Results underscore the importance workers place on eco-friendly business practices and identify opportunities to advance sustainability in the office.
Highlights:
- Study reveals 61 percent of survey participants believe business sustainability is mandatory.
- 58 percent said environmentally conscious practices are key to engaging future workforce.
- 46 percent said they would only work for companies with sustainable business practices.
- 53 percent of office decision makers did not realize imitation printer cartridges are not recyclable.
- HP invests $2 million to sustainable supplies and promote a circular economy.
HP unveiled a new study underscoring the importance of sustainable business practices in recruiting, hiring and retaining top talent. It also finds that employees are more productive, motivated and engaged when working for an employer who is leading the charge in social responsibility. The global 20,000 participant survey found that 61 percent believe sustainability is mandatory for businesses. Of those interviewed, 56 percent believe that ignoring environmental impact in the workplace is as bad as ignoring diversity and inclusion.
For many businesses, the first wave of sustainable changes was addressed through big ticket items like LEED building certification and energy efficient lighting. Now they are focusing on the next layer of easily overlooked sustainable improvements like composting and the direct purchase of renewable energy.
“The study released proves what HP has suspected for many years – businesses, and their workforce, are demanding higher levels of sustainability and quality from their suppliers,” said Dave McQuarrie, Global Head of Print Business Management, HP Imaging and Printing. “HP has been committed to sustainable impact for decades. By reducing reliance on single-use plastics and delivering more sustainable supplies we are fulfilling a critical part of our reinvention journey and commitment to the environment.”
Office Eco-Friendly Practices
One of the most overlooked opportunities for eco-friendly practices in the workplace is in the purchase and disposal of printer ink and toner cartridges, a global market estimated to be around $45B. The influx of imitation cartridges as an alternative to quality print cartridges has created a host of new challenges for purchasers, including the fact that many do not realize imitation cartridges are often not recycled. As a result, 97 percent of imitation cartridges may end up in landfills.
HP has been a pioneer in engineering ink and toner cartridges with recycled content. Working with Planet Partners over the last 27 years, the company has enabled customers in over 60 countries to recycle HP ink and toner cartridges for free. Since 2000, HP has utilized more than 199 million pounds of recycled plastic into 3.9B HP Original ink and toner cartridges. Even diverting 716,000 pounds of plastic from reaching the ocean – the equivalent of more than 25 million plastic bottles – and repurposing it into HP cartridges.
Last month the company pledged to make every page printed forest positive, carbon neutral and part of a circular economy with innovation that helps protect the world’s forests, reduces carbon emissions and uses more recycled materials. In 2016, HP achieved 100% zero deforestation associated with HP-branded paper, nearly two years ahead of schedule– marking a milestone towards the company’s vision for a forest positive future. Plus, the company’s paper-based product packaging zero deforestation goals is on track for 2020.
HP Commits $2M to Sustainable Supplies
To further advance its commitment to a circular economy and more sustainable supplies, HP also announced a $2 million investment to expand its ocean-bound plastic supply chain. The company will build a new plastic bottle washing line in Haiti that will allow it to convert locally collected waste into recycled material for use in HP products. This investment continues HP’s longstanding commitment to diverting ocean-bound plastic and contributing to a lower-carbon, circular economy.
