The road to sustainability is ongoing and ever-changing and we are committed to supporting a better future for our people, our business, our community, and our planet. We understand the importance of taking ownership of our products’ lifecycle and minimising the impact we have on the environment, and this has been a significant part of the way we’ve run our business since 2008.
Carbon Neutral by 2030
Last year, we pledged to become carbon neutral by the year 2030 or even sooner if possible. We think we are already the most eco-friendly and sustainable design and print agency in Lincolnshire, but we are committed to continual improvement by reducing and offsetting more and more of our CO2 emissions.
By making changes in our transport choices, energy use, procurement, waste, technology, and investment, we aim to firstly reduce our carbon footprint by 15 to 20 tonnes of CO2 per year and offset what we cannot eliminate. If you want to learn more about our pledge, you can read it here: https://www.ruddocks.co.uk/news/carbon-neutral-by-2030
What are we currently doing to achieve Carbon Neutrality?
We map out and monitor the lifecycle of the products and services we offer, starting from the manufacturing process to the delivery of products to our customers. We analyse where the raw materials used in the process are coming from and we use FSC® certified paper which is sustainably sourced.
Our main focus is on reducing our carbon emissions, but where we can’t completely eliminate them, we will offset through accredited programmes such as those operated by our paper suppliers. So, some of our unavoidable carbon output from the purchase of our core materials is mitigated through tree planting by the Woodland Trust and the protection of rainforests through the World Land Trust.
Over the last 12 months, we have balanced over 65,000 kg of carbon through the protection of over 18,000 m2 of critically threatened tropical rainforests and created 1,600 m2 of native woodland in the UK, removing an additional 65,000 kg of carbon from the atmosphere.
Sustainability is not just a sales tool for us, it’s the right thing to do and we genuinely care about reducing our impact, being an advocate for the environment and helping our clients do the same. At Ruddocks, we hold three internationally recognised certificates, one for quality (ISO 9001) and two for environmental performance gained in 2008 and 2011 respectively (ISO 14001 & FSC®).
There is a significant investment of both time and finances needed to keep these credentials, including potentially 3 audits every year! Maintaining these accreditations is part of our ongoing commitment to operating sustainably, demonstrated by the substantial changes we’ve made to the way we do business; auditing, innovating, implementing and constantly tweaking processes to make sure everything we do makes a real difference to the environment.
Some other key things we do to reduce our impact on the environment:
- Maintaining our certified environmental management system to minimise the impact of our production facilities.
- Removing non-recyclable materials from our manufacturing process and packaging.
- Taking a systematic approach to reducing energy, waste, transport, and materials.
- Re-instating our land back to a nature garden, to be enjoyed by us as well as the local community.
- Supporting our customers through advice and guidance on sustainable materials, carbon balancing and minimising waste.
Sustainability to benefit everyone
Sustainability also impacts our people, and it is important to us that everything we do has a positive impact on the lives of our colleagues, customers, and suppliers, as well as the communities we live and work in.
Some of the things we do to enhance our community include:
- Paying above the minimum wage and providing an enhanced holiday entitlement.
- Being a flexible employer, giving staff paid time off when they need it.
- Engaging with schools, local groups, charities, and local authorities to offer work placements, charitable support, donations, and sponsorships.
- Working with SEND schools.
- Embracing diversity and equality together with practising and promoting inclusivity, to ensure all our employees, partners and suppliers are treated fairly and with respect.
Everything we are doing on our journey towards a more sustainable business is part of our mission to help support a better, healthy future and whilst it requires investment and commitment, as we see it, we only have one chance at getting it right, and protecting our planet is vital to all of us.
Are you interested in how we can support you on your sustainability journey?