Sustainability policy

Glidden Design Ltd like to operate in a manner which minimises our impact on the environment. This policy covers all aspects of our work – from day-to-day work processes to recycling, meetings, travel, purchasing and many other activities that we undertake, including reviewing our suppliers and their environmental footprint.

Working practices in the studio
o We switch off all appliances when not in use.
o Our computers have energy-saving settings optimised for periods of inactivity.
o We prefer to utilise electronic communication where practical, and only print copies where essential, reducing pages t.o a minimum.

Lighting, heating and water
o We use low energy light bulbs wherever possible.
o We turn off lighting when not in use and make the most of natural lighting.
o We only use heating as necessary and set appropriate temperature settings.
o We only use the water we need – for example, in boiling a kettle.
o Doors and windows are kept shut if heating needs to be on.
o We always ensure heating is not on constantly at night and over the weekend.

Paper, printing and photocopying
o We ask staff to minimise hard copy production.
o Double-sided printing is practised to minimise waste.
o We print in mono rather than colour unless absolutely necessary.
o All inkjet cartridges are recycled – we have an Epson Ecotank printer as our main studio device, which has 2 years of ink in one set of cartridges, keeping plastic and chipsets to a minimum.

Transportation
o Where practical utilise public transport. Over 50% of our current staff use bicycles to get to and from work. If possible, we will walk or use public transport to attend meetings with clients.

Communications
o We regularly use video conferencing to avoid unnecessary travel to meetings.

Reducing, reusing and recycling
o All office paper is recycled wherever possible.
o We no longer use CDs, preferring USB / hard disk storage, and email files using file transfer services.
o We re-use paper that’s already printed on one side for draft documents or in fax machines.

Print and paper suppliers
We seek to engage suppliers who follow these principles:
• All waste products recycled, including waste paper and trimmings.
• All inks used are vegetable and water based, to minimise the impact on the environment.
• IOP carry Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accreditation, and all paper used is certified by the FSC.
o Our paper manufacturers also have a portfolio of accredited FSC and PEFC recycled paper stocks.

https://www.fsc-uk.org

FSC certified forests are managed with consideration for people, wildlife and the environment…
1. You can buy wood products, from all types of forest, with a clear conscience when you see the FSC logo.
2. The FSC label guarantees that the trees that are harvested are replaced or allowed to regenerate naturally.
3. Parts of the forest are protected entirely, in order to protect rare animals and plants.
4. FSC is the only wood certification scheme endorsed by the major environmental charities, including WWF, Greenpeace and The Woodland Trust.
5. FSC protects the rights of indigenous people to use the forest. If they have sacred sites in the forest these are exempt from felling.
6. FSC gives an assurance that future generations will be able to enjoy the benefits of the forest.