By Taren Grom, Editor
With the recent resurgence in the movement toward the greening of America, many of the industry’s companies are adopting environmentally friendly initiatives as part of being good corporate citizens. Taking Conservation Seriously In 2006, EMD Serono recycled 53 tons of paper, saving more than 900 trees, 20,000 gallons of oil, 37,000 gallons of water, and 21.2 megawatts of energy. EMD Serono is going green and taking conservation into its own hands. As the demand for energy and other resources increases, EMD Serono has chosen to react, by making efficient and conscientious decisions. The Environmental Health and Safety Department (EHS) at EMD Serono has embarked on a process for ISO 14001 Certification for Environmental Responsibility. The goals of this program are to effectively manage and reduce the company’s environmental impacts and reinforce its commitment to being a responsible neighbor. At EMD Serono, each employee has a vital role in this effort, and this program will give employees a chance to make a global difference without leaving the building. The summer of 2007 marks the redirection of the company’s goals, with an emphasis on recycling and energy reduction within the employee population. But according to company managers, the program is not limited to these aspects, and it certainly has not come about without a great deal of effort. The program, which was launched on July 9, has been in the works for 14 months. The EHS team is excited to share the program with its colleagues, who have already shown enthusiasm in helping the company achieve the goal of reducing not only energy usage, but water and hazardous waste streams as well. Over the next few months, EHS will be promoting awareness of this new environmental initiative, particularly through the use of its “Re” logo. The icon serves as a symbol to remind employees of areas where they can reduce energy consumption and pollution, recycle, and help to have a positive impact on the environment. “Our employee awareness campaign also has been essential to our progress; we have been using seminars, banners, posters, 3D displays, informational e-mails, and videos companywide to educate employees,” says Jeff Hyman, manager of EHS, and the ISO program coordinator. “We believe that these efforts will create changes at EMD Serono and outside our walls where our employees can modify their practices at home, increasing the effective scope of the program. “We’re out to change the culture, one person at a time,” Mr. Hyman continues. “As we make adjustments throughout the facility, employees must keep in mind that what at first appears to be a difficult task, will soon become habit.” Sustainable Green Development At Roche, globally, sustainable development is the key to long-term success. In line with the 1987 Brundtland Report, the company defines sustainable development as: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The idea that economic, social, and environmental interests are not separate, but dynamically interdependent, is central to this definition, and the company tries to balance these interests in everything it does. For Roche managers, sustainability is not an option they can choose or reject; it is an integral part of the way they do business — day by day, year by year, now and in the future. The company also understands that a commitment to protecting its employees, its neighbors, and the planet involves not just words but meaningful actions. For example, Roche’s Nutley, N.J., pharmaceuticals headquarters site has been contributing to energy conservation for more than 20 years. Since 2005, energy consumption at the Nutley campus has been reduced by more than 15%. But the company is not resting on its laurels; the site continues to implement projects and operations in an effort to continuously save energy and reduce site emissions. Takeda took the mandate to become environmentally responsible to heart and to home. The new Takeda home office facility earned Gold-level LEED recognition by considering the several criteria in its planning and building. (See box on page 52.) Takeda is one of only five Gold LEED-certified buildings in Illinois and one of only 205 in the United States. During the building’s construction, Takeda had an efficient construction waste management plan and diverted more than 60% of construction waste from going to a landfill. The construction team used recycled, local and regional, and low-emitting building materials, therefore supporting the local economy and reducing impacts resulting from extraction and processing of new materials, reducing the environmental impacts resulting from transportation, and reducing the quantity of indoor air contaminants. During and after construction, the company employed an indoor air quality (IAQ) management plan to prevent IAQ problems resulting from the construction process. The initiative helped sustain the comfort and well-being of construction workers and Takeda employees. By installing sub-metering equipment to measure and record energy and water use in the building, Takeda promotes responsible energy and water use as well as conservation. This is also carried over into the restroom and break room fixtures, which were selected to reduce the amount of water used. In addition to water-efficient faucets and fixtures inside the building, Takeda reduced potable water use in irrigation by 50% through efficient irrigation technologies. The building also has an energy star-compliant roof, which is highly reflective and maximizes energy savings, as well as minimizes heat island effect. Glass sidelights were used at perimeter offices to provide a connection between indoor spaces and the outdoors, increasing daylight and views at regularly occupied areas of the building. In addition, a skylight in the building’s central stairs uses and maximizes daylight, and lighting can be controlled by individuals to provide appropriate lighting at individual work stations. In addition, Takeda has a two-year contract with a green energy provider to purchase 50% of its energy from a renewable energy grid. Employees do their part by collecting and disposing of recyclables in available bins. Also, the building and parking surface design encourages employees to support the environment with available bike racks and premier employee parking for carpooling, hybrid, and low-emissions vehicles. The building is located near public transportation and the company offers shuttle service to a nearby train station. Each of these options reduces pollution and fuel consumption. Finally, 50% of the building’s electricity comes from renewable energy, such as solar, water, wind, biomass, and/or geothermal sources. EMD Serono’s Green Actions