WE PRINT IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY
Protecting the environment is our mission. That is why we at ONLINEPRINTERS design the production process for your printed products as resource-saving as possible. As an online printing business producing with our own machines, we can decide a lot of things ourselves to print in an environmentally friendly and cruelty-free way. Also our subsidiaries with their own production facilities in the UK, Denmark, Poland and Spain have committed to this policy.
CARBON-NEUTRAL PRINTING IS SO EASY
Before completing an order, you can decide whether you want to set off the carbon emission resulting from the production. For this purpose we have been cooperating with the climate specialist ClimatePartner since 2013.
To do so, select the “Carbon-neutral production” option in the “Payment/shipping” step when ordering. The carbon emission of your print order will be calculated automatically, and the additional costs will be directly displayed. On average, they are less than one per cent of the order value.
You can choose which project you would like to support.
We then supply you with a seal that confirms the offset and which you can integrate in your printed products before uploading them. Make use of this option to show your customers that you are good to nature.
ONLINEPRINTERS ECO initiative ↓
Because we at ONLINEPRINTERS really care about the environment, we decided to go a step further. Should you opt for print products on recycling paper, ONLINEPRINTERS will bear the costs for the compensation of the carbon emitted during the printing process. The paper this campaign applies to is labelled carbon-neutral with the green label. With the funds raised in this way, we support reforestation in Europe.
OUR ECO CERTIFICATES
ONLINEPRINTERS is committed to responsible stewardship of our planet through resource-saving printing. Our awards in the field of sustainability and environmental protection confirm our commitment.
Imprim'vert® ↓
ONLINEPRINTERS supplies customers in 30 European countries. In each country there are different eco certification systems. One of them is the French certification system “Imprim’Vert” (in English: “green printing”), for which we have been certified since 2017.
To obtain this certificate, we proved that we meet the following five criteria:
1. Disposal of hazardous waste according to standard
2. Safe storage of harmful liquids
3. No use of toxic substances
4. Raising staff awareness
5. Monitoring the energy consumption
As the production site in Germany was certified, our customers in all our individual country markets benefit from this.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTION
As an online printer producing with our own machinery, it is our declared goal to use the resources paper, ink and energy as sparingly as possible during the production of your print material.
Combined run printing & printing technologies ↓
One of the most important elements for resource-saving printing is combined run printing. Several customer orders are grouped on one sheet and are printed together. As compared to the conventional production method, paper waste can be considerably reduced by combined run printing. The quality is ensured by our media technologists with many years of printing experience.
We regularly invest in our machinery, and when we purchase new equipment, we make sure to choose energy-efficient models.
The aluminium plates needed for offset printing are exposed without the use of chemicals or water. After use, the printing plates are returned to the value cycle and are 100% recycled.
The digital printing method we also provide protects the environment, among others, with its particularly low paper consumption in the proof run.
Did you know that our production is quality-certified three times?
Information on consumables ↓
We print without using alcohol in the operating process whenever possible, or at least with reduced amounts of alcohol.
By using special cleaning cloths, we realise savings of up to 70 % on cleaning agents, reducing the contamination of the cleaning agents to a minimum. Furthermore, we use mostly biologically safe detergents.
Central ink supply with a reusable system ↓
The ink supply to our printing machines in offset printing is based on reusable containers. The machines get the inks from a central spot. This has the advantage that no individual ink pots or ink cartridges are used, but rather 300 kg exchangeable metal containers. The empty ink containers are picked up and refilled by our suppliers. This reduces plastic waste to zero.
Such a 300 kg exchangeable container of one single base colour is equivalent to 150 conventional cartridges. This saves us several thousand plastic ink cartridges in just one week. Another advantage of exchangeable containers over ink cartridges is that they are emptied completely leaving no ink unused inside the container.
In offset printing we use special cradle-to-cradle certified, mineral oil free inks that were optimised together with ONLINEPRINTERS for a successful product launch.
Minimising paper waste ↓
In sheet offset printing, each project is printed with a so-called “make-ready sheet”. It is needed to set up the machine correctly with regard to registration accuracy and colour scheme. Only then can the actual printing process start. We minimise paper waste by continuously monitoring the machine quality. For this purpose, our machinery is controlled by service technicians from the printing press manufacturers at regular intervals. We also use the “Prinect Inpress Control” system, which automatically checks the ink application on the sheet while the machine is running, thus reducing the number of unusable printed sheets.
99 % PAPER FROM SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY
One of the most important resources for the production of printed goods is paper. Every year, we buy several thousand tons. Forests are the basis of life for humans and animals. We want to do everything to preserve them for future generations. For this reason, we purchase our paper exclusively from sustainable forestry.
