Environmental Highlights and Accomplishments in Arrow Electronics' 2015 CSR Program

Mar 18, 2016 2:20 PM ET

Arrow| Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Report 2015

Arrow Electronics has committed to managing environmental impact as an integral part of our business by providing services and operations that make a positive contribution to our environment and communities in which we live and operate in.

  • Arrow’s European brand campaign “Heroes of Innovation” spotlights German microbiologist and fashion designer Anke Domaske. She is making sustainable clothing fiber, biopolymers for electronics, packaging and cosmetics from a “dough” made of milk. Germany discards two million tons of milk each year, so these products will not only reduce the waste stream but also reduce fossil fuel use.
     
  • Arrow was recognized as a Gold Leader for 2015 by the Colorado Environmental Leadership Program, a function of the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. Arrow was recognized for diverting 54,000 tons of e-waste through recycling and refurbishment.
     
  • Arrow’s environmental responsibility initiatives encompass a wide range of operational activities, including procurement practices, limits on hazardous substances, eco-efficient packaging, systems to reduce energy consumption and harvest natural lighting, water conservation and recycling.
     
  • Arrow utilizes “telepresence” technology in four strategic locations in order to reduce business travel, which in turn, reduces the company’s carbon footprint.
     
  • Arrow hosted several sustainability fairs for employees and offered refurbished electronics at discounted pricing.
     
  • Arrow held electronics donation events in North America to promote responsible e-waste handling. At one such event in Denver, nearly 1,300 people delivered and donated more than 154,000 pounds of electronic devices. Items collected included computer hardware and peripherals, home-office machines, mobile devices, televisions, gaming equipment and small appliances. The collected devices were recycled and some of the items refurbished and donated to charity.
     
  • Arrow installed seven SemaConnect electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at its corporate offices on Dry Creek Road in Centennial and Lima Street in Englewood.
     
  • Arrow continues implementing company-wide energy-saving upgrades including new Energy Star appliances, window tinting, conversion of kitchen facilities to natural gas from electricity, touch-less bathroom fixtures to save water, and new workspaces with low barriers to increase natural lighting. Facility infrastructure upgrades continue for more energy efficient HVAC and other base built systems to reduce energy consumption overall.
     
  • In April, Arrow’s Value Recovery business opened its first Asia-Pacific facility for IT asset disposition and reverse logistics services. The Singapore site provides secure and environmentally responsible logistics, asset tracking and reporting, data sanitization, testing, screening, recycling, service part and product return management for a wide range of customers’ electronic equipment. With this site, Arrow’s value recovery partner network has extended to 171 nations.
     
  • The Arrow Green Team continues to:
    • Obtain environmentally friendly procurement for office remodels
    • Seek solar options for large warehouses
    • Investigate installing LED lighting in primary office and global warehouses
    • Consolidate and improve waste streams
    • Strengthen recycling initiatives globally
    • Minimize gas, electric and water usage
    • Add EV charging stations
    • Implement a green initiative with our Global Fleet Program
    • Submit annually to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)
    • Participate in the CDP’s action exchange initiative
    • Complete the EcoVadis Survey, a sustainability rating platform for global supply chains
       
  • Arrow was one of the 25 Denver-area companies to compete in the 2015 Go-Tober Challenge. The challenge involved trying ecoconscious ways to commute to work at least four times per person in the month of October (i.e. walking, biking, carpooling, public transit).
     
  • Arrow has processes in place for timely and accurate utility measurement and reporting (see next page). Reductions include a coal-to-gas conversion, reduced gas consumption, more energy efficiency and reduction of square footage.

To read more about Arrow's Sustainability Mission and Vision, Environmental Policy and commitment to environmental responsibility, please see our Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Report 2015.