In environmental and employee protection, we want to actively cooperate and co-design, take responsibility, be pioneers and role models.The conscious use of nature and resources is a central concern for us and thus an integral part of our business processes. Investments in modern technologies not only lead to the desired increase in capacity, but also to a reduction in emissions and an even more efficient use of raw materials. The management of the Group and its subsidiaries in Central and Eastern Europe jointly aspire to maintain international standards of environmental protection, even when they exceed national requirements. In addition, the eds.group print shops have all the market-standard certifications, such as FSC®, PEFC™, EU Ecolabel and in some cases even the very strict Blue Angel or Nordic Swan certifications.

EU ECOLABEL certification
The EU Ecolabel is the EU eco-label recognised in all Member States of the European Union as well as by Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. Introduced in 1992 by an EU regulation (Regulation EEC 880/92), the voluntary label has gradually become a reference for consumers who want to help reduce pollution by buying greener products and services.

Sustainability of paper
The eds.group has modern printing presses that are designed to minimise material waste with inline control systems and special care taken by our staff. By consistently applying PSO ISO 12647 at all our locations, we ensure not only high print quality but also a low rate of wastage.

FSC certification
FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) stands for products that come from sustainably and responsibly managed forests. FSC® prevents uncontrolled deforestation, violation of human rights, harm to the environment and ensures sustainable forest management to preserve forests in the long term.

PEFC certification
PEFC™ (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes) is a framework for ensuring sustainable forest management. The PEFC™ guidelines are checked by competent and independent organisations that ensure that the world's forests are managed sustainably for the good of humanity for future generations.

Resource conservation using recycled paper
Today, recycled paper is almost as white as virgin fibre paper and is suitable for almost every application. This protects our forests because no trees have to be felled and habitats for animals and plants are preserved. In terms of life cycle analysis, the benefits of recycled paper are partly debatable. It is also about 50% more expensive than virgin fibre paper – the decision is up to the customer. At eds.group we return all our waste and residual paper to a recycled paper cycle (https://www.agrapa.de/). In addition, we take the view that virgin fibre papers also belong in the paper cycle, in which paper fibres are used up to eight times. Only then can it be used to produce recycled paper and later the packaging cartons that are vital for e-commerce. According to a recent study conducted by the bifa environmental institute, primary fibres play an important role in the sustainability of paper production in addition to recycled fibres.

https://www.upmpaper.com/de/wissen-und-inspiration/nachrichten-und-geschichten/artikel/2021/bifa-studie-primarfasern-sind-fur-eine-nachhaltige-papierherstellung-unverzichtbar/

The study, sponsored by the Board of Trustees for Research and Technology of the Pulp and Paper Industry, underlines that even a sustainable paper cycle with a high recycling rate must continue to add virgin fibre for the cycle to work. Due to fibre losses during the recycling process, this is not possible with waste paper fibres alone. The combined use of primary and recycled fibres ensures that the paper cycle functions and is sustainable. This is a prime example of a circular economy.

Ink sustainablity
From the eds.group's point of view, sustainable ink should ideally be free of mineral oil, free of toxic substances and ideally free of labelling. The composition of the eco-inks meets the requirements of their field of application. In sheet-fed printing, eds.group uses only mineral oil-free inks in the standard scale series. This is more difficult to implement in web-fed offset, where we work with inks that contain mineral oil but are free of aromatics. By using good colours with good pigments as well as suitable caution, we reduce ink application to the minimum amount sufficient to ensure quality. On request, we also print low migration ink for packaging or, for instance, the “Fair Play” series for games. For protective lacquers, we use only water and oil-based lacquers in our own production. As a rule, we do not recommend film lamination or the harmful UV varnish.

Naturally without UV
The eds.group is part of the industry initiative "Naturally without UV". We are thus taking a clear stand against the trend towards using UV-curable inks in print production. During the printing process UV-curable inks are used to save the time needed by standardised inks to dry. This printing technique with new printing presses is advertised as "Green Printing with LED". However, it is exactly the opposite of environmentally friendly printing: before curing, the inks are extremely noxious; people who make or work with them are only allowed to do so under strict protective conditions. Ink waste is considered hazardous waste and must be disposed of accordingly. Sheets of paper contaminated with the inks must also be labelled as hazardous waste and disposed of should the UV inks and varnishes not cure during the printing process. So the paper does not become a reusable raw material but hazardous waste. The deinking process used to recycle waste paper does not work with UV-cured inks, which means that paper printed using this technique cannot be recycled as desired. The problem is that the consumer does not recognise what kind of printed paper it is and throws all kinds of paper unsorted into the paper bin. You can recognise print shops that have joined the initiative by the "Naturally without UV" logo. More background information is available from the International Association of the Deinking Industry (INGEDE). Further links: https://www.ingede.de/ , https://kristinawaetzel.de/ingede/

Carbon neutral printing
At eds.group your print jobs can be printed carbon neutrally. This involves offsetting the so-called greenhouse gases produced when a print product is manufactured. The amount of CO2 produced can thus be offset again via environmental certificates. As part of an environmental project, we are also committed to reducing eds.group's CO2 emissions to a minimum in support of the international goal of limiting global warming to below 2°C.

Energy
Where possible, we consume self-generated electricity from PV systems installed on the roofs. Ideally, 70% of the remaining purchased electricity should come from sustainable power generation. Many of our locations are certified in compliance with ISO 50001 Energy Management System. Here, we undertake to continue to work on our efficiency: for example, through energy-efficient LED lighting elements, which have reduced electricity consumption by up to 60 per cent annually compared to the previous lighting. Other projects to optimise energy efficiency include, for example, investments in heat recovery technologies, a new compressor and new doors to reduce heat loss.

Environmental Pact of Bavaria
The Environmental Pact of Bavaria is intended to further expand cooperation between the Bavarian state government and Bavarian industry in protecting the environment and to secure and promote sustainable environmentally compatible development in an economically sensible manner. You can find further information here: www.umweltpakt.bayern.de

Carbon neutral goods delivery
We now use the “GoGreen” service to have parcels and deliveries transported carbon neutrally for a small extra charge. DHL invests the proceeds generated in projects to protect the environment, e.g. expansion of the vehicle fleet with alternative fuels, decentralised solar energy projects in India, biogas plant near Leipzig.