As environmental impact moves to the forefront of social and business ethics, everyone, from consumers, to corporations is acting more responsibly by setting goals for greater sustainability. Many Fortune 500 and international companies have committed to reaching 80% to 100% sustainability within the next 10 to 20 years. Some of these companies are already well on their way. I cite the recent example of Amazon rolling out its 100% electric vehicle delivery fleet in 2019. 

Even entire nations, such as Sweden, are committing on a massive scale with the goal of reaching 100% sustainability by 2045. Many of these businesses are also promising greater corporate transparency (example: Patagonia’s Footprint Chronicles) by sharing their progress towards these goals. That is the future: an honest, two-way conversation with customers, and stakeholders, about what you are doing to improve every day.

Our Commitment to Sustainable Consumption

As a serviced based testing laboratory, Q-PLUS Labs’ operations are part of a business sector that does not generate significant pollution or waste output. Like any company or individual consumer, we are aware that our activities affect the environment. Q-PLUS Labs is already working towards minimizing our environmental impact through sustainable business practices in our daily operations.

Our current efforts include:

  • Going paperless with digital documentation
  • Increasing the use of online communications and videoconferencing
  • Reducing business travel
  • Utilizing energy-efficient technology and equipment, such as smart lighting
  • Smart environmental controls throughout our facility
  • Electronic recycling
  • Paper and waste recycling
  • Working towards sustainable waste management

Lab Reporting – Reaching the Goal of Paperless Documentation

We are working to become virtually paperless over the next five years, which is honestly no easy feat–some clients still require printed reports and documentation. We’re also further reducing our carbon footprint by improving our material consumption with eco-friendly and recycled goods.

Lead by Example – Training and Educating our Workforce in Sustainability

Having goals and strategies are great, but what good are well-intentioned plans without implementing a metric to determine progress? The answer is… not that effective. Q-PLUS Labs has always considered employees the most valuable of assets. We demonstrate the importance of an individual with our career management and skill development programs, which are including an awareness of sustainable procurement at the time of hire.

Energy Efficiency – Smart Technology and LED Lighting

To help reach our goal of increasing energy efficiency, we have made upgrades to our facilities such as: upgrading our lighting with smart technology and the installation of advanced environmental controls. To continue these efforts, moving forward, we are aiming for a reduction in total energy consumption by 20% over the next five years. These efforts include a major conversion of overhead lighting, in both facilities, to use more energy-efficient LED lights.

Promoting Sustainable Consumption – Keeping Our Customers Informed

Our goal is to provide more transparency by sharing our progress and tracking of fact-based environmental information to customers within our digital presence and other channels that we utilize to supply information. Right now, promoting sustainable consumption as a corporation is equally as important to limiting negative environmental and social impact by encouraging everyone around us to partake and commit to sustainable consumption.

Work with Q-PLUS Labs Sustainably – What You Can Do to Achieve These Goals

Q-PLUS Labs is always looking for ways to help our customers work more efficiently and sustainably. Please reach out to your representative at Q-PLUS Labs to see how your company can work with us to achieve environmentally-friendly goals. We will work with you on everything from digital documentation (to go completely paperless or reduce paper use) and transportation logistics. Or for more information please contact us today!

I will leave you with our commitment as defined by our Environmental Mission Statement:

Our Environmental Mission Statement

Q-PLUS Labs is committed to reducing our impact on the environment. With this goal in mind, we will reach 100% digital documentation within our company. We will reduce our waste consumption to the lowest possible numbers and purchase environmentally-conscious goods whenever possible. We will reduce our energy consumption through smart technologies and energy-efficient products. We will seek new technologies and techniques to continuously improve our systems through sustainable business practices by putting the earth, environment, communities, and children first.

We will help make a better future.