Ever wondered what can be achieved by carbon offsetting?
The results of a few simple changes are quite significant as Alan explains in this article:
Print has a bad reputation. There is a somewhat old fashioned perception of printers pouring gallons of aggressive chemistry at rollers to dissolve ink, chopping down rainforests to make paper, using mineral oil for inks etc.
This may have been true in times gone by, but the reality is the complete antithesis to this perception. In the last 20 years print has become a more and more eco-friendly and sustainable sector, to give you an example here are some of the changes that we have driven in our own business which weren’t there 20 years ago:
- Recycling of all paper and card.
- Removal of alcohol from dampening on press.
- Inks free from mineral oils.
- Zero chemistry plate production.
- Low energy press.
- 70% reduction in paper waste on press.
- Hi-Lite decorative finishes replacing plastic laminates.
- Blanket washing system cut cleaning fluid requirements by 80%..
- Removal of spray powder.
- Using 100% sustainable forestry for paper (Tress literally grow to make paper in cyclical manner).
- Carbon neutral paper (carbon offsetting).
The carbon neutral paper is an especially great way to do your bit for the environment. It means that not only is all our paper 100% sustainable, i.e all the trees are grown specifically to create paper and are essentially ‘farmed’ this has led to forestry in Europe growing by an area the size of Switzerland in a decade. But the carbon created through the manufacture of the paper is also offset by planting more trees in what will become wild habitat.
We have been working with both UK based initiatives in the form of Forest Carbon Trust and world-wide ones World Land Trust which works in areas such as south America to plant and preserve trees and forestry.
Above is a diagram outlining some of the species we have been able to help reintroduce into Doddington North forrest.
So in a 12 month period how much carbon were we able to offset? Well in excess of 10,000kg! On just one of our initiatives… What does that equate to in trees? This had realised 413 trees and and 2570sq/m of new woodlands in Northumberland.
The kicker is, if you are already working with us, then your jobs will have carbon capture on them and you can have certificates to prove you too are doing in your bit for the environment – to find out more get in touch or ask at the point of quoting for Carbon Capture certificate.
