At Wantage Design and Print / Seven Design Associates / Buddy Websites, we are committed to minimising our environmental impact and promoting sustainable practices in every aspect of our business operations. We recognise the importance of environmental responsibility and strive to integrate it into our daily practices, including our work-from-home setup and partnerships with trade suppliers. Our environmental policy encompasses three key pillars:

Sustainable Work Practices:

We prioritise reducing car journeys by implementing a work-from-home policy for our operations whenever feasible. By embracing remote work, we aim to minimise commuting-related carbon emissions, decrease traffic congestion, and support a healthier environment. 

Technological Advancements:

We harness the power of technology to drive our business wherever possible. By utilising digital tools and communication platforms, we strive to minimise the need for physical meetings, paper-based documents, and unnecessary travel. We promote the use of electronic communication, online collaboration tools, and virtual meetings to conduct our day-to-day operations efficiently and effectively, while significantly reducing our carbon footprint.

Sustainable Supplier Relationships:

We are dedicated to partnering with suppliers who share our commitment to high environmental standards. When outsourcing our customers' printing requirements, we carefully select trade suppliers who have demonstrated a strong commitment to environmental stewardship. We prioritise suppliers that adhere to sustainable manufacturing practices, use eco-friendly materials, and source paper from sustainable and responsibly managed forests. By choosing environmentally conscious suppliers, we aim to ensure that our print-related activities align with our commitment to sustainability.

Responsibly sourced paper

Our third-party suppliers are committed to expanding their use of responsibly sourced paper for the products that they customise on our behalf, as well as using either FSC® – certified corrugate or packaging materials containing recycled content from post-consumer sources to help ensure their packaging does not contribute to deforestation. 

Reducing the use of problematic plastics

Our third-party suppliers are committed to improve the profile of their plastic-based packaging in line with the targets set by the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment and EU Plastics Pact, co-sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. They are committed to the following by 2025:

• 100% elimination of problematic plastics (mainly PVC and polystyrene);
• Making 100% of packaging reusable, recyclable at curb side, or compostable.
• Reducing the use of virgin plastic by at least 20%, with at least half of this reduction coming from reduced plastic use overall (and the rest coming from increased recycled content).

Recycling Paper

Recycled paper options are available from our print suppliers, also the majority of the paper products we supply can be recycled, even shiny paper such as glossy magazines, flyers, leaflets and catalogues. However, laminated paper currently cannot be recycled as the paper can't be separated from the laminated plastic. The same applies to any paper that's coated in a material like wax or foil, for example metallic wrapping paper or some Christmas cards.

When working with clients we aim to listen to their requirements and offer solutions that enable them to make informed choices about how they wish to proceed.

Continual Improvement:

We understand that environmental responsibility is an ongoing journey. Therefore, we strive to foster a culture of environmental consciousness and encourage innovative solutions to further reduce our ecological footprint.

By adhering to this environmental policy, we aim to contribute positively to the environment while delivering high-quality print and design services to our customers. We believe that by adopting sustainable practices and collaborating with environmentally responsible partners, we can make help preserve our planet for future generations.