A Sneak Peek into How Zebra Will Give Back to Global Communities on Earth Day – and All Year Round
Sustainability is a term commonly used to describe environmentally-beneficial ambitions. Especially around Earth Day, when there is an intense focus on what we can do both individually and collectively as a society to better protect and preserve our limited natural resources. However, Zebra’s commitment to sustainability is actually multi-faceted, categorized into environmental, economic and social initiatives.
Zebra has a number of programs in place to help minimize our environmental footprint and protect the communities in which we operate. For example, Zebra is a member of the Responsible Business Alliance, as are Zebra’s manufacturing partners. We also developed and maintain a Responsible Sourcing Program, which encompasses supplier engagement, training and awareness, conflict minerals due diligence and compliance activities.
We embrace engineering practices to help reduce waste, some of which were recently highlighted in conjunction with our MC9300 launch. And thanks to the efforts of our community relations teams, we are driving innovative ways to reduce, reuse and recycle every day in local Zebra offices around the world.
For Earth Day (and Earth Week) this year specifically, we are undertaking several initiatives to increase employee awareness of environmental issues and conserve resources. For example:
- Multiple offices are coordinating a “Bring Your Mug to Work Week”
- We’re partnering with local organizations and parks to invite employees to volunteer for cleanup activities
- Employees around the world will create habitats for native creatures as part of a “Protect Our Species” campaign
We are also working to create economic sustainability and long-term value for our shareholders. To do so, we employ strong corporate governance practices that ensure compliance with laws and regulations. We are also committed to operating in an ethical manner, supporting our employees and enabling our customers to increase their productivity and efficiency to contribute to a more sustainable environment.
Zebra has been investing in non-profit organizations that align with our values over the last several decades, and global employee participation in Zebra-supported community service days is increasing significantly every year. We offer the opportunity for employees to take paid time off to volunteer for charitable organizations.
From team-building activities to individual volunteerism at local non-profits, it is exciting to see just how much Zebra’s collective social involvement is positively impacting the lives of others in our communities. We have even helped one growing non-profit, Bernie's Book Bank, set a Guinness World Record!
Our commitment to contribute time and resources to our local communities includes technology donations that enable non-profits to optimize their operations and participation in mentorship-type programs such as FIRST Robotics.
You can view a great summary of our current sustainability activities in this video from Zebra CEO Anders Gustafsson, which is featured in the Business Roundtable CEO Embracing Sustainability Challenge.
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Editor’s Note: Have questions about Zebra’s global environmental, economic or social sustainability efforts? You can reach our Corporate Social Responsibility team at CSR@zebra.com.
Therese Van Ryne
Therese Van Ryne is Senior Director of External Communications for Zebra Technologies. She joined Zebra as part of the acquisition of Motorola Solutions Enterprise business in October 2014. She and her team are laser focused on growing the company’s brand awareness globally aligned with business objectives. Her accomplishments include leading Zebra events with Harvard University and TED as well as the creation of the annual Intelligent Enterprise Index, resulting in positive media coverage, customer engagement and revenue growth.
Prior to Motorola Solutions, Van Ryne worked at SC Johnson where she led corporate communication strategies and drove PR and branding efforts for leading consumer products. One of her top achievements was leading the Windex® placement in the film, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” resulting in a 25% sales increase for the brand.
One of PR News’ 2019 Top Women in PR and Crain's Chicago's 2021 Most Notable Executives in Marketing, Therese also has experience as a journalist, editor and producer, reporting nightly from Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Van Ryne holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Journalism from Marquette University and an Executive Leadership Master’s Certificate from Cornell University.
