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| P2P Magazine | Spring 2014
01732759725
SUSTAINABILITY
Closing the loop
Earlier this year,officeproducts
wholesaler Spicers became the latest
stationery supplier to launcha closed
loop recycling system,underwhich it
collectswastepaper from clientsof its
Brilliant Partners, recycles thewaste
and converts it back into100% recycled
80gsm cut sheet paper for resale.
Spicers is running the 5 Star
Remarkable Loop Paper scheme
in collaborationwithUKwaste
management consultants Remarkable
andGerman recycled paper producer
Steinbeis.
The company’s BusinessDevelopment
Director SimonWallis said that the
solutionwould provide its Brilliant
Partner resellerswith a unique selling
point and a significant differentiator.
“We have shaped the solutionwith
a small number of resellers and early
indications are extremely exciting. It’s
opening up very different discussions
with consumers, unlocking different
contactswith a different budget and
affords our resellers anopportunity to
engage customers and prospects on a
completely new level,”he said.
“Itmoves the discussionon from
price, range, deliveries etc. and presents
anopportunity to show leadership in
the quest towards zerowaste. Itwill also
significantly strengthen contract tender
submissions.”
AlanBall, Spicers CEO, added:“With
an increasing trend towards re-using,
recycling and sourcingmore sustainable
alternatives, the 5 Star Remarkable Loop
Paper and recycling solutionwill assist a
reseller in taking an assertive stancewith
their customer base in promoting and
facilitating a responsible and sustainable
solution toofficewaste.”
BannerClosed Loop
That there is demand for such
solutions is clearly demonstrated by
the success of theUK’s first large scale
closed loop paper system launched by
Banner Business Services, part of the
office2office contract stationery group,
inOctober 2011.
Originally introduced tohelpHMRC
reduce its environmental footprint and
secure confidential information, Banner’s
Closed Loop is a fully audited service
that seeswaste paper shredded and
recycled before being returned to its
original ‘owner’ as 100% recycled copier
paper (alsomanufactured inGermany by
Steinbeis).
As a result of usingClosed Loop
Paper,HMRCwas able to achieve the
lowest office supplies cost per employee
inWhitehall.At the time,HMRC
commercial director DavidThomas said:
“Delivering aggressive savings targets
will require all of us in the public sector
to think differently. Closed Loop has
enabledus to reduce our costs and
Somemight say that closed looppaper recycling systems that
combinewastepaper collection, recyclingandpaper sales ina
single serviceareamarketingployandan initiative toensure
future sales.But if theypreventwaste fromgoing to landfill
andencouragepeople tobuygreen, does thatmatter?
also delivered further data security and
environmental benefits.”
Today, Banner is the sole supplier of
Closed Loop paper recycling andoffice
supplies toCentral Government via the
GovernmentOffice Supplies Contract
(GOSC). Customers includeHMRC, the
Department forTransport (DFT),Home
Office andDefra, aswell as a number of
private sector organisations including
McDonalds andVirginMedia.
Since the servicewas launchedBanner
says it has soldmore than3,564,335,000
sheets of Banner Closed LoopCopier
Paper – enough to go around theworld
26 times if laid end to end.
On the basis thatmanufacturing
Banner Closed Loop Paper uses 81% less
water, 71% less energy and53% less
carbon than virgin copier paper, Banner
has calculated that so far its customers
have saved enough energy to power
25,000homes for over a year, 3,029,685
kilograms of carbon dioxide and enough
water tofill 226Olympic swimming
pools.
Full Cycle
Full Cycle is another closed loop system.
Offered byAntalis, in partnershipwith
DS Smith and PHSDatashred, itmarries
paper supplywith a comprehensive
waste collection and recycling service
encompassing confidential waste paper;
single streamwaste, such as paper, card
or plastic film; andmixed dry recyclables.
Customerswho choose to complete
the loop by buying back recycled
paper fromAntalis can demonstrate
their commitment to environmental
responsibility by displaying the Full Cycle
logoon printed communications.
There is a cost for the service, but
Antalis says that customers can earn
money on theirwaste and potentially
endupmaking a profit.
,
In contrast to theproduction
of normal paper,5Star
Remarkable Looppaper uses...
n
83% lesswater
n
72% less energy
n
100% less timber
n
53% lessCO2
