Sustainability is the catchphrase of the moment. Yet its meaning is not always clear. What do we mean by a sustainable company? An office that uses energy-saving light bulbs? Products that don't cause any damage? Good working conditions, or honest management and healthy growth? Sustainability has so many facets that it is hard to describe in just a couple of sentences.
Oc'e has been practising sustainability for the past 130 years, long before it became fashionable and even legislated, and has achieved a great deal across the whole area of sustainability. This has been an ongoing process over the years: through long-lasting and close cooperation with our customers and through the development of our technology.
Oc'e customers demand products that their employees like to work with. It is important that they are efficient, quality products. But for the direct user, safety and ease of use are much more important. Oc'e equipment is user-friendly with low emission values.
The sustainability of Oc'e products is, to a great extent, determined at the drawing board. From there, sustainability continues to play a key role throughout the entire process, from the design of a product to its delivery. In the Oc'e production facilities optimal working conditions prevail, and the materials and procedures used comply with the strictest environmental standards. Suppliers of parts, modules and machines are also obliged to meet the same level of sustainability, in the same aspects as Oc'e. The installation of machines and systems at the customer's site is, incidentally, not the final step. The next link in the sustainability chain is formed by Oc'e service workers across the globe, who maintain Oc'e products in perfect condition, 24 hours a day.
Oc'e's renowned productivity is also beneficial for the environment. Oc'e machines are economic: no wastage of materials, no waste products and low energy consumption. Advanced Oc'e software creates efficient work processes, which in turn help save materials and energy. All Oc'e equipment works perfectly with recycled paper, while our newest generation of printers can print double-sided simultaneously, without any loss of speed. This means a reduction in paper consumption of, on average, 30%.
When developing new machines, Oc'e uses as many parts and modules from old machines coming back from the market as possible. These parts and modules were made with a view to providing years of trouble-free service and are still in a more than suitable condition to be used a second and often even a third time. The entire design process is geared towards this approach. Oc'e has several specialised factories and workshops where the usable parts and modules are recovered. Complete machines can also be returned to top condition and are given a new lease of life. Incidentally, in addition to the parts and modules, almost all of the materials (90%) coming from the returned machines can be reused or recycled by Oc'e or others.
Oc'e is continually searching for environmentally friendlier processes within the organisation. We limit energy consumption in the offices through, for example, the use of new buildings and efficient heating systems. The greatest effect comes from the attitude of our employees. With 24 000 employees, our ecological footprint is quite significant, but by paying close attention to environmentally friendly operation we are able to look forward to substantial improvements in the future.
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