Environmental

We are proud to be a zero-waste-to-landfill company.

 

Protecting the environment for today, and for the future, is at the heart of our production processes. As an environmentally proactive company, safeguarding our planet is something we take very seriously. To this end, in recent years, we have made substantial changes to the way we work. This is an ongoing and evolving initiative to ensure we are doing everything we can for the future of our planet and generations to come.

Head Office and Laboratory

  • We carry out and act upon ESOS reports on power use and have begun carbon monitoring as part of SECR initiatives. The latest ESOS report shows that the shift to new HP printers resulted in a 10% power reduction for the laboratory.
  • We have completed a shift to dry print technology equipment to remove the use of chemicals and water used in wet process production. This move included a £1m investment in two HP Indigo dry-process printers, manufactured CO2 neutrally. All our consumables in the process (ink, oils) are recycled.
  • The above printer investment saves 125,000 litres of chemicals per year and eliminates 100% the use of clean water for our production process.
  • Highly developed software reduces the need for reprints and minimises waste.
  • Our gas-fired heating units have been replaced by heat pump air con/heating systems.
  • Inside head office, low-energy monitors have replaced older units, and lighting is being updated to low-wattage energy efficient daylight balanced LED options.

Photographic Products

  • We use sustainable materials wherever possible – our mounts are made from a mix of recycled materials and materials from managed resources (with 70% of the backing board being recycled materials). All parts of the mounts are recyclable.
  • Our frame materials are from sustainable FSC-certified sources and recycled materials including Polcore. All mountboards, office materials and promotional materials are sourced from FSC-certified suppliers. All frame components are recyclable.
  • All products are manufactured in-house, removing the need to transport more bulky, finished products from other suppliers to the laboratory thus reducing the carbon miles of the products.
  • All publicity material is printed on FSC-certified Novatech Matt paper – a brand with the highest sustainability credentials.
  • All our waste paperwork is shredded in-house and recycled.
  • All confidential GDPR paper waste is securely disposed of and shredded and recycled afterwards.

Photographers

  • Field staff are provided with modern low CO2 emission vehicles.
  • Printers supplied to photographers now use refillable inks for reduced waste.
  • Modelling lights in photographers’ studio lights are being replaced with LED bulbs.
  • The use of CDs has been replaced (90%) by daily uploads of photographs to the laboratory saving up to 40,000 CDs annually.
  • Studio software upgrades will enable multi-image proofs, reducing studio paper consumption by 75%.

Our Gowning Services

  • Our gowning division offers a recycled gown material similar to the technology used in recycling plastic into fleece or sportswear, but with a heavier weight to maintain the feel of traditional gowns.
  • Our gown packing boxes are made from recycled card pulp/plastic resin mix.
  • Our 10,000 sqft, environmentally conscious warehouse facility stores our gowns. The premises have been built to a BREEAM Excellent Rating including many environmentally friendly features which reduce the environmental impacts of the building when compared with buildings of a lower rating. These features include high levels of insulation, roof-mounted photo-voltaic solar panels, solar reflective glass with blinds, movement sensor-controlled LED office lighting, LED illuminated external yards/forecourt and energy-efficient boilers.
  • We have changed from traditional dry-cleaning to a new wet-based cleaning process developed by Electrolux. The biodegradable detergents used in the process are compliant with international environmental standards EC 91/155 and the process is widely regarded as the eco-friendly solution for professional garment cleaning.

Despatch Office

  • Photographic packing bags are made from recyclable materials with a switch to starch-based bags planned.
  • Almost all packaging including packing paper, card boxes and card wraps is made from recycled materials and can be repeat recycled. We have eliminated polystyrene in our packaging.
  • We use electric vehicles and forklift trucks for the transfer and movement of materials on our sites.

Recycling

  • Our packaging combines recyclable materials and cardboard boxes made from recycled products that can re-enter the recycling process.
  • We employ the reduce–reuse–recycle concept to minimise our waste.
  • A rigorous recycling policy is in force where all waste is recycled and we have now achieved 100% recycling rate for paper waste.
  • The remaining waste is sent to power-generating incinerators.
  • All waste electronic equipment is recycled or disposed of according to WEEE regulations by a local provider registered with the Environmental Agency.

Grounds

  • Since 2010 we have invested heavily to reinvigorate the mixed-cover grounds of the laboratory including woodlands, lakes and pastures and thus offsetting our CO2 emission and reducing our carbon footprint.