Environmental Tips

Service Point UK’s marketing and communications manager Kevin Godfrey says IT and partnering for mutual benefit will accelerate the distribution path for hard copy output, therefore reducing CO2.

"For digital print-on-demand jobs it is possible to make a huge reduction in the environmental impact of distribution through networked distribute-to-print. Through this, the physical production of a job takes place as close as possible to the point or points of need.

"Organisations such as Globalgrafixnet, owned by Service Point but not limited to them, offer multiple locations across many countries coupled with a dedicated secure network and bespoke software for the transmitting and receiving of large graphical images.

"This leads to a huge reduction in miles travelled versus centralised production and physical distribution to one or more locations, not to mention the time saved and waste reduction achievable with digital print.

"To ensure consistency and quality, membership of such organisations should be dependent upon meeting a wide variety of exacting minimum standards. In the case of Globalgrafixnet, the organisation is also run for the mutual benefit of its members.

"They forward jobs for free and the client is invoiced by the company carrying out production purely on the basis of what goes around comes around.

"An organisation may put in process a vigorous environmental or sustainability policy as part of its overall CSR. It does this because it is one of the main differentiators in its trading style, because of the ethics of key individuals within it or because of hard-nosed commercial considerations. Whatever the reason, philanthropic or cynical, the benefits should not be decried."

Trafford Press Group's commercial manager Roger Cutting says in order to improve your green policy, join the cycle to work scheme.

The company has joined the scheme which was set up by the government to encourage staff to use bicycles as a means of transport to and from work in order to reduce environmental pollution.

Cutting said: "As an employee of a company participating in the scheme, you can purchase a bicycle and accessories of up to £1,000 through your employer. With tax deductions you pay 50% of the costs which is then deducted through income tax over 12 months.

"It’s a great scheme as it promotes a cleaner environment and also a healthier life for the employees taking part."

For more information regarding the scheme visit the government website. 

Organisations should educate clients on the environment through seminars, according to Taylor Bloxham's group environmental and management systems officer Elizabeth Ashford.

"Seminars express how a company can limit its environmental impact and meets its environmental objectives.

"They emphasise environmental credentials and include external speakers. They identify the impacts of the environment and put in place initiatives and measures to limit them.

"Some environmental impacts will be impossible to eliminate, such as the use of natural resources, including paper and energy. Yet it is possible to become increasingly efficient and still progress towards achieving environmental objectives and targets.

"Our company is FSC and PEFC certified and has installed energy efficiency initiatives such as Power Perfector, Power Factor Correction and energy-saving sensors throughout areas of our Leicester-based building.

"Printers can demonstrate environmental awareness and operate with environmental sensitivity in mind.

"It is down to forward-thinking organisations to adapt to the requirements of environmental objectives as a result of market drivers and client requests.

"There is also a need to increase client knowledge in this area, offer environmental print options and change the perception of the printing industry."

International sales and marketing director Andy Ruddle explains how data hygiene has had the biggest impact on green policy at Real Digital.

"The biggest environmental impact we often make with our clients is with data hygiene. Clients don’t always realise just how quickly data can degrade.

|The ability to clean data, extract deceased records and identify duplicate records seems to be a totally obvious service that can increase response rates and is environmentally friendly.

"It’s all about an attitude of mind that can impact in several small ways rather than a single big win.

“Also, we use energy efficient lights where possible and turn them off when rooms are empty.

"Digital print is also able to print completely relevant and timely communications on demand. This is without the need to print estimated quantities of base stock, or for shipping around the country and storage only for the remnants to be dumped at the end of the campaign.

"Bio-degradable window film in envelopes, recycled, PEFC and FSC papers and organic inks all help."

Howitt managing director Gurdev Singh says implementing green initiatives that work is 'a hard slog', but says communication is the key to success.

"Often, companies start with the best intentions but end up greenwashing; shouting about their environmental policies with no proven results. This is money wasted with no or little positive effect.

"It’s important to consistently communicate internally, but also with government and environmental bodies, as well as suppliers and customers.
 
"We have an environmental committee made up of all staff levels that allows open communication and action. In practice, a lack of understanding prevents the adoption of processes by staff on the print floor. This can only be combated if everybody understands the importance of implementation.
 
"The continued deterioration of the economy does not mean that firms cannot engage in environmental policy. Seminars and training cost a company time as opposed to money. Cost savings can also be made and this can 'incentivise' the management and the workforce.

"Environmental exercises such as recycling are in the consciousness of staff already in the home. This can be used to encourage environmental practices in the workplace. 

"Detailed planning is essential to get every staff member on board as it is a cultural shift in business and takes time. By setting realistic targets and encouraging staff to engage in the policy, you will achieve real environmental benefits. "

Just how green is your business? Pensord chief executive Tony Pensord has these tips to help evalute printers and make sure you are at the forefront of ethical production and purchasing.

Points to consider:

How serious are they about becoming a ‘greener’ printer?
•    Do they care?
•    Do they have an environmental policy?
•    Do they pay lip service?
•    Are they jumping on the ‘green’ band wagon
•    Are they committed to reducing their environmental impact?
•    Are they committed to helping you reduce your environmental impact?

What are their environmental credentials?
•    Do they hold recognised standards?
•    If not, does it matter?
•    ISO 14001: 2004 certified?
•    Have they had any cases brought against them for breaches of environmental regulations?

Do they have an environmental improvement plan?
•    If so, how far-reaching is it?
•    How important is the scope of their environmental programme to you?
•    How ambitious is the programme?

