Green Initiatives
Consumers are more and more interested in responsible corporate citizenry and becoming a green enterprise today gives DBR Creative a competitive advantage. Though most of DBR’s business operations are handled through our Chicago office, DBR field offices have implemented a number of changes on how it does business to substantially reduce both operational costs and carbon footprint with the following green initiatives and sustainability programs.
We have discovered as a green employer, an increasing number of candidates are attracted to companies who openly value environmental responsibility. Our focus on developing an online collaboration portal with a solid telecommuting program affords flexibility to members of our team and their schedules, as well as an improved, quality of response time to our clients because of staggered work hours and shifts.
DBR Creative’s green initiatives include:
Green Printing Practices. By maintaining control of our printing facilities, DBR Creative has implemented greener printing practices including the use of vegetable-based inks, which have lower levels of VOC than traditional petroleum inks, and are less volatile in storage. This reduces harmful carbon emissions while creating a safer work environment for our production staff.
We treat most of our prints with non-toxic water-based aqueous (AQ) coating to improve bio-degradability of our printed products and improve print drying times. We provide AQ coating with Gloss and Matte finish. We also recycle all unused paper scraps, printing plates and ink waste.
Improved Recruitment of Employee Talent. In a May 2008 online survey, the Telework Coalition found that 87 percent of respondents would limit a job search based on potential cost of commuting. In fact, 28 percent of respondents said they were already looking for a new job because of commuting costs. By offering a telecommuting option to key employees with skills that are hard to replace, DBR provides a better work-life balance, while minimizing employees’ commuting expenses. The added benefit is that DBR Creative can offer extended service and response hours, including weekends and holidays, because of varied work schedules.
Increased Productivity. It’s no secret that happy and relaxed workers are more productive than those who are overwhelmed and stressed by the challenges of balancing family obligations, a long commute, and a full-time job. DBR Creative also has a Response Incentive program in place to reward efficient production and response times to our clients.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery. Natural disasters, the threat of terrorism and workplace violence have all forced companies to look at different ways to protect their most valuable asset – their people. DBR is consistenly looking at business continuity planning, and while most managers view IT systems as the major component of a business continuity plan, DBR’s telecommuting program plays a important role in keeping operations going should something happen to the corporate office.
Availability to Clients. Client’s schedules don’t always operate on a 9-5 basis. Our clients may need access to DBR’s support outside of the window of standard business hours – particularly in a crisis. Delivering this level of customer support – whether in-office or in the field, is greatly improved by providing employees easy access to enterprise communications from their homes.