Just how realistic is it to become sustainable if you are a small print business?

Someone recently said to me, why should a small print business adopt more sustainable practices? If only the leading brands of the world are asking for it, why should smaller businesses with a smaller client base adopt a sustainable strategy, especially when their customers are not asking for it? Surely it is costly? And what is the point when none of their customers might want to pay for it? To answer these questions fully, I thought it best to ask our friends down at Eco Print UK in Salisbury, in South West England, a small, but enlightened company with a vision and commitment for sustainability.

Why did EcoPrint UK decide to embrace sustainability?

My colleague and business partner Graham Addison set up Eco Print as there was no apparent availability in the market for sustainable products, and we felt there was an opportunity to create and occupy a ‘niche’. Graham, as a graphic designer, was outsourcing print and was very aware of the wastage in the print industry. We hope that by using and promoting recycled paper stock and by implementing sustainable print and business practices, we can improve this situation – the demand was clearly there, so we just needed to create a model to service that demand.

Is it more difficult for a smaller business to make a commitment to sustainability?

Yes and no – budget restraints can mean smaller companies may not feel they can fully commit to sustainability. A smaller company may lack the expertise and the contacts to get their message across. There is also a fear factor involved – dare a small company risk upsetting the status quo and potentially lose existing clients / contracts; if a move to sustainability incurs initial short term costs which may have to be reflected in prices they may find this scary.  Yet, a small company will be able to implement change quickly and in theory educate their client base quickly. Smaller businesses may well be able to find a niche where their vision of sustainability gives them an advantage in the market place.

What kind of certifications do you have?

We have no formal accreditation – most of our research has shown that this is hugely expensive and often printers with certification see the fact of having it as being all that is required to be sustainable. We know we are doing everything we can to commit to our sustainability and are looking into developing our own form of Eco Print certificate that could be adopted by our regular clients. There is a cost effective certification called ‘GreenMark' that is more applicable to a company our size and I have been in conversation with one of their people so this may well be something for us in the near future.

Will your customers pay more for Eco-printed products?

Not necessarily - Although recycled papers and cards can be more expensive we often find that our prices are very competitive in comparison with ‘non-eco’ printers. This may be as a lot of our work is short run digital work meaning we can ‘swallow’ any extra costs using recycled papers incurs.

What kind of companies do you have in your client base?

We have a huge range of differing clients – from ‘one man bands’ to larger insurance firms with a range of schools, nurseries, a theatre, and the Cathedral. The majority are with us for our eco-friendly print solutions but some are with us simply because they value our work and the green credentials are a bonus. We have created a nationwide client base – the majority of who have sought us out as an ‘eco-printer’.

How do you see the future for your business and the future of print?

Print will have to be more sustainable – there is no reason why we cannot all use recycled paper and card and integrate sustainability within our businesses. If the demand is there the cost of supply will come down and hence any difference in price can be managed. As Marcus has been blogging it will be up to the printers and the manufacturers of the machines, consumables and papers that will have to take responsibility for improving consumer choice and decision making through collaboration.

We really liked our Eco-Beer Mats – how did you hear of this and how easy was it to print?

The bier lager card was discovered from research into alternative recycled card and paper stocks – we try to offer interesting options which not only benefits the customer but also marks us as a little different. The mats themselves were created specifically for EcoPrint Show– a first. To get the weight/thickness we printed on two sheets of bier card and stuck them together with a sheet of recycled card in between (this was rescued from our overs / spare card pile). These took a bit of time due to the handwork involved but it was enjoyable to create a brand new eco product.

Give us an example of some other quirky innovations that you have found?

One of our most popular cards is made one that is made from Rhino Poo – using post consumer waste papers and actual rhino dung (from UK safaris) this is a paper and card that is fun and fully sustainable. We have created a Rhino Poo pad which has proved to be a great little stocking filler at Christmas.

What piece of advice would you give to any print business looking to go sustainable?

A key thing is to research paper stocks – there are some very good quality recycled options and with these potential clients can be reassured of quality and consistency. It is also very important that the print machines themselves have capabilities to use eco-friendly inks, are energy efficient and have recyclable consumables. Finding sustainable suppliers is also important. For example we chose our phone provider and bank based on their environmental credentials and ethics. Being a ‘green’ printer we have found we do have to go a little bit further to add value to the end product for the consumer but it’s worth it, it means we are not just in it because we think it is a fad or a trend, sustainability is here to stay, and we think we are well positioned for the future as a result.