Environmental Considerations:
Platemaking
Over five years ago we made the decision to completely move away from an intermediate film production stage of platemaking and made a £60,000 investment in a direct computer-to-plate solution. Although this was primarily to enhance our speed, quality and productivity for our clients, the step was also made with a significant environmental benefit in mind.
Our old imagesetter and processor which produced film used much more electricity and produced around 50 litres of mixed developer and fixer waste per month. There was then a further platemaking stage at a separate company that would also have used fixer and developer. Our brand new CTP machine uses only a tiny fraction of developer and fixer, much less energy and does not require vehicle delivery of film and plates. It is also a completely waterless system (ie no chemicals are washed with water eliminating the risk of any fixer or developer finding its way into the main drain).
Ink
We are now using vegetable based ink for our four colour process work and virtually all pantone colours. (Metallic mixes still remain oil based). This ink is biodegradeable and much more environmentally friendly than the previous oil based variety.
Paper
Simply having a 'recycled' paper does not necessarily mean environmentally friendly. The real important issue regarding paper is not just where the fibre comes from, but what processes are involved in making the paper. The very interesting fact about recycled paper is not so much where the pulp comes from, but the fact that the process to make it use a lot less energy than the process to make paper from virgin pulp. So recycled paper is important – but in order for there to be enough material to make it we ALL MUST ensure all our paper & cardboard waste is sent for recycling. Currently there is nowhere near enough recycling to meet the demand that would be generated if all print were to be run on recycled paper.
Do bear in mind, when it comes to trees, that the parts of the tree used for paper is everything that is left over once the construction industry have taken the good bits. Effectively the print industry uses all the waste wood (roots, branches etc) rejected for building materials so please do not feel too guilty about using virgin paper!
What is essential is that the tree has been properly farmed and the paper made in the best conditions. The paper mills of Europe represent some of the lowest carbon and highly regulated industries in the world. Do not forget all the trees planted are doing the world a great service just being there!
To ensure all our paper is fully traceable, Gowise have successfully completed their FSC and PEFC audit to become one of the smallest FSC & PEFC regulated printers in the country.
We can answer all your questions about the paper you use - being in such an accountable industry we have access to a lot of information. Beware though, we can go on at some length about the subject!
Waste Disposal
All our offcuts, overs and unused waste paper is collected in a dedicated container and sent for recycling at a local recycling depot. Given the lack of recycled fibre available, we are currently clearing out all our ‘end packets’ of pure white waste (which is readily recycled without the need for de-inking) to save the energy of storing it (and to give us a more tidy machine room!)
Our general waste is collected and processed by City Care, Registered AEA-791726 and our chemical waste is collected and processed by Wastecare Licence YRI/446418. All platemaking and printing liquid waste is contained and collected. No processor or solvent waste is disposed of into a main drain. All our ink tins and plastic containers are sent away also for cleaning and recycling.
After all this effort we are pleased that as an industrial company we have managed to join our domestic residents of Thorpe St Andrew in only having our waste bin emptied once a fortnight (which required a special agreement with the council collections!).
Electrical
All our appliances are checked for electrical efficiency and safety. In our main machine room, all strip lights have been replaced with energy efficient daylight strip lights.
At long last, come October 2009, after being well and truly conned into an illegal 2 year contract by the now bust Energy 4 Business (we are not bitter), we are free to move to a GREEN electricity supply. We would encourage all businesses to do the same – it doesn’t cost as much as you think particularly as you no longer have to pay the Climate Change Levy (ask us).
Communication
For obvious reasons we are not entire believers in the theory of the paperless office, but in the advent of email huge collective environmental savings can be made with electronic communication. Once, all our proofs were hard copy and posted, but now we try and provide as many proofs as possible via email in PDF format. Aside from the need to use a laserprinter or inkjet, it also eliminates the physical process of the delivery.
Far more of our business communication methods and office processes are becoming digital. It is also probably worth noting that Gowise has never operated with a "rep on the road". Our business has built sufficiently with repeat orders and customer recommendations and now is expanding using the power of internet advertising. At least that's one less car on the road!
The Environment will always be a factor in any decision of change made at Gowise Print. We expect our suppliers to do the same and frequently monitor their own environmental policies. It is our belief that by taking things a stage further and making our clients aware of our efforts, this will have a positive 'snowball' effect encouraging others to think about their own processes in light of climate change.
Many small changes will make a difference.