Southland Copier Company supply commercial photocopiers to businesses within the Southland region, including sales as well as servicing and maintenance. Owner/Manager Reece McDonald and his five staff members operate from one office located in Invercargill. Southland Copier Company’s commitment to sustainable business practice is validated by their achievement of carboNZero certification. The business was the first in Southland to meet this standard, which has led to a raised profile within the IT sector, as well as in the local community. The carboNZero programme also provided the framework for Reece and his team to improve the way their business operates, with inspiring results.

Waste minimisation is a key principle at Southland Copier Company. As Reece says, “we’ve reduced our waste huge amounts and it hasn’t taken a lot of effort.”   Used toner bottles are either sent back to the business by clients to be recycled or they are collected by a staff member. Reece and his team now recycle all their packaging with the assistance of Southland disABILITY Enterprises. In addition, old copiers are also stripped down to their component parts and these parts are either re-used or recycled. Reece recommends that other businesses consider the carboNZero programme because there wasn’t a significant cost up front and has actually ended up saving his business money.

Southland Copier Company shares an office with two other businesses and since implementing sustainable business practices and becoming carboNZero certified, the other businesses want to share the same systems. This has been a pleasant surprise for Reece. He explains that his business of 5 staff has now influenced another 40 people working in the same building. This is a great demonstration that leading by example can positively influence those around you.

Southland Copier Company supply commercial photocopiers to businesses within the Southland region. This involves sales of new machines, as well as servicing and maintenance of existing copiers as well. Owner Reece McDonald says that they work with a lot of schools, as well as commercial clients such as accountancy and lawyer firms. 

The business covers a relatively large territory stretching from Bluff to Te Anau to Tapanui. Reece and his team operate from one office located in Invercargill. Southland Copier Company employs 5 staff, with 2 people based in the office managing the reception and accounts duties and 2 engineers who are based in the field setting up and maintaining copiers for customers. Reece is the owner/manager of the business.

Southland Copier Company’s commitment to sustainable business practice is validated by their achievement of carboNZero certification (see http://www.carbonzero.co.nz/ for information). The business was the first in Southland to meet this standard, which has led to a raised profile within the sector, as well as in the local community. The carboNZero programme also provided the framework for Reece and his team to improve the way their business operates, with inspiring results.

What sustainability means at Southland Copier Company

Southland Copier Company’s interpretation of sustainability is underpinned by ensuring that the products and services provided lead to the minimum environmental impact. For this business, “sustainability is about making sure that we’re using a renewable resource where we can,” according to Reece.

Their policy is zero waste, meaning that the focus is on reducing, re-using and recycling wherever possible. Reece reports that staff have really taken this policy on board over the past few years. This philosophy involves getting as much use out of things as possible, without compromising the service provided to clients. 

At Southland Copier Company, sustainability is a team approach. A bi-monthly staff meeting is held during which there is discussion about what’s being done and what could be done around sustainability in the business. Reece explains that the goal of sustainability is something that’s brought people together within the business as they work together to come up with viable ways to improve the way things are currently done.

Sustainability in action

One of the most significant achievements for the business has been attaining carboNZero certification. Ricoh, their parent company, were the first IT-based business to achieve carboNZero and Southland Copier Company followed their lead approximately 18 months ago. Reece says one of the benefits associated with carboNZero is that it serves to distinguish the business from their competitors. It has also proved to be cost-effective by helping Southland Copier Company identify and realise cost savings associated with sustainability initiatives. Reece explains that buying the carbon credits associated with carboNZero represents an ongoing cost, “but of course the less carbon credits you need then the cheaper this becomes”. This provides the motivation for ongoing improvement.

Waste minimisation is a key principle at Southland Copier Company. As Reece says, “we’ve reduced our waste huge amounts and it hasn’t taken a lot of effort.”   Used toner bottles are either sent back to the business by clients to be recycled or they are collected by a staff member. Southland Copier Company has had some of the recycled plastic from toner bottles made into rulers that are then given to local schools. This is a great way of raising awareness among students about recycling and reducing waste.

The reduction of packaging waste is another area where this business has made significant progress over a short period of time. Reece and his team can now recycle all their packaging with the assistance of Southland disABILITY Enterprises (see http://www.sei.co.nz/ for further information). This packaging includes items such as cardboard, plastic and polystyrene. Old copiers are also stripped down to their component parts and these parts are either re-used or recycled. When Southland Copier Company replaces a copier for a client, as part of the service they offer to take the old machine away for recycling.

The running of company vehicles represents a significant – approximately 80% - proportion of the business’ total energy use. This is largely due to the large territory covered by Reece and his team. The business is taking steps to reduce the amount of fuel used by their vehicles, beginning with raising awareness among staff. This awareness includes being smarter about route selection, combining multiple purposes into each trip and always thinking about the most efficient way of delivering services to clients. Reece is also looking into more efficient models with which to replace the current fleet.

An unintended outcome associated with implementing sustainable business practices has been the positive influence the business is now having on others. Southland Copier Company shares an office with two other businesses and since implementing sustainable business practices and becoming carboNZero certified, the other businesses want to share the same systems. This has been a pleasant surprise for Reece. He explains that his business of 6 staff has now influenced another 40 people working in the same building. This is a great demonstration that leading by example can positively influence those around you.

Challenges involved in seeking sustainability

One of the biggest challenges associated with achieving carboNZero certification was collating the correct information. That said, Reece believes that the process is certainly accessible and achievable for any business, if they are committed to it. The benefit that wasn’t immediately apparent for Reece and his team was increasing awareness of aspects such as the business’ energy use and waste volumes. 

Reece explains that the carboNZero team were very easy to work with and provided valuable assistance throughout the entire accreditation process. Ricoh were also a valuable source of information for Southland Copier Company, as they had already achieved carboNZero certification and could therefore provide practical, relevant advice. 

Advice for other businesses

Reece recommends that other businesses consider the carboNZero programme because there wasn’t a significant cost up front and has actually ended up saving Southland Copier Company money. He explains that the process really makes you examine your business systems, not necessarily just from a sustainability perspective, but also to understand how things can be done smarter.