Sustainability in print
Sustainability in print
Creating a happier, healthier planet
Sustainability matters now more than ever before. For every business, the challenge is to provide products and services that meet the sustainability standards that customers are coming to expect and demand.
Here, you’ll find information about our recycling activities and environmental practices, enabling you to make informed decisions about sustainable and eco-friendly packaging – and help us contribute to a happier, healthier planet.
To be, or not to be packaged?
Packaging is an essential and beneficial component for many products – throughout the supply chain. Not only can it protect and preserve products during transit, sale and beyond, it can be used to communicate essential information about the product itself, such as ingredients, storage and use.
We work with our customers to determine what format will be best for their products. We can help reduce excess, recommend the most suitable materials, enable reuse and/or recycling, and limit waste or damage across their supply chain.
Sustainable packaging in a circular economy
We follow the ethos of a circular economy. Put simply, we design waste out of our procurement and manufacturing processes. We use sustainable materials, recycle our waste and maintain and reuse machinery and materials for longer. Read more about the design, materials and lifecycle of sustainable packaging here.
Sustainability in print – the facts
Recycling and waste reduction
We optimise production to reduce waste on every job, using appropriate sheet sizes to achieve the optimum number of viable units printed per sheet. This not only reduces the volume of offcut waste – it saves the client costs.
We’ve invested over £100k in waste extraction automation systems to recover and recycle all our paper and board waste. We also recycle all metal and plastic used in production.
0% of any waste created during our production process goes to landfill.
Eco-friendly print and packaging
We use vegetable-based inks as standard and, in food packaging, special low-migration inks that are food safe.
We are FSC & PEFC certified – our paper and card products are made with sustainable, renewable materials from well-managed forests. We maintain Chain of Custody of materials from origin to end product, which means the materials used in our products can be traced back to sustainably managed forests.
The glue we use is water-based, non-toxic, biodegradable and does not affect the recycling process.
Environmental practices
Our environmental management systems conform to the ISO 14001 standard, which enables us to enhance and continue to expand our environmental practices across the whole life cycle of our activities, products and services.
We have regular staff training workshops and departmental meetings to review and drive our environmental objectives forward. Read our environmental policy here.
Sustainability FAQs
Q: Is paper and board sustainable?
A: Paper is a uniquely renewable and a truly sustainable product – paper is one of the most recycled resources in the world. The papers and boards we can provide are manufactured using fibres sourced from responsibly managed and protected forests. Within Europe alone, the forests supporting paper and board manufacturing are growing year on year. These forests provide countless benefits to the land, its ecosystems and the environment.
Q: Is it best to use recycled or virgin paper and boards?
A: While we can offer recycled paper and board for a variety of products, there are instances where using it is just not suitable. For example, where it will come into direct contact with food products, or for use in premium packaging applications. Virgin fibres have strong sustainability credentials and should not be seen as the opposite of recycled.
Q: Is kraft (brown board) more sustainable than white board?
A: White board has been cleaned with a non-toxic, chlorine-free bleach, whilst brown board is more ‘natural’ looking but both are equally recyclable and biodegradable. We can work with you to design and develop sustainable packaging that meets your project’s objectives – and aligns with your brand.
Q: Can you help prevent single-use plastic waste?
A: Yes, unlike plastic, our packaging won't last forever! We can provide sustainable paper and board alternatives to single-use plastic products. Our carton engineers can help design out plastic elements such as internal fitments or even re-engineer the entire product using paper or board packaging instead. After use, our paper and board packaging is recyclable – which in turn contributes to the circular economy.
Sustainability in action
Case study: replacing plastic in packaging
See how we redesigned a client’s existing packaging to completely remove the plastic and how it improved functionality, sustainability and ultimately product sales.
Get in touch
If you have a project in mind and would like advice about sustainable packaging styles for your brand, please get in touch.