Here at InstaKey we have been practicing sustainability measures long before a bill required us to do so. Part of being based in the Colorado foothills is appreciating and protecting the earth’s beauty that surrounds us. But we are not alone. Businesses and organizations worldwide acknowledge sustainability as a crucial global issue. Every April we get excited as the world unites to celebrate Earth Month, highlighting the importance of promoting positive environmental impact and urging political and economic intervention to drive necessary change. However, the World Economic Forum found that only 60% of organizations have sustainability strategies in place. 

Businesses and organizations can make themselves more sustainable through practices such as installing energy-efficient lighting, water conservation practices, and waste reduction strategies. Unfortunately, key control is often overlooked as an area for promoting sustainability and this guide can help implement long term sustainability programs that will both reduce waste and increase profits long term. 

In this guide, you’ll learn several ways to make your key control system more environmentally friendly by:

Recycle spent keys, locks, and key cores.

After rekeying locks, it’s tempting to throw the old keys, locks, and key cores into the dumpster. However, this adds up to more materials in landfills and more energy spent mining and smelting new metal. According to Industrial Metal Service, recycling waste metals is significantly more energy-efficient than producing virgin metal. In fact, it takes 95% less energy to recycle aluminum than it takes to produce new aluminum. And copper takes 90% less energy. Since keys and locks are primarily made from brass (an alloy of copper and zinc), a lot of energy can be saved by recycling locks and keys instead of throwing them away.

Many organizations don’t realize they can recycle old keys, locks, and key cores instead of throwing them in the trash. But they are, indeed, easily recyclable. All an organization needs to do is remove any plastic or rubber key indicators on the keys before placing them in the recycle bin. Locks and key cores can be placed in the recycle bin as they are.

Another way to recycle old keys and locks is to return them to the distributor. InstaKey recycles spent keys and locks, and will even take old IC cores for repinning so they can be used again without having to use the energy required for recycling.

Reduce shipping by using rekeyable locks.

Depending on which lock types an organization uses, they may need to replace their old keys, locks, and/or IC cores with new ones every time they undergo a rekey. Different lock types come with different rekeying needs and associated waste. Here are three lock types an organization can use and a comparison of how environmentally friendly they are.

Traditional Locks

For most people, the most recognizable physical security combination is the traditional lock and key. It's the least expensive and simplest lock type to install. But it can also be the least environmentally-friendly form of physical security. When a rekey is needed, the key and entire lock must be replaced. This means that traditional locks can lead to a larger carbon footprint from shipping new locks and wasting metal if it is thrown in the trash. Traditional locks also waste additional energy necessary to create other metal locks and keys.

Standard IC Cores

Designed with large commercial and institutional facilities in mind, the standard IC core is a more economical and sustainable replacement to the traditional lock. Unlike traditional locks, where the core and lock housing are one continuous piece, IC cores are an integral but separate component from the lock housing. This means that during a rekey, the lock housing itself stays in place, and only the key cores themselves need to be swapped out, resulting in less material being wasted. It also leads to a smaller carbon footprint since IC cores are smaller than traditional locks, and more of them can fit into a similar-sized load for shipping.

But IC cores still generate waste since the entire core must be replaced when a lock is rekeyed. For an organization that frequently rekeys their facilities, this waste can add up in the long run.

Rekeyable IC Cores

Of the three different lock types outlined here, the most sustainable and environmentally-friendly type is the rekeyable IC core lock. From all outward appearances, they look and function just like standard IC cores. However, the difference lies in what happens during a rekey. While standard IC cores must be removed and replaced, rekeyable IC cores can be rekeyed by the user by simply inserting and turning a change key. The core remains in place while the change key alters the core to accept the groove pattern on the new set of keys provided with it. Rekeyable IC cores can be rekeyed by the end user multiple times before the cores need to be swapped out for new ones. For example, the rekeyable IC cores provided by InstaKey can be rekeyed up to nine times before being replaced.

Since rekeyable IC cores don't necessarily have to be replaced every single time an organization needs to rekey a facility, and since an organization can rekey its facility multiple times before needing to replace them, rekeyable IC cores are the most cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable physical keyed security option available. They produce far less waste and create the smallest carbon footprint of any lock type.

Depending on their usage and maintenance practices, both standard IC cores and rekeyable IC cores have the potential to be more eco-friendly and sustainable than traditional locks.

Shift to digital, paperless key tracking.

Despite the fact that we are living in an increasingly digital world, there are still many organizations that make use of paper documents, antiquated filing, and physical printouts of digital information. The world as we know it is far from paperless. In fact, about 15 billion trees are cut down every year due to deforestation, and paper-based products are responsible for more than 14% of that deforestation. Paper products and deforestation contribute to the problem of climate change, increase greenhouse gasses, and lead to soil erosion and other concerns.

While some paper goods will always be needed, there is a major benefit to an organization going as paperless as reasonably possible to minimize waste, lower carbon emissions, and help prevent deforestation. 

An organization's key control program is one area where switching to paperless can occur. Instead of relying on manual key tracking with printouts, physical files, and paper key receipts, organizations can use digital key tracking software. Everything from key holder agreements to rekeying and all available from any device with an internet browser. 

InstaKey's SecurityRecords.com® takes care of everything that an organization would otherwise use paper files and documents to manage, but without contributing to deforestation or an organization's paper waste. This makes it a much more environmentally-friendly and sustainable option.

Putting it All Together for Sustainable Key Control

Sustainability is a global issue that businesses and organizations worldwide need to prioritize. Key control is often overlooked as an area for promoting sustainability, but there are several ways to make a key control system more environmentally friendly. By recycling spent keys, locks, and key cores, reducing shipping by using rekeyable options, and shifting to a digital key tracking system, organizations can make their key control systems more sustainable. 

InstaKey Makes Sustainability Easier

InstaKey is devoted to creating a more sustainable future for physical security solutions. Here are some of the ways InstaKey makes sustainability easier for its customers:

  • Rekeyable IC cores result in less shipping, packaging, and fuel needed or metal waste generated.
  • Paperless digital key tracking software, SecurityRecords.com®, reduces paper waste.
  • InstaKey recycles keys, cores, and lock hardware, regardless of who the manufacturer is.

 

Contact our key control experts to see how your system can be more eco-friendly.

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