How Printing Practices are Becoming Sustainable

The printing industry has long been working to decrease its impact on the environment. With every single business in the sector relying heavily on paper for its livelihood, it’s in every printer’s interests to introduce greener systems and improve its sustainability.

As well as being one of our main business goals, sustainability is something that’s very close to our customers’ hearts. Recent research has shown 82% of consumers want to buy and use products that are environmentally friendly, giving everyone in the printing industry a big incentive to go green.

Sustainable materials

Using recycled materials and paper from sustainable sources is an effective way of reducing waste and ensuring that our business isn’t contributing to global deforestation.

Like many printing businesses in the UK, Swallowtail Print works to ensure that the products we create are printed on materials sourced from managed forests.

More information on FSC approved materials

Biodegradable materials

As well as using materials that are made from environmentally friendly sources, printers can become more sustainable by ensuring that the products they produce are kind on the environment.

Printers can use inks, finishes and papers that will break down easily and that won’t release harmful chemicals into the environment. This will help to ensure that the products they produce won’t do any unnecessary damage once they’ve left the studio.  

Packaging

If printing companies all try to minimise the amount of packaging that they produce, the industry as a whole will find its carbon footprint greatly reduced.

As well as purchasing materials from suppliers that use minimal packaging, printers can also reduce the amount of padding, boxing and wrapping that they place on orders before dispatching them.

Paperweight and sizing

Though thick, heavy paper feels luxurious and tactile, by using lighter weights printers can dramatically reduce the amount of paper that they consumer.

Reducing the size of booklets, brochures, posters and other printed products will also help to save paper and decrease consumption.

Energy efficient equipment

As well as using greener materials, companies within the industry can also help the environment by updating their equipment and using machines that consume minimal electricity.

Other standard practices like swapping old light bulbs for environmentally friendly versions, switching computers off instead of leaving them on standby all help printers to become more sustainable and have less impact on the environment.

More information about our environmental policy and our working practices

Speak to our team of experts to get a quote

Request a quote

Let us help you with your next project

Our cookies

We use cookies, which are small text files, to improve your experience on our website.
You can allow or reject non essential cookies or manage them individually.

Manage cookiesAllow all

Cookie policy

Our cookies

Allow all

We use cookies, which are small text files, to improve your experience on our website. You can allow all or manage them individually.

You can find out more on our cookie page at any time.

EssentialThese cookies are needed for essential functions such as logging in and making payments. Standard cookies can't be switched off and they don't store any of your information.
AnalyticsThese cookies help us collect information such as how many people are using our site or which pages are popular to help us improve customer experience. Switching off these cookies will reduce our ability to gather information to improve the experience.
FunctionalThese cookies are related to features that make your experience better. They enable basic functions such as social media sharing. Switching off these cookies will mean that areas of our website can't work properly.
AdvertisingThese cookies help us to learn what you're interested in so we can show you relevant adverts on other websites and track the effectiveness of our advertising.
PersonalisationThese cookies help us to learn what you're interested in so we can show you relevant content.

Save preferences