Sustainable Times Issue 8

From High Street banks to the classroom, Olivetti brings the power of the pen to digital processes

Rewriting the rules

SPRING 2012

INSIDE...

Is recycled paper over-rated?

Green Office Week 2012

Working together:

Tata & the Rainforest Alliance

Is it time to rethink the company car?

Rexel swings into action at Coventry

Golf Club

Received wisdom states that in hard times, sustainability takes a back seat. Yet, it is also true that in a downturn, many businesses grab the opportunity to reassess working practices and business processes with a view to reducing costs, improving efficiency and eliminating waste – the classic sustainability agenda. At a Brother press conference last month, Arnaud Gagneux, IDC director of Imaging Hardcopy and Document Solutions, gave an overview of printing trends among Europe’s SMBs, which show that sustainability is once again a priority, with 61% of senior managers stating that it was either important or very important to reduce their organisations’ environmental impact through Green IT (source: IDC Green IT Survey, September 2011 – UK, France, Germany, Spain). The resurgence of Green IT in 2012 is being driven by high energy costs and hard economic factors rather that environmental or CSR imperatives. In other words, it now rests on very solid foundations and is less and less likely to be influenced by changes in fashion or the economic cycle.

James Goulding, Editor

03 Agenda

10 Cover story Olivetti brings together digital data and handwritten notes

12 Catering Why Tata Global Beverages is

strengthening its relationship with the Rainforest Alliance

15 Paper Is demand for recycled

paper being driven by what’s best for the environment or what’s best for the user’s carbon footprint?

18 Phone Recycling How Purple Gossip is

prolonging the life of smartphones

18 Mailing Franking is the smart choice

Editor: James Goulding 07803 087228 [email protected] Advertising Director: Ethan White 01474 824711 [email protected] Publishing Director: Neil Trim 01732 759725 [email protected] Sales Manager: Martin Jenner-Hall 07824 552116 [email protected]

Advertising Executive: Brett Blake-Morris 01732 759725 [email protected]

Sustainable Times is, published by Kingswood Media Ltd., Amhurst House, 22 London Road, Sevenoaks TN13 2BT Tel: 01732 759725. Email: [email protected] part of Sustainable Times can be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. © 2012 Kingswood Media Ltd.

Design: Sandtiger Media www.sandtiger.co.uk

The paper used in this magazine is obtained from manufacturers who operate within internationally recognized standards. The paper is made from Elementary Chlorine Free (ECF) pulp, which is sourced from sustainable, properly managed forestation.

SPRING 2012

20 What’s New Our selection

of the best new products and

services

26 Renewable Energy How Coventry Golf Club has cut energy consumption by a quarter

28 Green Office Week What Avery has in store

this year

29 Opinion Why SecurEnvoy says the

future of authentication is by mobile phone

30 Company Cars Steve Hewson picks his Top

10 for a green fleet

CONTENTS

greenAgenda

sustainabletimes 03

Lack of investment puts brakes on drive for energy efficiencyRising energy costs and the desire to reduce carbon emissions have pushed energy efficiency to the top of the boardroom agenda, yet still one in three managers responsible for energy management questions their employer’s commitment to the cause.

A report by Siemens, the Siemens Green League, reveals a clear mismatch between the perceptions of directors and business managers in 600 businesses surveyed.

While more than eight out of 10 directors (83%) believe their business is serious about energy management, almost one third (31%) of those responsible for implementing energy

efficiency measures say the issue is not being taken seriously enough.

In support of this argument, the Siemens report highlights a lack of investment and manpower committed to improving energy efficiency: nearly half (43%) of energy managers admitted to spending less than 10% of their time on energy management; and almost one in three (30%) board directors said a lack of perceived return on investment influenced their commitment to energy efficiency measures.

Even so, 70% of businesses are planning to invest in energy efficiency projects in the next three years.www.siemens.co.uk

Fear of disruption to core IT operations is causing organisations to miss out on power consumption savings of 40%, Ovum claims in a new study of 11 leading PC power management (PCPM) systems.

In Selecting a PC Power Management Solution Vendor, Ovum states that by managing PC power consumption US businesses can look forward to annual energy savings of around $36 per PC and associated reductions of 380kWh and 586 pounds of CO2 per PC per year. It adds that the payback period for many solutions is no more than six months.

Even so, Ovum’s research shows that many IT decision-makers remain reluctant to implement a PCPM solution.

Rhonda Ascierto, Ovum Senior Analyst and author of the report, said: “There exists a general mistrust among IT departments and a fear that power management solutions may disrupt core IT operations. But this is a misconception: none of the power management solutions we review in this report disrupts maintenance or other IT processes.”

Another reason for low levels of adoption, she suggests, is misplaced confidence in PCs’ built-in power-saving technologies which, although improved, are largely unable to tackle ‘PC insomnia’ that occurs when a machine is idle yet unable to shut down or switch into a low-power mode. www.ovum.com

PC power management a question of trust

In an attempt to become the leading green serviced residence provider, Ascott has launched a series of initiatives aimed at achieving a 15% reduction in water and energy consumption by 2015 (calculated per square metre of gross floor area). As this is from 2008 base levels, Ascott is already almost two thirds of the way there, having recorded 9% lower energy and water usage in 2011 than in 2008. The ‘Go Green @ Ascott’ sustainability drive is being rolled out across Ascott offices and properties in 70 cities and 21 countries worldwide. It focuses on five main areas: green buildings and sustainable building materials; environmental and health & safety management; green products; waste reduction and water and energy conservation; and stakeholder engagement. www.the-ascott.com

Citadines Mount Sophia Singapore features sky gardens and naturally ventilated corridors that reduce the need for air-conditioning

04 sustainabletimes 01732 759725

greenAgenda

The Advantia office products dealer group has produced an electronic version of its Green Guide for the first time. The ‘flicky’ contains 10 sections full of green products and services including Closed Loop copier paper made from waste paper collected from customers and new recycling services resulting from a partnership with Truline.

Advantia achieved the environmental standard ISO14001 in 2009 and in 2010 made a commitment to fund and plant 500 trees in The National Forest in Leicestershire. It has planted 300 so far and plans to plant the remaining 200 at the end of the year. The National Forest Company aims to plant 16 million trees in woodland covering one third of its 200 square mile area.

Advantia launches electronic green guide

Working conditions added to TCO criteriaFollowing concerns about labour practices at Apple supplier Foxconn, third party sustainability certification company TCO Certified is demanding independent verification of ethical working conditions from electronics manufacturers applying for certification for notebooks, desktops, PCs, tablets, projectors, computer displays and phone headsets.

Beginning immediately, manufacturers will be required to meet enhanced social responsibility criteria in addition to baseline TCO Certified environmental, ergonomic and health and safety requirements.

These include compliance with the eight ILO core labour standards, UN child convention article 32 and health and safety regulations and labour laws, including minimum wages and social security in the country of manufacture; stricter criteria for verification and on-site inspections; and freedom of worker organisation in countries where no free trade unions are allowed. www.tcodevelopment.com

Greenpeace has analysed the energy supply chains of more than 80 data centres run by 14 global IT companies and uncovered a growing split between companies like Google, Yahoo and Facebook that aim to power data centres with clean energy and others, such as Apple, Amazon and Microsoft, that use energy from coal and nuclear power.

The How Clean is Your Cloud? report, following 2011’s How Dirty is Your Data? study, states that if the cloud were a country its electricity demand would be

the 5th largest in the world, adding that electricity consumption in data centres is expected to triple by 2020.

Already, some data centres are so large that they are visible from space and consume as much electricity as 250,000 European homes.

Greenpeace is urging cloud providers to ally energy efficiency with a commitment to clean energy, for example by prioritising renewable energy access when choosing locations for data centres; by investing in renewable energy; and by pressurising Governments and utilities to increase the amount of renewable electricity available on the grid. www.cleanourcloud.com

Mondi green quiz raises funds for GuatemalaMondi Uncoated Fine Paper is marking the fifth anniversary of its Green Range with the launch of an online training tool and a commitment to donate 1 euro to OroVerde reforestation projects in Guatemala for every member of the public who participates. For every quiz completed correctly, Mondi will donate an additional 10 euros to the NGO’s ‘Guatemala – Tree for Tree’ project.

Mondi’s Green Modules give members of the public an opportunity to learn more about sustainable paper production, including information about the FSC and PEFC certification schemes; environmental myths and facts about the paper industry; carbon offsetting; and the credentials of Mondi’s Green Range.

Mondi hopes to raise enough money for the planting of more than 10,000 trees in Guatemala. www.mondigroup.com/greenmodules

UPM turns factory waste into bio-fuelThis summer UPM is to start construction of a bio-refinery in Lappeenranta, Finland that converts residue from its pulp mills into advanced bio-diesel that can decrease greenhouse gas emissions from transport by up to 80% compared to fossil fuels.

The hydrotreatment biorefinery on the site of UPM’s Kaukas mill will produce UPM BioVerno from crude tall oil, a by-product of chemical pulp production, mainly generated in the production of sulphate cellulose from softwood. This will allow UPM to utilise the wood it uses for its pulp production in a more efficient way without increasing wood harvesting

When it is completed in 2014, the EUR 150 million bio-refinery is expected to produce 100,000 tonnes of UPM BioVerno annually, representing approximately one quarter of Finland’s biofuel target. Finland has a target to increase the share of biofuels in transport fuels to 20% by 2020 compared to an EU target of 10%.

UPM President and CEO Jussi Pesonen said: “The biofuels business has excellent growth potential. Lappeenranta is the first step on UPM’s way in becoming a significant producer of advanced second generation biofuels.”

The company plans to build another biorefinery either in Rauma, Finland or Strasbourg, France, but based on different technology and using energy wood as the raw material. www.upm.com

Greenpeace urges IT companies to improve energy choices

Bob Geens, Chief Executive, Advantia Business Solutions. Photo credit: Jacqui Rock and The National Forest Company.

sustainabletimes 05www.binfo.co.uk

In the five years since launching its Twenty Step Environmental Management Programme Duraweld has reduced its carbon footprint by a massive 36%, with a 21% reduction in 2011 alone.

