Papergraphics, a supplier of equipment for large-format and garment printing, has announced an investment of £1 million in sustainability initiatives including solar panels.
It has installed solar panels across the roof of its headquarters in Crawley in West Sussex and introduced balers for recycling plastic and cardboard as part of a new waste management system.
It has also invested in six on-site electric vehicle chargers, for use by staff and guests, complemented by home charging options for employees with company vehicles.
Michelle Dellow, product manager and sustainability lead at Papergraphics, said: “Our sustainability efforts are motivated by the need to mitigate against rising operational costs, the desire to minimise environmental impact, and the critical need to meet customer expectations for environmental responsibility.
“We are prioritising tangible action to ensure that what we are claiming is visible and measurable.”
Over 648 solar panels were fitted in a month-long project, which is set to reduce energy costs significantly. The system, which is scheduled to be switched on tomorrow (28 November), will be able to generate up to 266,700 kWh annually, which is enough to power more than 100 average British homes.
This clean energy will be used mainly for Papergraphics’ day-to-day office requirements and the company’s electric vehicle fleet of nine new electric and five plug-in hybrid vehicles. Any surplus energy will be supplied to the National Grid.
Final electrical installations for the six on-site electric vehicle chargers are underway, with the official switch-on set for tomorrow (28 November).
Michelle said the shift to electric vehicles and solar electricity would “reduce the company’s carbon footprint and help to enhance air quality in our local area”.
Papergraphics has invested in three balers – two for plastic and one for cardboard – to tackle the large amount of waste produced by the business.
It processes hundreds of media rolls daily, either converting them to specific roll sizes or delivering them to customers across the UK and the rest of Europe.
Packaging materials alone contribute to large amounts of plastic and other difficult-to-recycle waste that previously ended up in landfill.
The plastic balers are very easy to use and have already drastically reduced waste by compacting many forms of packaging plastic, including bubble wrap previously destined for landfill.
Michelle explained: “This reduction in waste collections cuts emissions and allows Papergraphics to reinvest savings into further sustainability projects.
“In just six months, we have recycled nearly four tonnes of plastic and over 15 tonnes of cardboard, diverting around 1,900 bin bags of waste from landfill.
Pictured: One of the new balers for recycling at Papergraphics
“We also acknowledge the challenges of some products, such as self-adhesive vinyls, which are not yet fully recyclable or environmentally friendly.
“However, Papergraphics is committed to working towards improving these situations while making a substantial impact in other operational areas.”
She added: “This is a long-term project the whole company is behind. We are so proud to have made some significant investments in important areas of the business that will help us be a better and more environmentally conscious organisation.
“There is a lot more still to do but we are working hard to make sure every project delivers measurable improvements to our operational well-being.”
Papergraphics supplies large-format printers as well as Secabo heat presses, Summa vinyl cutters and ink and film for direct-to-film (DTF) printing.
