Things have gone a bit pear-shaped lately but we think of ourselves as ‘glass half full’ people here at PlasmaDesign. Behind the scenes, we have been working tirelessly to keep operations running smoothly to maintain the high standard of service our customers have come to expect.
In this blog post, we thought we would turn our attention to the more positive environmental outcomes of the global situation and how we, as a print company, are committed to continually improving our eco-friendly product range and our practices.
Across the world, carbon emissions have begun to fall and the output of industrial waste and plastic pollution has dramatically decreased over the last few months. With 50% of our workforce now working from home, we have been able to reduce their fuel consumption and lower power and lighting requirements at the office. This looks set to be the norm for the foreseeable future. Indeed, we are very much looking forward to not firing up the thirsty space heater we use to keep our converted barn warm this winter.
We have provided our customers with greener alternatives for several years. Now is an appropriate time to focus on these more environmentally friendly products and provide our customers with more information on these sustainable alternatives.
OUR SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS CARDS
At the top of the list sits our biodegradable translucent plastic cards. The plastic used is called SicoEco. It is supplemented with a high volume of sea salt and is treated with an additive that helps speed up the degradation process. It breaks down most swiftly when seeded with the microbes typically found in landfill or a compost bin, but doesn’t need to be sent to a specialist compost unit. Furthermore, these cards can be printed with our range of vegetable-based colour inks making these a truly sustainable business card.
A popular green option for those customers requiring a digitally printed card is our full colour plastic alternative using TESLIN® biodegradable substrate. This disintegrates when introduced to an oxygen-depleted environment, such as a landfill. However, it maintains the toughness and rigidity of the more commonly used PVC plastics, despite being a biodegradable alternative.
In regards to our paper letterpress cards, we use genuine Colorplan paper. As well as being fully recyclable and biodegradable, Colorplan has FSC certification, meaning that the pulps used are sourced from managed and sustainable forests. Additionally, we use biodegradable bonding adhesive, foils and inks when printing the letterpress cards. This FSC certification also extends to our matt laminated paper cards.
The veneer and fibreboard core used to craft our wood business cards are sourced from managed forests. As well as being fully biodegradable and compostable, because we use a laser to etch rather than ink to print the design, no harmful chemicals are used at any stage. Indeed, the bamboo we use is considered one of the most sustainable sources of wood currently known, reaching full maturity in only 3-4 months. Furthermore, chemicals and synthetic pesticides aren't required when harvesting the bamboo.
Finally, all of our cards are shipped in a recycled cardboard box, sealed in a degradable and recyclable bag.
If you have any related questions, please feel free to get in touch and we'll be happy to help. At the time of publication, we are offering all customers 50 extra cards on every letterpress and plastic order. *Valid throughout August 2020).
