Press release received via e-mail. Some interesting stuff here.
Alfred Music Publishing, the world’s largest educational music print publisher, unveils their new “Alfred Cares” initiative. To address the ever present need to reduce their carbon footprint, the new company wide system will decrease their dependence on limited global natural resources, reuse materials within the production process, and recycle waste.
Spearheaded by Alfred’s CEO, Ron Manus, who took the reins of the family-owned company in late 2009, “Alfred Cares” is tackling the task of becoming more eco-friendly by printing their sheet music on recycled paper, one piece at a time. “As book publishers and print music people, we have a big impact on the environment,” said Manus. Alfred’s green crusade began with printing about 95% percent of its books on 100% recycled paper, which then evolved to a formal corporate initiative. Manus continued, “With every decision you make, you can make a better decision just by taking a moment and thinking about it.”
“[Caring for the environment] is part of Alfred’s core beliefs, and one of the reasons people work here is because they believe in it.” Alfred’s COO, Bryan Bradley commented. As a result, environmental impact has become one of the deciding factors in the company’s strategic planning, and the benefits to the company go beyond just doing the right thing. “All of our eco-friendly investments, from the warehouse to the corporate offices to the production process, not only pay for themselves, but actually save us money,” Bradley stated.
“Alfred Cares” goes beyond simply printing books on 100% recycled paper. The program also impacts the company’s infrastructure from implementing a new voice-picking system in the company’s distribution center, eliminating approximately 170,000 pages annually, and using energy-efficient fluorescent light, using roughly 50% less power, to even swapping traditional bathroom urinals to water-free urinals, which alone save an estimated 40,000 gallons a year per unit. Manus quipped, “Everything we do trickles down.”
For more information on Alfred Music Publishing, please visit alfred.com.
