Sustainability is Key

After reading Animal Liberation by Peter Singer I became a vegetarian for the best part of 19 years, including a couple of years vegan – not so easy in the ‘90’s ! These ideals were looked on as “hippy clap-trap” at the time, just think what a better place we’d be in now had people sat up and taken notice then.

These ideals are necessities now to ensure the future of the planet we live on and are ideals that I have carried with me during my journey at Key. We want to make products that last, in the most sustainable way possible and make sure that the impact of manufacturing is kept to a minimum. A bold statement that was certainly easier said than done in the past. Finally however, the factories have woken up to the fact that they too must manufacture responsibly.

As a company, we are working with our factories all over the world to make sure that they are continually striving for better practices such as FSC and recycled paper, vegetable inks, eco-mix vinyl, better recycling, re-use of energy, adherence to European green standards, etc. We are here to help and advise, give you the facts and not use “greenwash.” Research into sustainable practices is ongoing and constantly evolving and we are learning new things every day. We are available for an in-depth presentation and sustainability consultations.

Key Production have balanced office emissions and trips through our partners CLevel and have commissioned research with them to enable the balancing (offsetting) of any manufacturing put through us. I have actually visited the forests planted in Nicaragua by this scheme and spoken with the farmers about how their lives have improved through it. One factory that we use offers a carbon offsetting scheme using other partners and we are also putting pressure on other suppliers to offer the same.

Here are just a few small steps that we can all take. A more detailed list will be published soon in conjunction with AIM and Music Declares Emergency.

1. Switch energy provider to 100% renewable energy - the single biggest thing you can do to reduce your business and personal carbon footprint.
2. Reduce car journeys – use public transport or a bike
3. Consider your travel – is it necessary? Can you travel by rail? Use video-conferencing?
4. Carbon balance/offset your office, home and travel
5. Switch to a greener bank / pension supplier
6. Speak to Key about manufacturing options
7. Reduce your meat consumption

To quote Music Declares Emergency: there is “No Music on a Dead Planet”.

Karen Emanuel - Key Production CEO
This article first appeared on Linked In