Environment

The Environment

Book manufacture

We are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our products and to controlling the materials used to produce them. To that end, we work only with Forestry Stewardship Council (“FSC”) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (“PEFC”) accredited suppliers, and we use FSC materials for over 90% of the Group’s output. Where FSC-accredited materials are not available we specify alternatives from known and reputable sources. Sustainability policies and planning, and a willingness to work together to achieve targets, are key factors in our decision to engage a supplier, and once we have entered into partnerships, we make regular trips to factories to monitor progress, observe working practices and recycling programmes, and to learn about other locally relevant environmental initiatives.

Print-on-demand

Changes in print technology are increasingly making it economic to manufacture books at the time of, and in the quantity needed for, sale – in some cases in the territory of sale. This reduces the CO2 generated by pulping, recycling and transporting unsold books.

Online publishing and e-formats

Our editorial strategy and XML-based production workflow embrace digital publishing and the potential benefits this may bring to the environment. Our focus on digital formats and products allows millions of students to access essential resources without using paper and enables consumers to purchase Bloomsbury titles in ebook and audio book formats should they wish to avoid the consumption of paper products.

Building and office facilities

In our UK offices we have started to switch to renewable energy suppliers. 13 Bedford Square has used renewable energy since we moved in during September 2019 and the Group’s two largest consuming electricity accounts at 50/51 Bedford Square have been using 100% renewable electricity since February 2020. We will switch to renewable energy supply for all our UK sites as contracts allow.

We have signed up to the Lloyds Bank Green Building Tool. This is a digital insight tool that enables us to assess the opportunity for making energy-efficient improvements across our buildings. We are currently using this across all UK sites.

Lights are generally fitted with motion detectors and our office policy is to turn off lights and non-essential electrical equipment out of hours when not in use. We only use energy-efficient light bulbs and we are rolling out a programme to upgrade these to ED lamps where possible.

For most employees we have implemented separate recycling bins for different waste materials so that a significant proportion of  our office waste is recycled. Paper and cardboard collection points are provided in every room and next to every photocopier. All general waste is disposed of in clear sacks for sorting at the relevant recycling centre where their target is to recycle 98% of all  general waste that is sent to them.

We use 95% recyclable cardboard packaging for our shipments from our offices and are working hard to make this 100% in the coming year.

We supply point-of-use drinking water and do not supply plastic or paper cups.

ESOS Compliance

ESOS is a mandatory energy assessment scheme for organisations in the UK that meet the qualification criteria. The Environment Agency is the UK scheme administrator. Organisations that qualify for ESOS must carry out ESOS assessments every 4 years. These assessments are audits of the energy used by their buildings, industrial processes and transport to identify cost-effective energy saving measures.

We are ESOS compliant and have taken advice from Inprova Energy Ltd T/A Energy & Carbon Management, who carried out phase  two of our ESOS compliance. We continue to consider and apply their recommendations to reduce our carbon footprint.

Flexible Working Practices

Most of our London-based employees travel to work by public transport. Following on from the successful shift to home-working  during the pandemic, and in response to employee feedback, we have developed a Flexible Working Policy which will be  implemented when our offices re-open. This is likely to lead to a reduction from emissions arising from staff commuting. We  provide bicycle storage for staff who ride to work.

Partnerships

As noted in the Corporate Responsibility Section on page 67, Bloomsbury has partnered with the Woodland Trust and during the year made a donation to sponsor a one acre grove at Langley Vale Wood in Epsom, Surrey, which contains around 750 newly planted trees. The donation encompasses ongoing care and management of the trees to ensure they grow into maturity, enabling them to provide shelter and food for wildlife.

Bloomsbury has also sponsored the preservation of over 8,900 trees in 2021 through a donation to Reforest’Action. All 725 members of staff across Bloomsbury’s global offices have been given a code to plant ten trees via the Reforest’Action projects Bloomsbury is sponsoring in Guinea, Peru and Indonesia.