Take the right steps towards making a difference
Print House CEO, Brett Phillips, believes that taking the right steps towards making a difference is the key in determining how an organisation should ‘tackle’ their environmental policies.
Our approach was to gather as much information as possible so we could make informed decisions about how Print House could become part of the solution.
It was clear that there are many misconceptions in the market place about what is really going to lessen mankind’s impact on the environment and what can be done to reduce green house gases and climate change.
While supporting initiatives to reduce waste within our organisation it was clear to us that it was essential to also offer our clients some real environmentally friendly choices when deciding to purchase paper and print products.
For example with ‘fine’ commercial printing like we produce at Print House, the use of recycled paper is not necessarily the best option. Recycled paper often gives a poor print result and in reality the recycling process itself uses harmful chemicals to de-ink and whiten the paper so it can be reused.
Our preference and recommendation is to use products that are sourced from responsibly managed forests where the management guarantees continuous replanting of trees at a greater level than has been harvested.
This type of support globally has seen forest areas, specifically in Europe and North America increase significantly over the last few years and this must be a far better option than using the harmful chemicals associated with de-inking recycled paper.
To be able to assure our clients that we were not only ‘talking the talk’ but ‘walking the walk’ so to speak, we undertook the audit process for a ‘Chain of Custody’ certification from two globally recognised organisations.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
The ‘Chain of Custody’ tracks the timber, wood fibre and wood based products through every stage in the supply chain from the forest to the final user or consumer.
This is monitored through the inwards receipt of raw material, processing, dispatch and invoicing process and the final label on the product has a code that confirms that the item is genuinely FSC or PEFC certified.
This code and the ‘Chain of Custody’ certification applies only to the certified business operation that is processing the wood based product and both the PEFC and FSC governing organisations have implemented stringent compliance standards that must be adhered to by certified organisations.
An audit assessment is made by independent, qualified and accredited representatives of the PEFC or FSC governing organisations and this is regularly monitored to assure standards are being maintained.
Paper products are just one of many thousands of wood based products that are used on a daily basis and may have FSC or PEFC certifications.
While the FSC and PEFC certifications are not commonly known by New Zealanders as yet, these ‘Chain of Custody’ certifications are the benchmark for consumer purchasing of wood based products such as paper throughout Europe, Canada and the United States.
Our FSC and PEFC certifications are one of only a few in New Zealand at the present time and help provide clients with the ability to demonstrate that they are ensuring environmentally responsible practices in the market place.
To gain certification Print House had to undergo rigorous assessment of all it’s operational, administration and IT systems along with providing systems manuals and work manuals that identified every process within the organisation and audit trails of the transfer of certified paper products to the point when it is packaged and delivered to the client.
Print House is particularly proud to be the first company based in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions to achieve certification. We have endeavoured to lead the industry in this region for many years with the introduction of new technology and it has been important for us to take a leading role on environmental issues also.
Our aim now is to provide consumers with a better understanding of how they can make purchasing decisions that reduce their own impact on the environment.
Our recent publication ‘Taking the right steps towards making a difference’ and our environmental seminars have been well received and hopefully, over a period of time, this commitment will also encourage consumers to make informed choices about the products they purchase… no matter who their supplier is.
The key is having the knowledge and being able to make informed decisions when you are purchasing paper and print products.