A common question our customers ask is "what environmentally friendly printing options are available for my job". Many are surprised when we explain that the environmental aspect of our business goes far beyond the materials we print on but also includes energy efficiency, ink types, waste minimisation and recycling.
We are proud to be able to tell people just how seriously we take sustainability issues, what we are doing now and how we are looking to a future of minimising our environmental footprint even further. When it comes to being green, we strive for best practice to continuously improve our company's sustainability and profitability.
For a quick snapshot there are 6 areas that we continually work to improve and invest in:
- Energy - We've invested heavily in solar power which gives us over 25% of our annual electricity usage. We also use LED lighting in the majority of our business and energy efficient heat pumps for all our heating and cooling needs.
- Equipment - By comparison to most other companies Think Big continually invests in the latest equipment which not only gives the best quality print results but is also more energy efficient using less electricity.
- Materials - There are a number of products such as X-Board which is made from 97% recycled content and 100% recyclable at end of use. These materials are ultra lightweight, significantly strong and non-toxic. More materials that are PVC free are becoming available, as well as materials that decompose quickly when put in landfill.
- Ink - Our HP printers use eco-friendly water based inks that are ECOLOGO and GREENGUARD certified for reduced environmental impact and low chemical emissions and odours. These inks are so good they are approved for use in hospitals, health care and schools.
- Waste Minimisation - We participate in government programs such as Business Resource Efficiency Program that promote more efficient operations to reduce waste and become a more responsible manufacturer.
- Recycling - Some of our processes generate more waste than we would like so we recycle as much as possible to minimise the amount that ends up in landfill.
We are always open to suggestions on how we can further reduce our environmental impact or look to source custom "green" materials for a special project. We realise that being responsible in this area not only benfits our community and the world in which we live, but also benefits our clients and ourselves, so we'd be crazy not to do the right thing.
"In business terms, focusing on resource efficiency means optimising processes to limit consumption of materials, and reduce the output of waste products. Benefits can be measured in cost savings and reduced impact on the environment. Businesses can build resilience and increase competitiveness, in preparation for potential future changes in resource availability and customer requirements."
The Business Resource Efficiency Program (BREP -Tasmania)
