services that help our customers make environmentally responsible decisions.

What is driving these initiatives?
Vero: There are a number of factors driving our interest in these initiatives, from our customers who demand a certain level of responsibility to our own desire to conduct business in a responsible manner.

Where have these initiatives been focused?
Vero: Our efforts have been focused in the United States, as well as in Canada. In 2007, our Canadian subsidiary, Grand & Toy, released its Sustainability Vision, which includes minimizing environmental impacts in four areas: supply chain carbon intensity, packaging, recycling and waste and facilities footprint.

Grand & Toy also launched a Packing Slip Initiative in September 2007. The firm united its supply chain, logistics and retail sales functions in an effort to reduce paper usage associated with its order delivery activities. The initiative halted production of duplicate and/or unnecessary packing slips for all interbranch or retail product orders from Grand & Toy's main distribution center in Vaughan, Ontario. Eliminating the slips not only curbs paper usage, but also saves $13,000 to $15,000 (Canadian) per year.