PrintGreen
Sustainability in print
PrintGreen was founded to champion the sustainable credentials of the print industry, with the mission to provide clear, accessible and accurate insights into the environmental impact of print – enabling brands, agencies and stakeholders to make informed, responsible choices.
PrintGreen sets out to empower brands, agencies and media professionals with greater transparency, education and actionable data around the carbon impact of their print campaigns.
CarbonQuota is proud to be at the forefront of sustainability in the Print industry, supporting the PrintGreen initiative. Launched through a collaboration between leading industry organisations – including The Strategic Mailing Partnership, MarketReach, Two Sides, BPIF, DMA, IPIA, Nutshell Creative, Webmart, Paragon and Tradeprint.
At the core of PrintGreen is a free to use carbon calculator, developed by CarbonQuota, enabling users to calculate a basic carbon footprint of their print projects by entering a few key specifications such as paper type, weight, pagination, print volume and mailing options. In return, they receive an instant, science-based carbon footprint that can help guide more sustainable choices and reduce environmental impact.
“As sustainability leaders in print and packaging, CarbonQuota is delighted to support the PrintGreen initiative. By providing a high level product carbon calculator, we want to educate the industry and enable more informed and sustainable decisions.”
Have a question about the PrintGreen carbon calculator?
Check out our FAQs below or please get in touch and our team will be happy to help.
Frequently asked questions
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What is a product carbon footprint, and why is it important?
The manufacturing process for most products requires energy-intensive processes, which traditionally rely on burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal. This releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which trap more heat than normal in the atmosphere, which accelerates global climate change. Understanding and reducing a product’s carbon footprint means you can then do something about climate change. ibute to climate change. These are converted to a much simpler to understand ‘carbon dioxide equivalent’, or CO2e.
What does this carbon footprint include?
PrintGreen’s free Carbon Calculator covers what is known as a “cradle-to-grave” product carbon footprint. It includes all raw materials, production, transport to warehouses, distribution to the end customer or consumer and disposal at end-of-life.
What is CO2e?
CO2e is the standard measure for carbon footprints. It includes carbon dioxide as well as the other most important greenhouse gases created by human activities that contribute to climate change. These are converted to a much simpler to understand ‘carbon dioxide equivalent’, or CO2e.
How do I know if this is a good carbon footprint?
There is no “good” or “bad” carbon footprint. PrintGreen is helping the industry take its environmental impact seriously, and the calculator is helping to bring transparency to the carbon footprint of everyday print jobs.
What is the biggest factor in this carbon footprint?
Paper is usually the dominant contributor to a carbon footprint, accounting on average for approximately 50% of its impact. However, if the product is distributed by air freight that will usually represent the main share.
What’s the purpose of PrintGreen’s Carbon Calculator?
This calculator is designed to give you a starting point for understanding the environmental impact of your product and provides an indicative carbon footprint based on a typical UK supply chain.
How can I reduce my carbon footprint?
Your printer can help by reducing their use of fossil fuels in the manufacturing process, as well as providing alternative materials produced by lower-carbon paper mills. Reducing transport distances and enabling the end user to recycle the item all contribute to a lower environmental impact.
What sources do you use to calculate this carbon footprint value?
Because the Carbon Calculator is Powered by CarbonQuota, it accesses some of the widest range of databases and studies relating to the print industry. All emissions factors relating to the various materials, processes and transport are calculated by CarbonQuota, using a combination of primary and secondary emissions data and industry expertise.
How do I know I can trust this value?
Carbon footprints are independently calculated and verified by CarbonQuota using their real-time engine. As specialists in the environmental impact of the print sector, CarbonQuota has developed a bespoke carbon footprint calculator powered by a unique database and algorithm which is externally assured against all relevant international standards.
How accurate is it, and what assumptions have you made?
PrintGreen has worked with CarbonQuota to adapt their model to represent a typical UK supply chain that typically consists of raw materials mostly from Europe, along with road and/or sea transport and final manufacturing in the UK itself.
What if I’m outside of the UK?
At the moment, the Carbon Calculator only represents a UK-based supply chain.
Is there a limit to the number of queries I can send?
This carbon calculator is provided free of charge and a fair use policy applies. Users are forbidden from adapting, changing or reverse engineering the carbon footprints in any way.
Can I share this with my customers?
Absolutely! It is intended to provide an indication of the carbon footprint of the job and demonstrate that the industry is working together to bring transparency to the sector.
Can my organisation or my customers use this carbon footprint for official corporate reporting?
How it can be used for reporting will depend on a number of circumstances. Please discuss this with the relevant auditor or with your carbon management partner.
What if I need more granular carbon footprint data?
CarbonQuota has a suite of carbon calculators covering operational and product carbon footprint calculators available via our extensive integration partner network or direct. Please talk to the CarbonQuota team to find the optimal solution for your business.
Want to learn more?
Get in touch with our expert team today.