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| About Zones > Corporate Social Responsibility and Governance > Green Initiatives |
Zones is committed to reducing the impact that information technology has on the environment. To help your organization meet and increase its environmental standards, we provide environmentally friendly products, green IT services, and asset management services. As a leading technology provider in the U.S., our commitment to the local and global environment is also demonstrated by some of the ways in which we minimize the environmental impact associated with our internal business operations.
Environmentally Friendly Products
Zones works with manufacturers to offer servers, computers, notebooks, monitors and consumables that have environmentally friendly attributes. ENERGY STAR® products help save energy through efficient designs. The EPA requirements for earning ENERGY STAR are to meet energy use benchmarks in three distinct operating modes: standby, active and sleep modes. In addition to the product, any included accessory must also meet the ENERGY STAR qualifications for its category.
EPEAT™ is operated by the Green Electronics Council (GEC). EPEAT evaluates products according to three tiers of environmental performance - Bronze, Silver and Gold. To qualify for acceptance as an EPEAT product, a product must conform to 23 required criteria; and in the case of Gold and Silver, a percentage of optional criteria (Gold 75% and Silver 50%).
To make it easier for you to distinguish products that meet ENERGY STAR and EPEAT specifications, we include this information on our website and in our catalogs. We also include information about recycling programs for products and consumables. By choosing environmentally friendly products you protect the environment, lower your total cost of ownership, and get the quality and performance you expect.
Green IT Services
It is important for both your organization's ongoing success and the protection of our environment that your technology choices and acquisitions are made with regard to energy cost, use, and supply. Zones services complement our environmentally friendly product offerings by offering assistance with all aspects of your IT projects and all areas of your infrastructure.
Our experts have the in-depth knowledge to help you with energy strategy and management. Lower costs now and plan for future occurrences by developing a disaster recovery strategy that minimizes the losses caused by severe weather events. Deploy custom, energy-efficient IT solutions that minimize the financial impact of changes in energy supply and price. And assess your current energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions.
Zones Professional Services plans, coordinates and conducts a comprehensive selection of green-friendly projects. Your Zones account executive can tell you more about our services for virtual environment conversion, carbon footprint assessments, installation of multifunction printers, data center retrofitting, network storage consolidation, lifecycle management, electronic document archiving, and others.
Asset Management
As a single source provider of IT products and services for more than 20 years, Zones has the experience to facilitate your IT asset management, including services around security and environmental issues.
We understand that a commitment to minimizing the impact technology has on the environment is a tenet that carries through the entire lifecycle of your IT assets. From the selection of your IT solutions leading up to and including systematic reuse, repurposing, recycling and disposal, Zones nationwide disposition centers and standardized processes ensure you will experience unparalleled service.
You can rest easy knowing that Zones recycling partners will provide complete, environmentally responsible disposition of your IT assets. IT assets are recycled following EPA guidelines as well as federal, state and local guidelines. And our service partners are committed to a zero-landfill policy for e-waste and proper disposal of toxic heavy metals.
Green Packaging
Zones has discontinued the use of Styrofoam and air bladders as package fillers and has replaced them with paper made from recycled materials. We also reuse packaging boxes internally when mailing materials to corporate events.
Server Consolidation
Over time Zones has consolidated our servers to conserve energy and maximize space efficiency. The IT experts at Zones are always eager to discuss the energy, performance, and cost benefits of server consolidation with you. We will also make you aware of any rebates and incentives utility companies are giving to organizations that adopt server consolidation solutions and take other steps towards lowering energy consumption.
Electronic Invoicing and Procurement
Since 2003 Zones has used electronic customer invoicing, and to date we have replaced 21,000 paper invoices and statements each month with electronic versions. Our ZonesConnect™ online purchasing tool for customers offers electronic IT fulfillment, online quotes, and online reporting capabilities. And we encourage businesses to choose software licensing to help eliminate unnecessary software boxes. Zones remains committed to finding ways to conserve resources and eliminate waste.
Environmentally Friendly Catalog Program
In 2008 we migrated our entire catalog print program to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper. FSC certification ensures that the paper in our catalogs contains fiber from well-managed and responsibly harvested forests that meet strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. Our Zones IT Business and Creative Professional catalogs are printed with inks containing soy and/or vegetable oils. Our Healthcare and Software catalogs are printed entirely with soy-based inks that contain no heavy metals, are non-toxic, non-carcinogenic and are composed of bio-derived renewable resources ranging from 25 to 30 percent.
Internal Recycling
For more than ten years, Zones has recycled within the workplace. Recycle bins for aluminum, glass, metals, steel and paper are conveniently placed for team members to use. Old equipment, such as CPUs and CRT monitors, are disposed of through accredited companies who recycle and/or tear down these products as necessary.
Commute Trip Reduction Program (CTR)
Zones promotes the use of mass transit and carpooling among our team members. Commuter Bonus Plus Dollars are provided monthly for those who participate in these alternative commuting systems. There are on-site amenities such as bicycle racks and lockers available for team members who bike or walk to the office.
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