Sustainabe Business Practices Adopted Early On at Keeney's Office Supply

Local Redmond company, Keeney's Office Supply, has the slogan "Put us to work for your office."  They are more than a supplier of products, but a partner to Puget Sound Businesses, to help put the most efficient work environments in place.  Read on to find out how efficiency and sustainability go hand in hand in this family-owned business.

Sterne and Keeney-McCarthy pictured.  They have been working together for the past 24 years.

Let's first introduce the cast.  Meet the president and daughter of the founder, Lisa Keeney-McCarthy.  The business has been in her family for 65 years.  Next, meet the General Manager, Steven Sterne.  He has been working with Lisa for the last 24 years.  They literally can finish each other's business sentences.  Then add 30 employees, including Lisa's husband Brian McCarthy.  The setting is warehouse, adjoining office and about 6 active trucks on the road each week-day.  Finally sprinkle in some good ol' NorthWest influence.  For many years, Brian has been a supporter of one of the largest grassroots environmental club in the U.S., the Sierra Club.  He was not present at the interview, but his name was brought up a couple of times, including why there was a bike mounted to the warehouse wall?

And what is the output of this family-owned, heavily NW influenced, company equate to?

Early adopters of Sustainability - both in customer outreach and operations!

Keeney-McCarthy said" This early adoption of Sustainability comes from both a basic belief in conservation and a focus on sustainable business practices that also saves money."  A couple examples are: "Reusing boxes and remanufacturing toner cartridges so they work as well as new, but don't end up in the landfill." said Sterne.

Happy and photogenic employee Heather.

Another sustainable element that makes Keeney's unique is they are strong in the ergonomic category.  They can recommend products to the individual, almost to the point of doing what Sterne calls, an "Ergonomic Evaulation."  This also gives real value to the business as healthy employers are more productive.  And speaking of customers, that brings us to....

Customer Outreach - Keeney's approach for involving their customers in sustainability is casual and when the customer is asking for it.  Keeney-McCarthy quickly points out, "We are not the green-nazi's."  They work with customers where they are.  For some companies, these practices have not yet been mandated, but employees will be interested. "We help in baby steps, for example, here are some samples to look at", she said.  And sometimes they can find creative ways to offset the costs of using post-consumer products.  Sterne said, "To off-set the costs of using 30% post-consumer paper, they can set their printing to double-sided."

Keeney-McCarthy outside by window displaying clings by "Think Redmond, We're Local, Green Power, GreenWorks, Eastside Green Business Challenge and Best Workplace for Recycling and Waste Reduction."

What other sustainable solutions do they offer their customers?

• Best Sustainable solution - This is making sure it is sustainable in the context of the customer's need. Sterne said, "Not just what has the green label on it.  For many customers that may mean rechargeable batteries are best, but for this other customer, that might mean bulk packed alkaline batteries."
• Integrated Green Style - "Green products are just another standard product", said Keeney-McCarthy.  They are integrated into the main focus of business rather than a boutique item.  This keeps the cost down on them.
• Transportation has Flexible Routings - Trucks don't waste gas
• Customer Education - Help customer's stock and order more efficiently which allows fewer invoice processing and truck stops.  This saves money for the customer and it is green.

"This lends to less empty trucks on a regular basis", said Keeney-McCarthy.  And at the same time "When emergencies do come up we are happy to accommodate them" she included.

Office Operations - As many Eastside businesses, they do the usual recycling and food scrap recycling.  They do this to the point, they are essentially a zero-waste facility.  Waste Management recently came out and assessed for them that everything that was going into the garbage, was indeed non-recyclable.  Here is a run down of other green practices in their operations:

Coffee machine pods are recycled as well.

• Styrofoam Peanuts - They collect from customers and on-site and then give them to another Eastside business that uses them in shipping.
• CFL lightbulbs Take-Backs.  Still the office mainstay in lightbulbs (Sterne gives the market about 2 years until LED's will become major contenders) and with their mercury component an important item to be disposed of correctly.  
• Waste Reduction - Since 2011, Keeney's has reduced garbage output by 75%
• Buy Green Energy from PSE - This program was set-up by local company Cascade Power Group.
• Keurig k-cups (pods) - They ship them back to Keurig, where what material can be composted, is composted and the rest is turned into biomass energy.
• Stopped use of 'single-use bottles' - Employees now have reusable water bottles.  Reusable dishes are kept in the break rooms.
• Eastside Green Business Challenge Participant 

Break room information board.

 What does it mean to be early adopters of Sustainability?  According to the Eastside Green Business Challenge, it is to be already "finding success in the fields of cost savings, resource conservation and brand recognition."   For a business to be still in business for 65 years that is sustainability in itself.   Keeney's knows what it takes to keep up with the times.  They get it!  As for the bike, that is a mystery I leave up to the viewers!  And for the second mystery question, Why do they have a duck hanging out their front door!  Any guesses?