While EMD Serono’s program is centered upon ISO 14001 certification, it expects to achieve the following goals as byproducts of the system. • Change the environmental culture at EMD Serono. • Reduce trash output by 50% over three years. • Reduce energy usage by 8% over two years. • Purchase 5% green energy. • Recycle 100% within three years. • Reduce water usage by 10% in the next year. Roche’s Green Actions Roche’s leading-edge environmental initiatives include: • Cogeneration: The power of two five-megawatt combustion gas turbines (similar to jet engines) is harnessed to self-generate about 65% of the site’s electricity and provide the majority of its steam needs. Because both electricity and steam are generated from the same fuel source at the same time, hence the name, cogeneration, Roche is able to reduce both costs and emissions. The reduced emissions are comparable with removing 8,700 automobiles from the road each year. This is actually the third cogeneration project within Roche; the first dates back to the early 1980s. • Monitoring: Roche is in the forefront of a new way to reduce energy consumption and cost: monitoring electricity load, demand, and rates hour by hour, day by day, and then adjusting site electricity consumption accordingly. The objective is to ease demand on the regional electrical grid during periods of peak load and keep energy costs as low as possible. When a peak demand day is predicted by state/regional utilities, critical preparations are made 24 hours before to reduce electrical consumption at the site. • Retro-commissioning: When any building is completed, the internal systems are geared for maximum efficiency and energy savings. Over the years, the systems inevitably degrade. In Nutley, N.J., a comprehensive program is under way to retro-commission most site buildings and bring them back to the high-efficiency standards when they were first put into operation. To date, six buildings have been retro-commissioned and more are on the way. • Fuel Efficient Vehicles: Roche has made a concerted effort to provide fuel efficient vehicles to its pharmaceutical sales fleet. Less efficient vehicles have been eliminated and replaced by vehicles that substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Depending on the type of vehicle provided, the selected vehicle is at or near the top regarding fuel efficiency and economy. In July 2004, the company began a program to increase the use of hybrid and other fuel-efficient vehicles. At the end of 2006, the company had 242 hybrid cars in its U.S. pharmaceutical sales fleet, which will result in an estimated greenhouse gas emission reduction of 1,033.5 tons and gasoline savings of more than 80,253 gallons each year. The number of hybrids has increased to more than 350 in the first six months of 2007. • Climate Leaders: Roche is a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Leaders Program. Under this voluntary public-private partnership, Roche has joined with other industry leaders and the EPA to develop long-term, comprehensive corporate climate change strategies and set goals to reduce these greenhouse gas emissions over several years. Dr. Jack Kace, VP, Environmental & Safety, at Roche was asked to participate in a July 26, 2006, press event to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Energy Policy Act. Dr. Kace is pictured at the podium to the right of Secretary of Energy, Samuel W. Bodman. Raising the Roof on Greening At Roche, globally, sustainable development is the key to long-term success. In line with the 1987 Brundtland Report, the company defines sustainable development as: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The idea that economic, social, and environmental interests are not separate, but dynamically interdependent, is central to this definition, and the company tries to balance these interests in everything it does. For Roche managers, sustainability is not an option they can choose or reject; it is an integral part of the way they do business — day by day, year by year, now and in the future. The company also understands that a commitment to protecting its employees, its neighbors, and the planet involves not just words but meaningful actions. For example, Roche’s Nutley, N.J., pharmaceuticals headquarters site has been contributing to energy conservation for more than 20 years. Since 2005, energy consumption at the Nutley campus has been reduced by more than 15%. But the company is not resting on its laurels; the site continues to implement projects and operations in an effort to continuously save energy and reduce site emissions. Takeda took the mandate to become environmentally responsible to heart and to home. The new Takeda home office facility earned Gold-level LEED recognition by considering the several criteria in its planning and building. (See box on page 52.) Takeda is one of only five Gold LEED-certified buildings in Illinois and one of only 205 in the United States. During the building’s construction, Takeda had an efficient construction waste management plan and diverted more than 60% of construction waste from going to a landfill. The construction team used recycled, local and regional, and low-emitting building materials, therefore supporting the local economy and reducing impacts resulting from extraction and processing of new materials, reducing the environmental impacts resulting from transportation, and reducing the quantity of indoor air contaminants. During and after construction, the company employed an indoor air quality (IAQ) management plan to prevent IAQ problems resulting from the construction process. The initiative helped sustain the comfort and well-being of construction workers and Takeda employees. By installing sub-metering equipment to measure and record energy and water use in the building, Takeda promotes responsible energy and water use as well as conservation. This is also carried over into the restroom and break room fixtures, which were selected to reduce the amount of water used. In addition to water-efficient faucets and fixtures inside the building, Takeda reduced potable water use in irrigation by 50% through efficient irrigation technologies. The building also has an energy star-compliant roof, which is highly reflective and maximizes energy savings, as well as minimizes heat island effect. Glass sidelights were used at perimeter offices to provide a connection between indoor spaces and the outdoors, increasing daylight and views at regularly occupied areas of the building. In addition, a skylight in the building’s central stairs uses and maximizes daylight, and lighting can be controlled by individuals to provide appropriate lighting at individual work stations. In addition, Takeda