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FESPA UK Association has successfully implemented its Waste Management Scheme, which was launched 18 months ago.
In response to the pressing need for sustainable waste management practices, FESPA UK developed the scheme to provide businesses with comprehensive guidance and support. By partnering with industry experts and leveraging innovative strategies, the scheme offers businesses a structured framework to review and optimise their waste systems. Through a rigorous evaluation process, businesses gain valuable insights into their waste generation patterns and receive personalised recommendations for improvement.
Since its inception, the Waste Management Accreditation Scheme has gained widespread acclaim, with multiple businesses reaping the benefits of enhanced sustainability and cost efficiency. The Accreditation currently includes Graphics materials such as ACM, rigid boards, PVC banner and polyester fabrics.
And now, FESPA UK can offer a solution to self-adhesive face plastics and siliconised backing papers used in vehicle and architectural wrapping. The association will be working with some of the industry’s key suppliers to launch the latest part of the Accreditation, including 3M, William Smith, Spandex and Premier Paper, All Print Supplies and Soyang Europe.
Suzi Ward, MD FESPA UK, said: “We are thrilled to witness the positive impact our Waste Management Accreditation Scheme is having on businesses across the graphics industry. We remain committed to supporting businesses on their sustainability journey through our Accreditation and our Sustainable Waste Academy courses, and as an Association we will continue to reinvest our profits into proactive initiatives that help to build a better future for our members and the industry. It is such a great feeling to see suppliers working together for the benefit of the industry and their clients. It could have been so easy for the suppliers to just want their own materials collecting from individual sites, but everyone involved agreed that it was important not to single out any materials and make it harder than it has to be for the Waste Producers who want to be more sustainable, but still have a business to run. By collecting any manufactures materials, we reduce the need for extra time spent segregating materials before collection.”
Jon Hutton, FESPA UK’s sustainability consultant, added: ”Increasing recycling rates is a key strategy to developing a circular economy and we are increasingly delivering this throughout all sectors of graphic printing, from events to POS, signage, large format, and vehicle wrapping. Our Sustainable Waste Academy is delivering education and collaboration opportunities too across the supply chain, enabling suppliers, printers, signage and graphics businesses to better understand how to manage their waste through best practices, whilst discussing their own ongoing challenges. The Accreditation Scheme ensures accountability to businesses for waste produced, collected, and treated, and is assisting to improve their environmental position by accounting for the end-of-campaign waste taken back from customers. It’s great to see the Accreditation becoming a standard that businesses want to work to achieve.”
The scheme has empowered businesses to effectively manage their waste, increase recycling rates, eliminate landfill, and realise significant cost savings.