To celebrate the first five years of its programme, Duraweld’s in-house Green Team has released figures showing how the company’s environmental impact has been reduced in all areas, from the introduction of sustainable manufacturing processes to streamlined office printing. Using January 2007 as the baseline, highlights include:n gas usage reduced by 44%; n electricity usage reduced by 27%; n water usage reduced by 28%; n A4 paper purchased reduced by 37%; n cardboard boxes purchased reduced by 50%; n number of pallets purchased reduced by 48%; n landfill skips reduced by 75%; and n waste for recycling reduced by 20%.

In addition, Duraweld has set-up a Bicycle User Group to give practical support to employees who cycle to work; bought hybrid company cars; promoted the use of Skype to reduce the need for face-to-face meetings; become involved in local ‘green initiatives’ including the North Yorkshire Green Business Club and the ‘Dell’ve into Nature’ project; and funded Gold Standard Carbon Offsetting projects through co2balance.

Duraweld achieved ISO 14001 accreditation in 2008 and in 2011 was ranked 28th in the Sunday Times Best Green Company list, 11 places higher than the year before.

Foremans Relocatable Building Systems, the UK’s largest supplier of recycled and refurbished modular buildings, is doubling its stock of single modular buildings in anticipation of increased demand from growing businesses.

Available in sizes from 10ft to 60ft long, the pre-owned Portakabins are ideal for businesses that wish to expand yet keep overheads to a minimum.

Mike Williams, managing director of Foremans Relocatable Building Systems, said: “We are the largest stockist of pre-owned Portakabin buildings in the UK, simply because we believe they are the best. When you are recycling modular buildings, it is really important the products were manufactured to the highest quality standards and are fully traceable. Single modular buildings manufactured by Portakabin all have

serial numbers, but that is not always the case with modular buildings from other sources.”

In addition to its range of single cabins, Foremans provides recycled and fully refurbished modular buildings for purchase or hire in single and multi-storey configurations.www.foremansbuildings.info

Duraweld celebrates five years of green thinking

Pre-owned buildings for growing businesses

greenAgenda…

Carbon neutral packagesFedEx Express has become the first global express transportation company to offer carbon neutral envelope shipping at no extra cost to the customer, following an agreement with BP Target Neutral to offset carbon emissions from more than 200 million envelopes shipped annually.

It will do this by helping to fund a series of low carbon development projects that reduce or prevent carbon from being released into the atmosphere. These include a biogas farm facility in the Netherlands; reforestation in the Tanzanian Southern Highlands; and a landfill gas collection system at Thailand’s first sanitary landfill.

In its role as the Official Carbon Offset Partner for London 2012, BP Target Neutral is inviting London 2012 ticketholders to set a new world record for the largest number of individuals to offset their travel carbon to a single event – at no cost to themselves.

BP’s not-for-profit organisation will calculate the travel-related CO2 emissions of ticketholders coming to the Games and provide the funds to offset them.

Arjowiggins Graphic has topped the table for fine papers in the second WWF Environmental Paper Company Index. The ranking of 19 paper manufacturers in the fine paper, tissue and packaging sectors rates companies according to their record in fibre sourcing, emissions from manufacturing processes and corporate transparency. Arjowiggins Graphic recorded the best results in the fine paper sector with a score of 73.86% and was also included in the tissue results.

Arjowiggins targets 23% carbon reductionArjowiggins Graphic has followed the example of companies like Coca-Cola, Volvo, Sony and Nike and joined the WWF International Climate Savers program, which sets CO2 reduction targets in conjunction with independent technical experts.

In its case, Arjowiggins Graphic has a commitment to cut absolute emissions by 23% from 2007 levels by 2014, with a secondary target of a 10% reduction for each ton of paper produced.

The paper maker expects to achieve these savings through an increase in recycled paper volumes; the use of wood residue rather than natural gas to produce steam at the Dalum mill; and the replacement of synthetic binders with natural ones.www.panda.org/climatesavers

Green paper for digital pressesFollowing the recent addition of Save! and Image Recycled to its portfolio of green office papers, Antalis Macnaughton has announced the first 100% Digital and 100% Green coated paper for wet and dry digital printing technologies including HP Indigo presses.

Suitable for newsletters, brochures, on-demand books, calendars, magazines, cards, invitations and other applications, Digigreen is a premium, multifunction coated paper that comes in gloss and silk finishes in a range of sizes and weights from 100-350gsm.

Environmental accreditations include 100% FSC Mix Credit certification, European Ecolabel and NAPM 50% Recycled certification (minimum 50% post-consumer fibres).

Duraweld Environmental Co-ordinator Victoria Pitts with some factory recycling bins


greenAgendaEvance passes 1K milestoneEvance Wind Turbines has installed its 1,000th small wind turbine at a house and caravan park in Derbyshire.

Anthony Barratt has erected one of the company’s R9000 turbines to provide green power for his home in Tansley near Matlock and for five hook-ups in the adjoining caravan park.

The turbine is expected to generate 13,000kWh annually, meeting 80% of Mr Barratt’s energy requirements (10,000kWh for his home and a further 6,000kWh for the caravan park).

Leicestershire-based Evance Wind Turbines, the leading UK manufacturer of small wind turbines, enjoyed a record year in 2011, increasing sales by 200% and expanding its workforce by 25%.

It claims that the installed base of Evance small wind turbines in the UK, Europe and North America collectively generates around 11,000MWh of electricity annually (assuming an average wind speed of 5.5m/s), saving more than 4,700 tonnes of CO2 emissions (based on DEFRA’s figure of a CO2 emissions reduction of 0.43kg per kWh).www.evancewind.com

Energy registerFollowing the Carbon Trust’s announcement that it is to close its register of energy consultants, the Energy Institute (EI) and the Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA) have joined forces to create a directory of accredited professionals.

The move gives businesses the assurance that they are getting high-quality, reliable advice on saving energy and cutting bills.

Sarah Beacock FEI, International and Professional Affairs Director at the Energy Institute, said: “The EI is the accrediting body for the energy industry and the consultants on this register will have been carefully assessed before their membership is confirmed. All of them are highly qualified, usually to Chartered status or equivalent. They have the extensive training, knowledge and in-depth experience to provide expert guidance to any organisation.”

www.energyinst.org/rpec

The opportunity to generate renewable energy remains an attractive proposition for small and medium-sized businesses despite recent reductions in feed-in tariffs, according to business-to-business energy supplier Opus Energy.

Its survey of 500 SMEs in November revealed growing interest in renewable energy generation with one third (32%) planning to install solar panels, wind turbines or anaerobic digestion and 38% expecting to be generating their own renewable energy within five years.

Four out of 10 (42%) respondents said they would switch to generating some or all of their own power from renewables if it could be proven they would make money out of it; and 59% said they would be interested in generating their own power if the Government provided subsidies.

Louise Boland, Director of Risk Management at Opus Energy, said that cuts in feed-in tariffs (FIT) introduced since the survey was carried out have had an effect, but that not all areas were affected equally.

“Since the changes to the FIT tariff we’ve seen a drop off in the number of applications from customers with solar PV. The pipeline for wind still seems strong,” she said.

As an example of how small businesses can exploit the opportunities presented by renewables, Opus Energy cites the case of Lincolnshire farmer Craig Birch. A 55KW wind turbine installed at his 600-acre farm in Sproxton, Leicestershire generates enough power for half the village and brings in £40,000-£50,000 in additional income.www.opusrenewables.com

Wind power still exciting SMEs

Toshiba shines a light on energy savingsFamily-run furniture store Stokers Fine Furnishing is looking forward to a 75% reduction in its annual energy bill after replacing the halogen bulbs used in its stores with Toshiba LED lighting.

Stokers’ LED pilot scheme achieved savings of more than £1,000 a month in its Southport store alone. When extended across all 11 stores, LED lighting is expected to produce annual savings of £132,000.

Following the success of the pilot, Power Solutions is replacing more than 10,000 100 watt halogen lamps with

dimmable, 19.7 watt Toshiba PAR38 LED lamps that use 75% less energy and last 20 times longer. They also generate 70% less UV light, greatly reducing the amount of heat emitted, which will allow Stokers to turn off its air conditioning for eight months of the year instead of the usual four.

Jonathan Stoker, joint managing director of Stokers Fine Furnishing, said: “The pilot scheme instantly reduced our carbon footprint, will pay for itself within nine-and-a-half months and has dramatically cut the cost of our energy bills without compromising on the quality of light throughout the store.”

Edward Lees, Product Manager, Toshiba Lighting Systems UK, said: “With traditional lighting accounting for around 20% of a retailer’s electricity costs, LEDs offer a rapid return on investment and long term cost savings, from both a maintenance and energy consumption point of view.”


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There are many reasons why you should look in detail at the environmental impact of your business and where possible do something active about it. For many businesses though the whole subject can seem daunting, where do you start? what matters most? And how long before I can see a return in my balance sheet?

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The CarbonZero process;• Select the CarbonZero bundle that

meets your needs, based on the size of your business.

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report from co2balance together with expert advice on how to reduce your emissions and a number of Verified Carbon Credits to cover your likely carbon footprint for a year. If you have too many credits you can roll them into the next year, too few and you can top up with credits from our portfolio.

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Abuse, reuse, recycleThe Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) is aiming to reduce its own carbon footprint in partnership with Recycling Furniture Ltd.

As a leading authority on furniture and flammability testing, FIRA faces unique waste disposal problems, as the nature of its business means that much of the furniture that passes through its doors can’t be re-used or re-sold.

“At the FIRA testing centre we test thousands of furniture products to life expectancy and in some cases destruction, testing them in terms of strength, safety, stability, durability and flammability. This makes them

dangerous for future use, meaning in the past FIRA had no choice but to dispose of them if they were not collected by the manufacturer,” explained Paul Soley, Operations Manager for FIRA Testing Services.

He added: “Sending furniture to landfill creates a huge problem for everyone involved. Not only does this harm the environment, but it’s also a massive waste of natural resources.”

