It seems that you can’t open a newspaper or turn on the television these days without seeing another headline about climate change! It is difficult not to wonder what difference can I make? At RCS we have committed ourselves to a programme for change to produce the smallest carbon footprint we can and to operate in an environmentally friendly way. As one of the steps along the way in 2003 we were awarded the coveted ISO 14001 environment management systems award.

We strive to ensure every aspect of our supply chains meet with the exacting standard of our environmental policy. All our ink is based on clean vegetable oil and supplied in eco friendly packaging. We have on site mixing technology which allows us to mix colours as required to pin point accuracy making our waste close to zero! All our paper is processed using Elemental Chlorine Free technology to avoid the production of damaging toxins. Our paper is sourced from European Union FSC grade forests where more trees are planted for the future than are felled each year.

The demanding standard of the FSC grading is seen in the industry as the Gold standard for the responsible husbandry of forests. Indeed in the last year alone our suppliers have planted many thousands of extra trees on our behalf!! Our commitment to the environment is just as much in evidence when it comes to our use of electricity. After a top to bottom review by the Carbon Trust we have been implementing a number of energy saving solutions, from lights which turn themselves off when the sun shines, to motors which run up to 70% more efficiently. We predominantly power our plant with Green Electricity‚ which comes from renewable sources. Sourcing environmentally sound materials is important, but just as crucial is efficient use of those materials.

High sheet utility is a critical part of our business model, but it also means that our centralised operation is intrinsically greener than lots of smaller plants. In 2007 we introduced a policy of minimal overs. Exceptionally this can mean a small shortfall (up to 10% which is credited pro-rata) but it always means that we are using paper more efficiently and reducing the environmental impact of every job. Our recycling is of an exceptionally high order and everything which we can’t use is graded into a range of different categories and recycled or disposed of responsibly. We have specialists within our team who ensure our full compliance with the ever increasing amounts of legislation on such disposal. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by climate change but at least by choosing RCS you can feel happy that your print is responsibly produced.