The Print Shop is committed to helping the University be more sustainable and reduce our environmental impact. The Print Shop’s environmental improvement plan ensures that we regularly review all the materials that we use to ensure we are using the most environmentally friendly materials available to us.

Woodland Trust Carbon Capture Programme

The Print Shop in partnership with Premier Paper is part of the Woodland Trust Carbon Capture programme which mitigates the CO2 emissions from the production and distribution of paper and materials. This ensures that most of the material we use has the carbon from its production and distribution captured. The Woodland Trust programme also creates new native woodland in the UK From July - September 2021 we have created 32.45m² new native woodland.

From 2019 – Sept 2023, The Print Shop has helped create 1142sq.m of new native woodland (PDF, 379.3KB), with the planting of 226 trees and capturing 45682kg of carbon. As part of the Woodland Trust programme, customers can add carbon captured logo (JPG, 160.1KB) to their artwork.

The Forest Stewardship Council 

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that promotes responsible management of the world’s forests. When certain wood or paper products are FSC certified, it means they have been harvested in a socially and environmentally friendly manner. Specifically, the FSC’s Chain of Custody certification allows for tracking materials from their source, through the manufacturing process, to the end-user. FSC certified paper meets these FSC process standards. Although FSC certified paper may contain recycled paper, it doesn’t always, and containing recycled paper isn’t a requirement for FSC certification.

All the materials that we print on are from a sustainable source, including FSC papers.

Our daily steps to sustainability 

• We reuse boxes that consumables come in as packaging for finished printed goods.
• All our printer waste consumables are collected, and either reused or recycled.
• We manage the external print framework for the University, ensuring we procure print from suppliers that meet our sustainability objectives.
• We have improved and automated our workflow, ensuring jobs are imposed to optimise the printed sheet, reducing resources and waste.
• Environmental credentials of suppliers of printers are considered during the tender process.
• All printers go into deep sleep and reduce energy consumption when not in use.
• We can offer advice on how to reduce your printing, while increasing the return on investment. For example, through personalisation and making the print interactive.
• We use digital printing that produces less CO2 emissions compared to more traditional presses, allows print on demand from 1 copy upwards, less waste is produced, and is a chemical free production.