ABOUT US
WHO WE ARE
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As you would expect, Harlow Printing offers a wide range of print services. We cover all aspects of a products journey, through design, print, finishing, direct mail and distribution.
Alongside these core services, our business growth has influenced us to diversify into areas such as print management, fulfilment, healthcare products, software and web design. Our central focus is customer service and our aim is to provide high quality products and solutions.
Head to our Services section for more details.
HISTORY
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Harlow Printing was founded in South Shields in 1947. It has grown from a local print shop to become a national supplier and distributor of print to both the private and public industry sectors.
Harlow currently manufactures out of two main production sites utilising three factories; an administrative / management hub, a colour printing production site with a purpose built distribution centre and a direct mail logistics plant.
PERFORMANCE & SECURE DATA
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Our ISO 9001 Quality Management accreditation covers many principles including a strong customer focus and continuous improvement. We ensure procedures are efficient and effective with KPI regularly monitored and reviewed.
We are committed to protecting your privacy and data. We will use the information that we collect about you in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2018. We also hold the ISO27001 Information Security Management accreditation which helps to manage, monitor, audit and improve the company’s information security.
ENVIRONMENT
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Harlow Printing has been certified to ISO 14001 Environmental Standard since 1998. Our programme of waste management, recycling and the use of renewable energy sources has been recognised through many awards.
- North East Environmental Business of the Year 2009
- Step Award for the Environment
- Pride of South Tyneside Award for our commitment to biodiversity and minimal impact
Waste Management
All waste is segregated and recycled. Our waste reduction programme has resulted in waste to landfill being reduced by 75%. All materials are sourced with regard to sustainability and where possible, environmentally friendly alternatives are substituted.
Carbon Offsetting
Through the use of certain grades of carbon balanced paper, we have developed a partnership with the World Land Trust, helping to protect and sustainably manage ecosystems, conserving their biodiversity, with emphasis on threatened habitats and endangered species.
Carbon Emissions
As an ISO 14001 certified company energy use and associated emissions are an integral part of our annual targets to reduce demand and emissions. Energy consumption is measured monthly andcompared with reduction targets. We have achieved an overall saving of 15%. Power is supplied by accredited green sources of energy.
Biodiversity
We have addressed biodiversity by developing a Wildlife Garden in the grounds of our Warehouse and Distribution Centre. The garden includes the provision of pond, nesting boxes and flora for species in decline (bees, frogs, newts etc.). The garden is used as an educational resource by school children throughout Tyneside.
Harlow is in partnership with Two-Sides, an organisation whose goal is to promote the sustainability of the Graphics Communication Supply Chain and dispel common environmental misconceptions, such as those below. For more information visit their very insightful website at www.twosides.info
MYTHS & FACTS
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Myth 1 – Making paper destroys forests
In fact the opposite is true. The main constituent of paper is cellulose fibre but this doesn’t automatically equate to the destruction of forests. In managed forests, for every tree cut down, three or four are replanted in its place.
Myth 2 – Making paper damages the environment
Again, the reverse is true. As young trees grow, they absorb harmful CO2 emissions from the atmosphere. Furthermore, as a wood product, paper continues to store carbon throughout its lifetime.
Myth 3 – Making paper consumes vast amounts of energy
On average it takes 500 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity to produce 200kg of paper, the average amount of paper that each of us gets through each year. That’s the equivalent of burning a 60w light built continuously for 12 months.
Myth 4 – Paper has a high carbon footprint
Not so. Producing 200kg of paper creates between 130-250kg of CO2 depending on the source of energy. So a year’s consumption of paper is roughly equivalent to the CO2 produced by an average family car over a distance of 600 miles.
Myth 5 – Recycled paper is better for the environment than virgin paper
Not necessarily: you must consider papers’ full life cycle and not just the fibre source. Modern paper mills producing virgin fibre paper, whose energy source is nuclear, hydro or internally bio-fuelled, may well have a lower carbon footprint than a mill making recycled paper, powered by fossil fuels.
Harlow Printing supports the use of virgin pulp rather than 100% recycled papers and the majority of our paper usage is not 100% recycled. We believe the lower energy requirements combined with the benefits of managed forests is beneficial to the environment. We do however recycle 100% of our paper waste as this is preferable to landfill options. Most of our papers include a percentage of paper broke or a recycled element.
Myth 6 – Paper contributes significantly to landfill
The average recycling rate across European countries is over 62 per cent, representing more than 50 million tonnes of used paper collected each year. Paper fibres can be recycled up to six times, and recycling is certainly the best way to keep waste paper out of landfill.
