Environmental
Aspects Of Purchase
All businesses need print of some kind, from letterheads and business
cards to full colour brochures, and printing can require a great
deal of resources.
Working sustainably is vital – that is, work that won’t
damage our surroundings or resources for future generations. Particularly
with such considerations as the Climate Change Levy, the environment
is now a mainstream business concern; the good news is that improved
environmental practices can often reduce your costs.
Here are a few simple steps to environmentally responsible print:
Preparing The Job
- If your job requires input from colleagues, seek it at the earliest
stages and be clear as to who will have the final sign off.
- Think digitally, most businesses now have access to a range of
software and equipment that can improve timescales, efficiency and
environmental practices.
- Make effective use of paper by making sure you can get as many
items onto one sheet as possible.
- Email is another bonus using minimal resources – use it
to send text or even files where appropriate.
- Consider technology you may not have, such as ISDN. This is a
telephone service that allows you (or your designer or printer)
to send documents directly to one another where the file is too
large to email.
- Typing text and saving it to disk instead of handing over a pile
of written notes to your designer or printer.
Minimal Corrections
Once a job reaches the pre-press stage, every change requires extra
resources such as electricity, proofing material and even transport.
For these environmental reasons,
- Avoid changes and amendments – and as printers need to charge
for their time
- Less amendments will also mean lower charges for you and less
resources used.
Think Recycled And Sustainable
Using recycled paper is an obvious step to improve your print environmentally,
and there is a vast choice available in all finishes and shades.
Some recycled papers still present the old problems of looking a
bit grainy or reducing the quality of the print, but many are now
so sophisticated that they look and act like new papers –
such as our letterheads.
- Choose recycled where possible – a wide selection is available
in our SylvaPack swatch.
- If a suitable recycled sheet is not available, opt for paper
from sustainably managed forests where trees are grown specifically
to be used for paper, and are continuously replaced. Some good
examples can be found in our free
SylvaPack swatch.
- Extend the recycled aspect to include the envelopes or folders
you use for your items, and even how you dispose of the paper when
you’ve finished.
At Severnprint we address many other environmental issues see our
Environmental Information section
for more details. |
