Cornwall’s biggest distributor of tourism promotional material is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a major programme of initiatives to help reduce its environmental impact and carbon footprint.
Redruth-based Seymac Distribution Ltd began in a small bedroom office and has grown to become the major distributor for more than a hundred tourism businesses.
From its purpose-built 12,000 sq ft warehouse on the Treleigh Industrial Estate, the company sorts and sends out promotional material to around 4,000 outlets in Cornwall.
And it has now introduced a new scheme to offset its carbon emissions. For every client, it is having one tree planted to offset 1,000 kilograms of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent), equating to one ton of literature.
Using the expertise of tree-planting partners, the company is running a programme that ensures planting of the trees in appropriate places.
These are predominantly in school grounds, reserves and managed woodland located in the south west and they will live their natural lifespan and meet their biodiversity targets. The company is also planting ten trees to offset the printing of its own “For One And All” Cornwall tourism guide.
For Seymac’s 2020 information packs, the company will be using paper envelopes approved by the Forest Stewardship Council instead of single-use plastic bags.
Additionally, the company will hold a beach cleaning day in collaboration with Cornish Seal Sanctuary and other partners.
“Given the nature of our business, we are acutely aware of the threat to the planet and our obligation to ensure that we do all in our power to counterbalance the effects of our operations,” said MD Tina Seymour.
“In our 30 years of constant growth, we have a track record of never standing still – of regularly investing in new facilities and services – but nothing is more important than the paramount need to protect the environment.”