has a two-year contract with a green energy provider to purchase 50% of its energy from a renewable energy grid. Employees do their part by collecting and disposing of recyclables in available bins. Also, the building and parking surface design encourages employees to support the environment with available bike racks and premier employee parking for carpooling, hybrid, and low-emissions vehicles. The building is located near public transportation and the company offers shuttle service to a nearby train station. Each of these options reduces pollution and fuel consumption. Finally, 50% of the building’s electricity comes from renewable energy, such as solar, water, wind, biomass, and/or geothermal sources. Climate Control Recognizing that climate change is the greatest environmental challenge, Novo Nordisk Inc. is committed to doing business in a financially, environmentally, and socially responsible way. “Optimizing energy consumption and greening energy supply will make us less vulnerable to fluctuations in energy prices and better prepared for a carbon-constrained world,” says William Nazzaro, EDC associate, e-clinical-EDC, at Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk is committed to an absolute 10% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2014 compared with 2004. To reach this ambitious target, Novo Nordisk will use three levers: increase overall productivity through cLEAN, thereby lowering the energy consumption per produced unit; identify and implement energy saving projects; and promote the use of renewable energy, thereby securing a more green energy supply. The company is currently looking into different opportunities, such as windmills, solar power, geothermal energy, and others. “The actions and habits of Novo Nordisk employees count as well,” Mr. Nazzaro says. “Each time a computer is turned off correctly, each time a charger is pulled out of the plug when it is not in use, and each time lights are turned off when leaving the office, Novo Nordisk comes a little bit closer to reaching the ambitious climate target. We committed to the principle of the triple bottom line. We strive to conduct our business in a financially, environmentally, and socially responsible way. This responsibility is anchored in the Novo Nordisk Way of Management.” According to company executives, climate change will have implications on a global scale on all three dimensions: economic, environmental, and social. 20;Taking steps to reduce our impact via energy consumption is therefore a demonstration of our holistic business approach,” Mr. Nazzaro says. Even though the scale of the problem is huge, a 10% reduction in Novo Nordisk’s CO2 emissions is expected to make a difference. “The 10% target actually equates to a reduction of almost 70%, because increased production will lead to increased emissions if we do not do anything about it,” Mr. Nazzaro says. “This is a very ambitious target. Novo Nordisk is helping to set new standards for how far industry can share the responsibility for global environmental problems. We hope that other companies will then follow our example. There are also two other things it is important to bear in mind. Firstly, there is everything to suggest that climate change will become more expensive and more difficult to tackle the longer we leave it. Secondly, the work that Novo Nordisk is embarking on now will help to give us an advantage when the politicians reduce the quotas for industrial emissions in the future.” Taking a LEED Approach The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. Operating under the umbrella of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a nonprofit organization composed of leaders from every sector of the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work, LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. LEED provides a roadmap for measuring and documenting success for every building type and phase of a building life cycle. The LEED Rating System was created to transform the built environment to sustainability by providing the building industry with consistent, credible standards for what constitutes a green building. What is LEED Certification? To earn certification, a building project must meet certain prerequisites and performance benchmarks or credits within each category. Projects are awarded Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification depending on the number of credits they achieve. This comprehensive approach is the reason LEED-certified buildings have reduced operating costs, healthier and more productive occupants, and conservation of natural resources. LEED can be applied to every building type and phase of a building life cycle. LEED-certified buildings: • Are leading the transformation of the built environment. • Are built as designed and perform as expected. • Have lower operating costs and increased asset value. • Are healthy and comfortable for their occupants. • Reduce waste sent to landfills and conserve energy and water. • Reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. • Qualify for tax rebates, zoning allowances, and other incentives in hundreds of cities. • Demonstrate an owner’s commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Why Build Green? The built environment has a profound impact on our natural environment, economy, health, and productivity. In the United States, buildings account for: • 36% of total energy use and 65% of electricity consumption • 30% of greenhouse gas emissions • 30% of raw materials use • 30% of waste output, 136 million tons annually Water Conservation Bayer Corp.’s Berkeley, Calif., site generates more than 5 million pounds of waste per year. In the first quarter of 2007, however, the company was able to recycle a whopping 84% of this waste, saving more than $800,000 in disposal costs. And even though the site continues to grow and expand its production facilities, Bayer still has managed to drop the amount of chemical hazardous waste by one third. Bayer is constantly renewing its commitment to the environment by finding new and innovative ways to cut down on waste without sacrificing product excellence. The Road Well Traveled McKesson Specialty adopted a Trip Reduction Program in 1995 that is designed to help reduce the number of miles employees travel by car and the resulting emissions. The program was instrumental in McKesson Specialty, a business unit of McKesson, being named a Best Workplace for Commuters by the EPA in 2005 and 2006. The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company, with more than 500 employees, facilitates car/van pooling, pays for bus passes, and encourages telecommuting. The Trip Reduction Program has resulted in significant savings: • Single occupancy vehicle miles prevented: 8.53 million miles of single occupancy vehicle travel by its employees from 1995 to 2007. In 2006, the program prevented 1,416,912 single occupancy miles. • Pounds of pollution prevented: More than 8.43 million pounds of pollutants from entering into the local environment. In 2006, McKesson Specialty prevented 1.37 million pounds of emissions. • Gas costs saved by employees: Over the past 12 years, McKesson Specialty saved $760,113 in gas costs to employees. In 2006, each participating employee saved an average of $1,056 in gas costs. The company recently submitted its annual Trip Reduction Program plan and this will be McKesson Specialty’s 13th consecutive year in the program. “Globle” Actions, Green Reactions Energy conservation is not limited to the manufacturing side of the business. Many other companies, such as advertising agencies and medical education firms, are doing their part to protect the environment. Goble & Associates, a Chicago-based healthcare advertising agency, has stopped paper paychecks, put its happy-hour waste to work, and driven employees to use a car-sharing service, all in the name of Mother Nature. “Sparked by an environmentally active group of employees with the full support of senior management, Globle Action is developing creative ideas for a sustainable world,” says Darcy Ross, producer, multimedia production and communications, Goble & Associates. “This not a run-of-the-mill everyday effort. Among some of the solutions already in place are the adoption of a completely online paycheck delivery system for every employee, free use of the car-sharing service, Zipcar, environmentally responsible printing, public transportation reimbursement, and the use of 100% recycled paper, toner, paper towels, and other office products.” But that’s not all. The agency created and supplied scrap pad bins near every employee’s workspace. “Now, instead of placing printed paper into recycling bins, employees can fill the scrap bins with their used paper, which will be converted into scrap pads for future use,” she says. And, who says happy hours can’t be environmentally friendly? Goble persuaded its building management to get into the global game and begin recycling aluminum beverage cans, a move that had never been made in the building before. According to Ms. Ross, Globle Action has more ideas in the works. Other projects include carbon offsetting of airline flights, paperless routing, client involvement in the eco-efforts, and anything else the agency can think of to make a difference. Giving CO2 Emissions the Deep Freeze For GenVault, going green means inventing environmentally friendly, sustainable laboratory equipment that scientists can trust and use. GenVault specializes in innovating defining technologies for biosample storage, tracking, and transport at room temperature. While the idea of storing biosamples, such as blood or purified DNA, at room temperature may seem like a foreign concept to most life-sciences researchers, this practice is quite common among forensics scientists. “In fact, existing data demonstrate that DNA can remain stable at room temperature for up to 18 years,” says Anjali Kansagara, MS, MBA, product marketing manager, GenVault Corp. “The company has patented and commercialized the technology that allows scientists to store various types of precious biosamples at room temperature.” Cost and energy savings are a few of the best side effects of this invention. The current standard is to use expensive energy-consuming drones, such as -80 Celsius freezers and cryogenic containers to store blood, serum, plasma, and DNA to name a few. Freezers are detrimental to the environment in that they release the “most potent greenhouse gas” called HFC-23, according to a recent article in The Economist. According to Ms. Kansagara, removing even only one freezer from use is equivalent to reducing about 55,000 pounds of CO2 over a typical five-year life cycle or removing 4.47 cars from the road for one year or planting 7.47 acres of forest. Field of Green • We recycle paper, bottles, cans, and use recycled paper if we can. — David W. Markowitz, Director, Clinical Research, MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals Inc., Germantown, Md. • At MSC we are very conscious of being environmentally friendly. We have a comprehensive recycling program of metals, aluminum, and paper. Colorado has a very active program for bike to work week; MSC takes full advantage of this week and goes beyond this week where about 20% of the company bikes to work or uses mass transit year round. As far as mass transit is concerned, the public transport in the Denver area uses a long-term pass or eco pass. MSC purchases this pass for all of its Denver-based employees. — Greg Lewallen, Product Manager, Manufacturers, Medical Simulation Corp., Denver. Planet Green Discovery Communications, parent company of Discovery Health CME, has an aggressive plan to go green. The world headquarters was constructed and furnished with a number of green products, including bamboo floors, demountable walls, and recyclable carpet and furniture. Recycling programs that began as the traditional paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum collection have increased over the years to include materials such as video tapes, yard trim, and toner cartridges. Discovery continues to expand its PlanetGreen at Work energy-efficiency and savings efforts with a host of new improvements in its pursuit of LEED certification. Projects in the areas of energy and water conservation include: energy efficient lighting, light sensors in the main corridors and rest rooms, low-flow rest room fixtures, and an irrigation system that captures and reuses water. By purchasing renewable energy certificates for 100% wind power, as well as offsetting the remainder of the energy use, Discovery’s headquarters is carbon neutral for building operations. Additionally, programs were developed and offered to employees to support a green commute to and from the office. Employees can choose from one of several programs, including mass transit subsidies, substantially discounted parking for carpooling and hybrids, and the purchase of walking shoes or a bicycle to use pedal power in the commute to work. “All of these changes are supported by a substantial internal communications effort so that the entire team is aware and compliant,” says John Whyte, M.D., MPH, VP, Continuing Medical Education, Discovery Health Channel. “Additionally, as a part of the initiative, Discovery will launch the first 24-hour television network dedicated to all things green from lifestyle, culture, and technology to transportation and home design to more than 50 