Sustainability at Deluxe
Deluxe has been quietly driving sustainability improvements for a number of years. In 2010, we formed a Sustainability Council to integrate and accelerate our enterprise-wide sustainability efforts. As a result, we now have more focus on sustainability than ever before and it shows in what we’ve been able to accomplish:
Our energy consumption is down
Energy use in our facilities (including plants, call centers and offices) has declined 37% from 2007 to 2010.
Our power purchases are more renewable
In 2010, Deluxe started shifting its energy purchases to include wind power, a form of renewable energy. Wind power now accounts for more than 63 percent of our total U.S. energy use. In July 2011, our green power purchases earned Deluxe recognition as the #1 Top Printer on the EPA's Green Power Partnership Top Printer ranking.
Our energy use is more efficient
We installed more efficient lighting in most of our facilities. We also installed an energy saving white roof on our Kansas City facility, which reflects nearly 90% of the sun’s rays away from the building and allows the building to operate more efficiently in both hot and cold weather.
We are partnering with our suppliers
We have aligned with suppliers that promote sustainable business practices and we continually seek opportunities to eliminate wasted material, reduce cycle times and use more environmentally friendly materials.
Our materials are more sustainable
Over 90% of our check and form paper is now purchased from Forest Stewardship Council certified supplier mills. In addition, our vinyl checkbook covers are now produced using a minimum of 85% post-industrial recycled material.
Our transportation is more efficient
We have reduced the miles we transport products and converted from truck to intermodal/rail where possible to reduce carbon emissions.
We are making decisions to reduce our carbon footprint
During 2010, we calculated our baseline carbon footprint in key areas to help us identify opportunities for improvement. We are now measuring several areas of footprint regularly, including energy usage to power all facilities, material and product transportation and employee travel.
As you can see, our progress has been outstanding and we know there’s even more we can do together. It makes sense for our business and it’s becoming more important to many of our customers. That’s why Deluxe will continue to review every aspect of our business – from the materials we use in our products, to how we manage our facilities to the role we play in our communities – to ensure our growth stems from sustainable practices.
Our 2011 goals include further actions to reduce our energy consumption, reducing our solid waste and partnering with our suppliers on their sustainability efforts