Last summer, in an attempt to reduce the impact of its activities, FIRA started working with Recycling Furniture, which recycles 98% of any item of furniture that they collect. So far, it has collected and recycled more than 400 pieces weighing a total of 16,218kg.www.recyclingfurniture.co.uk

RWE npower has converted the Tilbury B power station in Essex to run on biomass. Before a fire shut down two of the three generating units on February 27, the converted plant was expected to provide enough power for 1.5 million homes and generate 10% of the UK’s total renewable energy output in 2012. The use of wood pellets, at least 90% of which will be sourced from North America, is expected to produce 70% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than coal, as well as fewer SO2, NOX and dust emissions. Even so, critics have expressed concerns about the environmental impact of burning virgin wood and the impact of biomass subsidies on the competitiveness of the UK furniture industry. RWE npower is hoping to renew full operations in the summer.

greenAgenda

The Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) has failed in its attempt to find a consistent, affordable methodology for calculating the carbon footprint of furniture products after deciding that the cradle-to-gate approach it favoured was potentially misleading.

FIRA set up its Product Carbon Footprint Benchmarking Project to see if there was an easy way to measure the carbon footprint of furniture products that could be used across the industry in a way that would allow specifiers to compare the eco-credentials of different products.

Currently, manufacturers use a range of methodologies to calculate product carbon footprints, making comparisons difficult.

For its study, FIRA used established Furniture Footprinter software and limited carbon footprint measurements to the point of despatch, known as a ‘cradle to gate’ approach.

This approach has the virtues of affordability, simplicity and practicality, but FIRA found that failure to take into account lifecycle considerations, such

as a product’s durability or its ability to be re-cycled or re-used, meant that assessments were potentially misleading.

For the time being, it is advising companies to use a ‘cradle to grave’ approach, with the caveat that because it looks at much wider factors, the cost and complexity of producing footprints will be greater.

One positive outcome of FIRA’s analysis of 26 manufacturers of domestic, contract and office furniture products is the observation that in most cases the greatest contributors to a product’s carbon footprint are the materials used and manufacturing processes, rather than other factors such as utilities or transportation.

From this, FIRA concludes that the best way to shrink a product’s footprint is to focus on reducing materials usage or to switch to low carbon alternatives.01438 777 700 www.fira.co.uk

UK furniture industry calls for changes to biomass subsidiesThe British Furniture Confederation (BFC) and FIRA are calling on supporters of the UK furniture industry to sign a petition calling for changes to the Renewables Obligation Woody Biomass Subsidy.

They argue that subsidies introduced in 2002 to encourage power companies to burn renewable fuel, including wood, are distorting the market for new timber and forcing up prices for furniture manufacturers.

According to the FIRA report, Biomass Subsidies and their Impact on the British Furniture Industry, in the last five years wood prices have risen by 55.1%. The additional cost has reduced margins for manufacturers, increased prices for consumers and damaged the competitiveness of British-made products in the UK and overseas.

In the report, FIRA and the BFC call on the Government to set a binding limit of 10% on the amount of biomass large energy generators can source domestically; to undertake a thorough review of the economic impact of the wood biomass subsidy; and to impose a planning moratorium on dedicated woody biomass energy plants while conducting the review.

The report also questions the environmental justification for the subsidy, claiming that burning woody biomass creates significantly more CO2 emissions than wood panel manufacturing and that biomass stations that rely on wood imports from abroad are a threat to the world’s forests and may even increase climate-change emissions.

Another problem is the burning of virgin timber. Because the most sustainable life-cycle for wood is to go from planting to manufacturing, to recycling and then incineration at end of life, FIRA and the BFC are calling for virgin fibre to be excluded from subsidies and for greater effort to be made to divert wood products from landfill to energy generation.

Supporters of the British furniture industry can add their names to FIRA and BFC’s campaign by signing a petition at www.biomass-petition.org

FIRA fails in quest for comparable carbon footprints

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10 sustainabletimes

Olivetti’s ECO-FRIENDLY range of calculators contain no toxic substances and help prevent the spread of agents harmful to people’s health. They deliver impressive quality, performance and reliability levels; offer greater energy efficiency; and are made from recycled and easily recyclable materials.

LOGOS 902: Features a large display that shows calculations in two colours and in bright, extremely clear characters that are easy to read in all lighting conditions.

LOGOS 904T: Designed for intensive use, this model has a fast, silent alpha-numeric thermal printer and is equipped with advanced calculation functions.

Banks and building societies are some of the biggest consumers of paper. By law, they are required to save written evidence of all financial and legal transactions and many customer interactions are printed and stored in multiple copies. However, managing the paper trail can cause delays in processes, be costly and have an adverse impact on the environment.

To date, handwritten signatures have made customers feel safe, whilst also being a simpler option than digital signatures that have required the use of a smart card or a USB stick. As customers already comfortable with chip and pin systems and smartphones embrace online banking, could an easy-to-use digital signature system be the next development to make transactions quicker and arguably more secure

for financial organisations and their customers?

European regulations state that an electronic document signed with a qualified electronic signature, or digital signature, can be as legally binding as a document signed in the traditional way. Olivetti, part of the Telecom Italia Group and a major provider of IT products to the banking sector with a 70% share of the global pass-book printer market, has been championing the move towards digitisation in Italy through the development of a secure, time-saving digital signature solution.

Called Graphometric Signature, Olivetti’s system saves a signature digitally and produces a digital certificate for the user that saves time at the counter by removing the need for customers to bring proof of identity to a bank or building society.

Olivetti d-Color MF2603en and MF2604en

Olivetti leads the way in digitisation of signatures

cover story

01732 759725

The pad features special sensors that gather every detail of how a person actually signs their name, including the speed, writing angle, pressure and even the rhythm of the writing. By recording the unique characteristics of every signature, Graphometric Signature makes it virtually impossible for a signature to be forged.

Olivetti has been working closely with selected banks to make sure the system works and that it conforms to all requirements. The first bank to implement the Graphometric Signature Pads in all 13,000 of its branches is Intesa San Paolo. Since launching the Paperless Branch Project in October 2011, 96% of customers have joined the service.

Perfect for small workgroups, the new d-Color MF2603en and d-Color MF2604en colour A4 systems are compact, high performance office tools, with low power consumption when copying and scanning thanks to the use of energy-efficient white LEDs that also generate less heat for a more comfortable working environment.

Key features• 26 pages per minute in colour and

mono• Colour printer, copier, scanner and

Super G3 fax (d-Color MF2604en only)• Standard duplex ADF (35 ipm in

mono/25 ipm In colour)• Paper weights up to 220gsm• Print quality up to 9,600 dpi• Compatibility with a variety of

ID Card Readers

LOGOS 904T


The Olipad Graphos, an evolution of the Graphometric Signature, is a mobile solution designed specifically for applications that require a handwritten signature, such as a contract or purchase order.

Users can interact with corporate applications and documents via the high luminosity capacitive touch screen display and virtual keyboard. In addition, a special sensor extends the touch screen function so that the entire screen can be written on with the bundled stylus, enabling the Olipad Graphos to be used like a paper notepad for writing or sketching.

The Olipad Graphos runs Android 4.0, the latest operating system developed by Google specifically for tablet PCs.

“

Durability and speed

A tablet for corporate users Key features

Digital signatureDocuments can be signed with the wireless, battery-free stylus included in the package. The image of an individual signature and its graphometric characteristics (pressure, rhythm, movement, speed and acceleration) are stored on the device.

Natural handwritingUnlike traditional tablet displays that require users to write with a capacitive stylus (typically with a large soft point), the Olipad Graphos implements special technology that enables signatures to

be written with a hard, fine point stylus, making the process identical to signing a

sheet of paper.

Connectivity and browsing on the move

The Olipad Graphos provides full connectivity including Bluetooth

support; 3G connection integrated with voice and SMS services for

users on the move; and a Wi-Fi b/g/n connection for users at home or in the office.

The device features a USB 2.0 port with a standard connector for external devices like USB flash drives and a micro SD memory card slot, guaranteeing the flexibility and storage capacity to meet

all requirements. It also supports Adobe Flash Player for unlimited browsing and full access to web content.

MultimediaThe Olipad Graphos is equipped with a five megapixel camera for taking photos, recording video footage and acquiring images of attachments to append to documents to be signed. Users can view multimedia content including video and photos on the device itself or, thanks to the built-in HDMI interface, on an external monitor, projector or normal TV set.

SecurityThe Olipad Graphos is equipped with a fingerprint scanner for secure, validated access to the device. The scanner can also be used by applications to acquire and compare clients’ fingerprints, enabling the implementation of highly sophisticated systems to guarantee identity and minimise the risk of fraud.

FutureproofThe Olipad Graphos runs Android 4.0, the latest operating system developed by Google specifically for tablet PCs, and includes a 1 GHz nVidia Tegra processor, making it one of the most technologically advanced touch screen tablets on the market. A wide choice of apps are available from Olivetti and numerous ICT partners.

The Olivetti OliBoard range of digital interactive whiteboards is described as one of the most durable and reliable on the market.

The OliBoard 78 and OliBoard 95 are robust interactive boards that can be wall mounted or used on a stand, for added flexibility. They offer a high level of writing accuracy, with 300dpi resolution and a choice of two sizes, 78” and 95”, respectively.

The boards are available with full dual pen usage, enabling two people to write on the board simultaneously, or as single pen boards. Designed to be hard-wearing and scratch resistant, they offer a fast tracking rate for improved activity and have a stable, locked projector.

The boards are designed to

prevent errors being made: if your hand accidentally brushes a board while writing the pressure won’t be hard enough to be registered.

The whiteboards can be linked to the Olivetti OliPad Touch Tablet and Laptop range. OliBoard software is available to create teaching materials in Windows, Linux and Mac formats and offers a range of expandable educational libraries which are simple and easy to access. Access to the internet is also possible allowing information to be researched on demand, in the classroom.

Various accessories are available including three sets of integrated mounting kits; a shelf and compartment for a laptop; and a mobile, height-adjustable stand.

01908 547980 www.olivetti.co.uk

SustainableEditor’s Choice Award

Olivetti Olipad Graphos


Q. Why take the decision to obtain Rainforest Alliance certification for the Tetley brand globally?

A. Recent surveys suggest 57% of the public believe tea drunk out of home should be ethically sourced. I believe figures like this will only continue to increase. People are starting to ask a lot more questions about where their food and drink comes from and they’re looking for independent assurances of a company’s sourcing policies and sustainability activity. That’s where schemes like the Rainforest Alliance can play a key role.

