The Environment & How AdvantageMedia is helping to protect it.
AdvantageMedia cares passionately about the environment and what impact our business practices have on it. Positive action on environmental issues has been a priority at AdvantageMedia since its creation and its parent company Blackwellprint for many, many years.
It is for this reason that we have been working hard towards FSC Chain of Custody Certification (CoC) for the past 6 months...we are now FSC certified.
It should be born in mind that environmental issues and arguments are not straightforward. For instance, the amount of energy used in de-inking and re-manufacturing so-called "recycled paper" can have a greater overall effect on the environment than using properly managed virgin pulp.
We are often asked how "green" our production process is so here are the answers to some of your environmental FAQs:
Our Website
Even before you order we are helping to protect the environment! AdvantageMedia's websites carbon has been offset by leading Carbon Offsetters "Coco2.org". This is in tandem with our use of Rackspace servers, who are the world leaders in striving towards Zero Carbon Web Servers.
Pre-Press
AdvantageMedia uses an Agfa Direct To Plate imaging system which does not require films and so requires less time and energy to produce a plate, reducing its impact on the environment also improving image quality! Direct to plate systems are approximately 50% more energy efficient than using an imagesetter and platemakeing system.
Agfa’s Environmental Policy
All unavoidable chemical usage involved in platemaking is re-cycled or reclaimed. This is done on a periodic basis to reduce the impact of regular unnecessary collections.
All plates are recycled after use using a registered metals recycling facility. This is done on a periodic basis to reduce the impact of regular unnecessary collections.
On-Press
AdvantageMedia uses the latest Heidelberg press technology to reduce run up sheets to an absolute minimum. Because of the Direct to Plate technology our makeready times are reduced again to an absolute minimum, this reduces energy costs, reduces waste paper and reduces ink usage.
Heidelberg’s Environmental Policy
Inks
We use BASF vegetable based inks for litho printing rather than mineral based inks and are referred to as "Bio Inks". These are much less damaging to the environment than conventional petroleum based inks they also contain only trace elements of volatile compounds and toxic metals the bulk of the ink is made from sustainable raw materials (generally linseed or soya bean oil). The inks are bio-degradeable. Another environmental benefit is recycling of paper printed with vegetable based inks is far less energy consuming and is much, much cleaner.
You can view our ink suppliers Environmental Policies & Credentials below:
BASF’s Commitment To Our Environment & Health & Safety
BASF’s Commitment To Sustainability
We use on-press roller cleaning system which dont require huge amounts of water and reduce wash up times to 10 minutes.
All materials used for cleaning of the blankets are recycled. This is done on a periodic basis to reduce the impact of regular unnecessary collections.
Paper & Board
All our paper and board (card) is either Elemental Chlorine Free or Totally Chlorine Free. Chlorine is one of the most common bleaching agents and is what gives most household bleaches their unique smell. Chlorine was traditionally used to make the naturally creamy wood pulp whiter. Chlorine however damages the environment especially in the concentrations required for the paper manufacturing process. All major paper manufacturers have changed to other methods of bleaching, generally using oxygen. This has less of a direct impact and the manufacture of the oxygen itself uses less energy, another benefit.
All our paper and board comes from paper manufacturers who use pulp from "managed forests"¯ and who are registered to ISO14001. These are forests that are grown specifically for pulp making for paper. Most informed people consider that his is no different to farming cereal crops for food production. The trees used are still beneficial to the environment and new trees (generally two-for-one) are planted in their place when felling takes place. Hardwood and other "rainforest" trees cannot be used for papermaking. No amount of re-cycling will ever help that sad situation.
All our off-cuts of paper are collected for re-cycling. This is done on a periodic basis to reduce the impact of regular unnecessary collections. You can encourage the use of this type of waste by buying your eggs in paper mache cartons instead of plastic and using brown paper bags. An over simplification perhaps, but you get the picture!
You can view our paper suppliers Environmental Policies & Credentials below:
Antalis’ Environmental Policy
Antalis’ Commitment To The Environment
Antalis’ Sustainability Charter
Howard Smiths Paper Group’s Environmental Policy
Howard Smiths Paper Group’s ISO 14001 Certification
Howard Smiths Paper Group’s FSC Certification
Robert Horne Group’s Environmental Policy
Robert Horne Group’s Environmental Certification
Robert Horne Group’s Commitment To Our Environment
PaperCo’s Environmental Policy
Coating
Our flyers are coated using a water-based environmentally friendly varnish without any petro-chemical content. Plastic lamination or encapsulation is only used as a requested operation by you, the customer. You may therefore make your own decision on this.
