Yorkshire based print firm, Platinum Print has recently achieved the nationally recognised environmental accreditation ISO14001, confirming their on-going commitment to reducing their environmental impact, whilst also proving it is possible to do this, no matter what your industry.
The print industry is renowned for its heavy reliance on materials which derive from our natural habitat for the development of many of its printed products. Platinum has however proven over the course of many years, that you can effectively raise environmental performance whilst maintaining consistent growth, having achieved a 15% increase in turnover in their most recent financial year.
Platinum have worked closely with its supplier contacts to bring down the cost of recycled products, passing these reductions on to their client base and so making these materials a more realistic option when making purchasing decisions.
“With a growing need for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to reducing environmental impact, Platinum Print are now in the select 1% of UK businesses that have been awarded ISO 14001”, commented Nick Parkes, Lead Assessor at QMS, an international certification body for awards such as this.
With organisations now being incentivised to make responsible decisions in terms of reducing their environmental risk, this recognised stamp of approval can be used by decision makers when selecting or changing to a new supplier.
“With the print industry relying on the supply of paper based products as well as energy and chemicals in such high volumes, we have made considerable investments in new technology, improved processes and product selection to meet the requirements of this sought after environmental standard,” said Platinum Print’s Production Director, Mark Plummer.
He continued, “We first began our environmental campaign over 10 years ago by implementing new technology which reduced our hazardous waste by more than 3000 litres annually and we later became FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified . Our aim is to offer total carbon balanced production by 2014 and so obtaining ISO14001 seemed like the next logical step to reaching this goal.”
Despite accreditation being a rigorous process, entailing almost six weeks of continuous reviews and auditing, Platinum Print is now looking forward to the benefits that such an award can bring, which include waste reduction, cost savings and increased sales amongst others. Challenges in achieving these objectives will be inevitable, where reporting systems have to be well managed and waste segregation flawless.
David Wyvill, Managing Director at Platinum Print added, “With a growing number of firms recognising the need to place the environment high on their business agenda, Platinum has responded to this quickly and seen an increase of 56% in the number of clients now opting for recycled products in the past 12 months.”
For those organisations that recognise their responsibility in creating a more sustainable environment, together with an ever-increasing need to differentiate what they can offer their clients, the benefits that a strong environmental policy can bring any business will pay dividend to those who are in it for the long-term.
