Norcom Sustainability Overview

Norcom considers our important role in global sustainability a responsibility and a privilege. We understand the unique needs of the stakeholders that we serve and work every day to exceed their expectations. Our community of stakeholders consists primarily of consumers; retail accounts; employees; ownership; suppliers; municipalities where we operate; and certification bodies.

In 2010 Norcom began formally addressing sustainability and the process of goal-setting and developing metrics that would enable the company to compare year-to-year progress toward those goals. We participated in a formal sustainability assessment to determine our baseline data and began charting a path forward with sustainability initiatives.

Sustainability has a role in corporate decision-making processes. Included are capital expenditure decisions such as opting for an environmentally friendly roof with energy saving yields when a new roof was needed. Investments in fixtures that save water and energy have been phased in over time.

Norcom's goals enabled the company to reduce the organization's environmental footprint. After baseline studies were conducted we recognized that energy and water use were the company's largest contributor to to CO2(e) emissions. Strategies were promptly developed to address our areas of greatest environmental impacts.

We believe that we made significant progress working toward emissions reductions that put the company is an excellent position as we work toward Zero Emissions status within our current goal cycle.

SUPPLY CHAIN

Norcom is a converter. We are not a manufacturer. We do not make any items for inputs into other products. Norcom purchases raw materials such as paper, covers, and wires and via labor and equipment converts them into school and office products. That means that the overwhelming majority of our environmental and social impacts are in our supply chain rather than resting under the direct control of our own organization.

As of 2019 over 80% of product inputs by weight were purchased from companies that report GHG emissions and have strategies for emissions reductions. Norcom monitors suppliers' impacts, goals and progress toward those goals.

Fiber

We take responsibility for our supply chain by monitoring it for sustainability, legal and ethical compliance. We require certification for all fiber-based inputs to ensure that forests are protected and that workers are paid and treated in a legal, ethical and fair manner. Norcom has a zero-tolerance position on forced, unfair or unethical labor practices.

As of 2019 81% of the fiber we purchased was from well-managed, zero-deforestation, certified North American forests. The balance of fiber was either recycled or was certified to credible and internationally recognized standards but originated from outside North America.

Metals

All suppliers of metal inputs are required to participate in the Responsible Minerals Initiative by providing a Conflict Minerals Reporting Template that facilitates the transfer of information through the supply chain regarding mineral country of origin and the smelters and refiners being utilized. Norcom is committed to ensuring that conflict minerals do not enter the company's supply chain.

Norcom is complaint to Responsible Minerals Initiative standards.

Plastics

Norcom requires certification for certain plastic notebook covers. We are implementing initiatives to make sure that all of our plastics have recycled content and are reusable, upcyclable, recyclable or industrially compostable by 2030.

CIRCULAR LIFECYCLES FOR PRODUCTS AND PACKAGING

Sustainability measures are considered and implemented in product development for both the sales units and shipping containers. Norcom's ultimate goal is to provide products and packaging with circular lifecycles thus keeping our products in use as inputs to other products, upcycling, reuse, or recycling.

We encourage consumers to visit the Recycling tab on our website for ideas on reuse; upcycling and recycling.

In 2010 Norcom became Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) certified to the Certified Sourcing standard. www.forests.org

We worked with our suppliers and encouraged each one to become certified to a credible, internationally-recognized forestry standards. Today 100% of fiber for our in-scope products come from certified companies.

Certification provides assurance to our retail accounts and consumers that all fiber is legally and ethically procured, that we continue meet our Zero Net Deforestation Goal, animals, water and soil quality is protected as are the rights of the communities and people that live and work near these forests. SFI® certified forests store 20 billion tons of carbon in the U.S. alone.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Norcom set a goal of 100% renewable energy for all of our operations by 2040. Today over half of our paper and fiber come from suppliers that use biofuels in their production processes. Biofuels significantly reduce harmful CO(2) emissions because they do not rely upon petroleum and coal as energy inputs.

Our renewable energy goal additionally promotes the company's risk resilency and mitigates, or eliminates, certains risks associated with climate change to ensure that our organization and its stakeholders are protected, maintain supply chain integrity for our retailer customers while maintaining product quality and protecting consumers from shortages