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Go to this month’s Tracker on page 40 for a full list of companies that have recently issued sustainability reports


Oxford-based printing company Seacourt – a zero waste business – is celebrating a Queen’s Award for Enterprise


Jim and Gareth Dinnage are in bouyant mood. And as the father (chairman) and son (managing director) in charge of the Oxford- based printing business Seacourt they have good reason to be. The company has just picked up its second Queen’s Award for Enterprise, which recognises British compa- nies that have shown particular excellence in their field. That’s twice in four years the firm has picked up the prize in the sustainable development category – no mean feat in an industry which has been dubbed the “fifth worst polluting industry in the world”. So, how did they do it?


wholeheartedly believed in and supported this strategy all these years, and who are still with us to celebrate this greatest of achievements.”


It is a sustainability strategy that kicked off in 1996 when the company abandoned the traditional offset lithography, which use lots of water and hazardous chemicals, and adopted a waterless printing press instead. Its product is infinitely better than lithog- raphy, with brighter colours and sharper dots, and uses silicone coated plates which eliminate the need for water in the printing process, as well as VOC-producing nasties such as isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The decision to go waterless differentiated the company from its competitors – and acted as a catalyst for further environmental improvements.


Today, the company adheres to the ISO 14001 environmental management sys- tem and has also implemented the European EMAS system. It buys carbon offsets to maintain its carbon neutral status. It buys 100% of its energy from renewable energy com- pany Green Energy UK. All of the inks used are vegetable based and all paper used is recycled paper. And in the office, the company now has five wormeries working day and night to break down the teabag waste to produce Seacourt’s very own fer- tilizer.


Becoming a zero waste business is the tip of the iceberg. But Jim and Gareth want to go further. “There are lots of smoke and mirrors in this industry and plenty of companies talk a good game. But we are taking this seriously,” says Jim


Green credentials: the Seacourt team celebrate their second Queen’s Award win outside the company’s offices


Late in 2009, Seacourt sent its last ever bin to landfill and has been operating as a zero- waste business ever since – a world first in the printing business. This second Queen’s Award is in recognition of that. “This was unimaginable 15 years ago on the start of our sustainable journey, when we were your average dirty printer,” says Jim Dinnage. “The greatest thanks must go to our team of staff, clients and suppliers, who have all


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As a result, the family-run company punches far above its weight, win- ning contracts from companies keen to showcase their sustainability cre- dentials along the supply chain. Just five years ago, less than a third of Seacourt’s customers chose them because of their green credentials. Today, that figure is 98%. And while all around them are contracting, this is a printing company keen to expand having recently appointed two new sales people. Who says small companies can’t use the sus- tainability agenda to get the edge? seacourt.net


Carbon neutral clothing company Timberland is delighted with its new store in San Francisco, its most ‘eco-conscious’ yet


The Timberland Company has opened a new store in San Francisco, which it says is one of its most eco-conscious to date.


The building uses sustainable materials such as reclaimed wood and has reused industrial machinery as table bases. The floors are made of recycled stoneware tiles and the interior has been painted using low volatile organic compound paints.


The store is lit with reduced wattage LED lighting; the sales floor is entirely LED-lit and equipment and appliances are Energy Star-eligible. Customers are being asked to vote in- store for their favourite of four environmen- tal organisations in San Francisco, with the winner being rewarded with a cheque from Timberland for $2,500 (£1,533).


The clothing company, already a carbon neutral organisation thanks to its efforts in cutting emissions created by its facilities and employee travel by 38% and purchasing off- sets, is now aiming to go further. By 2015, it hopes to use 60% renewable energy in its offices and factories.


This year, it will install solar panels at its headquarters, begin LED lighting retrofits for its overseas stores and introduce the bulk procurement of renewable energy for its shop in the UK and US. co-operative.coop


Best foot forward: Timberland’s new store uses materials such as reclaimed wood and recycled stoneware tiles


Sustainable Business | June 2011 | 19


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