9 minute read
GOING GREEN FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Sustainability and environmental concerns are a priority for schoolchildren and schools alike – and dealers are there to help
nvironmental issues have climbed E the news agenda in recent years, and young people today are more concerned about climate change than their predecessors. Indeed, 54% of students see climate breakdown as the second biggest threat to the UK, just behind the quality of the NHS, according to a September 2020 study by the University of Winchester.
This means that schools, colleges and universities need to be alive to young people’s concerns. As Lawrence Savage, marketing manager at ExaClair, notes: “With the UK government recently pledging £1 billion to build new schools, and a further £560 million for repairs and upgrades to accommodate the growing pupil population – an estimated 640 new schools are needed in England – many governing bodies are seeing this as an opportunity to invest in green schools and thus help the UK meet its commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”
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Lawrence adds that a growing number of schools are now taking part in eco-friendly projects that involve not just pupils, but other elements of their local communities, so it is important that educational establishments continue to focus upon green equipment and supplies.
“The Carbon Trust has outlined the main components that can contribute to energy reductions, with heating, lighting and water usage naturally at the top of the list,” he says. “However, by installing
other sustainable equipment around the school, they can promote sustainability across various locations, including canteens, break time areas and classrooms.
“In terms of stationery, notebooks that feature recycled paper, as well as writing instruments made from recycled and recyclable materials, are popular; pencil cases and other organisational products made from sustainable materials also do well. In addition, demand has also been increasing for green cleaning products and reusable water bottles, particularly during the pandemic.”
Lawrence points out that there have been many innovations in relation to sustainable products over the past few years and, with this in mind, suppliers should now be offering office equipment that adheres to environmentally-orientated standards. “By highlighting these specific environmental credentials, dealers can help educate their customers, guiding them towards suitable product recommendations.”
EDUCATION IS KEY
Brad Goldsmith, marketing services manager at Premier Paper Group, agrees that education is key. “Fortunately, now, more than ever, there is a wealth of information regarding products, their environmental credentials and traceability available on the internet, as well as through suppliers,” he says.
“It’s vital that suppliers make this information as readily available as possible to help customers such as schools make well-informed decisions, ensuring that their product mix meets their CSR [corporate social responsibility] standards.
“Dealers play an important role in the supply chain. By ensuring that they offer the best choice of products and services, based on their customers’ requirements, as well as sharing important information such as environmental credentials, they are, in turn, enabling their clients to make educated and informed decisions on their paper purchases.”
Brad notes that most brands of paper today are sourced from sustainable manufacturers, where trees are treated more like crops, and rotated, with many more being planted by the mill. “Most of today’s paper
is produced to high environmental standards and carry certifications such as FSC®, PEFC, ECF, TCF, EU Ecolabel, Nordic Swan and many more,” he says. “There are also growing efforts to reduce the CO2 emissions from paper manufacturing and distribution processes, and also the use of PVC-based plastics in the packaging.
“Brands such as Woodland Trust Printer Paper and Multicopy are popular; both are produced using pulp from sustainably managed forests at integrated paper mills, and carry many impressive environmental credentials. The Evolution brand of copier is also a top contender among schools due to its recycled content.
“However, the most popular is the carbon capture programme - Premier’s environmental marketing initiative that allows paper users to mitigate CO2 emissions from the production and distribution of their paper and to directly support the work of the Woodland Trust, enabling them to create and maintain native woodland here in the UK.”
STATIONERY CONCERNS
However, when it comes to consumables such as stationery, competitive pricing is often more important than environmental concerns, as schools continue under huge financial pressures due to COVID lockdowns and budget cuts.
“Many teachers and parents, as individuals, are more concerned about buying green products than it actually being a school’s policy to do so,” says Lianne Fletcher, marketing manager of Maped Helix.
“In contrast, many dealers are insisting on green product documentation from their suppliers - so much so that several are refusing to consider selecting items that cannot be proven to be ‘green’.
“The challenge for dealers is to get schools to do the same and demonstrate that green products are already available and affordable without the ‘eco cost premium’.
“Manufacturers are striving to eradicate single use plastics from their products, and minimise packaging.
Products have been developed using ‘greener’ materials for easier recycling, materials from sustainable sources, and from recycled materials. This has become a feature of the stationery market.