Our Tetley commitment means that the number of cups of tea from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms will increase to circa 100 million in the UK. Supporting farms to become Rainforest Alliance Certified™ benefits our business, the tea estates and the tea pickers we work with. Over 82,000 smallholder farmers were trained under our 2010/11 certification programme with Rainforest Alliance.

Q. The Rainforest Alliance commitment which will eventually see 100% of the Tetley blends coming from certified farms is scheduled for completion by 2016 – why will it take so long?

A. Given the size of the Tetley brand and the volumes of tea that we source, there is a significant amount of work to be done on the ground to ensure farms become and remain certified. It’s been a long journey to get to

where we are today, but that’s a good thing. What we’re trying to achieve is big – it’s not about a lick of paint on the odd farm fence but significant long term changes for the farms and farmers.

In order for a farm to be accredited, it has to meet the environmental, social and economic standards of the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN). These standards cover eco-system conservation; worker rights and safety; wildlife protection; water and soil conservation; agrochemical reduction; decent housing; and legal wages and contracts for workers.

Q. Critics have questioned the cost of some ethical schemes and asked whether they are robust enough – what are your thoughts?

A. The aim is to help embed more sustainable agricultural practices and help farmers improve their efficiency, quality and yield, which in turn can lead to improved profitability and more sustainable livelihoods. There are costs associated with certification, some of which are picked up by the estate itself, the rest by other players including companies like ours. For us, the cost to our business should be seen as an investment in making our supply chain more sustainable over the long term.

Q. Ethical labels can be a minefield; at the last count there were more than 80 ethical and food assurance schemes – why choose the Rainforest Alliance?

A. We considered all available, relevant certification schemes in detail, taking into account a range of criteria and we decided the approach taken by Rainforest Alliance is best able to support the Tetley brand.

Q. What does this mean for consumers?

A. Our consumers will be able to enjoy their favourite Tetley blend knowing it has been produced in a way that respects the environment and the tea growers and pickers. We are delighted to be working with the Rainforest Alliance who is well positioned to support a brand with the scale and reach of Tetley in providing this assurance.

Achieving 100 per cent inclusion for all Tetley packs will provide us with a major supply chain that is better secured. At the same time our customers will know that by choosing it they have helped to protect the environment on tea estates and provide sustainable livelihoods for the people there.

Q. How are you engaging with consumers so that they can make an informed and ethical choice?

A. As part of communicating our collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance, Tetley has developed a social media initiative called ‘Farmers First Hand’. It is a Facebook campaign that enables consumers to communicate directly with some of the communities that produce tea as they work towards Rainforest Alliance certification. This helps to open up a dialogue between tea producers and tea drinkers rather than relying solely on communicating our work with the Rainforest Alliance on pack. You can join the page and chat to some of the farmers at www.facebook.com/TetleysFarmersfirsthand.

One giant leap for sustainabilityTetley, the world’s second largest manufacturer and distributor of tea, has committed to purchasing all of the tea for its branded teabag and loose tea products from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms. All Tetley branded black, green and red (Rooibos) teas, including flavoured and decaffeinated varieties, are part of the certification programme. Here, Ria Kearney, Sustainability Manager Tata Global Beverages, answers some key questions around the issues of sustainability, ethical sourcing and certification.

... 57% of the public believe tea drunk out of home should be ethically sourced

“

How can the Cloud help your business reduce its carbon footprint?Virtualization is a foundational technology for deploying cloud-based infrastructure that allows a single physical server to run multiple Operating Systems or Virtual Machines (VMs) concurrently. As an enabler of consolidation, server virtualization reduces the total physical server footprint, which has inherent green benefits, in turn reducing your carbon footprint.

From a resource-efficiency perspective, less equipment is needed to run workloads, which proactively reduces data centre space and the eventual e-waste footprint. From an energy-efficiency perspective, with less physical equipment plugged in, a data centre will consume less electricity.

It’s worth noting that server virtualization was the most widely adopted green IT project implemented or planned, at 90 percent of IT organizations globally into 2011.

Is it expensive to migrate to the Cloud?No. Because ultimately the pay-as-you-go nature of cloud-based infrastructure encourages users to only consume what they need and nothing more, and “turn off” these resources with set expiration times.

Our services will improve resiliency. Consolidation and improved utilization create more space, more power and more cooling capacity within the same facility envelope, and you only pay for what you use as and when you use it saving you time, money and resources.

How green is your data..?

As a UK leading provider of IT & Communications we at Broadfire Technologies are always looking for ways to reduce both our customers’ & our own carbon footprints. Our drive for efficiency comes from both a concern for the environment & a straightforward desire to save costs.

The use of cloud services can considerably cut down on your business’s annual e-waste. This includes servers, network equipment and PBX. Also real-time communications, web conferencing, chatting, and synced mobile phones can eliminate the need for expensive business trips and unnecessary commuting. The cloud will reduce your carbon footprint as well.

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Per Kw of IT load, the data centres we use consume five times less energy than the average data centre...The Data Centres Broadfire use for cloud activities use five times less power per Kw than the average data centre. The heat that is produced by the data centre is used when required to heat the main building. We also used the most efficient UPS systems available in order to keep losses to a minimum.

In addition to the above we are constantly striving to improve our efficiencies & impact on the environment and we are currently looking to introduce LED lighting systems & BIO-fuel generators.

To discuss how your business will benefit from the Cloud call Broadfire Technologies on 0203 510 0203 or email our team on [email protected] for a free consultation.

www.broadfire.co.uk


Recycled Office PapersA new range of top quality recycled office papers available

exclusively from the Premier Paper Group

For samples and details of the range contact your local branch or email [email protected]

Available sizesA4, A3, SRA2 & SRA1 Available weights 80, 90, 100 & 120gsm

Available sizesA4 & A3 Available weights 75 (A4 only) & 80gsm

Available sizesA4 & A3 Available weight 80gsm

Manufactured without chlorine bleaching. High whiteness is achieved thanks to a special converting process for therecycled fibre. These papers have high opacity and good sheet formation in addition to maximum ageing resistance.

Excellent runnability on all types of machines.

www.paper.co.uk

160 CIE Whiteness 150 CIE Whiteness 150 CIE Whiteness

Evolution Copier advert 11-11 25/01/2012 09:18 Page 1


We can all agree that recycling paper is good practice – recycling one tonne of paper saves about three cubic metres of landfill space. But what about buying recycled paper? Is that also a good thing and, by inference, better than buying virgin paper grades? Given that the paper stream needs input of new fibre, wouldn’t it be better to recycle waste paper into newspapers, packaging etc. rather than high quality office paper?

John Sanderson, Director of Global Market Support, Environmental Affairs at UPM, says that the case for recycling paper cannot be questioned and there’s certainly no environmental or ethical argument why we wouldn’t aim to recover and recycle as much waste paper as possible, rather than burying such a valuable resource in landfill.

However, he points out that the question of where recycled fibre is best used is less clear-cut, and that in practice it often ends up in paper and board products that don’t deliver the optimum environmental benefit.

“We need to think less about pushing recycled fibre into the mix regardless of the grade and think instead about how best to ensure a sustainable balance of

Making the grade

recycled and virgin fibre across the whole paper spectrum,” he said. “The question is not really whether one fibre has less environmental impact than another, but how best to use that available basket of recycled and virgin fibre to give the lowest overall environmental impact for paper products as a whole,” he said.

“If you were to ask me which was the most environmentally appropriate fibre for newsprint, then I’d say that would be recycled fibre, because it is the most appropriate quality for the product and would replace the need to use mechanical fibre which has a high energy demand. But if you were to ask me the same question about fine papers, then I’d say that virgin fibre would be the most appropriate, because it places that essential input of virgin fibre as high as possible in the paper quality spectrum and still leaves it available to be recycled after use into other less demanding grades.

“The result of placing recycled fibre in the wrong grades of paper will, at best, mean that fibre is not available for more appropriate grades and, at worst, it will actually increase the environmental footprint of paper overall,” he said.

David Jones, marketing director of Premier Paper Group, makes the same

point: “Paper fibre can only be recycled five or six times before the fibres become unsuitable for paper making. There is a view that the best use of recycled paper fibre is in cartons, boards and newsprint where the technical demands are more suited to recycled content than those for producing ‘fine’ papers destined for office use,” he explained.

“The recycling rate for paper in the EU is 72% and the fibre recovered from this makes up 56% of the fibre mix used for paper manufacture in the EU. As certain papers, such as tissue, are impossible to recycle and therefore lost from the paper cycle, it’s estimated that at best we will only ever be able to push the recovery level to 80%. As society’s use of tissue increases and its use of graphic paper levels off or declines, the reality is likely be a slightly lower recovery rate.

“For the sake of argument, let’s say that the optimum amount of recycled fibre we have available will supply 60% of the fibre we need. This means that to be sustainable, even in environmental terms, we will always require at least 40% virgin fibre in our paper mix. In essence, recycled fibre is not sustainable without virgin fibre.”

He added: “The environmental argument of using recycled over virgin fibre products is very complex as many mills, integrated mills in particular, offer many other environmental benefits.”

A clear messageFor most private and public sector organisations, these arguments are secondary to what recycled paper says about the user’s environmental commitment, which is why demand for recycled paper has remained stable.

“In round figures we estimate the UK office papers market to be 600,000 tonnes,” explained Jones. “Some 72,000 tonnes (12%) of this are recycled papers. Our analysis suggests that office papers consumption dropped by about 1% in 2011, yet demand for recycled

Choosing recycled paper is often the first thing a business does to make its workplace greener. But is recycled paper really the most sustainable option or would it make more sense to use recycled fibre in lower grade paper and board products? Sustainable Times asks the experts

John Sanderson, Director of Global Market Support, Environmental Affairs at UPM

continued...

Paper fibre can only be recycled five or six times before the fibres become unsuitable for paper making.

“


papers has remained unchanged,” Jones explained.

