Printers Need Strategic Environmental Policies

Most printers have come to realise that they need a strategic policy for their environmental responsibilities, but it must be allied to the effect on customers, the community and the wider world.

Most printers have come to realise that they need a strategic policy for their environmental responsibilities, but it must be allied to the effect on customers, the community and the wider world, according to Polestar.

The group's risk manager Gary Marshall, made his comments when speaking at a UK environmental conference, whilst providing delegates with an overview of the pressures facing printers in today's greener environment.

Marshall's presentation covered the impact of new and changing legislation, customer expectations and pressure groups, each relating to the increasing requirement for organisations to be visibly more environmentally friendly and accountable for their social responsibility.

He said: "With new legislation coming all the time, it is imperative to have as much in place as possible, because if a company falls behind, it will prove more difficult and more costly to catch up later." Marshall added that the Polestar Group has in place a number of programmes administered by its environmental steering committee to ensure it is up to date with legislation and that assessments are regularly undertaken across its operations, with internal or external auditors carrying out appraisals and audits at least bi-annually.

In addition, as a member of the WWF-UK Forest and Trade Network, Polestar's procurement policies fully support the group's objective to be environmentally responsible, whilst retaining its market position, added Marshall.

In seeking to make effective use and minimise consumption of raw materials, including energy, Polestar believes it is complying with the UK government's Climate Change Agreements to reduce energy consumption for every square metre of paper that is processed through its presses.

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