The world has been chopping down 10 million hectares of trees every year to make space to grow crops and livestock, and to produce materials such as paper. Before we started to build cities many centuries ago, they say that 60% of the Earth was covered in Forests. Now, there is less than 10% left.
At Infigo, we acknowledge that as a technology provider, at the centre of the print industry, we have a responsibility to create change. So, we are delighted to announce our ongoing sustainability campaign, Infigo-eco.
Through Infigo-eco, we are implementing a number of green initiatives, to lower not only lower our own carbon footprint but also that of our clients, too.
We’re committed to ensuring that our actions have a positive impact on both the local and business communities. We believe that by working together, we can create a brighter, greener future for all.
Planting trees for every storefront created
At the top of our sustainability commitments, is an attempt to redress the impact our technology has on the environment.
As a result, we now automatically plant a tree for every storefront that is built and hosted on our platform, through our partnership with More Trees.
To kick-start this project, we first pledge to back-plant 1,749 trees, each representing an existing storefront, then continue to plant a tree every time an existing or new client publishes a new storefront moving forward.
As you might come to expect from Infigo – this is an automated integration with More Trees, so the process is entirely automated, with a real-time feed of our progress.
However, we understand that every time we attend an industry event, we are also producing carbon, so we will also be rolling out an in-person initiative, of which we cover in more detail later on, as part of our ‘future plans’.
Help us, to help you, help the planet
Infigo Managing Director, Alex Bowell, who has been the driving force behind the Infigo-eco initiative, felt that the campaign, which would be an ongoing commitment, was self-perpetuating. He said: “None of us can ignore the catastrophic effect of climate change or the part we all have to play in reversing the impact we’ve had on the planet.
At Infigo, we are incredibly aware of our responsibility as a growing business to ‘be the change’ we want to see. So, it was not only a case of assessing areas where we can lower our carbon footprint, but also investigating ways that we could help our clients achieve the same goals.
“The first step is planting trees for every storefront that our customers go live with, In short, we celebrate each contribution with our customers, acknowledging that their growth and success directly support this initiative.
“Together, we are planting trees for a brighter, greener future and strongly reaffirming the value of being an Infigo customer, and the positive impact this has on the environment.”
Using technology for a more sustainable future
As well as the integration with More Trees, Alex explained that Infigo and its partners were always striving to find ways to reduce waste and improve efficiency. He said: “Workflow automation and connectivity has huge amount of sustainability benefits.
“Research conducted by our partner HP Site Flow, has revealed exactly how much waste can be reduced, and the impact that this can have on margins, by automating batching and imposition.
“For example, using web-to-print and automated batching allows print shops to combine many small orders into a larger print job.
“And therefore, longer and more efficient print runs. Creating production rules based on selected criteria, such as due-dates or a common paper type, means smaller but similar jobs can be grouped into larger print runs. In short, longer batched runs are more energy efficient and job-to-job setup and changeover time is significantly reduced.
“Likewise smart imposition (with automated pre-press) means that the least amount of materials are used on each run. This reduces service charges on digital presses, removes labour costs for preparing the layouts as well as overall material consumption.”
Future plans
As well as introducing the More Trees integration, Alex explained that Infigo was also working on several more partnerships that would enable its clients to provide a more sustainable service.
He said: “To support our carbon-neutral goals, we are creating a new module that will provide reliable and certified information about the level of CO₂ emissions generated by each print job. Additionally, we offer the option for customers to acquire corresponding CO2 certificates to neutralise the emissions for each job (carbon offsetting).
“Through an Integration with BVDM, customers input their production information, including raw materials, machinery, and processes, into their BVDM database.
“Through a dedicated API we query the database to obtain CO2 emissions calculations.
“The emissions information is then displayed on the product landing page, with the option to purchase carbon offsets.
“A Scope 3 acknowledgement then provides customers with acknowledgement of their carbon emissions.”
Scan the code and plant a tree
We are also excited to be trialling a new in-person Infigo-eco initiative, at tradeshows, exhibitions and events, whereby attendees can contribute directly to our drive for environmental sustainability.
All that visitors have to do is scan a quick QR code with their phone, complete a short form, and for every 18 scans, a new tree will automatically be planted, thanks to the More Trees integration.
We will also be encouraging visitors that have scanned to join us for a tailored 1-to-1 demo of the Infigo solution, so we can not only demonstrate how a web-to-print platform could be the missing link to your print workflow, but also share our green initiatives in more detail.
Infigo Head of Global Marketing, Chris Minn, said on the process: “Why are we asking for 18 scans per tree planted, you might ask?
“Well, this number is significant, because approximately 18 trees are cut down EVERY SECOND worldwide. An absolutely terrifying figure.
“So, by participating and scanning the QR code, you too can help us combat deforestation and promote a greener future.
“We’re looking forward to rolling this out for the first time at PRINTING United Expo in Las Vegas, in September, and I have no doubt that it will be a success and feature at many events in the future.”
