Redbox: Thinking Outside the Box for Sustainability

Aug 15, 2013 1:45 PM ET

Outerwall Blog

Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference. As our company grows, even small decisions have a significant impact, given our scale and reach.

In 2011, a number of Redbox® field service representatives expressed concern about having to throw away movie display cards—known as “box art”—because they were not recyclable in their areas. Commodity Manager Liz Johnson asked our supplier, Tukaiz LLC, if we could make the box art more easily recyclable in the field.

Over the past two years, we’ve worked with Tukaiz to develop box art that could be more easily recycled. Last month, after conducting extensive field tests to ensure weather resistance, we introduced an improved recyclable display material that almost all municipalities accept. Recycling this material rather than discarding it allows us to reduce our contribution to the waste stream and our impact on the environment.

“We’re pleased we were able to innovate and source a material that has the visual appeal we need for our kiosks, is more recyclable and will generate a cost savings each year,” said Liz Johnson.

This collaborative effort brought together the skills, expertise and innovative spirit of teams across the organization, including our supply chain, engineering, operations and marketing teams. Special thanks to Liz Johnson, Joe Kurian, Amol Nayak, Rick Terek, Rich Rose, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tim Turbett and Michael Leone for demonstrating the company’s commitment to finding a better way. Kudos also to Tukaiz for their partnership in developing the upgraded recyclable material and their ongoing efforts related to continuous improvement and sustainability.

For more information about our sustainability efforts, check out the 2012 Corporate Social Responsibility Report.