million homes in 2008. Discovery Planet Green will offer entertaining, authentic, and informative television and will provide consumers with takeaways and tips for small, everyday changes that can have a big impact.” The Green Stamp of Approval S&R Communications Group encourages and rewards environmentally friendly initiatives, ideas, and programs. “We understand that the most important program is one that involves a permanent change in lifestyle and habits that produces less waste and emits less carbon into the environment,” says Kevin Szogas, strategic director, physician communications, S&R Communications Group. The agency has implemented some basic and unique ideas, such as: • Bright Idea Program: Each month the agency asks for green ideas from the employees and the winner gets a dozen compact fluorescent light bulbs for his or her house. • Recycle, Recycle, Recycle: From paper (recycled paper) to coffee cups that can be recycled (S&R prefers if employees use coffee mugs), the agency encourages its employees to recycle everything. • Electronic Newsletters: The agency’s daily and weekly newsletters are distributed electronically. Each day the newsletter includes a different idea or fact about ways to go green. S&R’s meeting services group encourages attendees to car pool and looks into environmentally friendly hotels for meetings. During the meeting, planners ask the facility to use china and silverware to reduce plastics, as well as linens to reduce paper; replace bottled water with water coolers; use electronic registrations and advertising; recycle all materials associated with events, such as signs, cups, handouts, etc.; and encourage vendors and speakers to provide their collateral or information in an electronic format to increase the likelihood of attendees keeping and not tossing the information. EcoEnlightment Efforts Columbia MedCom Group, a 100% employee-owned company, is also a triple bottom line company. “We care about the 3 ‘P’s’ — profit, people, planet,” says Susan Torroella, CEO of Columbia MedCom Group. “Our ECO Task Force guides our planet focus in collaboration with all eco-enlightened employee owners. Our eco-efforts have reaped tangible results at our company and our homes.” Ms. Torroella says the company has some very specific goals for the year and has made significiant accomplishments against these criteria. “Different employee owners own each of the goals below; this is a grass-roots effort and true green community that affects change at our company, in our homes, and our planet,” Ms. Torroella says. The goals of the program are to: • Increase recycling: The company doubled volume in the first three months of 2007. • Reduce overall paper/increase recycled paper usage: Columbia MedCom has reduced overall paper purchases and increased its recycled paper consumption by 30%. The company’s Innovia subsidiary is collaborating with designers to ensure that all large-quantity projects will print on certified responsibly-forested paper. • Increase environmentally friendly commuting and work transportation: The company encourages carpools through activities such as alternate transportation day and provides shower and bike storage facilities for cyclists. Columbia MedCom, and its subsidiary companies, now book fewer individual car trips, in favor of shuttle transportation or trains where air travel is not necessary. The task force’s Ecommunication newsletter regularly provides useful, empirically supported tips on more sustainable living, including “hypermiling,” which is driving for higher fuel efficiency. • Reduce electricity usage: Eco-responsibility campaigns have raised awareness such that common areas, such as the lunch room, the exercise room, and restrooms have lights turned off when not in use. There also has been a dramatic increase in individual employee owner responsibility for keeping office lights off when not in use. • Reduce purchase/usage of kitchen consumables — paper cups or plates, plastic utensils. The ECO Task Force has noted a decrease in some kitchen consumable purchases. • Increase use of compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs in the office and employees’ homes: Eco-responsibility campaigns have raised awareness about CFL bulbs. These use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than incandescent light bulbs. This year, the vast majority of employee owners report that some or all of their bulbs at home are CFL. • Participate in green events: The company celebrated Earth Week 2007, which included a “Jeopardy” game on eco-knowledge, a book club discussion of Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble, a recycled/organic arts and crafts contest, recognition of employee owners who commute to work eco-responsibly, and other events. Employee owners of Columbia MedCom Group’s network of companies (Innovia, Facetime, and Medicalliance Inc.) portray the various components of their green initiative, including alternative transportation, recycling, use of CFL bulbs, reduction in consumables, eco education, and more. Pictured from left to right are: Laura Kendrick, Susan Torroella, Michael Keevican, Matt Miles, Matthew Katz, and Donna Kiser. Signing Off on Green Initiatives Aspyra realized that cutting back on paper-related expenditures could help green the company. “Following the successful implementation of ARX’s CoSign digital signature solution, we have begun to reap a green harvest as we no longer have to print paper documents for signing purposes, and we have implemented a virtually paperless quality management system,” says Martin Sargent, CBET, director, regulatory affairs and quality assurance, Aspyra Inc. CoSign currently is being employed on an enterprisewide level to sign off on quality system documents to ensure compliance with FDA and European medical device regulations. These documents include SOPs, work instructions, protocols, specifications, functional requirements, and test procedures. “We wanted to eliminate the high costs and management associated with the proprietary, inflexible system of electronically signing paper records,” Mr. Sargent says. “There are real, legitimate dollar cost-savings to be realized when an organization such as ours no longer has to print, fax, or courier documents for review, approval, and use of quality documents.” In the bigger picture, not only is Aspyra saving paper but it is also cutting back on power consumption and reducing dependence on carbon-producing services that would typically be required to move a document urgently cross country. Martin Sargent, CBET, Director, Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance at Aspyra, says the company is cutting back on power consumption and reducing dependence on