Frances Edmonds

I work on many different projects so no two days are the same. Sustainability is the tread that ties everything together in my job but I work mostly outside of HP today. As we work to meet our aggressive sustainability goals like 75% products and packaging circularity we need to help Canada move to a more circular economy. We have also helped our suppliers move in this direction too.

At HP Canada, I work to bring people to the table to explore how we can do things differently. Everyone has their own strengths and knowledge. I try to get them to look at the issue using their strengths. For example, some people are experts on plastics, others on carbon, and others on finance. By getting them to look at the issue using their strength area, I help them see the issue in a different way. By working together, we develop an understanding of the issue or concept in a way we would not have been able to do individually. That is one of the superpowers of sustainability.

One thing I have learned is that there is no recipe for doing sustainability. Communication and collaboration are key. Brainstorming a solution is one thing. Making the solution work is a totally different thing! For example, when it comes to using plastics, we have set a goal of using 30% post-consumer plastic (recycled) in all of our products by 2025. That’s one of the many sustainability goals we are working towards. To do this as a huge company is difficult. We need to know we can get enough recycled materials. We need to develop our supply chain. We need to make sure we can make a product that is as good as using virgin plastic. We need to get people onboard to do what needs to be done. That includes Customers like you too.

I spend a lot of time explaining sustainability concepts like carbon footprints or digital equity to people. I work to educate HP employees, our partners, and customers both consumers and businesses about things like the circular economy. You don’t need a science background to do this job but it helps when talking with engineers and scientists. I take the “science talk” and put it in a form the public understands.

I engage in many public speaking events and run several volunteer programs. These activities aim to help the public understand their role in the circular economy. For example, using recycled materials (i.e., plastics) is more expensive than using virgin materials. Some people don’t like the idea of paying more for products made from “used materials”. They feel it should be cheaper if it is reused. It won’t solve our problems if people don’t buy products that are made from recycled materials and with other sustainability features like the ability to be repaired. So we need to have buy-in from all customers as well as the manufacturers if we are to achieve sustainability.