Steve Lister, Business Development Director at Robert Horne Group, says the perceived benefits of recycled paper are such that businesses will specify them regardless of broader arguments.

“The key benefits attributed to recycled paper are that it uses less resources – trees, water, energy – and critically reduces waste to landfill. In both the public and private sectors, purchasing criteria are set so that organisations can meet their environmental and corporate social responsibility goals. And so specifying and using recycled paper at work has become second nature for many of us,” he said.

High gradeTo meet this demand there is now a wide choice of recycled papers that will satisfy all tastes and preferences, including a liking for high white grades that require the best quality office waste.

“Consumption of recycled graphic paper in Europe is growing and there is now a wider range of papers available, including everyday office paper, digital, offset, pre-print, creative and coated silk and gloss papers,” explained Matthew Botfield, Environment Manager at Antalis McNaughton.

“Some countries like Germany prefer

recycled papers to look less white, whereas in the UK we prefer recycled papers to be bright white. Generally, the quality of the recycled paper relies on the quality of the recovered waste paper and the de-inking technology used by the paper mill. If the mix of waste papers consists of newsprint, magazine and graphic papers, the mix produces a grey shade pulp compared to pulp made from sorted office papers, which is much whiter,” he said.

Lister, too, cites advances in paper making technology as a significant factor in the use of recycled paper, pointing out that they enable companies to make an environmental statement without having to compromise on performance.

“We have seen a marked improvement in the quality of the finished product. There is a huge difference between the dull, grey offerings of old and the brilliant white, heavyweight, smooth finish and ‘hard-to-tell-the-difference’ recycled papers that are readily available today,” he said.

“Today’s recycled papers are equal in appearance, performance and reliability to virgin stocks: there really is no difference and organisations no longer need to compromise on look and feel in order to tick the green box. However, the economic climate is driving purchasing behaviour and cost is key. Traditionally, recycled paper products carried a premium price tag but we are seeing a shift here and the premium is not as great as is commonly perceived.

For example, if you compared the price of a 70gsm recycled paper with a standard 80gsm non-recycled ream, the differential would be insignificant.”

Filling the gapRecently, there have been a number of high profile closures of mills where recycled paper is made including Inveresk, Hermes, Alizay, Vertaris and Sappi Nash. This has created opportunities for other manufacturers, for example Lenzing, to enter the market with brands such as Evolution from Premier Paper, whilst also making it worthwhile for existing players to expand their ranges.

“The wave of mill closures has undoubtedly affected the availability of recycled papers and, as a merchant, we’ve responded to that,” Lister explained. “Robert Horne Group’s Revive brand, the best known recycled paper within the commercial print market, is now available as an office paper range: 100% recycled Revive is available in three grades, natural, everyday and business, and in weights from 70gsm. We recognise the need for heavier weights in recycled grades and Revive business is also available in 80, 90 and 100gsm.”

Whatever the rights and wrongs of using recycled fibre to make high quality office grades, the pressure on businesses to select recycled office papers as part of a sustainable procurement or carbon reduction strategy means that demand for such products is likely to remain strong. www.paper.co.uk www.upm.com www.roberthorne.co.uk www.antalis.co.uk

continued...

Matthew Botfield, Environment Manager at Antalis McNaughton

The wave of mill closures has undoubtedly affected the availability of recycled papers...

“

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Purple patch

Mailing: time to act

Dynamic Cassette International (DCi), the Lincolnshire-based printer cartridge recycler and remanufacturer, is best known for its Jet Tec range of inkjet and laser toner cartridges, but it also has a thriving mobile phone business that offers an affordable and eco-friendly alternative to new devices.

Purple Gossip collects, refurbishes and sells used mobile phones via a recently revamped website, www.purplegossip.com, eBay and Amazon. Customers can exchange their unwanted phones for hard cash or nominate their favourite charity to receive a donation from Purple Gossip. It also receives used devices from DCi subsidiary The Recycling Factory, which each year collects and recycles more than 8 million cartridges and phones.

“The phones that we receive might have scratched screens and cosmetic damage,” explained Purple Gossip’s Cassandra Gonzalez. “Where they can be refurbished they will be, for example by replacing the screen, the housing or the software. Anything that can’t be fixed is broken down and sold to brokers who can use the plastic and metals. Nothing ends up in landfill.”

Once phones have been refurbished, Purple Gossip grades them according to their cosmetic condition (A, B or C) and sells them with a 30-day guarantee.

Franking is not just a convenient alternative to stamps that can save businesses the time and trouble of walking or driving to the nearest Post Office. It is also a lot more affordable.

Neopost has calculated that following Royal Mail’s latest price rises, franking is an economical option for a business sending as few as 5 letters a day, even when you take into account franking machine rental and consumables costs.

In April, Royal Mail increased the price of a 1st class stamp by 30%, from 46p to 60p, and the price of a 2nd class one by 39%, from 36p to 50p. Increases for franked mail were significantly lower, 13% for a First Class letter (39p to 44p)

and 10% for a Second Class letter (28p to 31p).A second class frank is now 19p cheaper than

a second class stamp, with more discounts on offer for businesses that prepare their mail in a way that can be read by Royal Mail sorting machines.

The latest price hikes mean there has never been a better time for businesses to start managing their mailing activity. Doing so will almost certainly bring big financial savings and by exploring different services offered by Royal Mail and its competitors, such as hybrid mail, businesses should also be able to reduce the environmental impact of postal communications.

Purple Gossip has been selling refurbished mobile phones to consumers for several years and is now expanding its offering to include repairs and dealer sales. Sustainable Times spoke to Purple Gossip’s Cassandra Gonzalez about developments at the company.

Purple Gossip offers a huge range of mobile phones and tablets, including unlocked and SIM-free models, and caters for a broad spectrum of users from older customer who just want a very basic, simple phone to image-conscious iPhone and iPad fans.

“We mainly sell to individuals who want a replacement phone on a temporary basis; who want an affordable phone; or who want to buy a smartphone or tablet more cheaply,” Cassandra explained

“Demand for refurbished phones is increasing as people look for cheaper alternatives, especially with higher end products. Buying an iPad brand new is very expensive so giving people somewhere they can buy them more cheaply is part of our appeal.”

There is also the environmental benefit of prolonging the life of a handset, which Purple Gossip is enhancing with the launch of phone repair and SIM unlocking services that will enable customers to use their phones on other networks.

“Instead of buying something brand new, we now give customers two options: to refurbish their current phone and prolong the life of the handset; or they have the option to buy a refurbished phone that has been mended in some way,” said Cassandra.www.purplegossip.com

Mobile phone recycling, repair and refurbishment services, including corporate and fully managed solutions, are also offered by 20:20 Mobile. It was recently selected to provide Currys and PC World with a trade-in service featuring a fully-branded website; customer fulfilment and call centre support; and mobile phone disposal. Customers can trade in unwanted devices in return for a gift card that can be used in any Currys, Dixons Travel or PC World store. www.2020mobile.com

Smartphonestore.com, a Corporate Mobile Recycling subsidiary, has launched a new online store selling used and refurbished smartphones as an affordable alternative to brand new devices. End user research conducted by the company found that 82.1% of small businesses believe smartphones bought outside a contract are too expensive. More than a third (37%) have had to replace a device before the end of a contract – a third within the first six months. www.SmartFoneStore.com

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what’s new... Power supply not included

Cool lighting from PhilipsPhilips and Ecophon have combined their areas of expertise and created an acoustic ceiling panel with integrated LED lighting. Soundlight Comfort free-hanging panels have several benefits including lower energy consumption, reduced clutter, an attractive design and enhanced employee well-being. The panels are claimed to be ideal for buildings with Thermally Activated Building Systems (TABS), such as Concrete Core Activation which uses the concrete core of a building to retain heat and cool the interior. To work properly, the ceiling structure must be exposed, which tends to increase echoing and noise levels, while partially exposed ceilings make it hard to integrate office lighting in an aesthetic way.www.philips.com www.ecophon.com

Snom is to stop providing external power supplies with its 3xx and 7xx series IP phones as customers switch to Power-over-Ethernet (PoE). Snom COO, Dr. Michael Knieling said: “Feedback from our customers has revealed that the vast majority use PoE to power their phones. This means that many thousands of power supplies have probably been produced and never been used.” For every phone bought without an additional power supply before June 22, the IP phone specialist plans to donate £1 to the German branch of the Earth Day International environmental initiative. Customers who don’t take advantage of PoE can request an external power supply unit. www.snom.com

Seven green bottlesVapur has re-invented the water bottle for the twenty-first century. The Vapur ‘anti-bottle’, marketed as an eco-responsible alternative to plastic water bottles, is foldable (when empty), flexible, freezable (for ice-cold drinks), dishwasher-proof and, most importantly, re-usable. Vapur comes in a range of colours including a cyan blue Henley Royal Regatta limited edition available for £14 from the Regatta Gift Shop and on the HRR website. www.hrr.co.uk www.vapur.us

Top of the class The NEC U Series of ultra short throw (UST) projectors has received TCO certification – the first in its class to do so. Following the introduction of the TCO Certified projectors program, TCO Development has defined unique criteria for UST projectors relating to luminance uniformity, colour gamut and energy consumption. The projectors’ short throw distance allows them to be placed close to the projection surface, making them ideal for use with interactive whiteboards and in small meeting rooms.www.nec-display-solutions.comwww.tcodevelopment.com

Sound and vision Oktav class A sound absorbers from Kinnarps are an eco-friendly solution to the problem of noise in open plan offices. Designed by Christian Halleröd and featuring Kinnarps re:fill, a special padding made from waste fabric, the contoured wall panels absorb sound and help keep noise levels down. They are available in a range of colours and fabrics and can be arranged in interesting and decorative patterns and colour combinations. www.kinnarps.com

It’s your choice: recycle, compost or burn Shiny Stamp has expanded its ECO line of rubber stamps with a new Hybrid range made from PLA bio-plastic mixed with sawdust. One of the advantages of this material, says Shiny Stamp, is that unlike petroleum polymers it is natural, non-toxic and can be incinerated, composted or recycled. Shiny Stamp’s ECO line also includes stamps made from recycled ABS plastic derived from consumer electronics goods such as televisions and printers; recycled PET from old water bottles; and compostable PLA bio-plastic from corn starch. www.stampsdirect.co.uk


