Environmental / Sustainability Policy

The following is the policy of The Graphical Tree Limited with regard to its place within the environment. The Graphical Tree Limited and its staff operate at all times showing respect and due regard to local and global environmental considerations and issues. The Graphical Tree Limited conducts itself in such a manner as to ensure that its operation minimizes our environmental impact as much as possible. In order to promote our commitment to the continual improvement of our environmental impact, management install an ethic and set objectives aimed at improving our environmental performance. We have an obligation to the planet and future generations to be as sustainably forward-thinking as we can be. These are reviewed periodically and new objectives are set where possible. The Graphical Tree Limited is also committed to the prevention of pollution and complies with all applicable legal, and other requirements, relating to an environmental impact. Employees will observe policies in force at sites visited in the course of their duties. The management and staff are charged with:

Environmental awareness

Promotion of environmental awareness and general encouragement for staff to raise issues of concern and make recommendations and offer ideas to the management to improve The Graphical Tree Limited's performance.

Safe handling

Correctly using equipment and facilities provided to ensure the safe and correct handling and disposal of materials and waste products.

Recycling & waste

The economical use of all resources so as to minimize waste and take advantage of reuse and recycling schemes. We also work with a waste partner who operates a zero landfill service for items that cannot be recycled.

Disposal

The containment and safe disposal and/or recycling of chemicals, liquids, solids, and gases in accordance with good operating practices.

Health and hygiene

Ensuring staff involved in the assembly and/or handling of products to be used in a food environment maintain the highest standards of personal and operational tidiness, cleanliness, and general health and hygiene so as not to introduce a health or safety hazard to the environment.

Sustainable print and production

The Graphical Tree actively takes steps to operate and perform in an environmentally friendly fashion. This is done by a continued conversation with suppliers to encourage, and source, environmentally friendly products for use within the company. The Graphical Tree continually looks for more eco-beneficial printable substrates, couriers, energy suppliers, and packaging, for example, which it can use on a daily basis to lessen our own environmental impact on the earth. And while we recognize as an industry there are still giant steps to take, we are encouraging, and actively participating in the sourcing, using, as well as educating of customers to help make us and the large format print industry as environmentally friendly as it can.

The Graphical Tree has an ongoing R&D practice that looks to test and bring on board sustainable and eco-friendly materials and substrates when and where possible. Our long-term aim is to only offer genuinely environmentally friendly products and services as well as be a carbon-neutral operation.

Experts and partners in sustainability

The Graphical Tree is a founding print and production expert for the Isla organization. Isla specializes in helping the events and exhibition sector become more environmentally conscious and sustainable. You can read about Isla here.

In addition, field staff will, at all times, observe the environmental policies and instructions issued by competent, recognized authorities when visiting customer sites and premises. If, in the event that such instruction would appear to contradict The Graphical Tree Limited's environmental policy, common good sense or create a potential environmental or safety hazard, staff are instructed to refer to their Director or Supervisor for advice before proceeding

You can read more about The Graphical Tree's eco-print offerings here, and find a list of our constantly evolving sustainable print media here.

Carbon emissions

The Graphical Tree has made a commitment to sustainability and to achieve carbon-neutral status for scopes 1 & 2.

We are currently monitoring and offsetting carbon emissions captured in scope 3 too.

We work with our suppliers to assess and evaluate external emissions generated because of the activities of our business. Through open dialogue, the sharing of knowledge, and setting sustainable requirements, we hope to influence change in the large-format print industry for the better as well as achieve our own sustainable goals.

Reduction of CO2

While offsetting our carbon emissions (which we do through Ecologi) is one way to counter-balance our environmental impact, it's not perhaps the best solution, which is the reduction. Through company behavioral changes we are working towards reducing our carbon emissions to become carbon neutral.

The Graphical Tree has pledged to Net Zero standards by 2050 and has already made good inroads in achieving this.

Company sustainable initiatives such as using person power, or electric vehicles where possible; introducing LED lighting across both sites, purchasing print and production equipment that uses LED ink curing and with lower energy uses; and working with local media suppliers, are a few examples of policies in place to help us reach our targets.

The journey forward

Company sustainability is an ongoing process and one we continually update and improve upon, be it the introduction of new print media or packaging materials; partnering with local suppliers; purchasing of more energy-efficient machinery; or supporting staff ride-to-work schemes. Everything helps, and we're trying to make a difference.