How Xerox is working to create a more sustainable tomorrow

This blog is based on a recent piece from Xerox: Xerox Working to Create a World Worthy of Our Next Generation

The challenges we face in business today will undoubtedly impact future generations. That’s why businesses like Xerox are investing significant resources in corporate social responsibility (CSR).

If your business is socially responsible, it’ll be more efficient and cost-effective, but also able to leave behind the resources that will enable future generations to thrive.

Power down: a perfect example of CSR

During the 1980s, Xerox developed the ‘power down’ mode that enabled office equipment to increase productivity and reduce costs while being environmentally-friendly.

This prompted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to request that Xerox become a founding member of ENERGY STAR for office equipment - a sticker with which most of us will be familiar.

In October 2018 (some twenty-six years after the formation of ENERGY STAR), the world celebrated ENERGY STAR Day in a bid to raise awareness about the responsible choices customers make to save energy, money and protect the environment by choosing ENERGY STAR certified products.

Xerox digs deeper into corporate social responsibility

Xerox was one of the first businesses to produce a report on its environment, health and safety performance goals, and over the course of twenty years, has seen its early investments made in CSR produce significant business results.

It’s catching, too, with more customers, investors and employees than ever demanding businesses across the world operate in a sustainable way.

Xerox’s focus on CSR coincides with their innovation. And this is no coincidence; Xerox is keenly aware that their CSR initiatives enable them to create products and services that help customers become more profitable and sustainable.

In 2017, a report by Cone Communications revealed that 60% of Americans hope businesses will become leaders in environmental and social change, and that 87% of consumers will buy products from companies that support such issues.

Xerox continues to publish its Global Corporate Social Responsibility Report that began in 2005. The most recent reveals a 100% recycle rate for customer returned equipment, the fact that 91,000 employee hours were devoted to community involvement projects and confirms how Xerox’s goals are aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Setting the standards for CSR

In early 2018, Xerox published its first ever data summary of the goals the company is working towards, along with its performance across social, environmental and governance dimensions.

The report is extremely comprehensive, and focuses on how Xerox is continuing to innovate and find solutions for sustainable products and services. By connecting the physical and digital worlds, Xerox is improving productivity without adversely affecting health and safety or the environment.

For instance, their “You print one, we’ll plant one” program enables customers to offset their environmental printing footprint by donating to global reforestation via a partnership with PrintReleaf.

Tomorrow’s business leaders and employees will inherit the world we leave behind; it’s time to ensure that world is worth having.