Benjamin Burrows
Managing Director
climate change and sustainability – reducing our carbon footprint
Few products can be described as being truly sustainable, but paper is one of the few that can; it is made of wood, which is both natural and renewable. As trees grow, they absorb CO2 and paper, as a wood product, continues to store CO2 throughout its lifetime.
We acknowledge that some CO2 is inevitably released into the atmosphere during the manufacture of paper so that is why Holywell offers clients the option to print on carbon captured paper.
carbon captured paper
At Holywell, we print on Carbon Captured paper. This means the CO2 produced during the manufacture of the paper is then recaptured by planting new trees here in the UK.
How does it work? For every tonne of paper we buy, £8.50 is donated to the Woodland Trust for the purpose of planting new woodland in the UK. The woodland planted absorbs carbon dioxide as it grows; in fact, trees use CO2 as food, turning it into carbohydrates, protein, and fat. The carbon dioxide absorbed by the trees recaptures the carbon dioxide released through the manufacture of paper.
But there are more benefits than just carbon capture. Heartwood Forest, St Albans, is an area of woodland funded by the carbon capture scheme. It is an important habitat for native British wildlife such as fallow deer and wood mice.
Today Holywell is one of over 530 other businesses that have signed up to the Carbon Capture scheme, generating £1,000,000 for the Woodland Trust to plant native woodland in the UK.
solar panels
In 2012, we installed solar photovoltaic panels onto our factory roof. The electricity generated is used to power our factory and any excess is then fed into the national grid. On average our panels generate 42,000kWh annually
reusing packaging
Holywell constantly reviews ways to reduce waste and reusing packaging is one initiative that is helping to cut down on waste and reduce pressure on resources. We reuse paper wrappers to package books and other printed products for delivery. The wrappers are high quality, which protects the contents and makes a strong parcel sealed with our paper self-adhesive tape.
To learn more about the environmental impact of paper manufacture and use you can visit the Two Sides website where they have a page devoted to challenging myths.
If you want more help with choosing the right paper for your next print project then check out our guide to choosing the right paper. And if you’re still unsure, please call 01865 242098 or contact us using the button below.