Barnwell Print

Barnwell Print

Barnwell Print – Norfolk’s first Certified Carbon Balanced Publication Printer since 2012

Barnwell Print are renowned for their environmental care, which emanates from Julian and Lincoln Barnwell, the fourth generation owners of this family business. (In fact Barnwell Print is the oldest family run printing company in the UK!)

Julian and Lincoln’s love of diving explains their passion for nature and the planet, which filters down through the entire business and out to their clients. Global warming and Co2 emissions have for some time been forefront in their minds when considering the way that the business operates.

Thus when the concept of Carbon Balanced Paper arrived on the scene, the brothers immediately saw the importance of the product and its benefits to the environment. Carbon Balancing is delivered by The World Land Trust (an ecological charity) who balance (offset) emissions through the preservation of forests which are both threatened, and considered to be of very high conservation importance. The benefits are much wider than just carbon reduction, protecting local flora and fauna and endangered species too. Sir David Attenborough is a patron. More information can be found at www.worldlandtrust.org

Realising that Carbon Balancing the paper only goes part of the way to addressing the possible effects of the whole manufacturing process, Barnwell Print then went on to become Norfolk’s first and only Certified Carbon Balanced Publication Printer, offsetting all unavoidable carbon production from the plant through the same scheme. Indeed, the achievements in this area make very impressive reading.

The installation of a biomass boiler to heat the plant took things yet a stage further, reducing the company’s already low carbon footprint by a further 20 tonnes. Even the fluorescent lighting was replaced by a low energy alternative.

As you would expect, the company’s latest acquisition, the revolutionary new Komori H-UV Press, installed over Christmas 2016, continues their efforts to increase quality and production whilst yet further reducing their Carbon Output. The instant drying powderless technology uses less ink, which is itself volatile organic compound free. The printed product recycles more efficiently through easier separation of the ink from the paper. The press whilst larger than the one it replaces uses less power, but the printed image especially on uncoated / recycled stocks is significantly sharper and brighter. This helps and encourages Barnwell Print’s clients to use the type of recycled paper that might previously have been shunned, due to the poor image quality associated with some of these stocks.

Such is the significance of Barnwell’s Carbon strategy that in 2017 The Norfolk Carbon Charter awarded the company the first ever Gold Level Norfolk Carbon Charter. In 2017 we were also Highly Commended in the Norwich and Norfolk Eco Awards and in 2018 we came back to win the award outright in our category. Also in 2018 we were finalists in the Norfolk Business Awards in the Environment and Sustainability sector. To date we have been short listed for the Solutions Awards 2019 Solutions for the Environment category.

The company’s ethos runs throughout all other aspects of the business as well with 97% of waste being recycled and a constant eye on efficiency and waste reduction. As a Certified Carbon Balanced Publication Printer we have one of the lowest Carbon Footprints in the country 88.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide. The latest step is that Barnwell Print are now only using energy that is 100% generated from renewable sources.

We are also assisting participants in the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework comply and meet environmental principles outlined in the Paris Agreement.

With print continuing to be a significant part of everyday life, it’s good to know that the environment continues to benefit from the commitment of companies like Barnwell Print.