carbon-producing services that would typically be required to move a document urgently cross country. Environmentally Active Teri Cox, president of Cox Communications Partners LLC, a long-time and avid recycler, recently expanded her communications practice to include some environmental enterprises as clients. “For example, my firm teamed up with Rutgers University to successfully announce a new company, Re-Manufacturing Technologies Inc. (RMT), whose mission is to market and license novel green technologies that use solid waste as feedstock to manufacture new quality industrial materials,” she says. “RMT’s initial project is to market and license an innovative process, developed by Rutgers University’s polymers research center, which blends recycled plastic with waste latex paint to produce quality resins usable in manufacturing.” The RMT process will help to address the current shortage and rising global demand for recycled plastics by extending current supplies by 20% for industrial uses outside of food or health product packaging. It also offers a solution to the costly industry and government problem of what to do with unwanted or leftover latex paint instead of dumping it in landfills. “We’ve been preconditioning the market by building global awareness, interest, and support in the plastics, paint, recycling, and packaging industries and among government and third-party environmental stakeholder groups — similar in some ways to what we would before the launch of a new therapeutic product,” she says. Ms. Cox adds that as an industry already committed to the health and quality of life of patients and their families across the globe, it should set an example by doing all it can to go green and tell the world about its best practices. Teri Cox, President of Cox Communications Partners, is standing with Principal Research Scientist and Engineer Tom Nosker, Ph.D., at the Rutgers University Center for Advanced Materials via Immiscible Polymer Processing (AMIPP). They are examining pellets and molded material produced from blending waste latex paint with high density polyethylene (HDPE). Early Green Adopter Citeline, since its inception 10 years ago, has operated exclusively as a virtual, almost paperless organization, years before it was “in” to try and reduce carbon output. “As a fun exercise, we had our staff — 60 to 70 U.S.-based employees — calculate their carbon footprint before and after joining Citeline,” says Tracy DeGregorio, director, Citeline Inc. “We are proud to report that because of our exclusive work-from-home environment, on average, we have reduced our carbon output 3.5 tons per person per year, for a collective staff reduction of 237 tons of carbon output. This doesn’t even take into account the carbon output for running an average small business office in the United States, which is reported to be around 1,000 tons per year.” The company has staff located in 13 states, most of whom work paperless, connected by a VPN and common database that is located in California. “We have no storage rooms filled with paper files,” Ms. DeGregorio says. “Meetings are held via WebEx. Our products are Web-based or electronically delivered to our clients. The efficiencies we enjoy — both environmentally and with respect to business productivity — are a clear demonstration that there can be tremendous successes beyond the traditional office-based setting.” CommonHealth is pulling out all the stops in its efforts to promote environmentally friendly initiatives thoughout its network of agencies. In addition to recycling and conservation efforts, CommonHealth created a new agency called Earthborn to help its clients become more environmentally friendly as well. With the launch of Earthborn, a new, full-service agency that offers communications programs built around the connection between the environment and human health, clients can take advantage of a range of services, including advertising, education, and event marketing to reach multiple internal or external audiences. Earthborn was conceived based on the recognition that the planet’s health and human health are intrinsically connected. According to Matt Giegerich, president and CEO of CommonHealth, healthcare and earthcare go hand in hand, and everyone involved in healthcare is a stakeholder. “Earthborn was created to generate and communicate ideas that will help our clients have a positive impact on the environment and also as a way to express their shared concern for this issue, which will ultimately generate a healthier connection with their customers,” he says. “With the planet’s health at risk, we believe businesses that add environmentalism to their fundamental principles will be rewarded with genuine competitive advantages — inspired employees, loyal customers and greater market share.” Earthborn, reportedly the first agency of its kind, supports a host of initiatives that are being implemented throughout the CommonHealth network of agencies. Whenever possible, the company uses vendors that have eco-friendly programs in place. The agency has mandated the recycling of paper, glass, plastic, cans, and cardboard and has set up cans and stations throughout the compound for these purposes. All newly printed stationery, business cards, and other collateral materials within CommonHealth will be made from 100% post-consumer materials and will bear a logo stating it. Whenever possible, supply orders placed by the mailroom personnel for companywide use are for recycled or environmentally friendly products, including file folders, pads, and hanging files. Motion detectors have been installed in offices and internal conference rooms to turn off the lights if there is no movement in the office for 15 minutes, thus saving electricity. Motion detectors also are installed in the lavatories to control the amount of water when washing hands. Energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs are being used throughout the office areas. The agency’s workstation panel frames and laminate work surfaces are manufactured with recycled materials and the adhesives used are 99% VOC-free. CommonHealth uses recycled paper for most internal copiers and printers and for all client materials with their approval. The agency also recycles ink and toner cartridges for all printers that offer recycled materials. CommonHealth has taken steps to ensure that client materials, including invoices, are sent electronically. All Styrofoam products have been removed from the kitchens and pantries and replaced with paper products. All new CommonHealth desktop computers have earned the Energy Star from the U.S. government. These machines use 70% less electricity than computers without enabled power management features. To reduce the amount of paper production and waste, CommonHealth has implemented duplex — two-sided — printing as the default setting on all printers that support this feature. To further eliminate paper waste, the agency makes printer mailboxes available to all employees. These mailboxes enable users to store their job in the printer until they are ready to retrieve it. Use of these mailboxes reduces the number of lost or forgotten jobs and allows users to delete old print jobs before they are produced. The agency has issued corn plastic (compostable) travel mugs to all staff members to encourage their use in place of disposable cups. Employees also have been issued compact fluorescent lightbulbs to encourage their use in place of standard incandescent bulbs in their homes. Uncommon Actions Citeline, since its inception 10 years ago, has operated exclusively as a virtual, almost paperless organization, years before it was “in” to try and reduce carbon output. “As a fun exercise, we had our staff — 60 to 70 U.S.