Launched on Friday (31 January), Market Harborough, Leicestershire-based Haybrooke said the initiative offers print buyers the opportunity to showcase their commitment to sustainability backed with evidence of sustainable print procurement practices.

Participation is free to all PaaS users of PDQ Print Hub, Haybrooke’s print procurement platform. Print buyers are issued with a Certified Sustainable Print certificate and digital badges, which can be used across websites, marketing materials, email signatures, social media, and printed products.

They are also provided with informational materials to use in their internal and external marketing communications.

Haybrooke said these marketing tools would enable businesses to more effectively promote their environmentally conscious print buying practices to customers, partners, and stakeholders.

To qualify for the programme, print buyers are required to source all their printed materials through PDQ Print Hub.

Haybrooke said this ensured sustainable procurement throughout, with the calculation of the most efficient production method, carbon footprint reduction, and the promotion of eco-friendly processes and materials.

John Roche, CEO of Haybrooke, said: “Certified Sustainable Print is not a formal accreditation but it is more than just a badge of honour. It’s a statement of environmental responsibility and leadership.

“In a time when sustainability is no longer optional but essential, this programme provides businesses with the evidence and tools they need to demonstrate their commitment to reducing environmental impact.

“PDQ Print Hub already leads the way in sustainable print procurement, and this initiative takes that to the next level.”

Roche added that by buying printed products in PDQ Print Hub, its PaaS customers contributed essential funding to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction projects.

As a result, proportionate CO2e emissions attributed to the manufacture and delivery of all print jobs sourced in PDQ are offset at source by Haybrooke. 

“Not every print supplier is able to claim carbon balanced print at present and this can be restrictive for buyers who want broader access to the market,” said Roche.

“However, because Haybrooke carbon balances every job at source, the entire UK print supplier network remains available for selection by a print buyer.”

Carbon offsetting is a way businesses can compensate for carbon emissions generated by their business activities that are difficult or impossible to avoid. In PDQ Print Hub, this is the emissions created by the manufacture and delivery of printed products.

Haybrooke said it offsets these emissions, which it also calculates, by supporting global sustainable energy projects that cut carbon emissions and deliver sustainable development impacts.
 
“Each emission reduction we purchase on behalf of our customers is a ‘carbon credit’ – a unit representing one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) prevented from being released into the atmosphere or removed from it,” said Roche.

“These credits are created by supporting sustainable energy projects that are validated to an ICROA-approved carbon standard and are only released for purchase when a third-party auditing body has verified that the reduction has taken place.

“All the projects that we support are verified to ensure that the emissions reductions are real, permanent, additional and unique.”

Last month, Haybrooke launched PDQ Benchmarking, a new service for the industry designed to provide easy access to live market benchmark information.

Haybrooke currently employs 10 staff. Its turnover target for the current financial year is £3m.