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In November 2023, Printdesigns undertook a Green Solutions Review with the assistance of the Staffordshire County Council Low Carbon Team. Following the review, we identified several key areas that could allow us to reduce our carbon footprint, including:
- Installation of new compressed air pipework system to reduce waste - estimated to save 540 kWh p/a
- Installation of a solar PV Array – estimated to save 44,491 kWh p/a
- Installation of new roof and insulation - estimated to save 605 kWh p/a
Following the review, roofing works were carried out during the summer of 2024 along with the installation of the new air distribution pipework system. Our 94KWh solar PV array went live in September 2024 and during September, October and December 2024, we self-generated around 40% of our total use electricity use whilst feeding back an additional 530.2KWh of solar-generated energy into the grid.
During the longer days in the summer months, we expect to be generating a surplus of green solar-derived electricity.
Our commitment to sustainability
Printdesigns Limited is committed to promoting sustainability within our business. Concern for the environment and promoting a broad sustainability agenda are central to our activities and the ethos of our organisation. We always aim to encourage and promote good sustainability practices to reduce the environmental impacts of our activities where possible and to help our customers do the same.
Our principles of sustainability
- To comply with and exceed where practically possible all relevant legislation, regulations or codes of practice.
- To take into account sustainability considerations within the business decisions we make.
- To ensure our staff are aware of our Sustainability Policy and are committed to implementing and improving it.
- To minimise the impact of sustainability of all manufacturing, office and transportation activities.
- To work with our suppliers and make them aware of our Sustainability Policy and encourage them to adopt sustainable practices.
- To review our policy annually to improve our sustainability performance continually.
Our sustainability practices
- We will avoid physically travelling to meetings when it is avoidable and utilise alternative technologies such as video conferencing. We will efficiently organise our schedule to eliminate the need for multiple trips.
- We will support staff to allow them to work from home when it is possible to reduce the amount of travel to and from our offices and factory.
- We will minimise the amount of paper-based products used within our admin and office back-end by incorporating a digital accounting and order management system. Where paper is utilised we will mitigate by printing reduced-size documents and or printing double-sided when possible.
- Office and factory waste by-products will be recycled when it is possible. This includes material wastage, computer supplies and redundant equipment.
- Gifting of redundant computers and IT equipment. Where possible, functional but redundant computer equipment will be offered to local organisations/individuals who may benefit.
- We will endevour to expand and promote a range of products that are more sustainable to their traditional counterparts. For example, we will encourage clients to consider non-pvc materials that are easier to recycle than their counterparts.
- Energy consumption in our offices and factory will be reduced by purchasing energy-efficient equipment and operating machinery only when necessary. All non-essential machinery will be shut down and isolated when it is not being actively used.
- Electricity and utilities will be purchased from a supplier who is committed to renewables. We will prefer suppliers who have a higher proportion of supply from renewables or who support and invest in renewable energy schemes.
- Any timber that is utilised in the products we manufacture will be sourced from sustainable sources and should be FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified.
Any food and beverage products purchased within our business should be fair-trade and/or organic when possible. - Printdesigns will undertake and support projects within our local community that can make a positive impact on the environment.
- We will ensure that any businesses with whom we cooperate/subcontract share our sustainability goals.
- We will phase out the use of in-house IT hardware and migrate to cloud-based systems that do not need to be physically powered at all times. For example, network-attached storage and security systems.
- All accounting invoices should be delivered electronically via email and internal communications within our business should be paperless where possible.
- We will use intelligent logistics planning software to route deliveries most efficiently and economically possible. We will take into account the sustainability credentials of any outsourced logistics partners when selecting partners to work with
This policy was last updated 1st December 2024