UBC has a mandate to demonstrate leadership in sustainability; this year, we’ve made a commitment to our community to achieve aggressive GHG carbon reduction targets. Further, UBC is a public institution, which must comply with Provincial legislation to become carbon neutral. One solution is to examine our partnerships with our vendors in order to encourage more sustainable fulfillment practices.
Recently, Allan Lee from International Student Recruitment tackled paper waste produced through shipping at his office. “Already a model green university, we continue to put our heads together to discover healthier, more efficient ways to operate that won’t compromise the future, but instead will help advance the evolution to sustainability,” says Allan.
Lee contacted TNT, a courier contracted to handle international shipping for his office, to push for a paperless option. In response, TNT provided his office with a thermal label printer.
The thermal label eliminates the need for four pieces of paper previously needed for each shipment. The only piece of paper now required is a commercial invoice. Based on current shipping patterns in this department, UBC saves approximately 10,000 pieces of paper per year through the use of the thermal label printer.
Lee demonstrates that we can work strategically with our vendors to help both UBC and our partners demonstrate leadership in sustainability and social responsibility.
For further details or to implement a similar program in your office contact:
Allan Lee
Client Service Logistics
International Student Initiative
1200 - 1874 East Mall
604-822-0899
allan.lee@ubc.ca
Victoria Wakefield
Manager of Logistics
Supply Management
2075 Wesbrook Mall
604-827-4530
Victoria.wakefield@ubc.ca