Kinnarps Oktav


Snorm


In the loop Duraweld, a UK manufacturer of presentation, packaging and stationery products, has launched the Feelin’ Green brand of recycled presentation products. Comprising ring binders, tabbed dividers, document boxes and notepads, the range makes use of Duraweld’s own 100% recycled polypropylene as well as recycled board and paper. Even the ring binder mechanisms are 55% recycled. Another interesting feature is the use of biodegradable jute to reinforce binder spines. All products in the range are recyclable. www.duraweld.co.uk

Friend or foe?Imspired’s Desktop Whiteboard has been developed as an eco alternative to Post-it Notes, but who would bet against it becoming a Post-it Pyramid – there is even space inside to store a pad of sticky notes. Its four wipe-clean sides are designed to be written on with a marker pen, but in practice they could also be used to display Post-its. The Desktop Whiteboard comes with a marker pen, which can be kept inside the pyramid along with small stationery items such as paper clips or staples. www.imspired.com

Say goodbye to the cardboard boxThe Notbox Company aims to persuade businesses to replace single-use cardboard boxes with re-usable, recyclable Notboxes that can be bought outright or leased. Available in over 20 colours and a range of sizes, the boxes can be customised with a company’s branding or manufactured to suit a specific requirement. Notbox claims its products will save money and reduce carbon emissions, citing the example of one customer that has saved £200,000 a year by replacing one million cardboard boxes used to transport goods between its distribution centre and retail store with re-usable Notboxes. For every 100 boxes it has taken out of its supply chain, the retailer claims to have reduced annual CO2 emissions by 74kg.www.thenotboxcompany.com

Recycling news

The City of London is hoping to reduce litter from free newspapers handed to commuters by installing a network of 200 recycling points in its streets. It has awarded a 21-year contract to Renew, which has developed bomb-proof pods combining bins for unwanted newspapers with LCD screens on either end for displaying news, information and advertising. Renew plans to cover the cost of installing and maintaining the kiosks through advertising and sponsorship. Twenty-five pods have been put in place so far, with a further 75 expected to go live before the summer. Renew is hoping to establish similar schemes in New York, Tokyo and Singapore. www.renewsolution.com

Three-in-one thin client NComputing describes its M300 virtual desktop device as the first 3-in-1 thin client for workgroup computing with PC-level performance and HD video. Requiring one plug and a single LAN port and with built-in ports for keyboards, mice and peripherals, it can be shared by three users simultaneously, giving a rich PC experience for one third of the cost and energy consumption of three separate thin clients or PCs – energy consumption is typically

just 2 watts per person. This is made possible by the integrated second generation Numo 2 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers three dedicated graphics, video and user sub-systems on a single chip. NComputing is targeting the M300 at workgroups with 3 or more users in classrooms, laboratories, libraries, shared offices and call centres. NComputing’s vSpace Server 6.6 software supports up to 45 concurrent M300 desktop sessions on a single consumer-class host PC.www.ncomputing.com

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Harnessing the power withinSony engineers have found a new use for waste paper by developing a bio battery that creates electricity from the cellulose in cardboard. The working prototype produces enough energy to power a small fan, but Sony is hoping that in the future it could be used on a larger scale with old cardboard, newspapers, magazines and other waste paper. The concept uses the cellulase enzyme to convert cellulose within paper into sugar (glucose). Further enzymatic reactions decompose the glucose, generating electrons and hydrogen ions that the battery uses to produce electricity. This development builds on an earlier study in which a Walkman was powered by fruit juice. www.sony.net


Duraweld Feelin’ Green


The Portucel Soporcel Group

The Portucel Soporcel Group is the leading European manufacturer of uncoated woodfree (UWF) printing and writing paper and the 6th largest producer in the world. This has placed Portugal at the top of the European ranking of countries manufacturing this type of paper. The Group is also Europe’s leading manufacturer, and one of the largest producers in the world, of bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp (BEKP).

The Portucel Soporcel Group is one of Portugal’s strongest players on the international stage.

The Portucel Soporcel group is one of Portugal’s three leading exporters, and possibly the exporter generating the most national value added. The Group accounts for more than 3% of Portuguese visible exports.

The Group currently boasts production capacity for 1.6 million tons of paper, 1.4 million tons of pulp (of which 1.1 million is integrated into paper) and power generation of 2.5 TWh, adding up to annual turnover of approximately 1.5 billion euros.

The Group has successfully pursued a strategy of innovation and development of its own brands, which today account for 64% of sales of manufactured products. Special mention should be made of the Navigator brand, the world’s best-selling product in the premium office paper segment.

The Group’s sales are made to 115 countries across five continents, with Europe and the United States as the two main destinations.

The Group is committed to improving and protecting Portugal’s forests, by pursuing its own research programme and managing forestry holdings of close to 120 thousand hectares. The Group’s sustainable management model has been certified under the internationally recognized FSC® and PEFC™ schemes (license nos. FSC C010852 and PEFC/12-23-001).

The Group is also a frontrunner in the energy sector and Portugal’s leading producer of “green energy” from biomass, a renewable energy source.www.portucelsoporcel.com

The Group currently boasts production capacity for 1.6 million tons of paper

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Paper is worth its weight

Many of the main office equipment manufacturers operate in both the USA and Japan and it is therefore a reasonable assumption that there should be no technical reasons why lower grammage papers cannot be used in office machines – fax, copiers, printers, etc. – available in Europe. However, across European countries the standard grammage for office printer and copier papers is still 80gsm. Why is Europe different? The reason is simple: tradition.

When the first office papers were developed, their production was mainly concentrated in Central and Northern Europe. The raw materials widely available in that region could only produce the quality needed for an office paper at 80 grams per square metre.

Over the past two decades, a significant number of producers have tried to develop an office paper with

One way of reducing the environmental cost of paper is to use a lighter weight than the standard 80gsm (grams per square metre). The use of office papers with lower grammages is standard in some parts of the world like North and South America, South Asia and Japan and is becoming increasingly common in Europe.

the lower weight of 75gsm. However, a credible alternative to 80gsm has failed to materialise, as manufacturers could not achieve the critical factors of thickness, stiffness and opacity of paper; characteristics that have an immediate impact on runnability and print quality.

The majority of the 75gsm qualities available in the European market came mainly from outside Europe and were used as low cost, short-term attempts to counter pricing problems. As they did not possess the average quality requirements demanded by discerning copier/laser paper users, they tended to be perceived as being of inferior quality.

But tradition is no longer what it used to be.

Changing the status quo is very difficult and challenging, but that was the goal when Discovery was launched, back in 1995. Discovery is a standard quality brand with only two grammages available: 70gsm and 75gsm.

Discovery is now the best selling 75gsm office paper in Europe. Its sales growth has been very interesting, clearly reflecting the changing perceptions of end users towards lighter grammages and a growing realisation that Discovery is a paper of the highest quality.


Here, Ashley Miller, Sales Manager UK grupo Portucel Soporcel, explains how Discovery paper combines quality and perfomance with sustainability.

Q Why does Discovery have the same (or even better) performance than a competitor 80gsm office paper?

A When used for printing or copying, quality of output depends on the stiffness and thickness levels of the paper used, not the weight. In that sense, Discovery was a real innovation in the market, as it combined a lower grammage (70 or 75gsm) with high levels of thickness and stiffness; better than most standard 80gsm grades.

Q Why is the quality of Discovery paper so high?

A In two words: eucalyptus globulus – the tree species used to produce Discovery. The wood from this specific species of eucalyptus has very unique characteristics that provide excellent stiffness, thickness and opacity levels to the paper, even at lower grammages. The

continued...

Portucel Eucalyptus Globulus nurseries


green notepads

Eucalyptus globulus fibres are very short, increasing the number of fibres we can include in a given area, resulting in better fibre orientation and porosity. These fibres also have a very thick cell wall, resulting in higher levels of thickness and stiffness.

Q Does this mean that any producer with access to the same type of fibres can produce a 75gsm office paper of the same quality as Discovery?

A No, because besides the raw materials (eucalyptus fibres and a fine selection of other ingredients developed over time and scientifically blended to optimise quality), grupo Portucel Soporcel has impressive know-how accumulated over many years of intensive research and development that has proved to be extremely valuable in producing a paper like Discovery. This know-how, combined with state-of-the-art paper machines, enables us to make the most of the excellent raw materials we use to produce our papers.

Q Besides the obvious quality, what other important attributes does Discovery have?

A Producing a lower grammage paper has a lot of environmental benefits making Discovery a strong ecological paper. The use of less wood fibre, combined with the use of the most efficient tree species – eucalyptus globulus – results in a higher number of reams for the same quantity of wood – when comparing Discovery 75gsm (+48%) or Discovery 70gsm (+58%) with an alternative 80gsm paper. Changing from 80gsm to 75gsm or 70gsm is also a simple way of reducing paper waste.

Q Is Discovery a good choice for organisations with green procurement strategies?

A Absolutely. By specifying Discovery, organisations are demonstrating environmental responsibility and minimising environmental impact as the manufacturing process consumes less resources.

Q Is the use of recycled office paper more ecological than the use of Discovery?

A No! It’s vital that we recycle paper as much as we can, but also that we use the recycled fibres where it makes more sense. Packaging, newspaper and tissue account for almost 70% of the total amount of paper used in Europe. All of these types of paper can be produced in some cases with almost 100% recycled fibre. In contrast to office

papers, this can be done without impacting paper quality and office equipment wear and tear. Using recycled fibre for these papers alone would be enough to achieve the maximum theoretical recycling rate for paper and board in Europe.

Q So you are saying that we should use recycled paper, but not for office paper?

A That’s right. Office paper represents a mere 4% of European paper and board consumption and has more demanding quality characteristics. There is no sensible rationale for promoting the use of recycled fibres to manufacture office paper to strict standards with longer life cycles. This could ultimately mean that valuable timber resources would be used to manufacture lower quality paper products which have shorter life cycles or which can no longer be recycled. Office papers produced with new fibres provide an excellent resource for recycling into products with progressively less demanding quality characteristics.

