Sustainability and sustainable printing seem to be the words on everyone’s lips at the moment, and with good reason. We can all make a difference to the world we live in, and print is no different. Focusing on sustainable printing has been on Newman Thomson’s manifesto for a while now, and we believe we can offer a solution which provides the best of all worlds, it’s sustainable, it’s affordable and it still looks good. Read on to find out more about what we do that makes the difference, how it can help your supply chain, and meet the demands and expectations of your customers.
FSC®
In 2009 Newman Thomson Ltd proudly achieved our FSC® (Forestry Stewardship Council®) certification (FSC® C022819). FSC® is dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests.
The Forestry Stewardship Council’s logo is used by companies and products to indicate that they have been produced and operate according to the FSC® criteria of responsible forestry management, using resources from fairly managed sources. Newman Thomson has earned a right to use this logo on its printed products through a focussed drive to use responsibly sourced FSC® paper stocks and chain of custody directives. FSC® certified print from Newman Thomson means that you can be confident that you are helping to protect the welfare of the world’s forests.
View our FSC® certificate.
Carbon Balanced Paper
Carbon Balanced Paper enables you to offset the unavoidable carbon emissions of your office paper and printed marketing communications, and is a key part of sustainable printing.
Already one of the world’s truly responsible, sustainable, low carbon products, the average carbon impact of your paper can now be measured and offset through the work of World Land Trust.
Carbon Balanced Paper is achieved through the preservation of ecologically important standing forests, under real and imminent threat of clearance, locking in carbon that would otherwise be released and securing continued absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Following the principles of REDD*, this is recognised as one of the most cost effective and fastest ways to arrest the rise of atmospheric CO2 and global warming effects.
When you choose Carbon Balanced Paper you can use a unique logo on your print run: an instant, high-visibility seal that demonstrates your commitment to reducing your carbon impact, and enhances your brand.
The logo is available in three colours – black, white and green – for use on any printed publication. Every logo features a unique reference number, specific to your publication, ensuring the highest possible validity and traceability.
Organisations using Carbon Balanced Paper can receive certificates confirming the carbon benefits and the area of land this has protected.
*(REDD+) Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries
ISO 14001
This international standard formally acknowledges Newman Thomson’s dedication to implement and continually improve our environmental management system. The standard dictates that Newman Thomson not only conforms with all environmental laws and regulations but actively works to minimise the environmental impact of all current and future activities and processes, reduce energy use and promote environmentally considerate practices throughout it’s supplier chain. See www.iso.org for further information.
Vegetable Based Inks
What’s vegetable based ink?
We use the !NKREDIBLE range of inks from Huber on our Litho presses. These inks are made using renewable raw materials and are Cobalt and mineral-oil free, and suitable for IPA (Isopropylalcohol) free printing. Whilst this particular range aren’t sold as food-safe inks, we can offer a range of environmentally conscious food-safe inks.
What are the benefits?
- Good stackability with minimal powder spraying
- Colour shades in compliance with ISO 2846-1 (independently certified by Fogra)
- Perfectly fit for print production according to ISO 12647-2
- High fountain solution tolerance, excellent stability in the production run
- Ideally suitable for IPA-free printing
- Cobalt-free
- No VOC’s
- A key part of sustainable printing
Any bad points?
Not that we’ve seen, these inks produce a very high
gloss finish, they are resistant to any damage from
rubbing, and most of all they’re environmentally friendly.
Sustainable Digital Printing
What about our digital kit?
HP Indigo presses are designed with the environment in mind from the earliest design stages, taking into account the full product lifecycle, supply chain and end of life.
In each successive generation of presses, HP Indigo works to drive down the levels of energy and supplies required for each print. Additionally, recycling, recovery and reuse programs both for supplies and hardware continue to be developed and expanded. HP Indigo also strives to reduce the environmental impact of its manufacturing and supply waste in its manufacturing lines. HP’s Indigo production process is totally Carbon Neutral. HP also collect and recycle/reuse many of the consumable products used in the running of the Indigo presses.
Our HP Indigo digital presses have been certified with the Intertek Green Leaf Mark for their superior environmental standing. Intertek is one of the world’s leading independent certification and testing companies. HP Indigo chose the Intertek Green Leaf Mark to demonstrate rigorous, independent verification of environmental claims associated with these presses.
And the inks?
HP places a high priority on meeting applicable safety standards for its HP Indigo digital presses, supplies and HP Indigo ElectroInk.
HP Indigo ElectroInk complies with the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants; complies with the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer; and meets the chemical requirements of the Nordic Ecolabel (Nordic Swan) for printing companies.
HP Indigo ElectroInk complies with RoHS legislation.
HP Indigo ElectroInk does not contain lead, cadmium, mercury or hexavalent chromium in a combined concentration exceeding 100 parts per million by weight of the ink in the dry state, based on the formulation of HP Indigo ElectroInk and information received from suppliers.
Recycling
Credit: https://www.twosides.info/UK
Newman Thomson’s mission is to minimise the paper waste arising from our printing processes. Working closely with J&G Environmental, Newman Thomson recycles nearly 100% of it’s paper waste and 100% of it’s metal waste. We also recycle all our packaging, our digital photosensitive drums, blanket cylinders, ink containers and cartridges. We even go so far as to have the crates and pallets on which our supplies are delivered recycled by a not-for-profit organisation which turns them into wood chippings for use in children’s playgrounds.
Eco-friendly Print
At Newman Thomson we want to go even further than offering a product which adheres to the highest demands of accrediting bodies. We also offer an extensive range of 50% recycled, 80% recycled and 100% recycled paper stocks. Just ask us what we can do for you, you’ll be surprised at how competitive we can keep our eco-friendly print media services.
Processless Plates
July 2019 saw us make the move to chemical free plate making using Kodak’s Sonora X system. Read more about this, and the benefits it brings, in our blog.
Web to Print
While on the face of it, Web to Print may not seem to have a place within a companies environmental awareness policy, but when you think about it in the context of it’s other name, print on demand, then it starts to make a little bit more sense.
By only printing what you need, you cut down on excess waste, and should a product need updating, you don’t have to throw away the excess out of date stock. Couple that with the fact that print on demand is almost exclusively produced on digital presses, which by their nature are cleaner, and more environmentally friendly than their litho counterparts, the case for using Print on Demand becomes even stronger.
We run on the Xerox XMPie web to print platform, a product we feel stands head and shoulders above other offerings, if you would like to find out more, contact us using the form and we will be happy to demo the product for you and discuss how it could fit in with your needs.
Recycled FSC® Certified Stickers
We are able to now offer FSC® certified 100% Recycled, 100% Recyclable and 100% Biodegradable stickers in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, if you wish to find out more about these products, then please contact us.
And to finish…
Whilst it’s all very well having environmentally sound printing kit, an energy efficient factory and using inks that are made from renewable resources, what about that finishing touch to a job, the laminate? Most laminates contain forms of plastics, which are not the flavour of the month, however we can supply laminated finishes in an entirely biodegradable material. This means you the client still gets a great looking, hard wearing job, with minimal cost to the environment.
If you’d like a copy of our sustainable print brochure, please contact us.
View or download a copy of our brochure: