Creating a greener future through circular paper use

At Victor Buck Services, environmental responsibility is at the heart of our printing and document management activities. Our commitment follows a circular economy approach, in which every stage of the paper life cycle is designed to limit environmental impact while ensuring impeccable quality for our customers. These actions also contribute indirectly to improving our clients’ ESG performance.

1. LOCAL, FSC-CERTIFIED PAPER SOURCING

Each year, Victor Buck Services purchases several hundred tonnes of paper: around 200 tonnes of rolls or sheets and 36 tonnes of envelopes. All of this paper is FSC®-certified (Forest Stewardship Council), a label that guarantees sustainable forest management: trees are harvested at a rate that allows natural regeneration, biodiversity and soils are protected, and the rights of workers as well as local and indigenous communities are respected.

We select paper and envelope suppliers from Luxembourg and the surrounding Greater Region to support local development and reduce the transport-related carbon footprint.

2. PRINTING OPTIMIZATION AND WASTE REDUCTION

In 2024, we distributed 73,000 letters and printed 345,000 pages of business communications every day on behalf of our clients. Given this significant paper consumption, our printing equipment and processes are carefully optimized to minimize waste.

Recent investments in next-generation printing machines have allowed us to reduce paper use during production. With the new Canon ColorStream 8133 printer, we minimize paper waste inherent to printing activities, notably through a pause system that can be activated during the print jobs.

We also encourage clients to print on blank sheets rather than on pre-printed stationery (such as letterhead). This avoids waste from frequent paper changes and from obsolete pre-printed stocks. Between 2023 and 2024, this “White Paper Factory” approach cut our paper waste by 24%.

Clients can also opt for printing on recycled paper and for envelopes made of recycled, fully recyclable paper (including the window).

3. PAPER REUSE

Nothing goes to waste: leftover paper rolls from our industrial presses are repurposed into A4 sheets for our office printers. This represents about 13 rolls a year (the equivalent of a truckload) and reduces the need for new paper.

4. RECYCLING WITHIN A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

End-of-life treatment is crucial to give paper a second life and keep it in the circular economy. Paper is one of the most easily recyclable materials: in Europe, the overall recycling rate for paper products (including graphic paper and packaging) reached a record 79.3% in 2023, according to the EPRC.

At Victor Buck Services, 100% of production-related paper waste is recycled (around 35 tonnes annually). To ensure full traceability of its transformation into new paper, we launched a direct recycling program with a paper mill in 2023.

SECURE SHREDDING

An industrial shredder turns all types of paper, including confidential documents, into particles, in compliance with European DIN 66399 security requirements (security level IP5/P-3).

COMPACTION

We invested in a compactor that presses shredded paper into bales, an essential step before sending them to the paper mill.

RE-PULPING PAPER

The mill transforms these bales into paper pulp. This pulp becomes recycled paper or hygiene products, while the ink separated from the paper is recovered and converted into natural fertilizer.

Through these initiatives, Victor Buck Services demonstrates that an industrial player can combine economic performance with a positive environmental impact. By choosing Victor Buck Services, our clients, too, join this virtuous cycle and contribute to sustainable, responsible printing.

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