Carbon balancing is not something you might associate with printing, but here at BHF Graphics, we’re very much on-board.

In a world where climate change is an issue and we are reminded regularly of the issues we face if we do not act now, we are always on the look-out for ways to make our business more eco-friendly.

Paper is a large part of our business. It is also very sustainable because it comes from raw materials which can be recycled. Recycled paper has been in the industry for a number of years but the problem has always been that no products have ever been exactly fit for purpose. You can’t achieve the same quality when you print on recycled paper as you do with a laminate, gloss or matt finish.

Some paper, because it is so porous can soak more ink in, others, because of their colouring, can make a client’s finished product look very different to the graphics they signed off. There has always been a fine line between offering continued high-quality products and trying to be more sustainable.

This is where carbon balancing paper comes in.

Carbon Balancing

Put simply, Carbon Balancing is when an estimation of the carbon impacts of a product or service have been made and an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide is either prevented from being released into, or is absorbed from, the atmosphere. Like a trade-off.

Launched in 2013, the World Land Trust has been working with businesses in the UK to make this a reality. Sir David Attenborough, Chris Packham, David Gower and Steve Backshall are all patrons of the charity which now has more than 2,000 companies involved, all working to make carbon balancing part of everyday business – and we’re now one of them. Carbon balancing paper allows us at BHF Graphics to cut our carbon impact without reducing quality.
We can still print on the same paper that we know gets stunning results, but with the ability to offset the carbon produced.

Why cut carbon?

The UK government has set a plan of reducing greenhouse gases by 68% by 2030. This can only be achieved if everyone looks at how they contribute and how they can cut down. As a business that uses a lot of paper, we wanted to be involved.

How it works

The World Land Trust (WLT) helps to conserve tropical forests in Vietnam. According to them, Vietnam is one of the most biologically diverse countries on the planet. It is home to a large diversity of habitats and species, with high level of species only found there. Within the mountains, Vietnam is home to 10% of the world’s species but also has a fast-growing economy which is putting pressure on this biodiversity.

WLT works with Viet Nature Conservation Centre to conserve over 50,000 acres of land. A UK business’s carbon impact can be measured and offset through this work by ensuring these forests are not torn down. We are therefore locking in carbon that would otherwise be released.

How we are bringing this to our customers:

At BHF Graphics we know our customers want to be sustainable, but achieving this without compromising on quality has been tricky – up to now.
Printing on recycled paper does give you a different quality, it won’t give you a gloss finish and it’s often around 30% more expensive.
We really wanted to offer high quality and sustainability hand-in hand, and so this is why carbon balancing is now within our business.

We purchase carbon balanced paper from companies all under the World Land Trust scheme so we can offer customers great printing, whilst still being able to ensure we are eco-friendly. So far, we have balanced 128kg of carbon dioxide which will enable WLT to protect 89m2 of critically-threatened tropical forest. We will continue to support WLT and our customers will continue to receive great sustainable products.