It is easy as a small business to think that what you do won’t make much difference when it comes to sustainability. After all, you are only one business. But we don’t think that’s the right way to look at it. If lots of small businesses make sensible changes, those changes add up. And being more sustainable doesn’t always have to mean spending more money. In many cases, reducing waste, using less energy and making better use of the materials you already have can save money too. At Dynamic Print, we have been thinking about sustainability for many years. We certainly don’t claim to get everything right, but we do try to look at what we do and ask ourselves whether there is a better way.
Look at the materials you buy
One of the simplest places to start is with the materials you use every day. In printing, there are now far more choices than simply buying standard white paper. At our Norwich print company, we work with a wide range of recycled and alternative papers, including seeded paper, seaweed paper, cotton paper and papers made using agricultural waste. Some of these papers are unusual and can give a finished product a completely different look and feel. Of course, sustainable paper isn’t right for every job. We believe it is about choosing the right material for the job rather than automatically choosing something because it has been labelled “eco”. If you are unsure which paper would work for your project, we are always happy to talk through the options.
Try to reduce waste before you recycle it
Recycling is important, but we think it is even better if you can avoid creating waste in the first place. In a print company, there will inevitably be paper offcuts. Rather than automatically sending everything for recycling, we look at whether some of it can be used again. Over the years, we have found different ways of making use of our printing offcuts, whether for samples, smaller products or other creative uses. It makes sense financially too. If you can make use of something you already have rather than buying another material, you are saving money as well as reducing waste.
Look at your suppliers
Price and quality will always be important when choosing a supplier, but we think it is worth looking a little further. Where do the materials come from? How are they produced? What environmental credentials does the supplier have? Can they provide the information you need about the materials you are buying? Don’t be afraid to ask questions. As a small business, we can’t change the whole supply chain ourselves, but we can make informed choices about the companies we buy from. If enough businesses ask suppliers to improve, it encourages change further up the chain.
Think about how much you actually need
In printing, ordering more isn’t always better. It can be tempting to order a large quantity because the cost per item is lower, but if you end up with boxes of printed materials that become outdated or are never used, that isn’t necessarily the best outcome. Sometimes ordering the quantity you realistically need can make more sense, particularly if your information, prices, branding or contact details are likely to change. It is worth discussing quantities with your printer before placing an order. The cheapest price per item isn’t always the cheapest option overall.
Don’t overlook energy and travel
Energy is one of those business costs that can easily creep up without you noticing. Switching off equipment when it isn’t needed, using efficient lighting and avoiding unnecessary heating are all relatively simple things, but they can make a difference to your energy bills. The same applies to travel. Can deliveries or collections be combined? Can journeys be planned more efficiently? You don’t have to stop every journey or make dramatic changes. Sometimes it is simply about thinking ahead.
Do you really need to replace it?
We are a print company with some fairly old machinery, so this is something we know about first-hand! Not everything old is automatically inefficient or needs replacing. Some of our traditional printing equipment has been producing specialist work for many years and is still very capable of doing the job. When machinery does eventually need replacing, energy consumption and efficiency are factors worth considering alongside reliability, quality and cost. Sometimes the more sustainable decision isn’t necessarily to buy the newest thing. It can be to keep something useful working for longer.
Sustainability doesn’t have to be complicated
We don’t believe that being a sustainable business means being perfect. For us, it is about looking at what we do, asking whether there is a better way and making improvements wherever we can. It might be choosing a different paper, finding another use for an offcut, reducing a delivery, switching off equipment or simply asking a supplier a few more questions. None of these things will change the world on their own. But if lots of businesses make small changes, they can add up to something much bigger.
Sustainable printing at Dynamic Print
At Dynamic Print, we work with businesses across Norwich, Norfolk and beyond, helping them find printing options that suit their project, budget and requirements. If you’re interested in using a more unusual or sustainable paper, we can talk through the options with you. We work with a range of recycled and alternative papers, including seeded paper, seaweed paper, cotton paper and papers made using agricultural waste. We don’t believe in simply putting the word “eco” on something and calling it sustainable. It’s about making sensible choices, reducing waste where we can and continually looking for ways to do things a little better.
If you’d like to discuss sustainable printing options for your next project, call Dynamic Print on 01603 400040.