What is their track record of improvements in environmental performance?
•    Have they achieved set objectives?
•    How ambitious have they been so far?

Paper – do they have FSC and PEFC certification?
•    Is this important to you?
•    Is it important to your customers?
•    Are FSC and PEFC certified paper stocks actively promoted by your printer?

Recycled paper – what is their policy?
•    Is it important to you?
•    Is it important to your customers?
•    Is recycled paper actively promoted by your printer?
•    Is recycled ‘best’ anyway?

Are they BPIF (British Printing Industries Federation) members?
•    The BPIF offers a comprehensive suite of products and services, help and advice to support printers, the printing industry and its customers.
•    The Federation is highly regarded with many positive initiatives.
BPIF initiatives
Examples:
•    How to become a ‘greener’ printer
•    Carbon footprinting – carbon calculator
•    Environmental diagnostic
•    ISO 14001:2004 certification – suport
•    FSC/PEFC certification - support

What does your printer do to help you achieve ‘greener’ production and purchasing?
•    From job specification to file delivery, to proofing, to packaging, to despatch – do they offer sound, proactive advice regarding materials used and production processes to help you improve efficiency, minimise waste, save cost and become ‘greener’?
•    Digital Editions – friend or foe?

Simon Biltcliffe, managing director of Webmart, reveals how a company car policy can impact on a company's environmental effort:

"Reduce your company car policy so that each year replacement cars have capped emissions that reduce 10g/km each year.

"As of January 2008, we have set a CO2 limit of 190g/km for all company cars purchased.

"In a bid to reduce our carbon impact, we will also be reducing this upper limit by 10g/km every year.

"For 2009 it will be reduced to 180, during 2010 it will be reduced to 170, and so on, until we reach our upper target of 130g/km for the fleet. There is no lower limit."

Hertfordshire-based Abbot Print's Alasdair Browne tells us how the company has changed its ways to help the environment:

"Going back over our figures there are serious savings to be made in adopting some simple environment standards. We keep figures on everything from ink cartridges for the office printers to how much we spend on coffee.

The company has monitored the electricity and changed lighting systems, removed radiators and issued jumpers. We are FSC- and PEFC-certified and where there is no paper with this accreditation, we go for those with the Nordic Swan logo.

We have got cycle racks to encourage cycling and picnic spots for the staff lunch rather than have them driving off-site.

Also, we have got a device on the water system to control the number of flushes and have centralised and controlled all office print outs – using both sides of the paper.

There are separate bins in the offices and pressroom for different types of rubbish and we recycle everything that we can.

All this has saved us money – of that I have evidence. We calculated based on our monetary figures and this was looking very good. However, we were also affected when the price or electricity shot up."

CSR Network's director Mark Line has this advice for companies seeking to boost their environmental credentials:

• Scrutinise your supply chain across all of your service areas and ask each of your suppliers for a copy of their environmental policy and action plan. Ask your suppliers if they are certified to a recognised environmental management standard such as ISO14001 or EMAS.
• Introduce an environmental management system (EMS) within your own company, essentially a quality system for managing environmental impacts. Users identify the main ways in which they impact on the environment and develop policies, organisational structures, procedures, objectives/targets, monitoring mechanisms and auditing systems to ensure that it's all working. Under the ISO14000 series it’s possible to get your EMS independently certified against a standard, ISO14001.
• Work with your suppliers to find out exactly where your paper comes from and be sure there are no illegal sources. Apply for FSC or PEFC Chain-of-Custody certification.
•  Measure the energy consumption of your facilities and the associated greenhouse gas contribution and use this information to set reduction targets.
• Make sure you have a clear environmental/sustainability programme and that everybody from boardroom to shop floor understands what they need to do.
• Integrate this ethic into your staff induction programmes and personal development programmes.

 
The EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a voluntary initiative designed to improve companies' environmental performance. Line said its aim is to recognise and reward those organisations that go beyond minimum legal compliance and continuously improve their environmental performance.

It is a requirement of the scheme that participating organisations regularly produce a public environmental statement that reports on their environmental performance. It is this voluntary publication of environmental information that gives EMAS and those organisations that participate, enhanced credibility and recognition.

With printers worrying about margins being squeezed in difficult trading conditions environmental accreditations may end up as a low priority, but we found printers are not taken seriously by blue chip companies unless they have green credentials, and environmentally sound practices are essential if you are considering targeting the charities sector.

Deciding which scheme to go for was easy for us. We have never been asked if we are PEFC accredited, whereas we are frequently asked about our FSC accreditation, plus there is the additional requirement that PEFC has over FSC in the need to conduct internal audits.

SMEs can achieve these standards without massive additional costs. The requirements for FSC accreditation can be built into your standard processes and training and initial audits are straightforward. Completing the initial audit is reasonably quick and painless and there is certainly no requirement to employ additional staff. Furthermore, the FSC exercise gave us the opportunity to review our processes and adopt best practice across our sites.

And FSC accreditation has already given us inroads into new market sectors.

 

 

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Tower Supplies managing director Suzanne Mitchelson  

Tower Supplies achieved FSC accreditation along with its parent company De Vroede Enveloppen in July this year. Further initiatives are already underway at the Lancashire-based envelope printer’s site, such as using organic and vegetable based inks, changing to greener types of fuel for company vehicles and carbon offsetting. Waste streams are now starting to generate income for the company after reviewing our waste management.