Avoiding emissions

If you know where emissions come from and how these can be quantified, it is possible to plan and instigate measures to avoid and reduce them. These measures include energy efficiency, heat recovery, print room optimisation and the creation of awareness and motivation among employees and partners to adopt a more responsible attitude towards the climate and environment in their everyday working lives.

ORT has taken the following steps to avoid emissions:

The printshop in Krefeld has been closed and transferred to RheinMail in Boppard. Since 1st August 2010, we have been using digital printing and offset quality at RheinMail with a new printing press. The fusion of the two sites means that emissions from transportation and air-conditioning systems has been significantly reduced. This new investment also generates savings in terms of energy consumption.

a) Chemical-free printing plates

By doing away with a developer, virtually all of the chemical process parameters have been eliminated, resulting in an 80% reduction in chemicals. The plates are also treated in a washing station or in the modified processor. This eliminates the need for cleaning.

b) New printing press allows emissions-tested printing

Energy efficiency: thanks to the demand-led control of the relevant equipment. Reduction in emissions: no VOC emissions thanks to the lack of IPA in the dampening solution. Conservation of resources: low quantities of waste protect natural resources and reduce costs.

FSC certification:

An international guarantee seal. Wood and paper bearing the FSC seal is guaranteed not to come from over-exploitation of forests, but rather from socially responsible and environmentally friendly forestry management. The most important marketing tool for these types of product is the FSC seal.

What does this mean for you?

When you buy FSC-approved paper, you can be certain that no people have been exploited in the forestry management chain. Animals and plants were not put in danger. By choosing FSC-approved products, you are positioning yourself as a responsible company that is aware of products' ecological qualifications when buying and can also demonstrate this responsibility on to your customers.

Is FSC paper good quality?

Yes. Essentially, high-quality, certified photo quality and natural papers are available for all printed goods. Eco-friendly and high-quality are therefore not mutually exclusive after all. The use of FSC-approved papers offers us and your company the opportunity to actively support the preservation of our forests.

ORT data centre in Krefeld

The data centre in Krefeld has been switched over to virtualised servers. The virtualisation of servers allow data farms to be designed more efficiently and electricity costs to be cut considerably.

ORT Krefeld site uses biogas

The ORT head office in Krefeld buys biogas from the Neuss public utilities company. Neuss farmers have been operating a biogas plant running on chicken manure and corn for two years. The waste heat generated also heats the accommodation on the farm.

Reducing travel activities

ORT's drive to adapt the company to the needs of its nationwide customers began 15 years ago. The company's modern, localised structure particularly saves on the energy used by travel and transport. Video conferences are also being increasingly used for internal communications.

Neutralising unavoidable emissions

Where emissions really cannot be avoided or minimised any further because it is not possible from an economic or technical perspective, they can be balanced out via the climate neutrality system. We have at our disposal a hand-picked portfolio of certified climate protection projects offering the highest standards that allow us to deactivate emissions certificates in a binding way through these projects and remove them from the market. Now, paper, printing ink and printing plates, as well as shipping, can unfortunately no longer be compensated for with flat-rate payments. The CO2 emissions now have to be calculated on a job-by-job basis. We are able to offer you this calculation if you wish.

An online calculator for carbon-neutral printing projects allows all of the emissions generated through the production of advertising material to be documented and totalled. The client is then able to invest the CO2 compensation calculated in selected climate protection projects through direct investments.

Our direct partner is Norbert Garbers with his company www.upm-cdm.eu