Focus managing director David Fuller spoke to ProPrint about the printer’s achievement not long after receiving the award from NSW deputy premier and minister for climate change and the environment, Carmel Tebbutt.
Fuller outlined how Focus was the first printer to cover ‘scope three’ emissions, which refers to emissions created in sourcing materials through the supply chain. Scopes ‘one’ and ‘two’ cover emissions created at an actual company site, which is what most companies are referring to when they claim to be carbon-neutral.
“We’ve measured all our inputs, including inks, papers – everything that’s involved in print,” said Fuller. “So we now have a carbon value for everything we print in scopes one, two and three.”
“We’ve effectively created the ultimate environmentally-friendly product.”
Fuller said he is “100 per cent confident” Focus is the first printer in Australia and “99 per cent confident” it is the first printer in the world to offer printing which offsets scope three emissions.
He also claims that the company actually achieved the feat some time ago but has “been holding back on talking about it”. The company has had their scope three emissions audited over the last two financial years, with verification coming from professorial reviews by the University of Sydney.
Fuller said that the company has had some assistance from consultants through their involvement with the NSW government’s Sustainable Advantage program, but added that “it’s a fair commitment in terms of staff, money and time”.
“I don’t think it’s a goal that most printers will aspire to because of the commitment involved.”
However, he was able to point to a positive “cultural” impact at the company as a result of the initiative, in addition to environmental and financial benefits which have seen the company reduce its carbon emissions by 33 per cent and its electricity bill by $63,000 in one year.
“It makes business sense because we’re seen to be a leader, and we’ll remain a leader as long as we’re at the front of the wave.”
“I think it will help the industry to look at the supply chain,” he added. “It’s a very important part of the business that you don’t traditionally look at other than in terms of cost.”
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