RR Donnelley — One Big Green Machine

Another project involves eight different technologies being implemented across almost 50 of its plants worldwide. Existing and identified opportunities will save an estimated amount of energy equal to 1.36 trillion BTUs or 11 million gallons of gasoline. This equates to the energy consumed by about 12,300 average households per year. Electrical reductions from these projects will produce 53,300 fewer metric tons of carbon dioxide, which equates to the annual emissions from more than 10,000 average-sized cars.

The more jobs that a product can perform before it is recycled, the more efficient it is. RR Donnelley is reducing solid wastes and reducing costs by reusing materials before they are sent for recycling. Here are some of the other ways the company is getting maximum use out of its recyclables before they are, in fact, recycled.

o Reusing paper cardboard wrappers and roll headers as packing material between layers.

o Using cloth shop towels that are laundered and reused.

o Returning forklift batteries to the battery vendor for recycling.

o Sending used oil to a third party for recycling.

o Reclaiming ink.

o Reusing polystyrene wrap to affix printed rolls on pallets.

The firm is also working with its customers on packaging minimization projects, as well as to increase the amount of post-consumer fiber that is used.

The Big Picture

The broad range of its sustainability initiatives is one reason that Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine named the company as one of its 10 Best Corporate Citizens in the Media category.

RR Donnelley's policy is to strive to continuously improve global Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) performance by utilizing practices that protect employees and the environment, including reducing the quantity of emissions, developing opportunities for recycling and pollution prevention, and using paper, energy and other resources more efficiently. Customers are pursuing these same kinds of goals and they are increasingly seeking to work in cooperation with their key suppliers to improve sustainability and reduce costs.