Recognition of efforts
Customers are not the only ones who will recognize such efforts. As an additional incentive, the SmartWay program offers its own special recognition of partners who go above and beyond expectations in reducing their emissions and making their facilities more sustainable.
Each year, for example, the SmartWay Excellence Awards are handed out to companies that demonstrate particularly high performance in environmental sustainability. Not only are shippers considered for the awards because of their high fuel efficiency and great mileage, but small businesses are also given their own award category, so they can avoid having to compete with larger companies with more resources. Along with the SmartWay label, the awards are a great way to impress new and existing customers.
Further, the SmartWay website honours a ‘partner of the month,’ so as to highlight the good work done by its various partners. This regular feature, based on interviews with the partners, provides further recognition to those who have successfully implemented the program, while also providing different perspectives of and ideas about how best to improve efficiency and lower emissions.
High-profile participants
As mentioned, many businesses are specifically choosing to ship products with SmartWay partners. One major example in the sign and graphics industry is wide-format printer manufacturer HP, which has participated in the program since 2008.
“We only use SmartWay-approved carriers in North America,” says a representative of the company. “Part of being an environmentally responsible company is shipping responsibly.”
On the shipping side, another example of a high-profile program participant is Ryder, which manages fleets of rental vehicles at approximately 800 facilities in North America and around the world. In addition to renting out and selling used vehicles, Ryder now also offers supply-chain services, including drivers, routing and scheduling, so it is especially important for its business operations to be both timely and seamless.
Ryder joined the SmartWay program as a partner in 2004, when it was first launched in the U.S. Since then, the company has made a concerted effort to integrate SmartWay as part of its overall emissions reduction strategy. Currently, 89 per cent of its freight miles are travelled by SmartWay-approved carriers.
Ryder uses the online SmartWay partner tool for many purposes, including the measurement of existing emissions, the sharing of data with customers and the development of new goals and strategies to improve efficiency and sustainability throughout the enterprise.
“We have been actively engaged with the program for more than 10 years because improving our fuel efficiency and transportation services is central to the services we deliver to our customers,” says Nanci Tellam, Ryder’s environmental services and sustainability group director. “Providing best-in-class vehicles, engineering, maintenance and fuelling offers our customers industry-leading transportation services that minimize related emissions. The SmartWay program encourages and educates freight carriers to track their fuel consumption, report it and improve their performance annually.”
Each year, SmartWay Excellence Awards are handed out to top performers.
A helping hand
SmartWay is not just for large businesses, though. Any wide-format printing company that ships products to customers can become part of the program and will see a big difference in its facility. This has certainly been the case for graphics providers across Canada and the U.S. that have opted to join, many of whom have seen major success in their implementations.
While the program is still relatively new to Canada, the broad success of participants in the U.S. is a positive indicator of how much it can make a difference. Since the program’s launch in 2004, SmartWay partners have reduced their oil consumption by 65 million barrels, equivalent to taking five million cars off the road for a full year, which gives a good idea of the environmental implications and the savings in terms of gas and other transportation costs.
Businesses can join SmartWay at any time of year. When registering for their first time, they only need the past three to four months’ worth of data available to use the online tool. Afterwards, they will need to fill out the same form annually, entering only data from the past year.
As mentioned, SmartWay Canada regularly offers free webinars to help potential partners understand how they can use the tool, in addition to covering other related topics. There are also designated contacts who SmartWay partners can work with via phone or e-mail, whether they are just getting started or trying to resolve new issues.
In the wide-format printing industry, as is the case for other types of businesses, sustainability has become a significant market differentiator. And while there are many different ways to make a print production facility more environmentally friendly, few are available with as little commitment of time or money as the SmartWay program.
This Earth Day will be a great opportunity for more of these businesses to take the next step toward reducing their carbon footprint, streamlining their operations and increasing their customers’ satisfaction.
Allison Lundy is a regulatory assistant for the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA), a not-for-profit printing industry organization. For more information, contact her via e-mail at allison@sgia.org.
