Printing business environmental impact

Businesses in the printing industry have major opportunities to reduce their environmental impact and cut costs. The most effective way to do this is through taking a systematic approach - for example, by setting up a formal environmental management system (EMS) and having it certified to the ISO 14001 standard or verified under the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).

If you don't have the time or resources to set up an EMS, you could take a less formal approach by:

• reviewing your environmental performance and making sure that you comply with all relevant environmental legislation
• deciding on priority issues
• creating an action plan of what you're going to do, who is going to do it and when they should do it
• setting targets and objectives
• reviewing your performance and making improvements

For more information, see how to carry out an environmental review of your business.

Before you start, you should make sure you have the commitment of senior management. You should also consider appointing an environmental champion or an environmental team.

Effective management can reduce the environmental impact of:

• solvents
• waste streams such as paper, other substrates and packaging
• energy use
• water use
• transport