The 21st century has opened the door to corporate social responsibility; on the corporate role in sustainable and ethical development, and on the corporate duty to environmental preservation. Companies need to maintain harmonious relationships with the community. IMS is no exception. I’ve made a list of action points that we follow in-house and that might inspire you as well.
Concrete action points for the environment
Recovery of label printers: For several years we’ve participated in the Go Zebra program that aims to recover old printers to be recycled in exchange for a discount off the purchase of a new printer.
Recovery of paper and cardboard: All paper and cardboard residues are placed in very large bins to be collected.
Recovery of ink residues: Unused inks or ink residues found in bins are poured into a barrel to be collected and disposed of in an environmentally-friendly way.
Reduction of electricity consumption: In addition to replacing traditional light bulbs by energy-efficient ones, our lighting has a timer that prevents us from wasting electricity. We’ve also installed a timer in the thermostat of our heating system.
ICI ON RECYCLE!: We now participate in the Programme ICI ON RECYCLE!, in collaboration with RECYC-QUÉBEC, by providing employees with bins to recover cans and bottles, in addition to bins for paper.
ISO 14001 standard: We are currently working hard to become certified ISO 14001 (environmental management system), a standard developed specifically for companies and organisations looking to identify and control their impact on the environment and continually improve their environmental performance.
Social responsibility
Governments are implementing programs and even grants. Universities are launching research chairs, multiplying the number of conferences and now offer study programs oriented toward the environment and sustainable development. The table is set; all companies have to do is sit down and feast.
Social responsibility is like a potluck where everyone brings food to share. Concrete actions that you implement, or that you bring to the table, will benefit everyone involved.
I would like to thank François-Xavier, Quality Coordinator for Work Health and Safety, for his help with this list and who actively works on his initiatives.
