Suffolk firm sends book dust to worms

A Suffolk book printer has taken steps to improve its waste management and recycling as part of a bid to achieve an international standard in environmental management systems (EMS).

Clays, a printer of monochrome books based at Bungay, has sent 40 tonnes of paper dust to a worm farm in Norfolk for recycling, thereby diverting the waste bi-product from going to a landfill.

The move is part of a drive to secure ISO 14001 standard which specifies requirement for establishing environmental policy.

"We previously disposed of our paper dust in local landfill sites, handling approximately 40 tonnes per year. Our new process has eliminated this time- consuming activity and the worm farm is utilising the paper dust as a valuable resource," Clays commodity buyer, David Steward, told Packaging Essentials.

Waste management firm ORM North Norfolk takes the dust after it has been burned to remove elements that can’t be recycled.

The dust ash, which is a good fertiliser, is then put in the soil where the worms live and they mix it into the earth to create a conditioner.

"We are delighted to introduce this initiative at Clays. Not only is it a great fit for our business, and value added ethos, but we believe that it is further demonstration of our responsibility to the environment, and our push to achieve ISO 14001 accreditation by the end of 2008," added Mr Steward.