-based employees — calculate their carbon footprint before and after joining Citeline,” says Tracy DeGregorio, director, Citeline Inc. “We are proud to report that because of our exclusive work-from-home environment, on average, we have reduced our carbon output 3.5 tons per person per year, for a collective staff reduction of 237 tons of carbon output. This doesn’t even take into account the carbon output for running an average small business office in the United States, which is reported to be around 1,000 tons per year.” The company has staff located in 13 states, most of whom work paperless, connected by a VPN and common database that is located in California. “We have no storage rooms filled with paper files,” Ms. DeGregorio says. “Meetings are held via WebEx. Our products are Web-based or electronically delivered to our clients. The efficiencies we enjoy — both environmentally and with respect to business productivity — are a clear demonstration that there can be tremendous successes beyond the traditional office-based setting.” CommonHealth is pulling out all the stops in its efforts to promote environmentally friendly initiatives thoughout its network of agencies. In addition to recycling and conservation efforts, CommonHealth created a new agency called Earthborn to help its clients become more environmentally friendly as well. With the launch of Earthborn, a new, full-service agency that offers communications programs built around the connection between the environment and human health, clients can take advantage of a range of services, including advertising, education, and event marketing to reach multiple internal or external audiences. Earthborn was conceived based on the recognition that the planet’s health and human health are intrinsically connected. According to Matt Giegerich, president and CEO of CommonHealth, healthcare and earthcare go hand in hand, and everyone involved in healthcare is a stakeholder. “Earthborn was created to generate and communicate ideas that will help our clients have a positive impact on the environment and also as a way to express their shared concern for this issue, which will ultimately generate a healthier connection with their customers,” he says. “With the planet’s health at risk, we believe businesses that add environmentalism to their fundamental principles will be rewarded with genuine competitive advantages — inspired employees, loyal customers and greater market share.” Earthborn, reportedly the first agency of its kind, supports a host of initiatives that are being implemented throughout the CommonHealth network of agencies. Whenever possible, the company uses vendors that have eco-friendly programs in place. The agency has mandated the recycling of paper, glass, plastic, cans, and cardboard and has set up cans and stations throughout the compound for these purposes. All newly printed stationery, business cards, and other collateral materials within CommonHealth will be made from 100% post-consumer materials and will bear a logo stating it. Whenever possible, supply orders placed by the mailroom personnel for companywide use are for recycled or environmentally friendly prod cts, including file folders, pads, and hanging files. Motion detectors have been installed in offices and internal conference rooms to turn off the lights if there is no movement in the office for 15 minutes, thus saving electricity. Motion detectors also are installed in the lavatories to control the amount of water when washing hands. Energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs are being used throughout the office areas. The agency’s workstation panel frames and laminate work surfaces are manufactured with recycled materials and the adhesives used are 99% VOC-free. CommonHealth uses recycled paper for most internal copiers and printers and for all client materials with their approval. The agency also recycles ink and toner cartridges for all printers that offer recycled materials. CommonHealth has taken steps to ensure that client materials, including invoices, are sent electronically. All Styrofoam products have been removed from the kitchens and pantries and replaced with paper products. All new CommonHealth desktop computers have earned the Energy Star from the U.S. government. These machines use 70% less electricity than computers without enabled power management features. To reduce the amount of paper production and waste, CommonHealth has implemented duplex — two-sided — printing as the default setting on all printers that support this feature. To further eliminate paper waste, the agency makes printer mailboxes available to all employees. These mailboxes enable users to store their job in the printer until they are ready to retrieve it. Use of these mailboxes reduces the number of lost or forgotten jobs and allows users to delete old print jobs before they are produced. The agency has issued corn plastic (compostable) travel mugs to all staff members to encourage their use in place of disposable cups. Employees also have been issued compact fluorescent lightbulbs to encourage their use in place of standard incandescent bulbs in their homes. Matt Giegerich, President and CEO of CommonHealth, plants a ceremonial tree during the company’s celebratory launch of the new environmentally friendly agency Earthborn. Additionally, CommonHealth plans to plant a tree on the anniversary of each employee. CommonHealth’s Green Actions Moving forward, CommonHealth will implement the following green initiatives in 2007: • The use of only environmentally friendly cleaning products. • Work with building management to use only no or low-VOC paint. • All flat screen TVs in the common areas are to be turned off at 4:30 