Can a company that manufactures copy machines, and sells more paper than any other single brand, really walk the talk on sustainable business practices?
That question framed my response to an offer to talk with Patty Calkins, Vice President of Environment, Health and Safety at Xerox Corp. After all, don’t copy machines “[consume] vast amounts of water, paper, and energy…?†I’ve seen numerous press releases on environmental issues from the company whose name is now synonymous with “photocopying,†but I was still skeptical: isn’t this still a business model built on heavy inputs of energy and paper?