Sustainability as leitmotiv

Care for people and their environment is visible as a leitmotiv throughout the history of the business. That applies to the way both are treated and to the choice of technology and materials. Océ is involved in various aspects of sustainability. First of all, as a supplier of printing solutions that help customers and users to do their work safely, effectively, profitably and on a sustainable basis. In addition, as an organization with employees all over the world, who count on having a good, safe and interesting workplace. And lastly as a manufacturing industry, with factories that consume materials and energy.

Supplier of sustainability

Particularly in the past decade Océ has developed a number of machines that combine advanced technology with sustainable characteristics. Attention to user friendliness has yielded workflow programs that not only simplify the work but also make it more pleasant, prevent errors and provide savings on energy and paper. Productivity, as the endresult of speed and reliability, has always weighed heavily in favor of Océ systems. Higher productivity leads to lower costs for energy, material consumption and invested capital. The intrinsic properties of Océ systems such as safety, ergonomics, speed, low emissions of ozone and dust and a low noise level add value to the workplace of customers. Major technological breakthroughs, such as duplex printing in one single pass in the Océ VarioPrint 6000 series, not only have financial significance, but also make a tangible contribution to reducing paper and energy consumption.

Sustainable in its own organization

Within its own organization Océ chiefly experiences the social aspects of sustainability: human resources policy, education and training and labor relations. Those aspects are described in this report under the heading ‘Océ as an employer’. Six Océ operating companies had already introduced an ISO 14001 environmental management system and gained certification for it. In 2007 they were joined by the Portuguese, French and Slovakian Océ operating companies.

 

Producing with care

As a manufacturing industry Océ is aware of the importance of using raw materials carefully. Recycling and re-use of machines are therefore standard procedure. If machines, components and modules are manufactured by third parties, Océ requires its suppliers and manufacturing and buying partners to show the same attitude toward sustainability as Océ. This explicitly applies to both environmental and social issues. Océ asks its suppliers to subscribe to a declaration that is based on the ten points of the UN Global Compact.

 

Constant improvement

The responsibility for sustainability lies with the Océ Board of Executive Directors and with the management of the operating companies. As a central body at group level and as an advisory body for the Board of Executive Directors, a Corporate Sustainability Forum has been operating for several years, with a broad composition of responsible officers and experts from various disciplines. Under the auspices of the Corporate Sustainability Forum a study was conducted in 2006 into which aspects of sustainability receive most attention from Océ’s customers. The aim was to reduce the many relevant sustainability issues to a manageable number that could serve as a basis for setting quantifiable objectives. Energy consumption, the use of paper and toner, recycling and emissions of ozone and dust in particular were found to be of most concern to customers. That input, combined with the internal objectives of Océ, made a strong contribution to the formulation of five focus points that will guide the improvement of Océ’s sustainability performance in the years ahead. The choice of these focus points originated from the wish to set targets that Océ itself is largely able to influence.