ALASKA's REMANUFACTURE B.E.P. CERTIFIED BY GREEN AMERICA

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ALASKA’s REMANUFACTURE B.E.P. CERTIFIED BY GREEN AMERICA 
Toner remanufacturer staying green, local after 20 years
BEP Company is pushing forward with its motives to keep business green — and local.
The Juneau-based print toner cartridge remanufacturer holds certification by Green America for its Green Business Network. The national nonprofit organization awards such certifications to businesses that display commitment to environmental responsibility and show sustainable practices.

To earn this certification, BEP went through three months of committee review, which involved interviews, inspections and customer and supplier queries, said BEP President Shelly Smith.

She said a green business must go beyond recycling. It should maintain sustainability focuses by reducing pollution, supporting local businesses, cost competitiveness and keeping quality high. She said this is what the review committee ultimately found.

The certification qualifies BEP to be part of Green America’s network for environmentally progressive businesses called the National Green Pages.

BEP is in its first year of the certification, and Smith intends to apply again in 2011.
“It’s a highly sought certification for businesses for those interested in branding their businesses with green businesses,” said Smith. “That and participating in the Green Gazelle Network of entrepreneurs shows we’re committed to green business practices.”

The Green Gazelle Network is a project by University of Alaska Southeast professor Rick Wolk that pursues entrepreneurs interested in maintaining high environmental success and sustainability practices.“We do more than recycle. We reuse many of our components until they’re too worn to be used and then have to be recycled,” she said.

BEP’s remanufacturing involves picking up empty toner cartridges from local businesses, schools and individuals, then cleaning them and replacing the necessary components before refilling and returning them. She said this reuse is a preferred method over immediate recycling and replacement of cartridges.

Smith said her other focus has always been keeping her business local, and has been in more than 20 years of operation. She said all work is done locally without shipping cartridges Outside.

Smith added this has helped her earn the highest level of Class III in the Alaska Product Preference Program. Class III means that at least 75 percent of a company’s products are made in-state.“Our three primary befits are we are a local business that provides an excellent service and superior product, we are a local recycling company and a local company that costs less than buying retail,” Smith said. “Those are the primary benefits as we see it.”

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February 16, 2011 at 7:35 AM