Developing Sustainability Through A Managed Print Strategy
The print industry is stepping up to become more sustainable. We are ensuring that our carbon footprint and impact on the environment is minimised as much as possible. Perhaps you might find it surprising to hear; paper is actually one of the most sustainable products in the world!
SF Taylor goes the extra mile in order to help our customers reach their environmental goals. Our work doesn’t go unnoticed; we recently won an award for our Sustainable Development at the NHS in the North West’s Excellence in Supply Awards and have also achieved the Green Leaf Award.
We all hold the responsibility of being as environmentally conscious as possible. That’s why our ISO 14001 environmental accreditation is so much more to us than a ‘tick box’, it’s something we live and breathe, right through our business.
Here are some just a few of the examples demonstrating how SF Taylor are implementing sustainable practices, to align with our client’s sustainability goals.
1. Environmentally Friendly Printing Processes
We have upgraded our printing plates to ‘Process Free Printing Plates’. These plates completely omit harmful chemicals from our printing processes, such as developer and gum. They also save on both water and energy usage. We then send our used printing plates to be recycled for aluminium. Vegetable-based ink has replaced petroleum-based ink in our printing processes, as a much more sustainable solution. As this type of ink is a product of already grown crops, there is no need to plant more. This also maintains the vivid colours as standard ink, so we never need to compromise on quality.
2. Consolidating Your Supply Chain to Reduce Carbon Footprint
Most large organisations have many facets and many different departments. Each department may have its own print buyer – whether it’s the marketing manager in one area or the procurement office in another – they also sometimes have their own preferred supplier. By analysing your strategy and deciding on one core supplier, you can almost guarantee an increase in buying power and a significant decrease in duplication, over-ordering and wasted print materials. From implementing a ‘no printing emails’ policy to digitalising certain aspects of your business there are several ways you can reduce day-to-day costs and decrease your environmental impact.
3. One Box Solution
Distribution efficiency comes down to understanding how far your materials have to travel and how many truckloads are being used to transport these materials. We aim to ensure that we travel as little as possible, while also keeping up with our delivery demand. It may be tempting to send out stock in a half-full truckload if your order is smaller than usual and a client has a deadline looming, but such practices can soon have an environmental impact. We ensure that all of our vans are fully stocked, to decrease travel and impact on the environment. Our reporting system ensures that you are never left without a supply and need to send in a hurry. If you do need to place an order last minute, we will find a way to deliver it to you in a hurry, in the most sustainable way we can. A dedicated Management Information system and warehousing facility bring a high level of expertise into our distribution service. Your print is consolidated into one delivery to ensure our vehicles are never half-full. Your Account Management team make sure your products get to where they need to be, on time, every time, so you never have to worry about missing deadlines.
We call this our ‘one box solution’. Eliminating any packaging waste, as well as preventing unnecessary journeys from multiple different suppliers. Customers can control their print with ease, with several advantages to the environment.
4. Minimal Product Wastage
We know that if you do not have a robust print management strategy in place, it can be easy to over-order your print. This results in a waste of print material and a dent in your budget. We have systems in places to prevent this happening Our online Web2Print portal, HubTec, allows you print on demand and track exactly how much print is being used. The minimisation of waste benefits both the environment and your business, by reducing overall costs. At SF Taylor we believe in reduce reuse, recycle. We are proud to say that 100% of our paper is recycled and diverted from landfill, whilst any surplus paper is donated to local schools. Nothing gets wasted here at SF Taylor – even our used wooden pallets are given new homes. Here they are transformed into tables and benches at a charity wine and beer night in aid of MS Trust.
Improve your Sustainability Through Managed Print Solutions
Are you trying to implement more sustainable practices within your business? Consolidating suppliers by outsourcing your print management strategy can benefit you by ensuring your core suppliers align with your sustainability goals. We are transparent in our sustainability practices and are constantly striving and looking for ways to improve. We are regularly audited through our ISO 14001 accreditation to ensure we keep up to date with all of our practices and we receive regular reporting regarding how our waste is managed, from our own suppliers. Our clients can request to receive reporting which details our practices to ensure that we align with their goals.
An outsourced, managed print strategy encompasses a number of different processes, facilitating a more profitable approach to print for businesses. If you are interested in seeing if we might be able to help you with you add value to your business through a managed print solution, while also adhering to and potentially improving your sustainability practices, contact us today. We can offer a free, no obligation audit of your print processes, providing you with a detailed report and recommendations. Contact us today to find out more
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