Environmental Policy
Our environmental policy ensures that we offer sustainable alternatives across our extensive Promotional Products & Clothing range and we operate environmentally-responsible practices throughout our office.
Legal responsibility. As an absolute minimum, we ensure our manufacturer’s compliance with all applicable environmental legislations, regulations, standards and codes of practice within their area of operation.
Transparency. We will never skirt around the issue of environmental sustainability with our customers and will always answer enquiries and concerns surrounding our merchandise’s manufacture.
Manufacturing record. Where possible we always opt for manufacturers with a proven track record in environmental performance. Suppliers with eco-friendly policies in place will always trump those without in our preferred partners.
Here at Impress Ipswich we believe in doing our bit to reduce our environmental impact through the following:
1. INCREASE THE PROCUREMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCTS
» By working with suppliers respectful of environmental regulations and laws.
» By working with our suppliers to have an environmental approach.
» Strive for continual improvement and to review potential environmental impacts of all activities in the supply of promotional merchandise.
» Strive for continual improvement in environmental performance through setting objectives and targets in selection of new and developing product ranges.
» Influence suppliers, contractors and other business partners to adopt environmental best practices or » subscribe to equivalent environmental standards.
» Engage in dialogue with suppliers to encourage their participation in environmental best practice.
2. OFFER OUR CUSTOMERS ECOLOGICAL ALTERNATIVES
» Provide eco-friendly Promotional Product alternatives at a competitive price.
» We have included in our brochure and on-line the ECO logo next to our products which will help you identify those products which are better for the environment.
3. CONTINUE TO REDUCE THE IMPACT FROM OUR PAPER CATALOGUES
» Our catalogue has been produced on PEFC paper. As the world’s largest forest certification system, PEFC remains the certification system of choice for small, non-industrial private forests, with hundreds of thousands of family forest owners certified to comply with their internationally recognised sustainability benchmark. For more information go to www.pefc.co.uk
» Reducing the number of catalogues by putting these available on-line thus reducing excess paper use.
4. REDUCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT AT OUR OFFICE
» We endeavour to be 100% paperless, however, some documentation required for legal purposes require us to occasionally print documents. All internal printing where necessary is done using recycled paper.
» By controlling the amount of waste produced and reducing the consumables used.
» We constantly recycle & reuse where possible, used envelopes, paper, packaging, jiffy bags and boxes.
» We donate any excess sample clothing or Promotional Product samples to charities to reuse.
5. PERSONALISED CLOTHING PACKAGE BAGS
» Some customers require us to individually bag personalised clothing that we supply and at present Biodegradable clothing bags are not presently available at the required size we use. However, we do now offer a choice to our customers if they want their clothing to be bagged. Our goal is to offer and give awareness to environmental friendly packaging alternatives and are looking at sourcing Biodegradable bags for the future.
6. ACCREDITED MEMBERS
» We are proud members of the British Promotional Merchandise Association (B.P.M.A) and we use their logo which can be seen at the bottom of all our paperwork and on the back of our Promotional Products catalogue.
BPMA is an organisation that represents almost 600 companies in the promotional merchandise sector. The aim is to promote the value of promotional branded gifts and garments through a professional dedicated supply chain. All members sign up to a strict code of conduct and are financially-vetted to provide reassurance to companies that buy promotional merchandise
This policy is communicated to all staff in our business and every staff member has an individual responsibility to help meet the requirements of this policy. All are invited to contribute ideas for better practices.
In addition, Impress Ipswich acts in accordance with ‘Motion 144 – Ethical Trading’ (as raised at the UNISON Conference 2004) linked with sustainable development which addresses the following aspects: improvement of the quality of life, social justice and equitable conditions of trade, not to overtax the environment, husbanding of resources and active popular participation.
