Environment

We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously at Kingfisher Press and take every opportunity to be ecologically aware and minimise our carbon footprint both as a business and as individuals.

We are currently working towards FSC accreditation and will hopefully be a full member of the scheme by March 2010. When you see the FSC logo on a label you can buy timber and other wood products, such as paper, with the confidence that you are not contributing to the destruction of the world’s forests.

We have also joined the Rethink Waste initiative which begins in January 2010.

Rethink Waste is a free initiative developed by Envirowise, with support from EEF, to help manufacturers reduce waste, improve resource efficiency and save money. Envirowise experience has shown that manufacturers taking action to reduce waste and improve their resource efficiency can save up to £1,000 per employee.

Whilst FSC provides a certified chain of custody and ensures we make every effort to manage and maintain the worlds forests, we must also ensure that we minimise our impact on the environment in other areas.

Outlined below are some of the other areas which highlight our commitment to minimising the impact we have as a business on the environment and promoting sustainability:

• Inks - all our inks are vegetable based.
• Waste – all our waste including paper and aluminium is collected by accredited environmental contractors for disposal or recycling.
• Chemicals – all collected for disposal by accredited environmental contractors.
• Energy efficiency – low energy lighting / power down policy evenings and weekends.
• Aqueous seal - promote the use of more environmentally friendly finishes such as gloss and matt aqueous seal.
• Bike to work / lift share – Kingfisher supports all staff with the bike to work and lift share government initiatives.
• All future equipment, where possible, will be purchased with environmental considerations including low alcohol, chemistry and energy efficiency in mind.

If you would like more information on the range of environmentally friendly / recycled papers available such as the Digital Xerox range including recycled pure and premier FSC or PEFC accredited papers please contact us.

Did you know?
Aqueous (water-based) coatings have minimal VOC (Volatile organic compound) content, reducing atmospheric pollution. Printed material with aqueous coating can easily be recycled to lower grade paper and board and the coating itself can be cleaned from our presses using pure water or products with low VOC content rather than solvents.Water-based coatings are formulated from inert raw materials and therefore do not decompose to form environmentally dangerous products.

“Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the earth's atmosphere. Volatile organic compounds are numerous and varied. Although ubiquitous in nature and modern industrial society, they may also be harmful or toxic. VOCs, or subsets of the VOCs, are often regulated.”

Source wikipedia Feb 2010