Print is often far more sustainable than people realise. In a world increasingly reliant on energy-intensive digital infrastructure, well-managed print can be a responsible, practical and environmentally conscious way to communicate.
Booklets, magazines and leaflets can all be produced with sustainability in mind. At Newman Thomson, we recycle all of our paper waste, compacting tonnes of paper every month so it can be returned to the recycling stream and used to produce recycled paper.
Sustainability is one of our core company values. We have comprehensive recycling systems in place, and we are proud to work with some of the country’s most environmentally conscious organisations, including Kew Gardens, Wakehurst, Leonardslee, the National Trust, WWF and many others. We also regularly produce work using materials carrying Forest Stewardship Council certification, giving customers confidence that their printed products come from responsibly managed sources.
The greater challenge for the print industry has always been plastics and PVC. While sustainable alternatives are still developing, we continue to research and test new plant-based substrates, recyclable materials and longer-lasting display solutions.
One example is our Eco Skin banner system. Traditional budget pull-up banners are often treated as disposable and can end up being replaced after only a year or two. By contrast, our Eco Skin cassettes are more robust, easier to assemble thanks to their telescopic poles, and designed to be used for many years.
The key environmental benefit comes when the graphic needs to be changed. Instead of replacing the entire banner, you keep the existing cassette and we simply re-skin it with a new printed graphic. Although the initial cost is more than double that of a standard pull-up banner, future graphic changes are significantly cheaper, making Eco Skin a greener and more cost-effective choice over time.
We also recognise that returning banners for re-skinning can be inconvenient for some businesses. For GDB members, we can collect banners at the monthly members’ meeting and deliver them back to your chosen location for just £50.
It would be fantastic to see more local businesses adopting this approach. A number of Eco Skin banners are already in use, and we hope to see many more organisations choosing a smarter, longer-lasting and more sustainable alternative to disposable display products.
