Solopress and the environment
At Solopress, our concern for the environment goes beyond ticking boxes and making token gestures. Ecological values are central to our mission and we’ll never introduce new products or policies without first considering the environmental consequences.
History and culture
From its inception in 1999, Solopress has always encouraged a business culture that takes environmental factors into account in its practices and decision making. Our founders Aron Priest and Andy Smith were passionate about ecological issues and it’s an attitude that remains with us today.
As the business grew to over 100 people in 2011, Aron and Andy pioneered many environmentally conscious measures such as sourcing sustainable paper stocks, becoming early adopters of vegetable inks, and getting involved in local green projects.
Becoming part of the Onlineprinters Group in 2017 only strengthened the company’s eco-friendly ethos. You can learn all about the group’s incredibly thorough environmental commitments here.
From the day our current Managing Director, Simon Cooper arrived in his all-electric car in 2019, there was no doubt that the company’s environmental legacy would remain secure into this latest chapter of the Solopress story.
Responsible Procurement
Whether it’s raw materials, inks, couriers or utilities – whenever we invest funds in procuring the essentials we need to do business, we always do so with our environmental responsibilities firmly in mind.
Sustainable materials
In terms of raw materials, the bulk of our consumption is in paper stocks, so it’s important to us that we source them responsibly. We work closely with our suppliers to ensure we use recycled materials wherever possible.
Vegetable inks
Solopress was among the first commercial printers to adopt vegetable-based inks as an alternative to petroleum-based products. As well as deriving from a non-renewable resource, petroleum-based inks are known to release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to global warming. On the other hand, vegetable inks are a sustainable and less harmful alternative that also produce great results on the page.
100% renewable electricity
It’s important to us that we power our factories and offices as efficiently as possible and with the minimum impact on the environment. Our current relationship with TotalEnergies Gas & Power allows us to run our entire operation on electricity derived from 100% renewable sources.
Affiliations and certifications
ClimatePartner
ClimatePartner is an organisation that helps businesses to neutralise their impact on the environment. Thanks to their work, we are able to source climate-neutral paper stocks for use within the Solopress Green range of products. Not only is the material 100% recycled, but the unavoidable carbon emissions resulting from production are neutralised through investment in carbon offset projects overseen by ClimatePartner. You can track the amount of carbon that we have offset here on the ClimatePartner website.
Two Sides
Two Sides is a not-for-profit group formed in 2008 to research and communicate data regarding the ecological issues surrounding paper and print. The group promotes environmental practices and provides a voice for businesses involved in the graphic communications supply chain - from forestry to design to print to delivery.
Its mission is to tell the true story of how far the industry has come in reducing its impact on the environment and to expose instances of ‘greenwashing,’ when organisations make disingenuous claims about their eco-credentials. Solopress became a full member of Two Sides in 2021, and as such commits to abide by the Two Sides Principles which outline strict standards of best practice for members.
ISO 14001 Environmental Management
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world's largest developer and accreditor of international standards, with a network of institutes in over 160 countries. UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) is the sole national accreditation body recognised by the British Government to assess organisations that provide certification, testing and inspection services.
Solopress is ISO 14001 certified, meaning that we are committed to minimising our impact on the environment. This includes looking for ways to optimise our energy consumption, using recycled stocks, monitoring our supply chain, and reducing our carbon footprint.
Environmental Agency registered waste carrier
Solopress is registered with the Environmental Agency as a waste carrier, broker, and dealer, registration number CBDL217956. As a registered carrier, we ensure all waste is disposed of appropriately. We reuse and recycle wherever possible and remain committed to continuous improvement and the prevention of pollution.
Solopress Green
Solopress Green is a range of products that goes beyond our own high standards of environmental responsibility to offer customers the opportunity to buy print that‘s not only 100% recycled and recyclable after use, but also produced on materials with zero carbon footprint.
Solopress Green uses sustainably-sourced paper, ensuring that all the material used in the range is either recycled or comes from sustainable woodland. In addition, we work with ClimatePartner to ensure that CO2 emissions produced through paper production are neutralised.
ClimatePartner is able to calculate the carbon resulting from manufacturing and ensure that an equivalent contribution is made to projects in both Europe and the Amazon that offset the impact of production on the environment.
Just because our paper stocks are responsibly sourced and produced from recycled material, doesn't mean you have to compromise on quality. The de-inking process produces 100% recycled paper stocks that are bright white, opaque, and smooth.
This eco-friendly printing range includes Business Cards, Flyers & Leaflets, Postcards, Greetings Cards, Vegan Stickers and more, meaning you can create an impressive suite of environmentally-friendly print with Solopress Green.
Our carbon neutral scheme
When you reach checkout at solopress.com, there’s an option to ‘make this order Carbon Neutral’ on selected products. This option lets you make a fixed contribution to offset the carbon emitted as a result of production.
We've taken extensive measures to ensure that the contribution you make accurately corresponds to the amount needed to fully offset those emissions through climate schemes. This involves closely considering the origins of our paper stocks and materials, as well as precisely calculating product weights.
To oversee these efforts, we collaborate with ClimatePartner, an organization dedicated to helping businesses measure their carbon footprint and support climate projects that capture carbon from the atmosphere. These projects are certified and adhere to international standards such as the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and the Gold Standard. They are regularly audited by independent third parties.
ClimatePartner uses the standard framework established by the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, which was developed by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, to measure carbon emissions resulting from production.
In addition, ClimatePartner follows a strict Code of Conduct to prevent corruption and fraudulent claims. They are also a signatory of the UN Global Compact. We receive a tracking ID number from them, allowing us to trace the reduction measures through our chosen climate projects and monitor the amount of CO2 that has been compensated.