FYI - Do you stamp green?

Do you stamp green? If you use Stampin' Up! products you do.

Those of you that know me and my family know that we are a recycling family (thanks partially to the Army). My husband owns a green company and a quick look in our garage at the always full recycling containers will give you a clue.

That being said I can tell you I was so excited to find out exactly how "green" Stampin' Up! has become. Below you can read an article from our demonstrator magazine Stampin' Success, January 2009 issue. I have permission from Stampin' Up! to print this word for word. I hope you learning about it as much as I did.

Stamping "green" - A Quick Look at Stampin' Up!'s Eco-conscious Practices

These days, everywhere you turn people are "going green" and putting into practice ideas that can make a difference in the environment and conserve energy. But what is Stampin' Up! doing to "go green"? Your customers have been asking this question, and we want to help you answer them!

Rubber
Rather than dumping our excess rubber in a landfill, we donate it to Courage Reins, a nonprofit organization that provides horseback riding therapy for physically or mentally challenged children. They take our ground rubber and sell it to groups and individuals for use in playgrounds and horse stables. The money they receive from the sale of this rubber goes to fund their programs. You can find more information about Courage Reins at www.couragereins.org.

Wood Blocks
Our wood blocks are not only created from a renewable resource, we engage in a sustainable practice to get those wood block. We work with a tree farm in which the maple trees are grown specifically for the purpose of harvesting wood!

Card Stock and Paper
You're probably already aware that the paper we use for shipping is 100 percent recycled. Bud did you know that our card stock includes recycled material? It's true! Our card stock includes recycled paper that's left over from other paper runs, which would otherwise end up in a landfill. The darker the color of card stock, the more recycled material is in the card stock. (Who would have thought that Basic Black is our greenest color?)

In addition, we work with a paper broker who ensures that the mills we use for our Designer Series paper and card stock engage in environmentally friendly practices. Our broker is even certified through the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and the Program for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification (PEFC). These certifications help us know that our paper comes from sustainably managed forests and mills that are taking steps to lessen their carbon footprint. One of our mills even generates its own power.

Our Buildings
We are very fortunate to have wonderful facilities at Stampin' Up! that help us reduce our environmental impact. First, systems in both the Riverton and Kanab buildings filter any pollutants that may result from stamp production. Second, our buildings are designed with energy conservation in mind. Both buildings have geothermal wells, which help us maintain building temperature, cutting down on our use of heating oil or natural gas. In addition, all lights are on sensors and timers, so we don't waste electricity when employees are away from the office.

In our desert climate here in Utah, it's also extremely important that we watch our water use. For this reason, we've incorporated native, water-wise plants in our landscaping. If you've visited the home office, you may have noticed that we have wildflowers growing in front of our building instead of grass! Our sprinkler system is timed to minimize evaporation, which helps reduce the amount of water we use to maintain our landscape. indoors, artificial plants mingle with the live ones in the area around our atrium water feature. This allows us to have a lush garden while minimizing the amount of water we use.

Carbon Footprint
At Stampin' Up!, we strive to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible. This means that we try to engage in shipping practices that will require fewer greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, to be released into the atmosphere. First, UPS picks up shipments from our Distribution Center each day during nonpeak traffic hours. This cuts down the amount of gasoline UPS needs to use to get our orders out the door. You can learn what UPS is doing to make their practices more eco-friendly at http://sustainability.ups.com.

For stamp shipments from Kanab to Riverton, we "carpool" with companies who are sending shipments from the Salt Lake City area to Kanab. For example, Sysco delivers food to Kanab and surrounding towns and, normally, their trucks would return empty to Salt Lake City. Instead of driving back without cargo, Sysco trucks bring stamps from Kanab to Riverton!

As you know, one of our guiding principles at Stampin' Up! is Change, and with that principle in mind, we are always looking for ways to improve our business practices to do what's right for our demonstrators, employees, community and environment. --end

I hope you are as impressed as I was after I read this article. If we all do our part, the planet will be habitable for decades to come!