We create very little hazardous waste. Our suppliers collect any that requires special treatment to ensure strict compliance to the Hazardous Waste Act 2005.
Digital Printing
Environmental impact was a key factor in choosing to invest in digital press technologies. Buying Digital print gives you the opportunity to only have precisely what you need. Less waste less cost less environmental impact!
No Plates
No Chemicals
No Inks
Just great quality print!
You can view Xerox's Environment & Health & Safety Documents below:
Xerox's Docucolor 5000 Digital Printer Environmental Product Data Sheet
Xerox's "RoHS Compliance: Working to Support a Sustainable Future" Document
Xerox's "Facts About Ozone" Document
Deliveries
We use a hub based national courier to despatch our print and printed products which reduces the impact on the roads by sending new double decked trunker lorries reducing the need for 2 lorries when only 1 will be needed between hubs. The IP based consignment system uses paperless systems reducing consumption of unnecessary materials. The delivering depot will attempt delivery once after that they await instructions from the customer reducing wasted journies to minimum.
9 Lives 55 Stock
9lives 55 is produced with 55% recycled fibre from both pre- and post-consumer sources (cardboard & recycled office paper), together with 45% virgin ECF fibre from sustainable FSC approved forests. Available in gloss and silk, 9lives 55 provides the same visual and mechanical performance as 100% virgin fibre papers and offers excellent environmental attributes.
AdvantageMedia.co.uk recognised the need for a strong recycled offering after enquiries from regular customers started as a trickle and has now become a flood of enquiries for both recycled and FSC approved products.
The criteria for choosing a paper was as follows:
We require a true "post-consumer waste" - paper that has been used for its original purpose then recovered and treated to make fresh paper.
How the recovered paper was de-inked and whitened was important as a recycled product that has used more energy to recycle than a well managed "virgin" pulp originated type of stock makes little sense!
Was it subjected to aggressive bleaching chemicals? Papers that are bleached generally are not considered "environmentally" friendly!
Early recycled papers contained recycled fibres that had not been de-inked, which led to the grey look. They looked and felt second-hand and they also killed print quality stone dead by sucking up the ink and making everything look dull. That was fine if you wanted your Annual Report to look printed on recycled paper, but not so good if you had a quality image to project. Fortunately the techniques for recycling paper have advanced dramatically over the last 15 years to the point where recovered papermaking fibre can be made as clean as it was in its virgin state. Paper previously used can be "born again" and made almost as good as new and "coated" recycled papers provide a surface that doesnt kill the print....a very important part of our selection process.
We had looked at 100% recycled with some very big questions both of image quality and questionable environmental credentials...
...The sustainable solution is the best option. Combining recycled fibre and virgin fibre provides a sustainable solution for the future.
100% recycled paper cannot be recycled indefinitely - the fibre downgrades and eventually cannot be used for papermaking.
Unfortunately the world of recycled papers is a highly complex one that leaves most people confused. To make the right choice of recycled paper you either have to become an expert yourself, or trust an expert to steer you in the right direction.
True experts keep things simple, so we decided to provide an overview of recycled paper from a business perspective. Whilst acknowledging that there are always shades of grey, we make no apologies for making black and white statements that will help busy print buyers & customers focus on the key issues.
We chose 9lives because it contains a percentage of virgin fibre - its a FSC approved sustainable product with strong environmental credentials that does not compromise print quality and is affordable.
What is FSC?
© 1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C.
The mark of responsible forestry.
We are an FSC Chain of Custody certified
printer our certifcate number is: TT-COC-002646 a copy of our certificate for download is available as a pdf (428kb downlaod)
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) shall promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.
FSC has developed a set of Principles and Criteria for forest management that are applicable to all FSC-certified forests throughout the world. There are 10 Principles and 57 Criteria that address legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts surrounding forest management.
Principle 1: Compliance With Laws & FSC PrinciplesForest management shall respect all applicable laws of the country in which they occur, and international treaties and agreements to which the country is a signatory, and comply with all FSC Principles and Criteria.
Principle 2: Tenure & Use & RepsonsibilitiesLong-term tenure and use rights to the land and forest resources shall be clearly defined, documented and legally established.
Principle 3: Indiginous Peoples’ RightsThe legal and customary rights of indigenous peoples to own, use and manage their lands, territories, and resources shall be recognised and respected.
