Ecology Wise

One program alone has effectively saved Norm Thompson more than $400,000 in packaging expenses last year. The Ship All Together program, started in 2001, asks customers if they’d prefer to receive their entire orders in a single box — that is, if they’d rather wait to get in-stock items with backordered products. Says Smith, “[The program] provides an opportunity to communicate our environmental commitment to customers.” In addition to reducing environmental impact, the program contributes to corporate-wide savings in packaging materials, freight and labor.