DALLAS and NEBRASKA CITY, Nebr. — March 17, 2003 — Kinko’s, Inc. locations around the country are helping customers “think green” this St. Patrick’s Day through a partnership with The National Arbor Day Foundation and in-store efforts to educate customers about the environment.
Kinko’s® will plant a tree on behalf of each customer who makes a qualifying purchase in an effort to help reforest fire-damaged U.S. National Forests. The tree-planting initiative is a part of a new program designed to help Kinko’s customers understand how everyday purchasing decisions can positively impact the long-term health and well-being of the planet. The program spans two other very important “green” celebrations – Earth Day and Arbor Day.
“Caring for our communities and the environment is one of Kinko’s Core Values, and building a more sustainable future is also increasingly important to our customers,” said Gary Kusin, Kinko’s president and chief executive officer. “Kinko’s new program is the perfect platform to share information and reward our customers for their environmentally improved purchasing decisions.”
Kinko’s hopes to donate 50,000 trees with help from its customers. According to The National Arbor Day Foundation, such a donation would reforest approximately 100 acres – enough to cover 75 football fields or 28 city blocks. The National Arbor Day Foundation will manage planting at the end of the program.
“Kinko’s is to be commended for its commitment to the environment and efforts to plant trees,” said John Rosenow, president of The National Arbor Day Foundation. “Kinko’s and its customers throughout America will make a tremendous impact on reforestation in our National Forests.”
Qualifying purchases include selecting one of many recycled paper products available at Kinko’s, including 30- and 100-percent post-consumer recycled papers and greeting cards from Recycled Paper Greetings. In addition, each customer who participates in Kinko’s new inkjet recycling program will receive a one-dollar discount on the purchase of a replacement cartridge.
Each Kinko’s location will also designate one self-serve black and white copier as a “green machine,” replacing standard 30 percent post-consumer recycled paper with 100 percent post-consumer recycled, process chlorine-free paper at no additional cost to customers.
Kinko’s locations will also feature information around the store about environmentally improved products available for sale at Kinko’s. Customers can also pick up free tip sheets with suggestions about choices customers can make at Kinko’s, in their offices and at home.
For more information about how to make a difference, visit any U.S. Kinko’s location or read about the program at www.kinkos.com between now and April 27, 2003.
Kinko’s and the Environment
Kinko’s history includes a long-standing dedication to protecting the environment. Recent developments include Kinko’s Global Commitment, which sets standards for incorporating sustainable business practices that generate economic, social and environmental value today and for future generations. Last week, the company announced its comprehensive new Forest-based Products Procurement Policy, which includes vendor requirements surrounding sustainable forest management practices and a central set of recycled content standards.
Other actions include continuous improvement in energy conservation, buying renewable energy, using and promoting the sale of recycled products, and minimizing and recycling waste – including the expansion of non-resource-intensive product offerings such as Kinko’s DocStore and Kinko’s Document Scanning Services.
About The National Arbor Day Foundation
Founded in 1972, The National Arbor Day Foundation is a non-profit organization established to help people plant and care for trees. The Foundation’s national membership has grown to nearly one million members, with eight million trees distributed to its members annually. The Foundation has worked with the USDA Forest Service since 1990, planting more than four million trees in National Forests that have been damaged by fire, insect or other natural causes. For additional information about The National Arbor Day Foundation, visit www.arborday.org, call (402) 474-5655, or write to: The National Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410.
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