Ford Drives Green with Sustainable Printing

In 2009, a small but determined group from various departments within Ford joined together to develop a sustainable paper strategy for the company. The strategy stated that all high-volume, consumer and employee printing projects should be produced using paper that contains at least 10 percent post-consumer recycled fiber and that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Increasing the use of recycled paper may sound like a small step for an automotive company. However, the results have been anything but small.

Due to this strategy, Ford has used more than 12.6 million pounds of recycled-content paper rather than virgin paper over the past year, which translates into some pretty significant environmental benefits, including:

• 12,000 trees preserved
• 35,000 lbs. of water-borne waste not created
• 5.2 million gallons waste-water flow avoided
• 570,000 lbs. of solid waste not generated
• 1.1 million lbs. net greenhouse gases prevented
• 8.6 billion BTUs of energy not consumed

Using FSC-certified paper has been an important part of the initiative. FSC certification provides a highly recognized and respected third-party chain of custody review to confirm that the paper has been procured through sustainable practices. The certification requires that wood products have been sustainably handled from the forest where they are harvested, through the pulp purchased by the paper mill to the printer who manufactured the end project. It also supports a range of sustainable benefits. Using FSC-certified productshelps to ensure that paper pulp is not harvested from endangered rainforest timber. In addition, most FSC paper is produced domestically, so it supports U.S. jobs.

Ford's strategy requests that printed pieces be labeled as recycled, with the amount of post-consumer waste content noted, along with the "FSC certified" logo and text stating that it was printed in the United States. This is not just a way to acknowledge Ford's use of sustainable paper – it is a key part of the education process. It helps to fulfil one of the goals of the project, which was to reinforce employee and consumer awareness of Ford's efforts to promote sustainable printing.

Implementing this new paper strategy has taken some concerted effort. Driving that effort has been a small group led by Nicole DesNoyer, a producer in Ford's Corporate Communications department, and including key suppliers and members from the Communications, Purchasing and Sustainability departments.

First, Nicole's team identified key projects that would be good candidates for conversion post-consumer recycled and FSC-certified paper. Then they met with the relevant Ford project leaders and discussed with them the environmental and social benefits of the print strategy. "One of the key things I do is to open an informative discussion with the project owner about why this important to Ford, how easy it is to do and how significant the benefits of changing to recycled paper can be," Nicole explained.

To serve as a model of what could be done, Nicole migrated all of the publications she managed – including Ford's Sustainability Report, the corporate financial Annual Report and the employee and retiree magazine @Ford – to paper with at least 10 percent post-consumer recycled content and FSC certification. This was used as an example to other project managers that it was possible to use recycled content paper without any loss in print performance, appearance or product quality. In most cases, it was cost-neutral to existing budgets.

With these successes under her belt, the team also worked with Ford's Purchasing department and Xpedx, Ford's primary corporate coated paper supplier, to build additional awareness among Ford employees, marketing groups, creative agencies and suppliers about sustainable paper options. Working with Xpedx, Ford offered project managers a pre-established, limited range of paper options that contained 10 percent post-consumer recycled content and were FSC-certified. By limiting the number of paper choices and suppliers, Xpedx could buy and negotiate in large volumes with the major U.S. and international paper mills, allowing Ford to get the best pricing while still providing the user a variety of paper options with the desired sustainable characteristics.

Still, one of most common concerns about using the certified recycled paper was that it would cost more. However, by investigating current project specifications and working with the corporate paper merchants, the team was able to find acceptable sustainable papers that were cost-neutral or of minimal cost impact to projects.

Throughout the implementation process, the team aimed to increase upper management and project managers' awareness of the value of recycled and certified sustainable paper to Ford's corporate image, reputation for social responsibility and implementation of the "Drive Green" pillar of Ford's corporate mission. The team took their facts about resources saved and potential gains from using sustainable paper, as well as the menu of recycled paper options, to the managers. Ultimately, they received management support from a variety of Ford departments, including Corporate Communications, Marketing and Sales, Investor Relations, the Office of General Council, Ford Motor Credit Company, Sustainability, Environment & Safety Engineering, and Ford Customer Service. Some managers were skeptical at first, but in the end, all agreed to make the switch to certified post-consumer recycled paper.

As a result, Ford is now sustainably printing a number of high-volume projects, including internal and owner magazines; financial documents including 10Ks, proxy statements and annual reports; consumer vehicle catalogs; consumer direct mail and brochures; vehicle owners' manuals and glovebox packages; and service technician training manuals.

"I am continually motivated by how many people within Ford, the advertising agencies, creative partners and our suppliers are really excited and supportive of this effort," said Nicole. "Once we tell people about what we've accomplished, the support we have continued to achieve, and the fact that the paper performance and cost are comparable to virgin paper, most people are excited to get on board."

Nicole and the team admit that paper is a just small part of Ford's sustainability efforts, considering recent advances in vehicle fuel economy and electrification. However, switching to recycled paper was a lot easier to do than many had expected. "Compared to some of the technology and engineering this company has accomplished, this task is so easy," Nicole notes. And it may prove to make a difference with customers. "My goal is that if our sustainable efforts in print persuade a consumer to buy a Ford product over another brand because they notice we are serious about our social responsibilities, then our efforts are making the difference for the Company," Nicole said. "Plus, being environmentally responsible is just the right thing to do."

Looking to the future, the team is continuing to promote the use of post-consumer recycled paper. They are also working to expand the recycled paper strategy globally. "This is a really exciting time for Ford," Nicole explains. "We are in a positive state of change, and we are having some great successes and consistent forward momentum. This is a great time for people within Ford to be embracing these changes, and we hope we can continue to expand our progression to sustainable paper use throughout the Company."