Printmasters

ESG

Printmasters

The ESG roadmap at Vinga incorporates all entities in our holding. A key link in this chain is our decorating facility in Romania – Printmasters. Attached to our warehouse is a massive operation involving machinery, materials like ink and packaging, and many (many) colleagues.

Naturally, Printmasters has impact areas of focus different to office environments like we do at HQ. Things like the impact of printing techniques on workers and environment, or best-practice occupational health and safety are much more relevant.

Multiple ESG initiatives are taken at Printmasters to contribute to the ESG roadmap. Here are some highlights:

Installation of solar panels

Solar panels have been installed on the roof of the facility, totalling 1,072 solar panels with a maximum capacity of 419 kWh. This renewable energy already covers the electricity needed for the decorating machines! In future 30% of energy needs will be met this way.

Reducing water usage

In 2022, water consumption at Printmasters was 45% that of the year before. How? An example from a traditionally water-intensive technique: we recycle used print screens instead of washing for reuse.

Responsible purchasing of inks

Considering safety of workers, end-users, and the environment, all inks meet the strict requirements of the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, GRS, and – of course – the REACH SVHC.

Tackling waste

To reduce waste classified by the EU as ‘dangerous goods’, reusable wipes are used to clean items prior to decorating. Furthermore, the pad printing machines are outfitted with an ‘eco-cup’ to reduce dangerous goods waste and decrease employee exposure to chemicals.

The impact of decorating

Although the impact of decorating an item relative to the impact of producing an item is low, it still contributes to making a responsible choice. We consider the below key impacts when it comes to decorating our items. Printmasters monitor progress on key performance indicators for all of the below areas. Their ISO audits (see above) also cover most of these areas. This is how we stay on top of our impact at all levels of our organisation.

CO2 footprint
Energy used to run the facility (heating, cooling, lighting, etc.) and to power the machinery contribute to our / a product’s CO2 footprint. This footprint is included in our annual emissions report! Find it in our Library. Read the mention of our solar panels project above which contributes to lowering our CO2 footprint!

Water usage
Some printing techniques require water to clean or wash items or used machinery.

Chemicals used
Most (if not all) inks include chemicals. Chemicals can be harmful to the environment if they are not disposed of properly. Moreover, applying printing techniques that use a lot of chemicals may be harmful to human health. Ensuring proper personal protective equipment is available and worn at all times by staff is key!

Waste
At Printmasters waste is separated and treated accordingly; where possible waste is recycled. Another important aspect is separating waste by ‘regular’ and waste that is classified as a ‘dangerous good’. As part of their ISO 14001 certification, Printmasters has annual reduction targets for this type of waste.

Labour conditions
Occupational health and safety is monitored through ISO 45001 certification. To be extra vigilant and maintain best practice, Printmasters is also audited according to Sedex SMETA framework once a year. Already mentioned are the chemicals to which workers may be exposed, but monitoring noise levels and air quality (dust or particles from inks) is also important.

Decorating certified products

Vinga is licenced to sell GRS, RCS, OCS, FSC, and OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified products. In order for these products to remain compliant to their respective certifications after decoration, Printmasters is licenced and certified according to these standards as well. Decorating your certified items with Printmasters guarantees the values of each certification remain and the end users receive fully certified product. After all, what is an OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 claim on a t-shirt worth if it is printed using harmful chemicals?

GRS-certified products

The Global Recycled Standard has requirements regarding chemicals used in production of a GRS-certified product. This also applies to decoration of an item. We offer only the approved techniques for our GRS-certified items. Furthermore, GRS has a minimum labour standard which has to be met by the facility.

RCS- & OCS-certified products

The Recycled Claim Standard and Organic Content Standard relate to recycled and organic material, respectively. These standards do not have chemical specifications nor do they include minimum labour requirements. They can be widely applied to our products and decorating techniques.

Forest Stewardship Council®

Printmasters is FSC®-certified meaning it can decorate FSC items and use FSC-certified packaging material, like for MyGiftbox. FSC also applies labour requirements to certified organisations.

OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100

Our OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 products are certified undecorated AND when decorated by Printmasters. The printing techniques have been tested by the licenced laboratory to be compliant with the standard. Embroidery is also compliant.

Safety as a top priority

The nature of decorating – use of machinery, use of inks with chemicals, warehouse environment – makes occupational health and safety (OHS) a primary concern when it comes to ESG at Printmasters. Making sure that staff can do their jobs safely is done through a combination of training, monitoring, and external auditing.

All new staff at Printmasters receives extensive safety training. To make sure that all safety measures meet the highest recommended standards, Printmasters is audited annually according to ISO 45001 and Sedex SMETA frameworks. A SMETA audit also considers labour standards, environmental topics, and business ethics.

Want more details about Printmasters’ latest SMETA audit report? Read it here!