 Telephone Operator
Thank you for calling Norm Thompson…my name is Anna. How can
I help you?
Narrator
Retailer and catalog merchant Norm Thompson knows that preventing waste can make it a better place to do business.
Derek Smith-Norm Thompson
Sustainability is how we do business at Norm Thompson and all of our employees know that in fact that's the reason why they love to come to work here. We're charting the course to sustainability because it's the right thing to do, but we know there will be tremendous benefits for the environment for our bottom line for our employee moral for our customers who tell us this is an important thing …that companies should be doing caring for the environment that serves them. And also our supply chain. We're recognizing that people actually want to do business with us because of what we stand for…
Narrator
The Corvallis Chamber of Commerce has proved that waste prevention can make an organization more efficient.
Patricia Mulder-Corvallis Chamber of Commerce
We have a thing called "just the facts" which is an update on city policy, politics, what's going on in the city in terms of the city council, boards and commissions. We've put that out every Friday afternoon. We used to do it on fax line. It took all weekend for a computer to churn this stuff out. We could only do it on Fridays cause it took so long. And it resulted in paper at the other end. Now we do almost two-thirds of it by email and we hoping to be completely electronic on it very, very soon. We can put it out anytime we want. If there's a breaking issue we can be on top of that. It's cheaper, it's faster and everybody's happy.
Narrator
Software designer Mentor Graphics put its annual report on the web. It now prints 5,000 fewer copies and the information is available at a click.
Kristen Beach-Mentor Graphics
Now with it being on the web we save in printing and shipping and handling costs. It's easier for our share holders to have access to us and for prospective shareholders to research our company.
Narrator
And waste prevention is good for the bottom line…
Derek Smith-Norm Thompson
At Norm Thompson what we want to do is prove that sustainability is the right thing to do not only for the planet but also for business—that the environment and the economy are in fact congruent not at odds at all. We have in the same year that we will reduce our waste in half we will contribute $500,000 to the bottom line through sustainability efforts. And over the course of the next five years…as we reach our zero waste goal we will contribute $5 million dollars to the bottom line.
Voice
Okay, I get the idea. We're all part of the big picture. But I can't devote
my life to preventing waste. Is there something simple I can do?
Narrator
Sure. Rethink the way your firm uses everyday items like paper. Look at the packaging you receive from your suppliers and at the packaging you're sending your customers. Explore what is in your firms' trash and look for ways to reduce it.
The choices we make every day matter. Our actions have an impact on how clean we keep our water and our air. On how long our energy supplies will last. And on how cool we keep the planet. The world is ours. We can use it wisely or we can waste its bounty.
The choice is yours. Just think of those rain drops.
Two short videotapes, Beyond Recycling: Waste Prevention in the Office and Beyond Recycling: Waste Prevention in Manufacturing and Distribution can give you lots of valuable ideas. They are available from your county Oregon State University Extension office or the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
To learn how to start your own waste prevention program, contact your city or county recycling coordinator or your Oregon Department of Environmental Quality regional office.
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