Of course you would. However, UK businesses are failing to do just that by ignoring the warning in the government’s recent Stern Review into the likely implications of climate change. The report predicted that if we do nothing to prevent climate change, our economy will shrink by 20%, but if we were to invest just 1% of our income on measures to minimise our environmental impact, we could stop it happening.

The print industry has a greater environmental impact than most, and so it is likely to suffer more than most. Mean­ing that 20% might be a conservative figure. Given these terrifying predictions, it is only the foolish or the ignorant that are failing to look at how to minimise their environmental impact. Here are some ways in which you can begin to do your bit.

Measure your impact
The old saying that what gets measured gets managed is certainly true when it comes to environmental impact, and one of the first steps towards a greener business has to be working out your current impact.

Richard Owers, sales and marketing director at Beacon Press, explains: “The three key areas to focus measurements on are, firstly, use of resources such as gas, electricity and water; secondly, waste management; and, thirdly, reduction of emissions into the atmosphere. At Beacon, we measure 27 environmental indicators against our production output every month. This helps us monitor how we are doing at all levels and serves as a basis for further waste reductions.”

Use environmentally friendly equipment
Graham Leeson, marketing manager at Fujifilm, advises print firms to switch to processless plates. He explains why: The immediate benefit is the elimination of the chemistry involved in plate processing. You also eliminate the damage caused by manufacturing, storing, transporting and disposing of the chemicals, along with the energy costs of running the processor.”

Processless is just one area of print where improvements can be made. In the past few years, there has been a rapid improvement in the green credentials of print equipment and print firms looking into greener equipment now may well be surprised by the range available and how affordable it is.

Dispose properly of old IT equipment
Recycling is a major element in any greening programme. Recycling paper and materials is particularly important for print firms and many of them now do it very well. However, many companies forget to recycle their IT equipment.

Graham Nye managing director of IT equipment disposal company Chiltern IT, says: “In July 2006, the Restriction of Hazardous Substance Directive (ROHS) legislation came into force. Under this law certain types of IT equipment have to be treated as hazardous waste. However this should go beyond a legal requirement. Ethically disposing of old IT equipment can not only release significant value but also support an organisation’s environmental strategy.”

Buy recycled paper
When it comes to paper, it’s not just what you do with it once it’s been used that counts. You should also buy recycled paper. Jonathan Tame, recycled paper advocacy team manager at the government body Waste & Resources Action Programme, says: “Technical developments have significantly improved the quality and performance of recycled papers so that they can compete effectively with virgin papers in the market­place. Furthermore, a wide number of suppliers now produce recycled paper and offer a good product range at prices that are comparable to virgin stock.”

Buy renewable energy
Similarly, it is important to buy energy from renewable sources. Brighton-based print agency Four Corners has switched its electricity supply to www.good-energy.co.uk, a 100% renewable energy supplier. Lena Johansson, director, says: “I understand that printing companies are under increasing financial pressure and renewable energy is a little bit more expensive, but print firms need to balance the benefits of demonstrating a strong environmental commitment against that extra cost. Furthermore, you’ll also be exempt from the Climate Change Levy which is otherwise added to your electricity bill.”

Implement green travel plans
Transport is one of the biggest contributors to climate change and it’s also one of those areas in which you can reduce your company’s impact easily and cheaply. For starters, if you issue company cars then consider options that are less gas-guzzling or even source machines that are capable of running on bio-fuels. Another possibility is using the train rather than the car or airplane – although it may add time to a journey the damage caused to the environment by train travel is minimal. A further option is the introduction of a car sharing or a cycle to work scheme. Under the 1999 Finance Act, an annual tax exemption was introduced which allows employers to provide loans for cycles and cyclists’ safety equipment to employees as a tax-free benefit. The Department for Transport offers advice on eligibility and how to set up a scheme www.dft.gov.uk

Stop proofing on hard copy
Digital printing has helped many print firms become greener. However, Mike Palmer, director of print publishing at work­flow solutions provider Adstream, points out that proofing remains one of the last bastions of waste and inefficiency.

He explains: ”The industry’s latest monitor-proofing technology delivers consistently accurate on-screen colour using special LCD monitors, and provides a viable and cost-saving alternative to chromo proofs. We estimate that over 1m proofs are created, couriered and ultimately confined to the waste bin every year. By becoming 100% digital, printers can green up through eliminating the waste of this material and the associated carbon emissions from the courier journeys.”

Appoint an ‘environment champion’
There is clearly much to be done in this area, and so it is wise to appoint someone to lead your greening initiatives. David Batt-Rawden, a production specialist at business advice providers Envirowise, says: “Senior management teams in the printing sector are increasingly convinced of the need to take action on environmental impact, but often they lack the time to do anything about it. This is where appointing a resource efficiency champion can help.”

He continues: “This champion should be an existing member of staff who has a personal interest in environmental issues and is keen to take on additional responsibilities in this area. The champion acts as an internal information point and provides leadership to get new activities off the ground.”

Be sincere
Johansson at Four Corners stresses the need for sincerity when it comes to green issues. “Never cheat, and always resist the urge to tell people what they want to hear just to tick the green box. I recently received a mailing from a printer that boasted of new green measures that the company had put in place. But the mailer was laminated on both sides. This is the only process I know that renders paper impossible to recover for recycling and non-biodegradable.”

Be ready to make hard decisions
Many print firms report that becoming greener has worked wonders for their sales and profits, and certainly it is always sensible to consider the business case. However, it would be wrong to make only those changes that produce a short term profit. As the Stern Review has clearly pointed out, we all have a responsibility to act now to secure our long-term prosperity. In some cases that might mean taking tough decisions and making an investment in our future.

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CASE STUDY: POLAR PRINT GROUP
Polar Print Group is a Leicester-based print firm that turns over around £5m a year and has 54 members of staff. It produces brochures, leaflets and other promotional materials for charities like Greenpeace, and financial services companies like Alliance & Leicester. Around 20% of its turnover comes from producing matchday programmes for football clubs such as Manchester City, Leeds United, and Sunderland.

In 2004, it went through a management buy-out (MBO), and took the opportunity to become more environmentally responsible. Anthony Rowell, sales director, explains: “For some time, I’d been telling the board that to compete we needed ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, but it fell on deaf ears until the MBO. In the two and a half years since, we’ve got those two accreditations and done a lot more besides to become greener.”

The firm has reduced its emission of volatile organic compounds by using vegetable-based oil and reducing the alcohol it uses in the printing process. A major criteria in the selection of any new equipment is its environmental credentials. Polar actively suggests to its clients that they use paper that is accredited by the Forestry Stewardship Council, and in the next few weeks its house paper will have the same accreditation.

In order to be carbon-balanced, it donates around £5,000 a year to the World Land Trust,
a charity that revives land around the world.

Polar is now looking into what it can do to minimise its carbon output. It is talking to other companies on its industrial estate about the possibility of joining forces to buy a wind turbine. Personally, Rowell says he has cut his annual mileage from 35,000 to 20,000 just by taking the train more often.

He concludes: “Our turnover hasn’t grown as a result of doing all this, but I estimate that 40% of our clients now use us because we’re greener than many of our competitors. It’s allowed us to compete in a new sector, but most importantly, we’re building a sustainable business that is not only making money, but is also contributing to society.”