As a publisher, you rightly attach great importance to sustainability and expect the same from your suppliers. With a mission that focuses on “One team, one family, one planet”, Roularta Media Group has been committed to sustainability and eco-efficiency for more than two decades and has acquired all the expertise needed for the further roll-out of sustainable and socially responsible entrepreneurship. As a production company within the Roularta Media Group, Roularta Printing is committed to a specific Sustainability Charter that includes four Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Roularta Printing, a star player in sustainability
Roularta Printing plays a key role in realising these goals, not least in reducing – and ultimately eliminating – their CO2 footprint. After all, the printing process offers multiple opportunities, directly and indirectly, to achieve the company’s CO2 neutrality objectives by 2040. One SDG that is closely linked to CO2 neutrality is “Responsible consumption and production”. We will also take a detailed look at another “Climate action”, in a subsequent blog.
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns (SDG12).
With this sustainability initiative, Roularta Printing’s objective focuses on sustainable production, and the company always chooses partners who share the same vision with regards to efficient use of raw materials and reduction of waste.
We have set the following concrete objectives:
Suppliers: by 2025, 50% of the purchase value will be with suppliers who have signed the sustainable purchasing charter.
Paper: all paper intended for our own works will be PEFC certified.
Inks: all inks will have the Blue Angel certificate*.
Packaging: By 2026, all plastic packaging for shipping to subscribers will be replaced with paper wrap.
Emissions: every year, perform 50% better than the legally imposed VLAREM II** standard with regard to total emissions compared to ink consumption.
ISO 50001***: improve energy performance annually and maintain the certificate every year.
* Ecolabel of the German Federal Government for environmentally friendly products
** Flemish Environmental Permits Decree for the collection of hazardous substances
*** International standard for design, implementation, management and optimization of an energy management system
The production process reviewed
Under the motto “reduce, reuse and recycle” these objectives translate into concrete initiatives in the production environment. For example, in addition to the introduction of the paper wrap to replace plastic foil, consumption of city water in production has also been managed more effectivelyaddressed. Thanks to the conversion of the cooling installation, part of the wastewater can be reused, which results in an annual water saving of more than 7,000 m³.
In addition, we only use sustainable inks and recycled paper, and we have made large investments in energy-efficient printing presses and drying ovens. For example, we acquired three state-of-the-art drying ovens in 2023, an investment of 4.5 million euros, and we achieved a reduction of our CO2 emissions of no less than 14 percent and a reduction of our gas and electricity consumption of respectively 25 and 5 percent!
Would you like to know more about our sustainability charter and the benefits of working with Roularta Printing? Please feel free to contact us.