The quest to lessen our footprint extends to our supplier chain. As a major purchaser of products and services, we seek suppliers who are committed to environmental stewardship and meet or exceed government guidelines or best practices regarding the environment.

Some examples:

Paper purchases

We strive to use certified paper that comes from well-managed forests. For example, 78% of all company envelopes purchased in 2007 were Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified. Customer deposit envelopes at our ABMs consist of 100% recyclable material, with 50% of that being post-consumer waste. TD letterhead is composed of 20% FSC-certified fibres (elemental-chlorine-free) and 80% post-consumer fibres (process-chlorine-free).

The majority of our brochures, posters and marketing materials are produced on chlorine-free, recycled paper using high percentages of post-consumer waste paper whenever possible. Only lower-VOC (volatile organic chemical) inks are used, and residue chemicals and manufacturing supplies are reprocessed and recycled, including solvents, cleaning agents, oils and printing plates.

In 2008, we are looking to increase our usage of certified papers or papers with a higher ratio of post-consumer content.

Pre-screened vendors
Through our Strategic Sourcing Group (SSG), our individual businesses purchase their office supplies from pre-screened companies that have contracts with TD as preferred vendors. Each of these vendors has undergone a review and due diligence process that takes environmental criteria into account.

Online ordering system
Our online ordering system, TD Deals, helps to greatly reduce waste as orders are electronically placed for a wide range of office supplies. Each order is keyed into TD Deals and electronically sent to the appropriate vendor. This has eliminated the need to fax over 130,000 orders per year. In addition, our SSG has labeled over 500 “Green Products” on TD Deals so managers can ensure they’re making responsible purchases. Since labeling began in 2007, the percentage of green purchases reached 21% within six months.