Kettering-based Go Inspire Eclipse, a division of Go Inspire Group, has become the largest commercial printer in the country to date to offer its customers Carbon Balanced Print.

It joins Crawley-based Data Mail Solutions, Aberdeen-based Denmore Press, Newton Abbot-based Newton Print, and Thurmaston-based Qualvis Print & Packaging, who have also all been newly certified to have their carbon emissions offset by World Land Trust (WLT), joining Cramlington-based Potts Print, who Printweek reported on last week.

By offsetting its annual operational emissions, Go Inspire Eclipse will help WLT to save, protect and restore 448 acres of critically threatened habitat and, in doing so, lock up 2,588 tonnes of carbon. The other newly certified companies have balanced over 1,270 tonnes of carbon between them.

All certified printers and users of Carbon Balanced Print can demonstrate their positive action by using the World Land Trust logo on their printed material. Carbon Balanced Printers are also able to offer their customers certificates to highlight the amount of CO₂ balanced and the area of land protected.

CarbonCO is responsible for delivering Carbon Balanced Print and the programme on behalf of WLT.

Sales and marketing director Greg Selfe said: “The industry has experienced a seismic shift in the last 12 months and competition is fiercer than ever. Businesses need to prioritise their environmental commitments to meet the growing expectations of brands and consumers.

“Carbon Balanced Print offers a simple, effective solution to differentiate from competitors while creating huge benefits for tropical forests and endangered species.”

With funding from the Carbon Balanced programme, WLT is working with local partner Viet Nature to conserve the forests of Khe Nuoc Trong in Vietnam. One of the most biologically diverse countries in the world, Vietnam is also one of the fastest growing economies, which WLT said is “putting immense pressure on its exceptional biodiversity”.

Go Inspire Eclipse managing director Simon Moore said: “Having deployed a raft of different initiatives around sustainable paper products, energy efficiency and plastic usage reduction, we were looking for a scheme that would not only sequester carbon as an offset for our resulting footprint, but also make a measurable contribution to biodiversity and habitat preservation.

“​Now, as a Carbon Balanced Printer, we are helping global conservation charity World Land Trust preserve critically threatened habitat in Vietnam. This not only offsets our carbon footprint, but it also helps protect the dozens of endangered species calling these forests home.”

Late last year Saltash-based Deltor Communications, Stanstead Abbotts-based Jump Design and Print, Nottingham-based Simply Cartons, and Cornwall-based St Austell Printing Company (SAPC) also became Carbon Balanced Printers.

Since its launch, over 3,000 brands and organisations have chosen Carbon Balanced Paper. In total, over 190,000 tonnes of CO2e has been balanced, helping World Land Trust to protect 19,000 acres of threatened habitats.