Sustainability is in our nature. As a printer, we’re conscious about our impact on the environment. We want to make sure that when our customers choose us to be their trusted trade printer, you can rest assured that we are doing what we can to make our factory more environmentally friendly. Come with us as we walk you through what we’ve been doing, what we’re working on and our plans for a more sustainable future for Route 1 Print!

What we’ve done

From introducing recycled stocks on our website to making the switch to 100% renewable electricity to help us meet energy reduction targets in our factory, we’ve been working hard to reduce our carbon footprint.

Carbon Zero certified

Last year we were proud to have achieved Carbon Neutral status as part of the Achilles Carbon Reduce scheme, the UK’s only accredited GHG (Greenhouse Gas) Certification Scheme!

As part of the Achilles Carbon Reduction programme, we build our Carbon Footprint using tools and methodology aligning to ISO 14064-1 which is verified annually by an externally auditor. We use this verified Carbon Footprint to purchase verified Gold Standard Carbon Credits, that offsets our Carbon emissions. This in turn helped us to achieve Carbon Neutral status for the financial year of 2020-2021.

This means that we’re a more sustainable business than ever before! It also means that by choosing us as your trade printer, you and your customers can be confident that your products are created by an organisation that is working to improve the environmental credentials of both itself and its valued customers.

Clean, green, delivery

Sustainability doesn’t end at our factory doors. With a passion for passing on sustainability to you and your customers, we make use of DPD’s clean, green delivery service. DPD delivered over 44,000 Route 1 Print parcels using electric vehicles between January and July 2022, saving us and you 12,131kg of Carbon, the equivalent of planting 48 trees! This, along with initiatives to transition to renewable electricity tariffs and increase the use of electric forklifts has enabled us to achieve a reduction in the tonnes of CO2e per tonne of turnover by almost 46.6% between 2020-21 and 2021-22. If you want to learn even more about why we’ve partnered with DPD and what they’ve helped us, and you achieve, you can read our blog here.

What we’re working on

At Route 1 Print, we’re dedicated to improving, and this includes our sustainability strategy. We’re currently working on a range of projects to reduce our impact on the environment without compromising on our quality.

War on waste

Throughout our company, we run a constant War on Waste campaign. Our team members are always on the lookout for new opportunities to reduce waste, in all areas of our work. So far, our sustainability culture and practices have led to…
•    Introduction of hybrid and electric forklift fleets
•    Installation of LED’s
•    100% of paper and cardboard products that are FSC™ (Forest Stewardship Council™) certified
•    Rigorous artwork checks to eliminate waste from incorrect setup
•    Ganging of work to reduce the number of sheets wasted in our lithographic stream
•    Installation of timers on processors to automatically turn off, reducing power usage on the Spot UV drying process by 20%
•    Recycling rates increased with an average reuse or recycling rate of 91.2% between January and June 2022
•    Reducing shrink wrapping on business cards by 67% 
•    Transitioning away from plastic tape to kraft alternatives to ensure packaging can be recycled
•    Introduction of a wider range of box sizes and made sure any void fill used is 100% recyclable, with plans to review packaging further to eliminate plastics

Net zero by 2035

We are passionate about achieving our own targets, to meet the aspirations of you, our clients to enable industry wide improvements.

As part of this passion for sustainability, our commitment includes developing our recently achieved Carbon Zero certification under the Achilles Carbon Reduce scheme, to now focus on becoming a Net Zero business by 2030. Under the scheme, we will measure our greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with ISO14064, working to actively reduce their emissions. This includes Scopes 1, 2 and downstream by 2030 and Scope 3 emissions related to the delivery and disposal of products by 2035.

What does the future hold?

We’re not held back by obstacles. With big plans ahead for the future of Route 1 Print, you can be confident that we’ll never stop pushing sustainability boundaries. Be it onsite electricity generation or the tracing of our products, we’re keeping a close eye on our environmental impact.

Installation of solar panels

Looking towards the future, we’ve created a dedicated task force to help us introduce onsite electricity generation through the installation of solar panels.

We will be installing a 260kw on our main Unit, which will be fully installed and generating by Spring 2023! This will allow us to generate some of our electricity on-site, reducing our reliance and the demand on the national grid. We have already purchased REGO (Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin) backed renewable electricity, however, solar panels will help us to further reduce our Carbon emissions associated with the infrastructure and transmission of purchased electricity.

Value chain management

Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Accord, we want to ensure that everyone involved with the creation of Route 1 Print’s products from source to delivery are fairly treated and enjoys a good quality of life. That’s why we’re in the process of implementing our Value Chain Management Project, utilising bespoke software to help us to map, trace, and understand everything and everyone across our supply chain while driving ESG improvements, starting with our tier-1 suppliers. We want to make sure that we only use suppliers and sources that share our sustainability vision.

Want to discover more about our sustainability practices and our achievements? Head to our sustainability page! Alternatively, why not explore our range of recycled products? From flyers to folded leaflets, you can offer your customers print products that are made from 100% recycled paper, giving your customers access to quality print materials that are good for their business and the environment.