World Sustainability Day: How green is your print partner?

90% of business owners admit that it’s important to act sustainably, yet two-thirds of British businesses don’t have a sustainability strategy.

With global temperatures rising and climate events increasingly common, eco-consciousness is more than just an empty buzzword. As World Sustainability Day approaches on 25th October, we explore what options are available to businesses that strive to maximise their positive impact on prospects – and the planet.

Change your attitude, not how you do business

Sure, this might sound onerous – but it’s not so much one big job as a series of small changes. Rather than thinking of it as a monolithic mandate that you can’t get your head around (which is where a lot of companies go wrong), think of it as small, smart choices as you go.

There’s no need to scrap all your physical assets and start over; that, in itself, is incredibly wasteful. Instead, proactively think about small but impactful ways to make your offering greener every time you act.

Swap plastic products for sustainable merchandise

Switching to more sustainable merchandise and marketing materials is one of the most impactful small changes you can make straight away.

Instead of replenishing your supplies of plastic promotional pens and other merchandise, try biodegradable alternatives like cork or bamboo. This is a quick and effective way to showcase not only your generosity as a brand but it also ensures that your prospective clients can clock your eco-credentials long before they step over the threshold.

This extends to stationery such as letterheads, compliment slips or business cards; sustainable alternatives, such as those made from recycled pulp or FSC-certified paper (like those that Visual Print & Design use) enable you to showcase your corporate social responsibility with every interaction.

How Visual Print & Design embraces sustainability

As a sustainable print partner for countless businesses across the East Midlands, we don’t put sustainability on a pedestal – instead we strip it down to its base elements. This means that products biograde faster once you’re done with them – and makes it much easier for business owners to digest.

We embed eco-conscious choices into everything that we do, from measuring and reducing our CO2 outputs and those of our clients through to offering a superior selection of recycled and sustainable paper stock, we make it easier for you to make positively impactful choices that don’t break the bank.

We have a strict policy of never, ever using paper that comes from rainforests and instead are an FSC certified business. This means that for every bit of paper we use, you can trace it back to the source and know which forest it’s come from – and that more trees are being planted to encourage growth, promote wildlife and actively combat deforestation.

We operate as part of a Carbon Capture Programme and we actively offset our carbon emissions by ensuring that new trees are planted across Scotland and throughout Lincolnshire.

Why should you ‘go green’?

It pays to remember that eco-conscious consumers are no longer the minority, but an increasingly powerful consumer group. By offering services and products that align with their values, you can attract a growing base of customers who demand responsible and eco-friendly options for their business materials.

This World Sustainability Day, don’t make a grand statement; make the choice to make ‘business as usual’ as impactful as possible.

When choosing your next batch of stationery or promotional merchandise, opt for sustainable alternatives to harmful plastic and virgin paper; get in touch today to discuss how you can streamline your journey to sustainability – and let us worry about all the details.