Environmental impact Medium
Employer/employee ranking 23/13
Staff numbers 69
Energy reduction 7%
Recycling n/a

Being aware of its impact on the environment is at the forefront of everything Severnprint does, from using vegetable oil-based inks to making deliveries in liquid petroleum gas fuelled vans. Set up by Ken Pealing in 1977, the colour printing firm now run by his three sons Simon, Nigel and David, prides itself on being one of the leaders in environmentally conscious printing. In 1995, it was the first commercial customer of Ecotricity — the world’s first green electricity company, which initially generated the energy from gas from the nearby landfill site at Hempsted in Gloucester. Today Severnprint still only buys electricity from renewable sources.

Severnprint was an early trendsetter in the industry — it attained ISO 14001 accreditation in 2003 for its environmental management, followed a year later by the forestry industry’s chain of custody certification for using Forest Stewardship Council approved paper. Today almost two-thirds of all paper bought by the firm is recycled.

Between 2003 and the end of last year Severnprint managed to cut gas use by more than 26%, reduce its total overall road vehicle CO2 emissions by 3.5 tons and cut the average water litre usage per employee per work day by 32%. Workers think their employer is committed to the environment, earning the company an impressive green score of 95%. Staff say their bosses do a lot for the environment (93%) and lead by example on green issues (88%), encouraging people to recycle (90%) and shunning the use of gas-guzzling cars themselves (91%).

The environment is an everyday consideration at Severnprint, say employees, who feel everyone thinks green (both factors scoring 88%). Sales staff are encouraged to offer clients, who include Friends of the Earth, and the sustainable development organisation Forum for the Future, the most environmentally benign print route when quoting for a job. Staff at the company, which employs 69 people, can see that its environmental impact is improving (86%) and recognise the fact that Severnprint supports local suppliers and businesses (84%).

While many businesses have chosen the carbon offset route to go greener, Severnprint believes it should focus on becoming as efficient as possible in its use of energy. Nonetheless, since the mid-1990s, it has donated to Tree Aid, a Bristol-based charity that supports sustainable plantations in sub-Saharan Africa.