p.m. during the last mail run. • Reserved parking spots for hybrids and carpoolers. • Work with the onsite café in the building to encourage employees to use recycled paper goods for take-out, use real dishes for catering, and install recycling bins for plastic, paper and cans. • The agency will not receive or accept any printed mail from photographers or archive houses as a way to cut down on incoming printed materials. Letters are being sent to these vendors requesting that for artists to be considered they must send materials electronically; staff are being informed accordingly. • CommonHealth will plant a tree in the honor of the person having an anniversary, instead of the prior tradition of employees receiving a rose for every year of their tenure on their company anniversary. Brand Pharm’s Green Actions Healthcare advertising agency Brand Pharm has launched a Growing Green initiative as part of its new agency brand, introduced in June in conjunction with a new Website, brandpharmusa.com. • Recycling: The agency has begun using 30% recycled paper in its printers, copy machines, and fax machines (paper with a higher recycled percentage can affect machines’ performance); started changing to envelopes, letters, and notepads with partially recycled paper; replaced paper towels with 100% recycled paper towels; and added recycling bins to its kitchen. • A New Green Office: To prepare for its move to a new midtown location in October, Brand Pharm has researched environmentally friendly paint, carpeting, lighting, and construction materials; planned energy-saving options through temperature controls; and begun creating waste minimization plans for steps such as providing each employee with a takeout lunch bag. • Employee Awareness: Regular e-mails from Brand Pharm’s Growing Green team show employees how to protect the environment at work and at home, an activity that has been met with internal enthusiasm. A Growing Green Mission Brand Pharm Managing Director Kathy Magnuson says “green is not just a color in our logo; it’s a part of our life.” Ms. Magnuson is referring to the agency’s new initiative: Growing Green. “Our philosophy is that as we grow as an agency, and as we grow our clients, we also need to take on increasing responsibility as part of a global community, and this means growing green,” she says. “Our purpose: to identify and implement day-to-day ways to make a positive impact on the world around us. The goal is to go beyond everyday recycling efforts to reduce our current carbon footprint, especially now, as we prepare to move to our new location. We seek ways to elevate our mindset so we’re motivated to do our part today and over the long term.” Over the last two months, Brand Pharm’s Growing Green team has established many day-to-day recycling activities, educated employees about growing green at home and at work, and put plans in place for a new agency office with green features ranging from environmentally friendly paint to company lunch bags that will help eliminate plastic takeout bags. Ms. Magnuson views this environmental commitment as essential to the continued success of the agency, which anticipates increasing its staff by 25% by year end. “If you’re going to be in the healthcare industry and seriously take your job to heart in terms of caring for people, the natural extension is to care for the environment,” she says. “Growing Green clearly demonstrates Brand Pharm’s commitment to its philosophy of alternative thinking for ourselves and for our clients.” F PharmaVOICE welcomes comments about this article. E-mail us at [email protected]. Brand Pharm’s Growing Green Team includes: Grant King, Associate Creative Director, Art; Joe Knouse, Multimedia Specialist; Mario Villamizar, Director of Office Services; Stacey Luftig, Senior Editor; Jon Fulton, Junior AD; David Ramlal, Account Director. Teri P. Cox. President, Cox Communications Partners LLC, Lawrenceville, N.J.; Cox Communications is a healthcare public relations and consultancy company. For more information, e-mail [email protected]. Tracy DeGregorio. Director, Citeline Inc., New York; Citeline provides global clinical-trials intelligence to the pharmaceutical industry. For more information, visit citeline.com. Matt Giegerich. President and CEO, CommonHealth, Parsippany, N.J.; CommonHealth is a full-service healthcare communications company. For more information, visit commonhealth.com. Jeffrey Hyman. Manager, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), EMD Serono Inc., Rockland, Mass.; EMD Serono is committed to discovering and developing medicines that address unmet medical needs, integrating innovative science with comprehensive patient support systems to improve lives. For more information, visit emdserono.com. Dr. Jack S. Kace. VP, Environmental & Safety, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. (Roche), Nutley, N.J.; Roche is a research-oriented healthcare group with core businesses in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. For more information, visit rocheusa.com. Anjali Kansagara, MS, MBA. Product Marketing Manager, GenVault Corp., Carlsbad, Calif.; GenVault specializes in innovating defining technologies for biosample storage, tracking, and transport at room temperature. For more information, visit genvault.com. Kathy Magnuson. Managing Director, Brand Pharm, New York; Brand Pharm, a member of the Publicis Healthcare Group, is a full-service medical advertising agency. For more information, visit brandpharmusa.com. William Nazzaro. EDC Associate, eClinical-EDC, Novo Nordisk Inc., Princeton, N.J.; Novo Nordisk is a healthcare company and a world leader in diabetes care. For more information, visit novonordisk.com. Darcy Ross. Producer, Multimedia Production and Communications, Goble & Associates, Chicago; Goble is a full-service healthcare advertising agency. For more information, vist goble.com. Martin D. Sargent, CBET. Director, Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance, Aspyra Inc., Jacksonville, Fla.; Aspyra is a clinical information and diagnostic systems solutions vendor. For more information, visit aspyra.com. Kevin Szogas. Strategic Director, Physician Communications, S&R Communications Group, Durham, N.C.; S&R is a full-service healthcare communications agency. For more information, visit srcomgroup.com. Susan Torroella. CEO, Columbia MedCom Group, Columbia, Md.; Columbia MedCom is an employee-owned medical communications firm. For more information, visit columbiamedcomgroup.com. John Whyte, M.D., MPH. VP, Continuing Medical Education, Discovery Health Channel, Silver Spring, Md.; Discovery Health Medical Education develops content for healthcare professionals. For more information, visit discovery.com.