Our environmental and ethical responsibility
We must take a joined up responsibility to look after our world
When setting up BillingtonPix it was very important that we considered ethically sourced and environmentally-friendly materials and processes in the manufacture of our products. After careful assessment we are completely happy that our suppliers adhere to the best possible environmental and sustainable policies. So you too can be rest-assured that your order is in well-considered hands.
We want to leave the best possible environment to our children and grand-children
We undertake to constantly monitor our approach to the best possible ethical and environmental standards.
Did you know that around 85% of all textiles produced by the fashion industry end up in landfills, making it a major contributor to environmental damage?
Not only that, one in every five items produced by the fashion industry reach landfills without being worn even once. How many times have you bought something on a whim but never worn it?
BillingtonPix only works with on-demand suppliers, meaning that we only produce items we get an order for, avoiding textile waste from overproduction. Our printing partners' high-quality printing tech creates almost no wastewaters and uses less energy than standard industry printers.
All our products are printed on demand, which which means that we make it when you have placed your order, especially for you. This also means that we avoid overproduction and wasted paper and textiles. We never mass produce our products in anticipation of sales.
Information on our textile production
Our clothing is printed with the direct-to-garment (DTG) printing method. The printing tech we use is always made with sustainability in mind, and our Kornit printers use almost zero wastewater and less energy than standard industry printers. This lowers our carbon footprint. The inks we use for printing are vegan, water-based, and free of harmful chemicals. BillingtonPix takes sustainability very seriously. That is why we take care to dispose of any left-over ink according to the ink supplier guidelines.
Information about our kitchenware and tableware
We are proud to confirm that all our kitchenware and tableware products are 100% vegan, using natural biodegradable and organic or recycled materials. For these collections our products are manufactured and printed locally in London using FSC certified materials. We market only to the UK where we offer free delivery to ensure a significant weighting on this area of our portfolio is as local as possible.
These products are made to order using water-based inks, working with the water board to ensure that ink waste is disposed of responsibly.
Information on our stationery production
Use of sustainable paper
In the creation of our greeting cards our specially chosen print partners use only Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) approved paper by Fedrigoni, a paper company that is meticulous in it's respect for sustainability and the environment.
Fedrigoni was established in Verona, Italy, in 1888. and these days employs nearly 2000 people across seven countries. It was equally important to BillingtonPix that as well as high environmental principles, our paper suppliers practised ethical treatment of their employees. In fact Fedrigoni provides the skills and training (20,000 hours each year) their employees need to reach their full potential, ensuring that they comply with the company's code of ethics, which has clear and high standards for health, safety and environmental management.
In creating the fantastic quality 300gsm card, Fedrigoni are very selective in their use of raw materials, using only suppliers who practise responsible environmental polices. They also ensure that their production facilities use energy that comes only from co-production plants. following best practice all the way through to the finished products and their distribution.
They know, after all, that if the production of paper products is to continue into the 21st century, they absolutely must protect their industry for the benefit of future generations, whilst protecting the environment equally. For this reason Fedrigoni is closely aligned to the FSC® and has dedicated many years ensuring that so many of their products match the high environmental standards required to be approved.
Additionally, Fedrigoni have gained certifications in the following ecological categories:
- Cotton Content
- Elemental Chlorine Free
- Selected Secondary Fibres
- Carbon Balanced
- Heavy Metal Absence
Use of Water
In paper-making water is so essential that it is considered a full-scale raw material. Fedrigoni are constantly looking to reduce their consumption of water and where possible will adopt policies to facilitate this.
They have successfully reduced their Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) by 23% since 2013, and by measuring the presence of biodegradable substances present in the water used in production, they are able to follow a quality indicator. In 2018 they used 2 KG/t chemical oxygen, well below the industry guidelines of 5 KG/t.
Consumption of Pulp
Pulp is the main raw material used to make paper. By following the Code of Ethics of the European paper industry, the use of pulp is supplied only from forests that are managed in accordance with internationally regulated and recognised forestry schemes such as FSC®. This applies to traceabilitỳ (Chain of Custody) and controlled origin of wood (Controlled Wood).
By carefully selecting other non-fibrous raw and ancillary materials (eg mineral fillers, dyes and binders) for their least environmental impact and maximum safety, this protects workers and benefits production processes. It also provides peace of mind for our customers, which BillingtonPix is very happy about.
CO2 emissions
There is a huge commitment to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions and since 2013 the company has reduced CO2 progressively by 7%. By investing in co-generation energy, based on methane gas, at the main production centres, it means that the thermal energy produced is recovered and reused. This has created a huge energy saving of 30%, drastically reducing CO2 emissions due to the lower fuel consumption.
Energy consumption
Today, the Fedrigoni is mostly self-sufficient at its main production plants in its consumption of energy. Additionally some of the paper mills, where located near to water, are able to leverage hydro-electric power. As a result, since 2013, the company has reduced their energy consumption by 10% in relation to paper production volumes. In 2018 its energy usage was 574 kWph/t compared to the industry guidelines of 1,300 kWph/t.
Printing best practices
Printing is carried out on demand, so there is never a large stock of products awaiting sale. The printing companies we employ also have a strict policy of recycling and reuse. They offer a cycle to work scheme to their employees in the UK to reduce car use where possible.
When an order is made, the request is routed to the nearest possible production facility in order to reduce the carbon footprint.
In the UK, water-based inks (rather than PVC) are used 99% of the time and so they are free from any chemicals that might be harmful. They are also vegan-friendly. Additionally, because of the water-based inks that are used there is little requirement to use toxic solvents that would be harmful to the environment. This allows all waste to be disposed of responsibly.
Where solvent inks are required eco solvent inks are used, which are significantly safer for the environment. This is because they contain much less VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) content than normal solvent inks.
Energy is consumed for printing via solar power.
Our greeting cards are plastic free, in terms of the product ingredients and the packaging, which is simplified without any cellophane wrapper.
Statement about production times
Each product you see in our catalog is made on-demand, which means once you place the order, we start working to get it to you. The trade off is that it takes time for us to create and send out the product. Please remember that making each order on-demand allows us to avoid overproduction. This way we get to take care of you, and the planet we all share. It's a joint responsibility that we all must share.
You can find out more about our shipping policy here.
Our commitment to you
We promise that we will always follow these key principles in our delivery of great products and service to you:
1. Always respect the environment to the best of our abilities
2. Reduce carbon footprint and promote sustainability
3. Preach love not hate.
4. Protect workers and never exploit cheap labour.
5. Always act in good faith with intellectual honesty, whether with our suppliers or our customers.
6. Always look to improve on the above.
Let us know what you think
If you have any further questions please please talk to us. We are always interested in your views on how we can do better.
