helping the planet

As individuals we have always been eco-aware people – and since setting up Martindale Matthews in 1995 we've tried to combine creative professionalism with a balance of economic decisions, social responsibility and sound environmental goals and objectives.

We like to work with suppliers who are taking serious measures to improve their ecological footprint. For example we recommend FSC-certified printers, those with or working towards the ISO 14001 environmental management system, and even those aiming for carbon neutrality.

greener print

Achieving greener print is not necessarily more expensive. Nor do we have to accept a lower quality product. As with anything, it is simply a matter of knowing how to manage the animal.

Careful management of paper, ink and chemical processes will reduce energy consumption, pollution and waste for any printed product.

Good quality environmentally sourced paper stocks and vegetable-based inks are increasingly available. There is also a huge choice of recycled papers that are capable of reproducing outstanding quality print, hardly any different from traditionally made papers.

carbon neutrality

For clients aiming to achieve carbon neutrality we can source printers able to offer carbon offsetting as part of their print quote.

It is possible to produce a printed publication ‘carbon neutrally’ whereby unavoidable CO² emissions created during manufacture are neutralised through investment in a climate friendly initiative elsewhere.

vegetable-based inks

Inks based on vegetable oil, rather than traditionally used mineral oil, are preferable because they greatly reduce or even eliminate the release of carbon-containing gases and vapours known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The problem with VOCs is that they combine with vehicle exhaust fumes to form photochemical smog and in liquid form they can adversely affect water and soil.

Vegetable-based inks are also easier to remove during the recycling of paper.

FSC

The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is an international organisation that enables printers to buy paper without contributing to global forest destruction. It administers a programme that ensures paper originates from sustainable, legal and verified logging sources, with printers having to document the chain of custody back to source.

Qualifying print can carry an FSC label stating paper type:
FSC 100%  100% from an FSC-certified forest.
FSC Recycled  all timber or fibre is from post-consumer reclaimed material.
FSC Mixed Sources  all timber or fibre is a mixture of some or all of the following: timber from an FSC-certified forest, post-consumer reclaimed material, controlled sources which exclude unacceptable forestry.

jackie's wood

Jackie's Wood was planted in 1999 on what was one hectare of open arable land.

Even though the trees are still relatively small, this mixed plantation of hardwood trees and berried bushes is providing habitat for an increasing number of wildlife species.

Last autumn there were plenty of fungi and this spring we are waiting to see more cowslips and primroses.