“As a manufacturer of stationery products Maped Helix is committed to producing greener products for schools. One example has been the success of our bulk teacher’s pack of Helix 30cm rulers which are made entirely from recycled plastic.
Creating an ultraclean workplace: effortless and effective equipment
With more employees returning to the workplace, safety will be a top priority - and there are many products from ACCO UK that can help with this
s organisations get closer to employees
Areturning to the workplace for at least some of the time, the focus now is on how to maintain health and safety and protect staff during the time they spend in the office. For many, having wipes, cleansers and other chemical-based products around the office may seem like the best and only solution. While they do help, these products are only effective if they are readily available for use when staff need them, and they can be costly to continuously restock. Constant and thorough cleaning can be a hassle for staff to keep up with, on top of their normal priorities, and it is difficult to ensure that this cleaning is being handled effectively enough.
In many cases, it could be worth investing in a more advanced solution to reduce some of the burden. The good news is that many of the much-loved brands in ACCO UK’s portfolio offer products that make it easy to keep up with health and safety protocols, with minimal effort, in the post-pandemic return to work.
Keyboards and computer mice are, arguably, the most hightouch items in the office - and are a hotbed of germs, bacteria and dirt. To maintain cleanliness, these items should be fully sanitised several times a week, if not daily. As a result of changing consumer needs caused by the pandemic, Kensington has introduced washable keyboards and mice to its range, which can safely stand up to immersion for easy cleaning. ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT Another alternative to sanitising high-touch items is ultraviolet (UVC) light; this method is scientifically proven to destroy germs, bacteria and viruses quickly, safely and efficiently. Kensington has harnessed the power of this technology in its UVStand™ Monitor, which uses UVC LED lights to sanitise keyboards, mice, mobiles and other devices quickly and efficiently, eliminating up to 99.9% of bacteria in just 10 minutes.
However, for the workplace to be a truly ultraclean environment, sanitisation should not stop with surfaces; there are countless germs, bacteria, allergens and other harmful particles swirling invisibly in the air, potentially causing illness. An air purifier can go a long way in helping to eliminate some of these airborne particles, minimising the transmission of illnesses. The Leitz TruSens range of air purifiers can capture an impressive 99% of airborne viruses and allergens. The range is also equipped with UV-C technology, which destroys these particles and pushes truly clean air back into the room.
Workplace health and safety will be a top concern for organisations in the return to work, and resellers should seize this opportunity to offer their customers alternatives to traditional cleaning methods. Introduce or upsell products that make it easy to maintain sanitation standards with minimal intervention from staff, and help reduce the wastefulness of single-use wipes and the environmental impacts of harsh chemicals. Your customers, their employees, and the planet will thank you!
To learn more about Kensington’s new pandemic-friendly products, visit: https://www.kensington.com/en-gb/
Explore the new Leitz TruSens range here: https://www. leitz.com/en-gb/design--concepts/trusens-air-purifiers/?r=1
The Ultraclean Workplace
As organisations in every sector eye a return to normality after a year of pandemic restrictions, it is clear that safety is the issue on everyone’s minds for the next few months. This past year, Kensington has continually adapted to provide customers with a range of solutions for maintaining health and safety.
Our latest innovation for safety in the new normal is the Kensington UVStand™ Monitor Stand with UV-C Sanitisation Compartment. This desktop monitor stand has a built-in sanitisation compartment complete with fully-contained UV LEDs that safely most handheld devices. When in use, the UV-C technology is able to eliminate up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses within just 10 minutes and without the use of chemicals, liquids or wipes.
This makes it quick and easy for organisations to maintain cleanliness in the office environment. This product complements other sanitation-focused products born from the pandemic, including washable keyboards, mouse and desk screens.
Safely and easily helps to sanitise keyboards, mice, trackballs, mobile phones and other devices, while promoting healthy posture and optimal comfort.
Pro Fit® Washable USB Keyboard and Mouse
Keep commonly-touched surfaces clean and disinfected with these rugged, waterproof Plug and Play USB accessories.
KGuard™ Monitor Mounted Desk Screen
Quickly and easily installed behind an armmounted monitor, KGuard™ is a clear acrylic sneeze guard that takes up no desk space.
