Environment

Environmental consultant Clare Taylor brings you up to speed on environmental standards, systems and schemes.

This year has seen a number of new environmental initiatives, as well as changes to familiar standards, systems and schemes. They affect a wide range of activities: clothing and textiles, paper and packaging, management systems and reporting. Here are some of the most noteworthy.

Steve Malkin is CEO of Planet First, which specialises in bringing sustainability to SMEs. He has partnered with the Eden Project to launch The Planet Mark Sustainability Certification for Business. 

Understanding sustainability is often referred to as the brick wall stopping people, and businesses, from starting to tackle the issue. It is possible that this wall is blocking further progress in the print industry, which has long known of the importance in being able to produce with the environment in mind. 

Should you be following Greenhouse Graphics’ lead and using customer call wait time to promote your products and values?

Sustainable print specialist Greenhouse Graphics has reinforced its forward-thinking business approach by implementing an innovative marketing campaign that exploits telephone hold time. The EMAS-accredited firm, which has recently diversified its print operations, will use the phone to keep customers up to speed with the changes and to promote its green strategy.

Little over a year ago this magazine ran an article entitled ‘EMAS. What’s that?’ Now the UK print industry is leading the way in its adoption. Here’s the lowdown.

Just over a year ago Image Reports ran a feature on the Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and predicted a rise to prominence. Now the UK printing industry is leading the way with EMAS in the UK. By the end of 2013,approaching half of EMAS registered UK organisations will be in print. Hand-in-hand with this, EMAS is starting to appear on tender documents and in organisations print supplier requirements.

Martine Padilla, president of US-based printing strategy company Sophizio and director of the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership, shows how printers are now harnessing the power of their sustainability efforts. 

When sustainability is broadly defined as ‘global prosperity,’ encompassing fiscal, social and environmental responsibilities, the sustainability priorities of big brands vary -  usually driven by the impact of their own footprint. Goals for some companies include simple, passive initiatives such as ‘reduce, reuse, recycle,’ and for others it includes much better-defined goals including reduced waste, natural resource use reduction, emissions reduction, increased use of renewable energy, elevated labour practices and entire supply chain lifecycle analysis.

Understand what new Timber Regulation (EU) no: 995/2010 (EUTR) means to you as a printer. Matthew Botfield, environment manager at Antalis UK, explains. 

Did you know that on 3 March this year the European Union implemented Regulation (EU) no: 995/2010, otherwise referred to as the European Timber Regulations (EUTR), making it a criminal offence for any organisation to place illegally sourced timber or timber-based products onto the EU market. If you think that has nothing to do with you, think again.

Why you should be aware of the fledgling Higg List eco index.

Heard of the Higg Index yet? Indications are that you will, and that one-day it will impact upon the way you do business - and who with - because this is a fledgling eco index that promises to fly far and high.

As energy bills rise Darren Riva, head of financing at the Energy Efficiency Financing scheme, explains how you can help the planet and your bottom line.

Squeezed between a sluggish economic recovery and rising electricity prices, businesses will continue to seek ways to reduce operating costs in 2013 and beyond. As a result, energy efficiency has been propelled to the forefront of the management agenda. In the energy-intensive printing industry there is significant energy saving potential.