FROM TREE TO PRINT
Newspaper group is striving to minimise impact on environment
We are proud to bring you full chain of custody status with PEFC certification. Being a reader of our papers does not in any way contribute to deforestation.
From tree to print — we’re with you every step of the way.
That’s our environmental promise and it is rubber-stamped in this landmark edition of the Hamilton Advertiser, one which marks a significant milestone in the paper’s 164-year history.
From our suppliers and the newsprint we use to print your favourite local title, we are proud to bring you full Chain of Custody status with PEFC Certification and licence. This is part of an industryleading rollout — a UK mainstream newspaper first — by our company Reach PLC.
PEFC — Programme of Endorsement of Forest Certification — is a global non-profit organisation committed to the certification of forests to credible, independently verified standards of responsible forest management, with a focus on conserving the natural habitats of plants and animals, and respecting the rights of forestry workers and local communities.
PEFC operates this robust chain of custody scheme to track wood and wood fibre through every step of the supply chain, from the forest to the end user.
Paper is made from wood — a truly natural and renewable material. The European Paper Recycling Council’s recycling rate in 2019 was 71.5% — which means that paper, if sourced from sustainable forests, can be recycled, whilst virgin fibres also enable the recycling process to continue.
This sustainable printing vow is the next exciting phase of an Environmental Credentials project our company, Reach Scotland Regionals, has launched to raise awareness of its commitment to minimising environmental impact throughout the business.
Part of the Reach PLC group, Reach Scotland Regionals publishes 17 newspapers across the country, including the Paisley Daily Express, Ayrshire Post and Stirling Observer.
Our print centre at Cardonald — operated by Reach Printing Services (Saltire) Ltd — holds both PEFC and FSC Chain of Custody certification and continues to retain ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management certification.
The famous Glasgow print site is now synonymous with sustainability. Opened in 1994, the purpose-built print centre was established on environmentally reclaimed land of a former landfill site.
It was officially opened by former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair in October 1995 to mark the centenary celebrations of our sister paper, the Daily Record.
Reach Printing Services have a number of policies in place that set out our commitments, which include, but are not limited to: health, safety, paper sourcing, energy consumption, waste management and recycling, the purchase of contracted printing and product distribution services, and the level of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from printing.
There is no getting away from climate emergency and we should not underestimate the part we can all play. It would be disingenuous of us to be reporting on topics such as global warming, carbon footprint, recycling, plastics, pollution and waste without answering the case as to how we, as a business, justify not being entirely ecofriendly (travelling, printing on paper, delivery, etc) ourselves.
We feel strongly that we have an editorial responsibility — hundreds of thousands of people across the regions of Scotland still rely on their local paper for news and information— and we are absolutely going to use that to tell the truth about the environmental issues affecting our future. There is so much coverage, data and stats on climate change being reported but also so much misinformation and many myths.
We can assure you being a reader of this paper does not in any way contribute to deforestation. Environmental Credentials certification and compliance are not new or simply badges for us to have. Our Cardonald site at Reach Printing Services (Saltire) Ltd has continuously met and held these strict and independently audited certification requirements of standards for the last eight years.
We welcome transparency and all of our listings are in the public domain and in our published annual report.
Reach Scotland Regionals Publishing Editor George Johnston said: “As a newspaper publisher, our print credentials underpin everything we do.
“In the same way we apply values and standards to our editorial content, we hold ourselves to strict controls in our production processes too.
“Our editorial and production staff are fiercely proud of their titles and their place in the communities in which they serve.
“We are there to share everyday life with our readers — feel their heartache, celebrate their successes, and, vitally, give them a voice.
“We are a trusted news brand and the trust of our audience is something we take very seriously in our business.
“Picking up a paper in the newsagents is easy, but knowing how that paper is sourced and produced from tree to print is how we earn your trust.
“We know the environment is very much front of mind these days — from schools to businesses — everyone accepts how important an issue it is.
“So to be able to offer our readers this industry-leading environmental stamp is just another fantastic acknowledgment that shows our titles do care about the issues that are important.
“Our project aims to raise awareness and encourage readers and advertisers to support the important role that the local newspaper industry plays in protecting the environment.
“As for the next steps, we hope businesses will assess their own supply chain strategy and support sustainability
We know the environment is very much front of mind these days
through new partnerships with us.
“We are proud of our environmental credentials.
“As a phased rollout, we are now running our certification credentials (listed right) on the back page of each of our titles.
“This has been supported by campaign awareness editorial throughout our portfolio as part of a collaboration with Reach Printing Services Ltd and the Two Sides non-profit Love Paper campaign.”