I recently came across this story and it reminded me of a few things I had seen in the past few years.

Quad/Graphics USA is one of the largest printing companies in the world. It is the brainchild of Harry Quadracci Jr. He constantly searches for cheaper, faster, more effective, exciting ways to do business always applying standards of the highest integrity.

John Imes, their ecology manager said they were producing a considerable amount of waste every day in every plant. John was brought in to see what he could do to lower the costs associated with this waste, and to bring the plants into compliance with Environmental Protection Agency standards and regulations.

John came to the conclusion that, “We live in this town.  If we spew anything into the air, we’ll all breathe it and so will our children.  If we pollute the streams, we’ll all be drinking it.”  So the decision was made that the company had to commit to cleaning it all up. However, in tune with Harry Quadracci’s policies, it was also necessary to still make a profit while doing it.

Eight years later, they actually made a profit from the cleanup efforts!  They were also in full compliance with the EPA.  The first thing John did was to call the EPA inspector and invite him into the plant. “I want you to be my partner in making this plant in full compliance.  How can we work together to make that happen?”  The inspector said that this kind of conversation had never happened before. John said to the inspector, “I want you here with me all the time.  I don’t want an adversarial relationship.  I want to make this plant, and all our plants, clean, efficient and effective. Let’s be partners in this process.”

In looking at the various sources of potential pollution, the ink used in printing was a big one.  They found that inks could be made from soy.  Up until that time, soy-based inks had various problems that made them impractical.  The company investigated this further.  A few years later, they were in the soy ink business, had perfected soy-based inks, and were now supplying them all over the world.

Then, another breakthrough. They discovered various ways of using recycled papers.  Eventually, they discovered that there was a use – a profitable use – for almost everything that had been thrown out previously. Where each plant had been producing many barrels of waste each day, they cut it down to less than one barrel per day. For John Imes, every day has become an opportunity to do something of value – not only for his company, but for his community as well.

For many of us, this kind of ‘thinking outside of the square’ to solve a challenge goes by the way side too quickly, we find it easier to creatively avoid these types of tasks as we may see them as being too difficult.

In time businesses and team members will have to think more outside the square like John Imes and Harry Quadracci Jr, to not only implement change, but to make certain it’s profitable as well.

Consider what things happen around your business and workplace, how can you extend yourself to make it a better place to be, not just for the business profitability but for the community as a whole.