The Next Big Thing; Corporate Social Responsibility?

Wikipedia defines Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a concept whereby organizations consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on customers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment in all aspects of their operations. This obligation is seen to extend beyond the statutory obligation to comply with legislation and sees organizations voluntarily taking further steps to improve the quality of life for employees and their families as well as for the local community and society at large. Gartner predicts that by 2009, corporate social responsibility will be a higher board- and executive-level priority than regulatory compliance.

John Mancini and I are both convinced that our industry has a role to play on this issue, if for no other reason than the impact of paper reduction. In the US, 4.7 million tons, or 937 billion sheets, of copy paper were produced in 2001 -- nearly 30% more than in 1995. The associated costs of paper have been estimated to be as much as 31 times the purchasing cost. Also in the U.S., an estimated 90% of copy paper is “virgin” meaning that it does not contain any portion of recycled fiber. We all need to do what we can to reduce this!

By Atle Skjekkeland.