Here at Gecko, our core values power everything we do, especially the results for our clients. We have always been forward thinking in pursuing ISO standards and implementing environmental credentials such as FSC accreditation. Although we are proud of our heritage and where we came from, we are incredibly excited about our future as a leading UK direct mail digital print company, helping marketers and creative agencies achieve their commercial and environmental objectives. Following an article published recently in Print Week about carbon accounting in print services, we thought we would explain in more detail how our idea of supplying the carbon footprint of each print job at quotation stage became a reality.
Bringing a good idea to fruition
Our Managing Director, Chris Bottomley, is always looking for new ways to go that extra mile for our clients. An idea was sparked after a discussion with CarbonQuota about their automated carbon footprint software.
The system, that brings together science, analytics, and industry expertise to provide both a carbon and offsetting calculation, was a real “eye-opener” for Chris. He wondered whether this functionality could be integrated into MIS print management software as a form of carbon accounting in print services. “We’re hearing more and more about the importance of reducing our carbon impact, and at Gecko, we wanted to do the right thing and be part of the solution” he said.
Chris came up with the idea of carbon accounting in print services so clients can see the options available for reducing or offsetting the carbon used for the whole print job. It takes into account carbon usage from beginning to end including all types of substrates, consumables, production, transport and waste, so the total lifecycle environmental impact of the job is taken into account, not just the paper used. “We decided to offer our clients the opportunity to not only calculate the carbon footprint of their jobs, but to give them the chance to offset it too”, Chris added.
Chris was so impressed, he introduced CarbonQuota to Tharstern, the supplier of MIS print management software here at Gecko. He was interested to know whether the systems from both companies could be used together to produce an accurate carbon footprint calculation so that we could add it to Gecko’s quotes to clients and provide lower carbon footprint options, along with the available options and costs to offset the residual carbon impact of that job.
A working partnership
The starting point for this new partnership was for CarbonQuota’s experts to work with the Gecko team to make an accurate assessment of the carbon footprint of our operation. Following this initial stage, they input the resulting data into their database and algorithms to determine how much carbon we use in each individual process.
The second stage was to upload this carbon specific data into the Tharstern MIS we use at Gecko to enable CarbonQuota to apply unique ‘carbon emissions factors’ into each stage of our process:
Paper
Consumables (eg. Coatings and Inks)
Production process (eg. Printing and Finishing)
Distribution (eg. Via Royal Mail)
End of life (eg. Including waste from production)
They were also able to provide a lifecycle carbon impact assessment for every job that is calculated to the highest international standards, including GHG Protocol, PAS2056/60 and ISO14064. The result of this detailed work is that Gecko clients are shown the carbon footprint, any lower carbon alternatives available, and how you can offset the impact of every print job. The offset schemes are independently assessed and accredited by VCS or Gold Standard.
“Carbon accounting is becoming as mainstream as cost accounting, and we’re now entering an era when it’s as normal to ask about the environmental footprint of goods or services as it is price,” said Dominic Harris, Co-founder of CarbonQuota. “With many of the world’s organisations making pledges to be Net Zero, the need for scientific measurement and detailed reporting of print is often a pre-requisite for doing business with these organisations. So, print service providers who want to be included in these supply chains will have to be able to provide details of their own carbon footprint.” Dominic continued to say, “historically, print businesses often only looked at the carbon footprint of paper which accounted for about half of the total carbon footprint of the job, so we were determined that our calculations not only measured paper, but also included production, consumables, transport, postage, outwork, fulfilment and end of life, as that truly reflects the total lifecycle environmental impact of a job”.
Above is an example of how the job’s carbon measurement will be shown on the footer of our client estimates.
The assessment and data for carbon accounting in print services does not have any impact on the print process itself. Once configured, we continued to use the MIS software as usual at Gecko, but now provide an extra carbon measurement service to our clients, so they have the choice of reducing or offsetting their carbon usage in line with individual environment policies and protocols. They can use the information we supply in their environmental accountability and carbon disclosure, providing accurate information that can be included in the overall carbon footprint calculations for their company, along with a visible method of offsetting the impact of their print requirements.
What this means for clients of Gecko
The advantage to your business providing carbon footprinting for Gecko, is that we can calculate the carbon impact of all your print, mailings, direct mail, and print personalisation for you. Saving you the time and effort of doing it yourself. In addition, we can show you alternatives to reduce or offset the carbon impact of your print requirements. We currently contribute to three different offsetting projects:
Tropical Mix in Panama: One of the first to be successfully certified under the Gold Standard for land use and forestry projects, Tropical Mix reforests land that has previously been cleared for extensive cattle ranching with mostly native tree species, restoring the forest ecosystem. The project has improved the economic and social prospects for rural families through sustainable forest management and cocoa production (UTX and EU organic certified.)
Pacajai REDD Project in Brazil: The goal of this project is to protect the Amazon’s ecosystems from destruction. Working with more than 6,200 Ribeirinhos river people in the region of Pará, Brazil, the project owns and protects almost 150,000 ha of rainforest, facilitating their stewardship and land use rights in an area suffering from largescale illegal logging.
Wind Project in Gujarat, India: This wind energy project, developed by Vish Wind Infrastructure LLP delivers 107 GWh of green electricity annually to the regional grid, reducing the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and supporting sustainable growth and safeguarding resources. The project has enabled local communities to benefit from the improved infrastructure and socio-economic development.
With our in-house state-of-the-art marketing technology, digital printing, direct mail, digital marketing facilities ,and now the addition of carbon footprinting in print services, at Gecko we are working harder than ever to maximise your ROI while helping your environmental accountability. Of course, industry awards for marketing expertise are great and they show we are a leading UK direct mail digital print company, but actively playing our part in increasing clients’ response is what matters the most to us. If you would like to find out more about our offsetting projects or talk to us about direct mail, digital print and how we can make you more relevant to your future customers, call 0113 391 0704 or email us at hello@gecko.co.uk.