Sustainability: Sepire’s Commitment to a Greener Footprint
The Sepire team has been fiercely dedicated to environmental sustainability from the outset. For us, it has never been a matter of polishing our brand image or following corporate trends. Addressing the needs of our planet has always been just as essential as solving the pain points of our customers.
In fact, our continuous commitment to protecting the environment is so important to us, it is literally built into our company name.
Sepire in Latin means to cover or protect. Going one step further in our pursuit of a sustainable business model, we encourage our clients to follow suit by asking how Sepire can help them minimize their carbon footprint throughout the customer journey. This is built into our mission questions.
How Sepire Drives Sustainability
So, what steps are we taking to deliver on our commitment to protect the planet? From supplier selection to equipment, our environmental footprint is about as low as a paper provider can be.
1. We Use FSC Certified Paper
You have probably seen plenty of products with the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) label on. When a product bears this label, it means that all the materials used were sourced from forests that have been audited by an independent third party to confirm they are managed according to FSC’s stringent social and environmental standards.
Of the three types of FSC labels, FSC 100% contributes most directly to FSC’s objective: forests for all, forever. It is the highest mark of distinction for certified products and is why, at Sepire, we use FSC paper for our clients.
2. Water-Based Inks
The production of ink has made great strides in the last 50 years. In the 1970s inks were solvent-based and contained petroleum. Once the solvent dried, it emitted harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the air.
A subsequent shortage of ink coincided with the passage of the Clean Air Act of 1970 and - thankfully! - resulted in a shift in the printing industry, to water-based inks.
At Sepire, we only use water-soluble ink which is much kinder to the environment. It does not contain any of the toxic chemicals found in plastisol ink and greatly reduces the risk to consumers and the planet.
3. Emission-Free Presses
Every action taken towards reducing one’s carbon footprint is an investment in the future and has an impact on the environment. The Sepire team is wholly devoted to minimizing our own carbon footprint, as well as that of our clients. We are constantly looking for ways to reduce emissions and eliminate waste.
The presses we use in our printing warehouses are almost completely free of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
4. Lean Manufacturing Environment
Sounds grand, but what is lean manufacturing really? It is the adoption of a business model and operational methods to support the elimination of non-value-added activities (waste) while still delivering quality products and service - on time, at the least cost, with greater efficiency. A mouthful, right?
Well, that pretty much sums up what we do at Sepire! Following our lean manufacturing model, we continuously improve quality, cost, and service while enhancing the environment by reducing waste.
So not only does this help the environment, it helps us serve you even better.
5. Reforestation
The gradual depletion of forests has drastically impacted the environment and wildlife. Soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, global warming, and a decline in the quality of life are just a few of the negative effects brought about by deforestation.
At Sepire we contribute to reforestation through PrintReleaf. By measuring our paper consumption and calculating how many trees were harvested to produce the latter, our paper footprint is automatically reforested.
An Ongoing Commitment to Sustainability
Sepire is committed to being a part of the long-term solution to save and preserve the environment. This is why we collaborate with the Forest Stewardship Council and use paper that is 100% FSC certified.
We are also a proud signatory of the United Nations Global Compact where we work together with other businesses on an ongoing basis to develop holistic, in-depth practices to combat environmental challenges. This demands taking action beyond traditional perspectives on achieving sustainability and proactively confronting environmental risks while continuously looking for opportunities to be kinder to our planet.
We are fortunate to have clients who also take the protection of the environment to heart.
Sustainability will continue to be an integral part of Sepire’s business, on every level. Ready to learn more about how sustainable printing can meet your needs? Drop us a line—we’d love to chat.