Description of business

Established in 1993, The Green Stationery Company is the UK's premier recycled paper and green office products supplier; we select products that are environmentally benign or have environmental advantages over their standard office products equivalents. We are a mine of information on all green office issues, as well as providing promotional products overprinting service, allowing customers to present ranges of their own individualised eco-friendly stationery for use in conferences, corporate gifts and giveaways. We also aim to untangle most of the competing environmental claims made by manufacturers.

Founder and MD Jay has spent most of his life actively engaged in green politics, and, in 1989, combined this drive with a working background in both overseas development and the paper industry: it was a natural step to co-found Bath Green Papers, a local supplier of recycled papers - a market then in its infancy. Later, in 1993, Bath Green Papers, helped along by the rise of internet, went national, and Green Stationery was born. An epic tale.

Business vision

We aim to maintain sustainable business practices within a culture that respects all life and honours its interdependence, and to ease our customers' path to a modern, low-impact office.

We operate on the Schumacher principle of 'small is beautiful,' keeping the company's physical size as small as possible so we can achieve the lowest ecological footprint. We've invested heavily in the latest technology so we can provide the most efficient service to our ever increasing number of customers, yet keep our business size relatively small.

Business philosophies and beliefs

Although we have been part of the 'green niche' since the company's inception, we are primarily aimed at bringing the frontier of sustainability and ethical considerations to the office environment- combining the economic pragmatism of the bottom line with the holistic pragmatism of the survival of life itself.

Buying green office products does not mean a compromise on the price and quality of your stationery service. The Green Stationery Company is now in its 15th year of operation and we supply over 2,000 small, medium and large organisations with all their office needs. We do the work of finding and supplying the best green office products available in the UK today: so when you order from us, you are ensuring the greenest possible supply chain. Green purchasing is an essential element in reducing the huge amount of waste generated by our disposable consumer culture, endemic in most offices.

The Green Stationary Company provides goods that are environmentally benign or have environmental advantages over the standard stationery items.

As well as our green products, we supply all the other standard products your office needs, where there is no green alternative. Some goods that are offered by the company include (but are not limited to), printer papers, printer cartridges, envelopes, designer letter papers, bags, files and folders, desk accessories, coffee and tea, packaging materials and bins, computer supplies, solar and wind-up products, and printed promotional products.

We are able to provide service to all parts of mainland UK as well as some areas in the UK Highlands and Islands.

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Community Relations

Community Relations is about a business in a social and economic context. A business can strongly influence the quality of life not only for employees, but also for the wider community in which it operates. It is recognised that a sustainable community promotes sustainable business.

Corporate Governance

Corporate governance is about how a business is structured and whether rights, responsibilities and duties are clearly set out and understood. These issues are critical in maintaining accountability and providing strong decision-making functions.

This section provides an opportunity for a company to indicate how it remains honest, transparent, equitable and reputable in its conduct. These objectives are relevant to any business whether large or small.

Donations and Payments

To whom and exactly how companies make donations and payments, including those to charitable organisations, professional associations and government, are extremely complex issues. It is important that companies disclose their corporate donations, publish their payments and explain what they hope or expect to receive in return.

Environment

Natural resources are vital to sustain our lives and lifestyle. This section looks at the impact business operations have on the physical environment. It is not always easy to address the challenges, but companies have the opportunity to show the problems they face and how they tackle them.

Human Rights

This section is about how businesses ensure that their operations do not violate the fundamental rights of individuals and communities at home or abroad. Businesses have the opportunity to examine this issue with regards to their own practices, supply chains and business relationships.

Marketplace Ethics

This section is about how businesses handle consumer rights and wider welfare issues. Many of the questions cover areas where there is a fair amount of legislation and regulation: it is an opportunity for businesses to show how they go beyond a legal minimum to address ethical issues in the marketplace.

Workforce

It is widely acknowledged that people are the most valuable asset to any business. In this topic, the questions are addressing the treatment of workforce. It is quite diverse but the focus is on promoting a fair, equitable, honest and supportive work environment.