The environment continues to grow in importance and whether in business or personal life, we all want to know more about the issues that affect our choices of what we buy and who we buy from.

At Papersmith & Son, we are keenly aware of these issues and are continually working to reduce the environmental impact of our operations, as well as developing product ranges with sound environmental credentials.

Papersmith & Son recognises that our products and business operations have an influence on the environment and endeavours to take practical steps to minimise any negative impact.

As a responsible company we will strive to comply with all environmental, legal and other requirements that apply to our activities, products and services. We will ensure the availability of the necessary resources to implement, maintain and develop environmental management in order to deliver continuous improvement in our environmental performance.

To ensure this we will:

  • Manage our operations and activities to comply with applicable environmental laws, regulations, licences and other commitments to which the company subscribes.
  • Make available a choice of recycled products as well as those originating from certified well-managed sources or operating accredited environmental management systems.
  • Require suppliers to demonstrate their respect for the environment by following responsible working practices. They will be required to utilise raw materials from well-managed sources and to verify their claims on environmental issues when requested.
  • Commit to open and reliable communications with all stakeholders. Environmental information will be published for our major stocked products in order that the consumer is able to make an informed choice of material.
  • Commit to utilising only 100% recycled copier paper for internal use, and recycle all scrap paper at our various branches.
  • Reduce the consumption of fuel, energy and water and use renewable and/or recyclable resources wherever practicable.
  • Provide information, instruction and training for employees on relevant environmental issues.

The successful implementation of this policy depends on the commitment and involvement of employees at all levels of the business. Their suggestions and participation is encouraged and will contribute to the success of this policy.

Papersmith is the only leading merchant to import exclusively from European, Australasian, and North American mills and avoid Asian mills – despite the temptation of cheaper pricing. Whilst Asian mills are far more aggressive on pricing, their forestry sustainability practices are often very questionable.

Papersmith is the only local merchant that stocks two products ranked in the Top 10 of the WWF Paper Scorecard. The WWF Paper has been designed to facilitate transparency on environmental performance in the paper industry. It assists paper users to make a judgement on the environmental footprint of the papers they buy – and allows responsible paper producers to demonstrate what they are doing to minimise negative environmental impacts of the papers they sell.

We are also proud to have our very own renewable energy arm, ZMSA Energy which imports a wide range of pumps, water, wind and solar-powered energy solutions.