December 2013 – Premier provides a unique opportunity for its customers to capture the CO₂ emissions from the manufacture and distribution of their paper purchases and to invest in UK-based carbon projects. “For every order placed, we can calculate the amount of CO₂ generated in the production and delivery of the paper. Customers can then elect to capture the associated carbon and the amount is added as a separate item to their invoice,” said Environmental Sales Director Chris Stanyon. 

To date, the merchant’s contributions have supported the planting of 160 hectares of native trees including Ash, Aspen, Oak and Rowan, at several of the Woodland Trust’s Carbon Removal projects that comply with the Government’s Woodland Carbon Code.

Taking this commitment to environmental protection one step further, Premier invited customers nationwide to join staff in planting 1,500 trees at PWOGB. The tree planting took place on 28^th November. More than 65 of Premier’s customers joined staff from each of the merchant’s 16 regional branches, all rolling up their sleeves to plant the trees.

  Situated on the outskirts of Grantham, a market town in Lincolnshire, the Barracks also recognises the potential of tree planting as a way to strengthen relationships between civilian and military communities. The Woodland Trust is helping them achieve this through a partnership agreement, with the Trust planting trees under license or lease and handing back established woodland to the landowner after 10-15 years. The Trust enhanced the appeal of the planting by making it a part of the Jubilee Woods project, an ambitious initiative to plant six million trees to celebrate the 2012 Royal Diamond Jubilee.

The Woodland Trust looks after over 1,200 woodlands covering in excess of 60,000 acres throughout the UK. Dr Nick Atkinson, a carbon specialist at The Woodland Trust said: “Working in partnership with businesses like Premier Paper and landowners like the Ministry of Defence, is allowing us to create large areas of new native woodland, which over time will remove hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and lock it away permanently.” The Trust estimates that each hectare of woodland planted at PWOGB will lock up approximately 400 tonnes of C02.

“Premier Paper is leading the way, demonstrating its commitment to environmental responsibility and a tree planting event like this allows its customers to see for themselves and be a part of what they are supporting by participating in the Carbon Capture programme,” he said.