Onlineprinters has renewed its Imprim'Vert certification for the sixth time running. The leading French eco label is internationally recognised and has specialised in sustainable processes of print companies. In addition to meeting the high Imprim'Vert standards, Onlineprinters is also continuously expanding its range of sustainable products. "Sustainability is one of our top priorities. The certification thus shows our commitment to environmental protection," says Roland Keppler, the CEO.

Imprim'Vert certification renewed

Onlineprinters has been certified to the Imprim'Vert standards since 2017 and renews the certification each year by participating in an audit. Five criteria must be met in order to obtain certification: proper disposal of hazardous waste, secure storage of hazardous liquids, ban of toxic substances, raising employee awareness and monitoring energy consumption.

Especially in prepress, Onlineprinters has significantly reduced the amount of hazardous liquid waste to be disposed of. Thanks to Kodak's computer-to-plate technology, the exposure of printing plates for offset printing does not require any water and chemicals. As a result, almost seven tonnes of chemicals were saved compared to the previous year.

The online print shop regularly invests in its machinery to improve energy efficiency and also raises the awareness of its staff for sustainability issues. Benoît Moreau, head auditor of Imprim'Vert, already confirmed this back in 2020 during his last visit on site: "I was positively surprised by how intensively the Onlineprinters team has looked into the requirements catalogue. We really got the impression that they all put their heart into it."

Reducing the ecological footprint

The online print shop's commitment is also reflected in other measures focused on sustainability. In production, Onlineprinters uses combined printing processes: By collecting the print jobs of multiple customers and printing them on one sheet, paper waste is significantly reduced. The offset presses are supplied through a central ink supply system. One refillable 300 kg container thus makes 150 plastic ink cartridges redundant. What is more, Onlineprinters has been offering its customers the option of offsetting the carbon emissions generated by their order since 2013. To underpin its commitment to environmental protection, since 2020 Onlineprinters has provided this compensation option for customers who choose recycled paper for their print jobs. The proceeds are used for the reforestation of forests in Europe.

Sustainable products are trending

The demand for sustainable products is increasing each year. To meet this demand, the group of companies is continually expanding its product range. A lot of products can now be printed on recycled paper. Standard products are joined by innovative products such as bags made of apple or grass paper. The range of sustainable promotional products includes cork pens, notepads made from recycled material and organic cotton bags.