Q What kind of environmental certifications does Discovery have?

A Discovery has EU Ecolabel certification and Discovery 75gsm is also FSC certified. Ecolabel is a European label which guarantees that the product is produced in accordance with strict environmental rules.

Q Is Discovery only available in A4?

A No. Discovery is also available in A3, 2- and 4-hole punched and fast-pack versions. Fast-pack is a very useful solution that includes 2,500 sheets of unwrapped paper, perfect for high volume machines. The special packaging saves time feeding the printing machines and minimises waste packaging materials.

www.portucelsoporcel.com

...continued

Discovery has the EU Ecolabel; and Discovery 75gsm is also FSC certified.

“

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Driving down costs

It’s not just the immaculate fairways that are green at Coventry Golf Club. Having already received an English Golf Environment Award in recognition of its wildlife-friendly grounds, the club recently implemented a far-reaching and aggressive carbon reduction programme.

“We are committed to trying to reduce our consumables both on and off the course,” explained course manager Phil Weaver. “As such we decided to undertake a complete audit of our electricity consumption. We wanted to radically downsize our carbon footprint and of course save on energy costs as bills continue to rise.”

The club invited Rexel to conduct a full survey of its facilities to see where energy-saving technologies could be deployed.

Following an analysis of Coventry Golf Club’s past electricity bills and current usage, measured using an advanced current transformer monitoring reader, Rexel recommended:n energy-saving lighting for the

clubhouse and outside buildings, including LEDs, presence detection and daylight harvesting to reduce electricity consumption;

n solar photovoltaic panels on the roof so that the club could generate its own electricity and additional revenue; and

How Rexel has helped Coventry Golf Club achieve a 25% reduction in its energy bill and shrink its carbon footprint by 5 tonnes.

n metering and controlling consumption, for example by installing water heating timers and A-rated energy efficient appliances and rearranging maintenance to coincide with the lowest energy tariffs.

A natural fitAfter a unanimous agreement from the board, the project went ahead. Working with Rexel as the project manager alongside partner suppliers and installers, Coventry Golf Club installed new energy-efficient lighting and a 16-panel solar photovoltaic system capable of generating 3.6 kilowatts per hour.

This gives the club free electricity as well as an additional source of income from the solar feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme. As the project was implemented before the Government halved feed-in tariffs for solar, the club enjoys a guaranteed annual payback of 43.3 pence per kilowatt hour compared to the new rate of 21p per kWh.

Brian Smithers, business development director at Rexel UK, said: “Coventry Golf Club is a perfect candidate for solar panelling because of all the natural light. The lack of shade on the roof provided an ideal environment for the photovoltaic solar panel array, not only reducing the club’s carbon footprint but also generating long-term revenue.”

The resultsAs a result of installing energy efficient lighting and metering, the club has been able to reduce its annual electricity bill by £4,646, helping to save five tonnes of CO2. In addition, in just twelve months, it generated income of £1,500 from FiT.

Over the next 25 years, the club expects to make £42,500 from the solar panel installation.

“Rexel’s recommendations have proved hugely beneficial and point to substantial short and long-term cost savings,” explained Weaver. “Understandably, in these economically challenging times, golf clubs nationwide are focusing on reducing costs across the board – Coventry Golf Club included. From our perspective the technology makes sound fiscal sense. Helping to save the planet while saving money is an absolute no-brainer.”

He added: “Here at Coventry Golf Club we believe that we have a responsibility to manage the golf course using environmental best practice. Rexel has demonstrated perfectly how modern technologies can save money without impacting the manner in which we go about our daily life at the club.”

The power aboveThe 12th century St. Michael and All Angels Church in Withington has become the country’s first ‘zero carbon’ church.

As part of a renovation project, the 900-year old building was fitted with solar panels and a biomass boiler and is now powered entirely by renewable energy.

Twenty-four Kyocera solar modules were installed using a special ladder system that did not adversely affect the structure of the building or its visual appearance.

We are committed to trying to reduce our consumables both on and off the course

“


We offer a variety of tried and tested refurbished mobile phones from all your favourite brands and stock a wide range of styles, colours and grades. All of our refurbished handsets are either unlocked, SIM free or network locked so there are no monthly charges.

Customers can save up to 60% on RRP compared to purchasing a handset brand new, simply visit www.purplegossip.com or call our team today for help and advice on purchasing a high quality refurbished mobile phone.

We provide users with an environmentally friendly alternative to buying new mobile phones, safe in the knowledge that by choosing Purple Gossip, the lifecycle of a handset is prolonged, helping to reduce the amount of hazardous waste that would normally end up in landfill. In addition to this by reducing the number of new phones made and distributed we are able to decrease the volume of raw materials taken from the earth, saving energy and reducing greenhouse gases.

What we offer

Environmentally Friendly


Time to make a difference

This year’s event is being held against a back-drop of apathy and missed opportunities, as a national survey commissioned by Avery reveals that office workers’ green habits are forgotten the moment they leave for work.

The study found that while we are generally green at home, recycling as much as we can and conserving energy, our habits in the workplace are very different: nearly a quarter of respondents said they print things when they don’t need to; and four out of ten forget to use company recycling bins.

Yet when at home, eight out of ten manage to separate recyclable goods from non-recyclables.

This wasteful attitude appears to come from the top, with four out of five office workers polled expressing disappointment that their company is not leading the way with green initiatives and nearly half worrying that their employer doesn’t take its environmental responsibilities seriously enough.

Despite evidence that being green can bring cost savings, 41% said that their attempts to implement green practices at work had caused conflict with a manager.

Over 50% of respondents said they would feel happier and more positive at work if the company they worked for was more supportive of their efforts to be green. One in ten went so far as to say that they would look for another job if they felt their company was not serious about its environmental responsibilities.

Sixty per cent stated that a company’s eco credentials would influence their decision on whether to apply for a job there, suggesting firms that don’t take the environment seriously could be missing out on the best talent.

With a third of our lives spent at work, Green Office Week aims to alter attitudes and champion change across the UK. According to Avery, Green Office Week 2012 will be bigger and better than ever. Highlights include a unique Green League with points and prizes for the greenest office workers and a special Junk Modelling Challenge to prove that being green can be great fun too.

In addition, there will be loads of hints and tips on how to green one’s workplace, with a different theme addressed each day.www.greenofficeweek.eu

Taking place on May 14-18, Green Office Week is your chance to implement eco-friendly practices in your workplace. Inspired by Avery, the week unites office workers around the country in an effort to raise awareness of energy and resource efficiency and demonstrate practical steps that can be taken to work in a greener and more sustainable way.

THE ECO SIN-BIN TOP 10 NON-GREEN THINGS WE DO AT WORK

1. Chucking away paper rather than recycling it

2. Not having a recycling bin

3. Throwing away food packaging

4. Throwing away cans and cartons

5. Not printing double-sided

6. Leaving things on standby

7. Using non-environmentally-friendly products

8. Forgetting to turn off the lights when leaving the office

9. Leaving the heating on with the windows open

10. Not reusing envelopes or jiffy bags

POWER TO THE PEOPLECarbon Trust has launched a new online tool for office workers that it claims could save employers £500m and two million tonnes of CO2 each year – equivalent to the combined annual carbon emissions of all the households in Birmingham.

‘Carbon Trust Empower’ aims to inspire employees to implement measures to reduce energy use, paper waste and travel, potentially cutting 15% or £6,000 from the energy bill of a typical small business. Larger businesses, says Carbon Trust, could save £150,000 and over 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

It does this by means of an animated tour around a typical workplace with tutorials, quizzes and other interactive elements. As well as helping individuals create personal action plans, Empower enables office managers to view the sum of individual employees’ energy savings.

Carbon Trust says that by following five top tips for office energy efficiency, companies could make annual savings of over £200 per employee:

1. Turn off your PC and monitor in the evening (saving £39/yr per person);

2. Keep blinds open and turn off lights when there is enough daylight or when areas are unoccupied (saving more than £10/yr per person);

3. Accept a 1°C reduction in workplace temperature (saving over £4/yr per person);

4. Use the phone or video conferencing to avoid four car journeys (saving £150/yr); and

5. Reduce paper use by printing only when needed and on both sides of the page (saving £20/yr per person).

www.empower.carbontrust.com 0800 085 2005


Token Green

In June last year HSBC Bank unveiled a new weapon in its security arsenal – the Secure Key. Introduced to add an extra layer of security to online banking, it’s being billed as a way of ensuring ‘customers are one step ahead of online fraudsters’.

Every one of HSBC’s five million active online users in the UK will eventually receive one of these small electronic devices. If more of its 15 million UK customers choose to bank virtually, and with the group looking to extend two-factor authentication on a case-by-case basis globally, the number of devices eventually in use will be considerably higher.

Deploying tokens is time-consuming and expensive. It’s not known exactly how much each HSBC Secure Key costs, but the price of the device itself is just one factor that needs to be taken into consideration. There’s also the cost of the marketing to make users aware of the devices; the cost of mailings to the customer; the physical cost of distribution; and ongoing support costs to help those who have difficulty using the token. Typically 10% of physical tokens fail and need replacing every year – for HSBC that would amount to 50,000 tokens annually. On top of this, physical tokens like Secure Key have a typical lifespan of three to five years.

It’s easy to see how conservative estimates put a figure for physical token deployment at £100 per device. That’s not just for HSBC, but for any organisation that uses physical tokens as a two-factor authentication solution.

More than money at stakeBut there’s much more to consider than just the monetary cost of physical authentication devices. The environmental cost of producing and distributing 4,000 tokens works out at around 4.3 million tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of chopping down 240 million trees.

We have calculated that HSBC would

SecurEnvoy argues that authentication using physical tokens is damaging our planet and that tokenless, mobile-phone based alternatives are both cheaper and greener.

The environmental cost of producing and distributing 4,000 tokens works out at around 4.3 million tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of chopping down 240 million trees.

need to plant an 18,970-acre forest to offset the emissions created by its decision to issue UK customers with a Secure Key, even before taking into consideration its global plans.

