PRO-T becomes part of the environmental pledge at Manor Creative
Following on from discussions with some of its public sector clients, Manor Creative began to look at how it could become more environmentally friendly. One of the solutions it adopted to help this process was Fujifilm's Brillia HD PRO-T processless plate.
Graham Brownett, CEO at Manor Creative, comments: "We have always enthusiastically embraced changes in technology and our policy of continuous investment enables us to provide a highly competitive service, offering the best possible value to all of our clients. As well as the machinery, skills and experience built up over thirty years of trading, we keep abreast of the latest innovations and techniques in the design and print world, sharing this knowledge with our clients."
Initial green steps
One of the issues that was starting to be discussed in the print industry a few years ago was greener printing. Following on from discussions with some of its public sector clients, Manor Creative began to look at how it could become more environmentally friendly and how it could pass these green benefits along the supply chain to its customers.
As Graham explains: "We decided to assess our existing carbon footprint and as part of our CSR policy to review all possible technologies on the market with a view to lessening our environmental impact and in turn, help to reduce our customers carbon footprints too. Our objective was and still is to minimise the impact of our business on the environment. By reducing waste, conserving natural resources, trading ethically and developing a sustainable business, we wanted to work with our customers and suppliers to combat climate change."
A green IPEX
One of the first suppliers to offer a green solution was Fujifilm and a trip to IPEX in 2006 marked a turning point in Manor Creative's quest to become greener.
Graham continues: "At the time, we were very happy with the performance of our printing plates, however I saw a demo of Fuji's processless plate, PRO-T, at IPEX , which impressed me very much. The environmental benefits of the lack of chemistry and removal of the processor were clear and the whole idea of taking the plate from the platesetter and putting it straight onto the press was excellent, and none of Fuji's competitors could offer anything similar. However, rather than move straight to processless, we first installed Fuji's HD processed thermal plate, PJE. Even with these, we found the chemistry to be much cleaner and as a result we were already able to reduce our chemical usage."
As Manor Creative's environmental push took hold, it became clear that the Fujifilm Brillia HD PRO-T plate was the most environmentally friendly plate solution on the market without any consequential reduction in productivity..
Graham continues: "We trialled the plate and found it to be just what it said on the tin. We use approximately 15,000 m² of plates each year and worked out that by using PRO-T, we would save in excess of £5,000 on chemistry and the associated hazardous waste disposal and 250,000 litres of water over a 12 month period. Add to this the fact that we would no longer have to house a processor or spend around 350 hours every year maintaining it and you can see why PRO-T was the choice for us."
Ten steps to change
Changing plates was just one aspect of the ten point Manor Earth sustainable business pledge that has been implemented by the company. As Graham explains: "We are adopting phased implementation of BS 8555 as our Environmental Management System. Through this we are continuously assessing and managing activities that contribute to climate change, as well as adopting new processes and working methods to improve our environmental performance.
"We're working with a number of different partners to achieve our environmental goals, including waste reduction, the elimination of VOCs, increasing the amount we recycle and reducing our energy consumption. By working with organisations such as the Carbon Trust, Envirowise, EcoSys and Business in the Community, we're learning how we can make a real difference to our business and therefore a real difference to our customers' businesses. For example, through our work with Carbon Clear we have been Carbon Neutral since 2007 and we also have a tree planting programme in Scotland, via Trees for Life, for customers who place orders over £10,000 with us.
"As well as this, we use vegetable based inks as standard, we are working towards Chain of Custody accreditation and looking to achieve ISO 14001 in the near future. Add to this the fact that we're one of the founding Business in the Community May Day companies and you can see just how seriously we take our commitment to the environment."
With further environmental projects on the go at the moment, including a recycled water system for general use and more initiatives for energy reduction, the future's definitely green and bright for Manor Creative.
