EBSCO was named a green business by the Birmingham Business Alliance.

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES

EBSCO maintains environmentally sound business practices while responsibly managing consumption and waste during daily operations. To aid in this effort, employee-led teams at International Headquarters and other facilities are charged with researching and implementing new programs to lessen EBSCO’s environmental footprint. EBSCO makes eco-friendly choices from the start, minimizing overall environmental impact and lessening cleanup in the future. EBSCO dedicates extra time and resources to researching these options and strives to select the most reputable and environmentally conscious companies with whom to contract.

Energy conservation

EBSCO facilities choose low-energy, motion-activated lighting units whenever possible.
Carpet installed at International Headquarters beginning in 2007 was manufactured at a plant powered by 100-percent landfill gases.
EBSCO is in the process of moving toward a 100-percent hybrid fleet of company cars. All new vehicles purchased since 2007 are hybrids; 32 percent of the current fleet (not including delivery and work trucks) is hybrid.

As equipment and facilities are replaced and upgraded, EBSCO continues to seek the most energy-efficient options to reduce our energy consumption. Future plans include the additional installation of solar panels at select facilities.

Office waste

Business today is electronically driven, making the environmental impact of electronic waste, or e-waste, which includes computers, mobile phones, pagers and printer cartridges, a growing concern. EBSCO works with computer manufacturer Hewlett Packard to recycle all computer waste in return for vouchers that offset the cost of new machines. Employees participate by using specially marked boxes stationed throughout EBSCO to recycle phones, pagers and printer cartridges. Funds from this program benefit local charities.

Other waste is disposed of with an eye toward minimizing environmental impact. Used fluorescent light bulbs are crushed in a machine that captures 99.9 percent of the harmful mercury vapors within. Aluminum can crushers and plastic recycling bins are placed in employee break areas, offering employees another way to participate in the company’s efforts. A drive-up bin on the International Headquarters property makes it easy for employees to bring items from home for recycling.

EBSCO supports an intensive paper-recycling program for both white paper products and magazines. Employees are encouraged to bring magazines from home for recycling. Recycled paper and paper products are used throughout our facilities, from printer paper to paper towels and napkins.

EBSCO Information Services SAS in Paris, France, sponsors a reforestation project in Mali, in partnership with our customer Agronomics.

Manufacturing waste

Manufacturing plants can have a tremendously negative impact on the environment if not managed properly. EBSCO manufacturing divisions use responsible recycling and disposal practices to minimize, if not eliminate, their impact on the environment. They also seek and implement more efficient processes and equipment that will conserve energy and resources.

Vulcan Information Packaging, a binder and packaging plant in Vincent, Alabama, screen prints with ultraviolet curable ink when possible; this is preferable to conventional solvent-based inks that emit harmful pollutants into the air as they dry. Vulcan Information Packaging uses enormous amounts of vinyl and cardboard during manufacturing. All scraps are collected for re-use or recycling. Vulcan recycles more than 240 tons of vinyl and more than 375 tons of binder board and corrugated boxes annually.

EBSCO Media, a commercial printer in Birmingham, Alabama, is an approved provider of FSC-certified papers, which are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody. When customers choose to print on FSC-certified papers, EBSCO Media can provide statements that show the environmental savings associated with their choice. EBSCO Media uses vegetable-based inks, which are less harmful to the environment than petroleum-based inks. Since 1985, EBSCO Media has been recycling all paper trimmings and make-ready sheets, along with press plates, solvents and waste ink.

Several EBSCO manufacturing operations have adopted Lean Manufacturing, a philosophy that shortens the time between the order and the shipment by eliminating both employee and product waste. By refining the manufacturing process, eliminated waste will be converted into increased capacity, reduced cost, improved quality, increased customer satisfaction, and, ultimately, less waste from imperfect technique and work flow.

EBSCO works closely with its divisions and customers to maintain current recycling and conservation initiatives worldwide. By monitoring practices and procedures, EBSCO is able to pinpoint and address areas where new sustainable initiatives can be implemented and help ensure a better tomorrow.