FSC® ↓
The “Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®)” label marks different products based on wood derived from a responsibly managed FSC®-certified forest. The aim of the FSC® system is to safeguard the sustainable use of forests, which includes the preservation and improvement of the economic, ecological and social functions of forestry operations. For this purpose, FSC® has developed a general transnational standard.
PEFC™ ↓
The “Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes™” (PEFC™) is an international forest certification system. It is the world's largest independent organisation for the safeguarding and continuous improvement of sustainable forestry which assures ecological, social and economic standards. In Germany, around 7 million hectares of forest are certified according to PEFC™ which is equivalent to 65 per cent of the entire forest area.
In the ONLINEPRINTERS online shop, there is 90 gsm art print paper in matt and glossy finish, which is “PEFC™ 100 per cent” certified. This means that the paper contains 100 per cent “PEFC™ certified” material from sustainably managed forests. 90 gsm art paper has a smooth surface and excellent image rendition and is one of our most popular papers on account of its attractive price-performance ratio.
The Blue Angel ↓
The “Blue Angel” is the first and oldest eco-label worldwide for products and services. Established in 1978, it is awarded to products and services that are particularly eco-friendly from a holistic point of view. The Blue Angel focuses on examining the impact of a product on the climate, water and resources as well as health and the environment. The organisation is a member of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN), which is a union of national ecolabelling organisations from all over the world that promote environmental protection also at an international level.
Our recycled paper is certified to the “Blue Angel” and is made from 100 % post-consumer recycled fibre. No trees have to be cut to produce this paper, and compared to virgin fibre paper, up to 70 per cent less water and 60 per cent less energy are required. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, we are able to produce bright white papers also with ecological benefits.
Recycled paper from ONLINEPRINTERS has a 1.3 fold volume, superior feel and optimal opacity. A business card made of 300 gsm recycled board, for example, immediately makes the statement that its owner cares about the environment.
Animal cruelty free: Vegan stickers ↓
If you feel that protecting forests and saving energy doesn't go far enough for you, you can find vegan stickers in the online shop in the “Stickers” category. They stick to the surface by means of glue-free, water-based adhesives. No additives of animal origin are necessary.
CARBON-NEUTRAL SHIPPING
Per year, we ship more than one million parcels. That means every minute, two parcels leave our factories via state-of-the-art packaging and shipping lines. Our shipping partner DPD transports every parcel in a carbon-neutral way. Carbon-neutral shipping is achieved through internal measures to reduce carbon emissions and by offsetting the remaining emissions through certified climate projects.
In addition to reducing the energy consumption in their warehouses and using vehicles powered by electricity or natural gas, DPD also supports wind energy projects in India and Turkey.
PACKAGING
Printed products are especially shock and pressure-sensitive at the corners and edges. Therefore, they have to be specially protected to reach customers in perfect condition. For transport packages, we only use licensed and recyclable packaging materials. The cardboard is made of FSC-certified recycled material. ONLINEPRINTERS is a member of Duales System Interzero with the manufacturer number 222966, taking part in the Europe-wide recycling of our shipping packaging.
CARBON-NEUTRAL ONLINE SHOP
For our online shop we need a high-performance data processing centre. This is necessary to make sure that you can place your print orders around the clock and even on weekends.
The servers, network technology and air conditioning systems consume energy and produce carbon emissions. Our shop system partner WEBSALE together with the climate protection specialist ClimatePartner make sure that all ONLINEPRINTERS online shops are operated in a carbon-neutral way. WEBSALE compensates all carbon emissions produced by operating the shop computer centre and the office buildings via a certified climate protection project.
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
Our aim is the continuous improvement of our energy-consuming services. For this purpose, we regularly collect and review our energy data. In 2016, ONLINEPRINTERS introduced an energy management system in accordance with DIN EN ISO 50001. Since then, our energy management team has made sure that all the required processes are complied with and see to a continuous improvement of our energy efficiency.
Today, we are purchasing 100 % green energy. The waste heat of machines, compressors and hot water lines is recovered through heat exchangers. This enables us to heat a complete printing shop floor without additional energy! Filter systems assure maximum water savings. Consumption-controlled compressors, fans and air shafts provide for the efficient use of energy. The waste heat of adjoining buildings is used for heating the sprinkler system to avoid condensation and freezing. In the office sector, ink and toner cartridges are being consistently recycled.
Questions and suggestions can be sent to the following e-mail address: environmentalprotection@onlineprinters.ie