Partner Article

Behind the business with Potts Print

It’s environment focus week on Bdaily, and we are looking at what the low-carbon economy really means for UK SMEs, as well as picking apart the nuts and bolts of adapting business to “go-green.“ Tony Mullarky from Potts Prints answered questions posed through Bdaily about how the business achieved Carbon balance.

How did Tony and the team achieve Carbon balance at Potts Print?

With the guidance and support of the World Land Trust (a not-for-profit Ecological Charity) and our Paper Merchants (The Paper Company & Howard Smith Paper) we submitted data from our 2011 business operations into a carbon calculator to determine our Carbon Footprint. The measurements calculated have been verified by The Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management (ECCM) as a true record and are registered and certified. Subsequently, we have offset 1,163 tonnes of CO2, which equates to the preservation of 24.1 Acres of endangered tropical rainforest.

What aspects did they tackle, what challenges did they face in taking this route?

The creation of our ‘Potts Greenprint Team’ has allowed our business to focus on continuous improvement models with an environmental perspective. Analysing the business, process control methods, and waste generated, coupled with a review of our environmental impact, has been effort well spent. We have reduced the chemistry usage within the process, reduced V.O.C’s, improved techniques and developed much more stringent controls within the production environment. We have worked with our Supply Chain to ensure any ecological aspects are considered and improved. We have embraced and challenged from within, developing training plans for our staff to enable the business to grow with Carbon Balancing in mind. Our staff have been very positive, which has allowed swift action on any process improvement. I am very proud to say our team’s ethos and attitude have been a fantastic driving force in making the concept a reality.

What result has it had on the bottom line? Has digital played a part in greening up the company and their business model?

We have no doubt that embracing environmental awareness is the right thing to do. Our internal process improvements, including Carbon Balancing, have certainly contributed to the growth of the company. We have the opportunity to gain new customers based on the variety of services we offer, whilst adding a vital ‘green’ perspective. It has allowed us to develop strategies for achieving new business, whilst maintaining existing clients for the long term; offering high quality printed material, outstanding delivery and service, with minimal impact to the environment. Investments in additional production formats, such as Digital Print, have allowed us to reduce waste, improve efficiency and increase profitability. Jobs which were historically produced on our smaller presses, have migrated into the digital print environment, which has essentially enhanced our business model, although this is by no means the only method we have adopted. Diversifying into other print-related areas will continue to occur, which will hopefully offer further opportunities and therefore grow the business.

Should anyone wish to visit Potts to discuss the measures we’ve taken I would be happy to organise.

Here are some other environment focus articles that may be of interest to you: carbon reporting in logistics firms; what are the benefits of electric vehicles?; we talk to a print business about why SMEs need to go green; find out how one innovative business is using ozone as a cleaning tool; what does sustainability really mean to your business?; funding support for green businesses; and a green adaptation case study; Bdaily talks Patrick Parsons Consulting Engineers.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .