Environment
Our Policies
You’d expect us to take our responsibility to the environment seriously. And we
do. But there’s more to it than achieving targets or standards. We look at the whole
issue from two angles. Yes, there’s the macro environment, which brings in sustainability
and the impact of transport for example. But there’s also the micro environment
– the places our people work. Making a positive difference in both of those areas
is – to us – what environmental responsibility in Talk Paper is all about.
Encouraging sustainable forest management
FSC/PEFC
We are one of the first merchants to have been awarded dual certification for both
FSC and PEFC chain of custody and forestry management. With these awards we are
able to promote and sell papers that hold these accreditations and maintain the
integrity of the chain of custody as more and more papers become certified.
Wood procurement
Talk Paper purchase products manufactured from wood sourced from well-managed forests
and promotes the development of reliable forest certification systems. The general
principles of the policy includes sustainable forest management, compliance with
legislation, continuous improvement, wood tracking and support for forest certification.
Specific policies from manufacturing mills on the purchasing of wood for our product
range is available.
Procurement Policy
All paper purchases are made in accordence with our Paper Procurement Policy. We
work extensively with all suppliers to improve supply chain processes and reduce
carbon emissions, giving priority to the most successful suppliers. All suppliers
are continually monitored and asked to supply information on energy sources, raw
material sources, environmental reports and carbon footprinting. Our policy is to:
- Maintain our status as an ISO 14001 certified company
- Ensure that all paper products originate from well-managed forests with credible
and audited certification standards
- Source a wide range of recycled products and products that can be responsibly recycled
- Maintain both the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement
of Forestry Certification (PEFC) accreditations through the use and promotion of
UKAS certified bodies
- Maintain a supply chain from all major suppliers that complies with all relevant
national and international legislation
- Give preference to suppliers who have clear environmental policies in place, which
refrain from illegal logging and encourage bio-diversity of forestation
- Encourage all suppliers to monitor their products carbon emissions and pursue the
development of low-carbon products and mill practises
- Record, assess and evaluate centrally all suppliers’ environmental performance and
activity
- Provide support, advice and information on all of our products environmental credentials
and the source of supply to all stakeholders
Minimising waste
Recycling
Virtually all of the products that Talk Paper supply and market are recyclable,
including the packaging. Within our Head Office there are explicit arrangements
for all the white waste paper and printed paper to be put in recycle bins to be
collected. Any waste and damaged paper is also recycled at the main hubs. We encourage
all suppliers to implement in-house environmental policies. Packaging waste regulations
The EC Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste 94/62/EC seeks to reduce the impact
of packaging and packaging waste on the environment, by introducing recovery and
recycling targets for packaging waste. Talk Paper, through a third party, fully
meet the requirements of the Packaging Waste Regulations and evidence of our performance
is submitted to the Environment Agency as part of the regular reporting procedure
required under the regulations.
Working with partners to minimise environmental impact
Environmental policy
We operate to an Environmental Management System (EMS), which conforms to the requirements
of BS EN ISO 14001;2004 and were successfully certified by SGS (UK) Ltd in September
2006. Our policy is to:
- Be a responsible organisation and a reliable business partner meeting our legal
obligations and fulfilling our commitment to our customers and other stakeholders
- Communicate the policy to all persons working for or on behalf of the company and
on request to all other stakeholders
- Encourage all employees to act in accordance with the environmental policy and to
give them appropriate training and education, if required
- Maintain an open dialogue about our environmental commitment
- Developing our products, processes and working methods in order to continually improve
our environmental performance
- Support best environmental practice throughout the supply chain
- Recycle and re-use materials wherever practically possible and take steps to reduce
pollution and endeavor to use our resources efficiently
- Develop a programme of environmental educational activities aimed at customers,
staff and the wider community
Talk Paper will also only deal with suppliers that meet the ISO 14001 standard
ISO 9001
We are commited to integrating quality management into our entire range of business
activities and implement a Quality Management System (QMS) that meets the requirements
of ISO 9001:2000. Our policy is to:
- Consistently provide products and services that meet or exceed our customer’s requirements.
- To ensure that our quality management system enhances customer satisfaction through
processes which ensure continual improvement.
- To have trained and competent staff in order to maintain our commitment to quality.
It is also essential that our suppliers and products meet these high standards to
ensure this we require all our suppliers meet and exceed the ISO 9001 standards.
Environmental transparency of products (Paper Profile)
We seek from all our suppliers a chain of custody (COC) to ensure that they meet
the standards outlined in our Environmental policy.
In addition to this we can also provide Paper Profiles for all our major brands.
These give specific environmental information in an uniformed way, enabling informed
product choices. The data includes key environmental parameters, such as COD (chemical
oxygen demand), SO2 (sulphur dioxide) and AOX (absorbable organic halogen)*.
Additional topics include the proportion of certified wood in the product and environmental
management systems adopted at the producing mills.
A commitment to corporate responsibility
Talk Paper Ltd have five key aims with regards to Corporate Responsibility.
- How we like to consider our business
We aim to constantly review and adopt new and innovative working practices, to manage
our business risks responsibly, and work efficiently and effectively so that we
can deliver a positive return to all our stakeholders. We are committed to operating
openly and honestly and fully acknowledge the support of our employees, suppliers,
customers and parent companies in helping us to achieve this aim.
- How we like to consider our customers
Our objective is to be our customers preferred choice of supplier, and to us, being
good people to do business with means understanding the ever-changing needs of our
customers and responding to them. In our view, our customers should be treated,
as we would want to be treated ourselves.
- How we like to consider our people
We are proud of the expertise and enthusiasm of our team and recognise that the
future of our business depends on the efforts, involvement and goodwill of everyone
in our group. We aim to provide a safe working environment and actively promote
a policy of openness, honesty and mutual respect between colleagues. We are committed
to providing equal opportunities for all of our team to help them develop their
skills and knowledge and to enjoy fulfilling careers.
- How we like to consider the environment around us
We are actively engaged and committed to a group wide program of energy usage reduction,
recycling and resource reuse. We believe that we can maintain a profitable and efficient
business for the benefit of all of our stakeholder groups and at the same time be
a business that is genuinely committed to minimising the negative environment impact
of its operations.
- How like to consider our local communities
We operate openly, honestly and legally within all of our locations local communities.
We encourage the recruitment of local people, believing this supports the economy
of the local community and improves the quality of our employees work – life balance.
We are committed to supporting local school and charities through product donations.
- Ensuring that our people enjoy the best possible working conditions