And that’s just for HSBC. If every organisation that allows individuals to access its systems first issues them with a physical token, each person would have a separate device for their bank, the NHS, HMRC for tax returns, utility companies to access and pay bills, employer network etc.. That’s a lot of plastic and associated emissions.

A logical alternativeWhile it’s true that you can’t put a price on security, we all have a responsibility to consider our impact on the planet. We’re not condemning authentication as an additional layer of security, just the choice of physical tokens as the means of delivery.

Practically every pocket holds the perfect key: SMS technology. With five billion mobile handsets in use across the globe, it’s a fair assumption that the majority of people have a handset capable of receiving text messages.

Organisations can easily make use of customers’ existing mobile technology to replicate a physical token by sending a passcode to the user as a text message, effectively turning the mobile into a ‘soft’ token. Because there’s no need for additional software on the user’s phone, complex testing, support and training issues are eliminated – an important consideration, as phone interfaces change with each new model.

It is estimated that moving from physical to soft token authentication will reduce ongoing running costs by 40-60%; dozens of soft tokens can be carried on a single device; and if an individual loses a mobile phone they will notice much more quickly than if they lost a piece of plastic, thus reducing the chances of a token falling into the wrong hands. www.securenvoy.com

OPINION


Is it time to rethink the company car?

Whether you are self employed or running a small fleet, your choice of vehicle can have a significant impact on the bottom line and your ability to market your business as environmentally responsible. A company that promotes low carbon products and arrives in a gas guzzler is putting out mixed messages that could go down badly with customers.

At co2balance we have analysed what’s available and come up with our Top 10 recommendations based on two basic assumptions:

Despite advances in communications technology, business people still need to move around the country and meet customers face-to-face. For many, the most sensible way to do this is by car. But what model should you choose? Steve Hewson picks his Top Ten

1. The majority of business miles involve one person with a single case or laptop, so small cars with little wasted space and a low kerb weight score well.

2. In most cases the travel time is less than two hours.

We looked only at new vehicles and considered a number of factors including Price, Miles per Gallon (MPG), Insurance Group, Fuel Type, 0-60mph time, Depreciation and car reviews.

During our research several interesting points came up: Electric Vehicles. We had to discount ‘all-electric’ vehicles as none has the range for anything other than city commuting. The problem isn’t so much charging points as charging speeds. If you can’t recharge fast enough, any distance driving is out of the question. All-electric transport will only take off when charging technology dovetails with the official advice to rest for 15 mins every two hours. Hybrids. We really like hybrid vehicles

because of the high MPG, but they are very expensive to buy, which affects the P11D value. There are also questions about long-term battery life and resale value that could be important for leasing. This technology will dominate in the future, but in our opinion it isn’t quite there yet.Tiny turbo-powered engines. Take a small car, put in a three cylinder engine with a turbo and lots of clever tech and what you see in the specs is a punchy little engine that has reasonably fast acceleration and very high MPG. But run one of these down the M3 and you’ll get a big surprise. High revving, acceleration and manoeuvrability are great around town, but on the open road what you really want are lower revs and good gearing, which is where this class falls over. From a car that promised 76 MPG, you might struggle to get 40. Far better to have a bigger engine and drive it well.

Choosing any car in our Top Ten is likely to save money on purchase price, insurance and fuel. They should also be fun to drive.

A fleet of appropriate, fuel-efficient vehicles driven by employees who have had some driver training can say a lot about your business – and save a lot of cash.

1 Kia Picanto Hatchback 1.0 1 Air 5drThe cheapest car here also sits in one of the lowest insurance groups. MPG is less impressive than the small diesels but petrol is still slightly cheaper in the UK. Winner of the 2011 What Car Green Award for superminis.

2. Kia Rio Hatchback 1.1D EcoDynamics 1 5drExtremely impressive fuel economy (88.3 MPG), a competitive price and a seven-year warranty, but some may be put off by the 0-60 time. Worth noting that air con is £800 extra and will reduce fuel economy to 78.5 MPG.

3 Renault Clio Hatchback 1.5 dCi 88 Expression Eco 3drIn theory can travel 950 miles between fill-ups. The car is considered good to drive and is nearly £1,000 cheaper than the Ford Fiesta.

4 Ford Fiesta Hatchback 1.6 TDCi 95 Edge Econetic 3drGlowing reviews all round with particular praise for its driving manners. Its hard not to recommend this but the price prevents it from gaining top spot.

5 Fiat 500 Hatchback 0.9 Twinair Pop S/S 3drFun looks and good price. The engine is one of the most economical petrol engines on sale and is surprisingly powerful. On longer trips you will need a light right foot to keep up the MPG.

6 Mini One Hatchback 1.6D 3drExtremely good to drive, with a very capable engine and appealing retro looks. On the downside, it has a small boot, the ride is a bit stiff and it is too expensive to be considered a bargain.

7 Volkswagen Golf Hatchback 1.6 TDI 105 Bluemotion 3drIt’s like a Golf: say no more. Reviews are consistently good but it does cost a lot.

8 Skoda Fabia Hatchback 1.2 TDI CR 75 Greenline II 5drAmazingly low CO2, very high MPG, comfortable and a big boot for a car of this size. Let down by an under-powered and noisy engine.

10

9 Toyota Auris Hatchback 1.8 VVT-i HSD 89g/km T4 5drThe same hybrid system as the Prius and a conventional shape that will attract buyers who dismissed previous hybrids. Reviews say that the car is good at low speed but at higher speeds the engine becomes noisy and runs out of puff. Cheaper than the Prius but still expensive.

Volvo S40 Saloon 1.6D DRIVe ES S/S 4drOne of the few saloon cars to emit less than 100 grams of CO2. Reviews say the cabin is stylish and the car a relaxed motorway cruiser, but at low speeds the engine is a bit loud and longer gearing means you need to change gear more often.

Red on the outside, green inside: the Volvo S40 Saloon 1.6D DRIVe

The Top Ten recommendations

Why pay more?With the Royal Mail price increase there has never been a better time to get a Frama franking machine:

Royal Mail 1st class stamp 60p vs. Frama Franking machine 1st class letter 44p.

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Call Frama today on 01992 451125 to discuss how we can keep your mailing prices sensible.

STABILO are the only pen manufacturer to be accredited with a Cradle to Cradle design framework certification. This reflects STABILO’s commitment to being ecologically as well as ethically green. To receive the certification, all materials and manufacturing processes must enable a complete cycle of environmental and social sustainability – from Cradle to Cradle!

The first pen to be accredited with a Cradle to Cradle design framework certification is the

STABILO GREENpoint; the first nylon sign pen to be made of 98% recycled products and the first to come in 6 bright colours. This long-lasting nylon sign pen combines soft writing with the environmental benefit of being made from 98% recycled material to ensure high performance and environmental sustainability.

Available from www.amazon.co.ukFor more information visit www.stabilo.co.uk or e-mail [email protected] Tel: 01753 605656

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Spitfire, the leading business ISP and Internet Telephony Service Provider, is now offering an auto-fail, auto restore optional ADSL back-up facility for Ethernet based MPLS networks provided by the company. In practice this means that in the unlikely event of an Ethernet connection failing, an ADSL back-up circuit is automatically activated to maintain MPLS connectivity across a multisite network. In addition the Ethernet circuit is automatically restored without manual intervention, when the Ethernet connection is back online.

Spitfire MPLS networks offer high security while reducing overall cost of ownership. Standard circuit routers are used on site, meaning expensive routers and firewalls are not needed, nor is any complicated on site customer configuration and management. The MPLS cloud allows all sites to link to each other in a full mesh, and when linked to a hosted firewall this provides external access to the Internet. With a single large connection to the Internet through one

firewall, the cost of Internet bandwidth is reduced, while improving reliability, speed and management control.

Spitfire MPLS is ideal for VoIP and SIP Trunks providing lower cost external calls and free calls between sites, with service level agreements (SLAs) for assured performance levels. Spitfire MPLS connectivity is easily scalable, flexible providing a secure, resilient multi-site solution.

Commenting on the new MPLS auto-restore option Spitfire’s Marketing and HR Manager, Susie Ward said, “Ethernet circuit failures on MPLS networks are rare, but for some customers with ‘mission critical’ business requirements an automatic back-up is essential. But they also want their Ethernet circuit restored without the need for manual intervention. These types of businesses often have non-technical staff working outside normal hours such as at weekends. Our auto-fail and auto-restore option provides business continuity and peace of mind.”

Spitfire launches auto-restore for Ethernet MPLS circuits

For more information visit www.spitfire.co.uk, or email [email protected] or call 0800 319 6363.

Protecting ourEnvironment

The new Rapesco ECO range of staplers, hole punchesand PP filing is designed to give consumers the choice.

Carefully selected additives enable the ECO Documentrange to safely biodegradewithout harming theenvironment. During thisprocess the productsdo not emit harmfulchemicals to the soil,even in deep landfill. Thenew range is stylishly designedwith fresh, colour coordinated finishes.

To enhance this range, the Rapesco ECO staplers andhole punches are manufactured using 100% recycledABS materials and supplied in eye catching packaging,ideal for retail and commercial customers.

Rapesco has achieved ISO 14001 EnvironmentalAccreditation and is continually seeking ways to conservenatural resources, reduce the amount of energy used inour processes and maximize the use of recycled products.

For more information Tel: 01732 464800or visit www.rapesco.com

Rapesco Eco PP PR_Layout 1 21/03/2012 14:50 Page 1

TeTley DrawsTring and the

rainforesT alliancewe’re getting ever closer to a more sustainable future.

Our commitment to sourcing Rainforest Alliance Certified™ tea means your tea is not only great tasting but also sustainably

sourced to help ensure that both farm workers and their families enjoy a decent standard of living and that the environment is

protected. We’re currently sourcing 100% of the tea for our Tetley for Caterers Drawstring 100s and new 6x25 envelope packs

from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms, and by April 2011 that will be the case for 30% of all our black teas in the UK.

Plus, we’re working towards sourcing 100% of all our teas from certified farms by 2016.

That’s better. That’s Tetley.www.tetleyforcaterers.co.uk

STU51415 RFA Advert 210x297v.indd 1 18/03/2011 16:36

News & Politics

Sustainable Times Issue 8