A Warwick printing company which generates more than 50 tonnes of paper a year, has been awarded rare FSC accreditation in a move which the owner claims is the ‘ethical responsibility of businesses.’
Steve Boyle, who runs Bunji Printing, is now calling for other firms to apply for the Forestry Stewardship Certification eco hallmark in a renewed bid to come together to fight climate change.
Forests cover nearly one third of land on Earth (4.06 billion hectares), but they’re under threat. Although the rate of forest loss has declined substantially, an estimated 420 million hectares of forest has been lost since 1990.
Only five per cent of the world’s forests are certificated by FSC, which confirms that the forest is being managed in a way that preserves biological diversity and benefits the lives of local people and workers, while ensuring it sustains economic viability.
They are managed to strict environmental, social and economic standards by adhering to 10 principles covering a broad range of issues, from maintaining high conservation values to community relations and workers’ rights, as well as monitoring the environmental and social impacts of the forest management.
Steve said: “Now that my business is established, we want to be able to say, as a printing and stationery company, that we’re doing our bit.
“Businesses have a social responsibility to try and clean up their act. More and more this is a mantra we need to live by, especially as there is increasing demand from the customer. Everybody has got to do what is within their powers as a business or individual, and as a printer I’m acutely aware our impact can be greater than most.”
He added: “What is happening in certain parts of the world falls far short of what’s needed to sustain our forests long term, such as in the Amazon which is being decimated. But best practice in businesses of all sizes can continue to make a difference.”
Steve is enjoying huge success with Bunji, which, since being established in February 2020, has secured a handful of international clients. He now has plans for growth as part of a forecast million-pound turnover next year.
The business, based on Heathcote Industrial Estate, specialises in all forms of printing across thousands of products and recently secured a major contract for Sporting House, an Olympian-founded organisation that delivers sports academies and coaching across the UK, including Beth Tweddle Gymnastics and Becky Adlington’s Swim Stars.
As part of the newly won accreditation, Bunji also satisfied auditors on a wealth of other criteria including staff training, improved paper recycling and additional on-site provision.
Steve added: “With FSC there is a chain of custody from supplier right through to paper wholesaler, paper mill, the pulp and Forestry Commission. I can track right back to which forest and even tree, my paper has come from and the date it was manufactured.
“At the end of the day, I want more people to be able to have that peace of mind that they are being supplied by an ethically sound company and I encourage others to do the same.”
