SUSTAINABILITY - WHAT IS CARDBOARD?
It is corrugated fibreboard, a paper-based material consisting of fluted sheets sandwiched between flat linerboards and glued using natural starch. At least 74% of the paper used in our products is recycled and the remainder of virgin wood fibres come from certified sustainable managed sources. In addition the manufacturing process uses the minimum amount of energy and water. We apply a water-based varnish to the surface of our products to make them resistant to spills. The finished product is 100% recyclable.
Our chief engineer Pat Doyle started his five-year cardboard engineering apprenticeship with Charles H. Starling in Hayes, Middlesex in 1961, and then went to work as the cardboard engineer at Renoir Display in Tottenham, a very innovative operation. Later he ran his own POS display/packaging company for 16 years and has since worked as a cardboard consultant to leading manufacturers and retailers.
He says: “The key to all design is attention to detail and careful planning. All paper related material, from thin carton boards to chip board and corrugated is very versatile and correctly used can accomplish uses that would otherwise involve more expensive and less ‘green’ materials.”
Sustainable design and production is critically important today. We believe that most of the environmental impact of all products is effectively ‘locked in’ at the design stage when materials and functions are decided: so the quality of design is of paramount importance to sustainability. As part of our commitment to sustainability we have an ongoing research and development function looking at how we can use more recycled content in our products and make them even greener.