CINCINNATI, Jun 04, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- In honor of World Environment Day celebrated annually on June 5, Cintas Corporation, a leader in secure records management services, today issued top tips to help records managers improve their sustainability efforts. The theme of this year's World Environment Day is "Green Economy: Does it include YOU?" Each year, the Cintas helps companies reduce their environmental footprint with document management recycling programs that save more than 8 million trees, nearly 6.9 billion gallons of wastewater and more than 595 million pounds of solid waste.
"Just because records managers work in a paper or data-intensive environment doesn't mean that they can't take steps to improve the sustainability of their operations," said Karen Carnahan, President and COO, Cintas Document Management. "From paper recycling programs to transitioning to a paperless environment, there are several initiatives that will significantly reduce environmental impact."
The following tips will improve the sustainability of any document management program:
1. Securely shred paper. Select a document shredding service dedicated to the environment through secure and complete chain of custody. Certain providers ensure all shredded documents are recycled into secondary paper products such as paper towels and tissue to reduce waste and environmental impact. Each ton of paper collected saves 26 trees, 22,219 gallons of wastewater and 6,023 pounds CO2(1).
2. Digitize archived paper files. Implementing a document imaging program can reduce the need for storage space, directly reducing energy used from lighting and heating or cooling the storage space. A specialized Scan-On-Demand system allows customers to digitally convert old files that are kept off-site for easy electronic access. With a selective scanning system, document management professionals remotely scan and send files to eliminate the need for delivering files via trucks, further limiting environmental impact when files are requested.
3. Minimize landfill waste with specialized recycling programs. Many companies are continually upgrading technology and computers and hard drives are replaced often. To reduce landfill waste and protect sensitive information, implement an environmentally compliant hard drive destruction program into document management efforts. This keeps hazardous contaminants out of landfills and properly disposes of electronic materials so recoverable material can be properly recycled.
Businesses that use x-ray film should integrate an x-ray recycling program that uses a specialized mineral separation process. In addition to limiting environmental impact by ensuring material is recycled into new film products, a specialized recycling program can also help healthcare operations meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance regulations.
"Whether it's implementing new programs or updating current strategies, we encourage records managers to use World Environment Day as an opportunity to take one step forward in improving the sustainability of their document management programs," added Carnahan.
Cintas offers customized document management consultations, as well as secure document shredding, storage and imaging programs. Its services are designed to provide businesses with data privacy and security, compliance with regulatory requirements and more efficient control and access to information. Cintas is the first North American AAA NAID-certified and PCI-DSS compliant document management provider.
For more information on Cintas' document management programs, please visit www.cintas.com/documentmanagement .
About Cintas Corporation:
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cintas Corporation provides highly specialized services to businesses of all types. Cintas designs, manufactures and implements corporate identity uniform programs, and provides entrance mats, restroom supplies, promotional products, first aid and safety products, fire protection services and document management services to approximately 900,000 businesses. Cintas is a publicly held company traded over the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol CTAS and is a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.
(1) Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Paper Network Paper Calculator.
SOURCE: Cintas Corporation
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