Sustain-Enable: The Softchoice Way

One of the most important ways for organizations to reduce the environmental impact of their business operations is through the adoption of green technology strategies. Softchoice is committed to enabling this process by making it simple and cost-effective for customers to do what’s right for their business and for the planet.

Our Vision

To become North America’s leading enabler of sustainable IT practices.

Our Strategy

There are three core choices that define our strategy:

1. Be an Eco-Efficient Partner
   As an organization and concerned global citizens, we strive to manage our business in the most environmentally sustainable manner possible. Whether reducing energy consumption or eliminating waste generated by daily operations, we’re looking to minimize our environmental impact on the planet. Our goal is to become North America’s green IT supplier of choice for businesses and organizations all of sizes.
   
   Key Goals:
   
   • Deliver continuous, measurable improvements to the sustainability of our business operations.
   • Provide transparent annual reporting to demonstrate our progress towards becoming the greenest option for our customers
2. Be the Leading Enabler of EcoTech Solutions
   We recognize the growing importance organizations place on reducing the environmental impact of their IT investments. Softchoice’s EcoTech Solutions, in collaboration with partners and leading advocacy groups, will make it simple for organizations to identify the greenest possible technology purchasing options.
   
   Key Goals:
   
   • Become the leading reseller of green technologies*
   • Become the leading reseller in the elimination of e-Waste**
   * as measured by percentage of total sales
   ** as measured by the percentage of hardware take-back as compared to units sold
   
   
3. Be the Means for a Better Industry
   Technological innovation continues to enhance business and our quality of life. However, continuous advancements in IT have led to increasing amounts of electronic waste (e-Waste) and a growing ‘digital divide’ between developed and developing nations. In addition to being a leading advocate for IT sustainability, through Softchoice Cares we will focus our philanthropic giving on causes that ensure people around the world have access to technology and the means for a better life.
   
   Key Goals:
   
   • Annually double the number of individuals who receive IT training through our efforts
   • Be the leading advocate for IT sustainability initiatives and standards

EcoTech Solutions

It’s easy for IT to be green by taking advantage of the resources available on Softchoice’s EcoTech Solutions website. New Green technologies can raise your competitive advantage while reducing your environmental impact and moving IT to the forefront of your organization’s sustainability strategy.

Learn more about EcoTech Solutions

EPEAT Hardware Selection

On Earth Day 2008 Softchoice launched the first e-commerce website in the world to offer full search and purchase functionality for registered EPEAT product listings. Use our searchable EPEAT criteria to easily identify products that have met a series of 23 mandatory environmental performance criteria such as energy efficiency, the elimination of environmentally sensitive materials, and recycle-friendly design.

Learn more about the EPEAT program and Softchoice

Search shortcuts:

All EPEAT products
EPEAT-registered notebooks
EPEAT-registered desktops
EPEAT-registered monitors

Softchoice Cares

The potential for technology to transform education and improve prospects for future employment is enormous. Nowhere is this more important or more needed than in third-world countries where limited access to computers creates barriers to learning new skills. Through Softchoice Cares, our people have rallied to the cause, aligning the focus of our business with our philanthropic efforts. In working to bridge the digital divide, our goal is to create opportunities to enhance education, further skills training and ultimately improve prospects for employment. Thanks to our people, thousands of people around the world now have a powerful incentive to stay in school and lay the foundation for a more promising future.

Learn about Softchoice Cares

An Eco-Efficient Partner

We are an Eco-Efficient Link in your Supply Chain.

Softchoice has implemented an internal Environmental Management System (EMS) and through this we strive to manage our business in the most environmentally sustainable manner possible. Whether it’s through reducing energy consumption or eliminating waste generated by daily operations, we’re taking concrete actions to minimize our environmental impact on the planet. Our goal is to become North America’s IT supplier of choice for organizations of all sizes that are looking to ‘green their supply chain’ by partnering with only the most environmentally responsible companies.

Key Goals:

• Deliver continuous, measurable improvements to the sustainability of our business operations.
• Provide transparent annual reporting to demonstrate our progress towards becoming the greenest option for our customers.

Examples:

Sustainability Programs Management

In January 2008 Softchoice appointed it’s first ever Sustainability Programs Manager, and we’ve forged ahead with new initiatives aimed at greening our own operations and helping our customers to do the same. In order to encourage innovation and ideas from our employees, we have also created the “Sustain-Enable Award” which will be given to the employee who has the biggest environmental impact on the company through the submission of a green idea business case. We also currently have an employee volunteer committee called the “Green Team” which has grown to over 30 members since it started in Spring 2007. These volunteers are the muscle behind our internal environmental initiatives, such as:

Screw the Light bulbs

One of the first projects Softchoice took on was retrofitting the lighting system of our headquarters. Our internal “green team” made the business case and enlisted volunteers to replace some 600 light bulbs with new energy efficient compact fluorescents. This one project alone will save Softchoice $40,000 in electricity and eliminate roughly 800,000 lbs of carbon emissions annually.

GreenCommute

As of August 2008, Softchoice has eliminated all subsidized or free parking spots for new employees in our four call centers. Instead, we have increased the total investment in employee transport to provide every new employee with the option of receiving a 100% transit subsidy, as well giving existing employees cash incentives not to drive. We also hope to significantly reduce the amount of single occupancy vehicles (SOVs) driving to work by providing other GreenCommute car pool and transit benefits.

‘Greening’ our own Supply Chain

Softchoice has notified our major suppliers, from our catering companies to our consultants, that we are serious about our environmental commitment. We have formally asked these suppliers to present their sustainability credentials to us, and we’ve let them know that they will be evaluated on these factors in the future. The utilization of Softchoice’s Sustainable Purchasing Policy will ensure that these environmental criteria carry weight in our vendor selection process. Our goal is to use our purchasing power to help motivate companies to consider the planet when designing their products and services. If our customers are selecting us because of our Eco-Efficiencies, we want to be doing the same.

Softchoice Recycles

Softchoice is retrofitting all our sales centers with new, state of the art recycling bins so that it is easier to properly sort waste. Beyond the large offices, we currently only have full recycling (paper, aluminum, glass, plastic) in 25% of our remote branches across North America. Our goal is to work with local building management to create new recycling programs so that we have 100% of our branches effectively recycling. In addition, it was found that many of our offices use disposable cups and cutlery. We are replacing these with re-usable mugs and silverware and will be able to reduce our waste by over 20,000 pieces of disposable items per month!

* All projects will be reported in detail in Softchoice’s 2008 Sustainability Report, which will be available to the public in April 2009.