Principle 4: Community Relations & Worker’s RightsForest management operations shall maintain or enhance the long-term social and economic well being of forest workers and local communities.
Principle 5: Benefits From The ForestForest management operations shall encourage the efficient use of the forest’s multiple products and services to ensure economic viability and a wide range of environmental and social benefits.
Principle 6: Environmental ImpactForest management shall conserve biological diversity and its associated values, water resources, soils, and unique and fragile ecosystems and landscapes, and, by so doing, maintain the ecological functions and the integrity of the forest.
Principle 7: Management PlanA management plan -- appropriate to the scale and intensity of the operations -- shall be written, implemented, and kept up to date. The long-term objectives of management, and the means of achieving them, shall be clearly stated.
Principle 8: Monitoring & AssessmentMonitoring shall be conducted -- appropriate to the scale and intensity of forest management -- to assess the condition of the forest, yields of forest products, chain of custody, management activities and their social and environmental impacts.
Principle 9: Maintenance Of High Conservation Value ForestsManagement activities in high conservation value forests shall maintain or enhance the attributes which define such forests. Decisions regarding high conservation value forests shall always be considered in the context of a precautionary approach.
Principle 10: PlantationsPlantations shall be planned and managed in accordance with Principles and Criteria 1 - 9, and Principle 10 and its Criteria. While plantations can provide an array of social and economic benefits, and can contribute to satisfying the worldÕs needs for forest products, they should complement the management of, reduce pressures on, and promote the restoration and conservation of natural forests.
Environmentally appropriate forest management ensures that the harvest of timber and non-timber products maintains the forest’s biodiversity, productivity and ecological processes.
Socially beneficial forest management helps both local people and society at large to enjoy long term benefits and also provides strong incentives to local people to sustain the forest resources and adhere to long-term management plans.
Economically viable forest management means that forest operations are structured and managed so as to be sufficiently profitable, without generating financial profit at the expense of the forest resources, the ecosystem or affected communities. The tension between the need to generate adequate financial returns and the principles of responsible forest operations can be reduced through efforts to market forest products for their best value.
Chain of Custody
From the forester to the executive board, we all have a responsibility to protect and sustain the natural environment and the power to influence the way in which our forests are managed and our paper-based products are supplied and utilised.
The FSC Chain of Custody scheme is a unique monitoring and tracking system which follows wood-based products, including paper, from responsibly managed woodlands and controlled wood sources around the world through the supply chain to the end-user.
By achieving certification, foresters, pulp producers, paper mills, merchants, printers, publishers, creative agencies and members of the wider business community alike can demonstrate their commitment to the environmental, social and economical concerns of their stakeholders and customers.
And through their participation, they can encourage their suppliers to follow their lead. It provides independent assurance to everyone, throughout the Chain of Custody and beyond, that the product manufacturing process includes FSC certified material, material from controlled sources and/or recycled wood or fiber.
So What Does This Mean In Real Terms To You, The AdvantageMedia.co.uk Customer?
FSC is fast becoming a very important part of your print purchasing decision...but what does actually mean to you as a customer of AdvantageMedia.co.uk?
 FSC Accredited Sustainable Forests
Where possible all our paper stock is purchased from FSC accredited sustainable forests for every tree cut down, there are at least 2 trees planted to replace it. We only use FSC certified and independantly audited paper suppliers. Certificates for all our FSC approved suppliers are available for your download. Where our products are FSC they are clearly stated in the product description.
 FSC Accredited Paper Mills
All our FSC paper is produced in FSC approved and Chain of Custody approved Mills. These mills are independantly audited so that they can prove the methods they use to segregate FSC and non FSC approved stocks before, during and after the manufacturing process.
 FSC Accredited Stock (Carrying FSC Chain Of Custody Certificates)
Almost all of our print products available for you to buy online are printed on FSC paper...you can check this on each print product page...for example all of our flyers products are printed on FSC approved stocks not all flyer printers can prove or even claim this!
 FSC Chain Of Custody Member Printer (Us!)
Once we receive a delivery of FSC accredited stock it is placed in a segregated area (this is to ensure no contamination of non-FSC with FSC stocks). All our staff are trained in the correct procedures for handling ’FSC paper for print’ they are also trained in the correct procedures when a procedure fails in terms of correcting the procedure and in reporting it for auditing & inspection.
 Print Buyers & End Users
We are working hard towards offering all our products as FSC or offering an FSC alternative print product...allowing you the print buyer the choice when ordering.
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