At RICH LTD. we are committed to incorporating environmental sustainability and sustainable business practices into our business whenever possible. In fact, environmental sustainability is one of our core values and a driving force in how we operate as a company and how we interact with our supply chain, customers, and employees. Our goal is to minimize our environmental footprint and use our business to encourage those we are in a position to influence to do the same.
Our environmental sustainability practices include the following:
- Designing Eco-Friendly Point-of-Purchase Displays– We try to use eco-friendly materials in our retail display designs whenever possible. Our millwork operation in Oceanside, CA manufactures displays out of solid wood and wood composite materials. We use carb-compliant/NAUF materials and produce fixtures that meet state and federal environmental regulations. As an NSF-certified manufacturer, we are committed to ensuring that our raw materials are sourced from mills that practice responsible forest stewardship.
In addition, we use eco-friendly materials such as bamboo (fastest growing plant on earth) and beetle-kill pine to minimize our impact on the environment.
- Sustainable Building Materials Division– Based on our experience using bamboo as a display material and our belief that it has the potential for significant carbon footprint reduction, we created a sustainable building materials division called BamTuff®. We supply architectural-grade bamboo plywood to wood distributors, wholesalers, and other end users in the industry. We also have a wholly-owned subsidiary called Standee® Co. which manufactures bamboo stand-up desks in the USA.
- Influence our Supply Chain– We attempt to use our purchasing power and relationships to influence our suppliers to adopt environmentally responsible business practices. Many of our suppliers are located in China where there are significant environmental improvement opportunities. We encourage our suppliers to:
- Use recycled metal (e.g., recycled cold rolled steel) and recycled plastics
- Sell excess raw materials such as scrap metal to scrap metal buyers for recycling
- Collect and reuse excess powder from powder coating operations
- Recycle water from chemical treatment tanks
- Use shrink wrap instead of plastic bags in packing since plastic bags are less environmentally friendly
- Use recycled corrugated materials in packaging operations
- Continue to manufacture knock-down designs to maximize container utilization and reduce transportation requirements.
- Influence Customers– Similarly, we try to influence our customers to adopt environmentally friendly practices by:
- Recycling old displays
- Encouraging customers to accept eco-friendly materials as a part of our POP display designs and to adopt “Go Green” initiatives by educating them on the benefits of materials such as bamboo, beetle-kill pine, etc.
- Asking customer for their support in the development of more eco-friendly store fixtures as a part of our stock store fixture line.
- RICH LTD. Office Practices– Our commitment to the environment starts in our home office where we:
- Recycle paper, boxes, cans, bottles, and old displays
- Save energy by installing motion detection lights and minimizing the use of air conditioning and other unnecessary types of energy
- Encourage employees to car pool, take public transportation to work, and buy electric or hybrid cars
- Encourage employees to adopt environmentally responsible practices at home.
- Provide internships to students who are committed to studying environmental sustainability and helping us improve our company practices.
We understand that as a company acting alone we can only have a modest impact on the environment. But, our impact can be far greater when we use our position in the industry to influence our suppliers, customers, and employees.