Summary

Easibind's dedicated team of product designers are highly skilled in designing cost effective, high performance solutions for an extensive range of applications.

Background

Harry Skidmore, who is still the Chief Executive and Business Owner, founded the company in 1977. One innovative idea sparked the beginning of the company with a Desk Top Perfect Binding system that made report and presentation a professional binding solution available to every office.

Responsible business objectives

The commitment and pledge that Easibind made was to make a difference to the wider Business Community.  This was in addition to the sustained commitment endorsed through the EC EMAS and ISO 14001, since 1997.

How they do it

Easibind International believes that its major commitment to reducing carbon emissions is through its customer and supply chain. Since May they have certified their FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) chain of custody certificates SGS-COC-003772. This will support their policy on developing recycled materials for their customers. FSC options include a mix of virgin and recycled pulp to maintain quality standards with key corporate publications.

Easibind have also issued their Design Review Challenge to reduce the carbon footprint of the marketing collateral of their customers. This is demonstrated by their 'Less is More' and 'Size Matters' campaigns. The commitment is made through the Review, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Review continuous process to re-engineer products, resulting in both cost savings and carbon reduction.  However, it would seem that Easibind have moved too quickly for some of their customers, as many have not yet established a process of collecting the data to report these reductions.  Easibind will offer help and support, and have already been in contact with several organisations.

They also aim to increase their local community support, and are striving to engage local businesses in uniting on a low carbon economy resource efficiency club. They have already established a Community Interest Company, and are currently seeking prime pump funding to get this operational.

Within the framework of EMAS and ISO 14001 accreditation, Easibind's environmental policy is to seek continuous environmental improvement in all its activities.

Buildings:
Easibind have recently undertaken a major refurbishment of their warehouse & storage facilities and these improvements have given increased thermal insulation of the building and improved natural lighting. Further renovation of factory buildings and roofs are planned for 2008.

Our production areas have undergone extensive refurbishment of the lighting system by changing from inefficient 100w fluorescent tubes to low energy, high frequency low wattage lighting. Outside the building, tungsten perimeter lighting used previously, has been replaced with energy efficient Sodium Lighting. To aid heat retention within the factory their despatch area has been fitted with a quick acting door automatically triggered by incoming or outgoing vehicles.

The office area radiators are fitted with thermostatic valves and Easibind have also recently installed two high efficiency boilers. Within the company's refurbishment programme, work has already started on fully double glazing the property with completion planned for 2008. Their washroom areas are all fitted with a Water Miser type system to conserve water usage.

Operations and Production areas:
Easibind's design and production teams continually strive to work with their clients to select the most suitable materials, production processes and design to minimise their environmental impact in every respect.

Recent improvements include investment in high Tech. energy efficient machinery, use of ink based systems, reduction in the use of covers, and improved production planning.

Investment is planned for 2008, including a digital cutting bed, which will reduce dependency on cutting formes for short run, and improve efficiency and service levels. Set up times and forme costs are wasteful, and material wastage will also be reduced, without impacting on customer services.

Recycling:

Currently, Easibind's strong recycling policy means that all of their raw material waste, wood, paper, cardboard and metal are sent for reprocessing and their aim is to further segregate and reduce their landfill waste streams.

The policies and actions taken by Easibind to date are seen as a move towards a Carbon neutral goal whilst at the same time progressing towards conservation and reuse of valuable resources.

What impact it has

Information to follow.

Business Benefits

Information to follow.