Sato France has achieved the Imprim'Vert badge following actions towards sustainable development

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: Sato France has achieved the Imprim'Vert badge following actions towards sustainable development.

Sato France, the barcode printing, labelling and RFID solutions provider, has been awarded the Imprim'Vert badge following a series of actions to reduce the impact of its industrial activity on the environment.

Imprim'Vert is awarded by the Printing Innovation Centre (Pôle d'Innovation de l'Imprimerie - P2i) and is given to French companies who have demonstrated that they have made significant effort to reduce environmental impact. Only production sites that specialise in information or communications printing, packaging and printing forms can achieve the award.

Sato has long been concerned with the environment and has taken significant measures to reduce its impact. An audit was carried out by an Imprim'Vert referee at Sato France's production facility at Templemars who confirmed the site as being compliant with two legal prerequisites and that it respected five priority criteria to reduce all polluting effects on the environment.

After checking the site's compliance towards the Registered Installations for the Protection of the Environment (Installations Classées pour la Protection de l'Environnement – ICPE) law and that it only rejects authorized liquids into the sewage network, the Imprim'Vert committee was satisfied that Sato fulfils all their criteria. It has seen that Sato's efforts are resulting in a true environmental improvement.

Sato France recycles all industrial waste from its production site by treating washing residue, dirty cloths, or by collecting used ink in a container. The site also recycles old printers, ink cartridges and electric elements such as fluorescent neon tubes by handing them to a recycling partner. In addition, the company has put in place a cleaning fountain that uses solvent-free cleaning products, the remaining residue is also given to a certified partner.

The company has stopped using toxic cleaning products, and makes sure that new or used hazardous liquid products are safely stored. This measure ensures safe working conditions for the employees in case of accidental leakage.

In order to comply with all the criteria, Sato France will also carry out a quarterly energy balance and supply this to the Imprim'Vert committee, which proves if its CO2 emissions are being reduced.
Moreover, these actions are followed by meetings, trainings and displays to raise the employees' environmental awareness of Sato's measures.

Mr Ikuo Dobashi, Chairman of Sato Corporation and Sato International Europe says: "The preservation of the environment is a key concern for Sato and our French site is a great example of the company's dedication to reduce the impacts of its activity on its surroundings. We are proud to have been awarded the Imprim'Vert badge by the French P2i and are committed to carrying out our efforts for sustainable development."