Working together for the environment
We take our responsibility to protect and preserve a healthy environment very seriously. Already in the product development phase, we are guided by considerations for environmentally friendly business operations. Partners and suppliers are critical to achieving sustainability, which is why we include them in our endeavours. We also actively involve our employees, promote awareness, provide regular training and ensure transparent communication of the outcomes of our efforts. In addition, we are committed to:
keeping our environmental impact as low as possible within the limits of what is economically and technically feasible
conducting climate-neutral business operations and further improving our environmental management
complying with legal requirements and other obligations
subjecting our activities to regular and independent monitoring and certification
keeping our environmental impact as low as possible within the limits of what is economically and technically feasible
conducting climate-neutral business operations and further improving our environmental management
complying with legal requirements and other obligations
subjecting our activities to regular and independent monitoring and certification
Targeted emissions reductions
Our CO₂ emissions and the compensation projects we support relate to Ifolor AG, the permanent establishment in Switzerland. These two areas are covered by the Swiss Climate Label "CO₂ NEUTRAL. ifolor is constantly adapting its measures to reduce energy consumption and consistently ensures that cardboard and printing paper waste is recycled correctly. ifolor also set itself a strategic long-term goal of reducing CO₂ emissions by 50% by 2020, from the base year 2011. This target was met ahead of schedule, by 2016. CO₂ emissions were in fact cut by 54% versus the base year. This marked a very successful outcome for the initial target period. Now we are working towards a new target. Our goal is an ambitious one: to reduce CO₂ emissions by a further 30% compared with the new base year of 2020. In our efforts to continuously optimise our waste concept, we also source all our electricity from Swiss hydropower. As a result of our efforts, ifolor will be awarded the Swiss Climate “CO₂-neutral” certification for the 11th time in 2022. This includes the operationally relevant emission sources for the production of the products: chemicals (such as ink, varnish), energy, electricity, paper and water consumption, business travel, commuting and waste. However, the photo products themselves are not considered here. The creation of a life cycle assessment (ISO standard 14044) of the photographic products is planned in the future.
Emissions from waste Emissions from waste were unchanged versus the new reference year 2020 in 2021. This is where we see the greatest potential for improvement in the future, for example by generally reducing the amount of waste, increasing the recycling rate and, in particular, improving our performance in relation to hazardous waste.
Emissions from chemicals Despite the broadening of the chemicals category, we succeeded in reducing emissions from chemicals by 29% between 2020 and 2021.
Emissions from business travel Business travel shrank significantly due to Covid-19, which resulted in a decrease of 13% year on year.
Emissions from electricity ifolor has been sourcing all of its electricity from Swiss hydropower for the past five years. Emissions fell by 14% compared with 2020.
In line with the new target period with a base year of 2020, the system boundaries of Ifolor AG were updated in the 2021 financial year.
- Energy provision: Energy provision encompasses indirect emissions from the production of electricity, heating energy and fuels. Emissions from the provision of energy reflect best practice, not just at industrial companies but across all sectors.
- Commuting: The indicators “Working from home, percentage” and “Energy consumption, working from home” have been added. This change was made because the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting Federal Council order to work from home had a major impact on commuting patterns.
- Climate-neutral paper and print jobs: Unlike in the previous target period, the use of climate-neutral print jobs and paper is taken into account when calculating the carbon footprint. This amount is then deducted from the volume to be offset.
- Photographic inks: In the new target period, photographic inks (water-based inks and UV-curable inks) are now also included in the chemicals category. This means that we are up to date in the calculation of our CO₂ emissions and comparability across sectors is assured. We also take into account the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of commuting and working from home. Consequently, we also group all inks used under the chemicals used. In this respect, we have broadened the scope, also including in the calculation substances that remain in the product.
This resulted in an increase in CO₂ emissions of 111 tonnes in 2021. Compared with the new reference year 2020, we achieved a 29% reduction in CO₂ emissions for chemicals, 14% for electrical power and 13% for business travel in 2021.
Our climate-neutral business operations
We measure all consumables that are required for the production of our products, such as chemicals (incl. ink, varnish), energy, electricity, paper and water consumption, business travel, commuting and waste. We compensate the emissions calculated from the consumption by supporting two climate projects. Therefore, our business operations related to the production of our products are climate-neutral. Since 2012, we have had our CO₂ management checked by an independent body, Swiss Climate AG, and are once again certified "CO₂ neutral" every year.
Environmentally friendly products
We believe that making the production of our products more environmentally friendly is essential to ensuring long-term environmental sustainability. Therefore, sustainability is just as much a focus when procuring products from external suppliers as it is when making the photo products. We also strive to design durable products, which we do by producing items of the highest quality. Users are then able to enjoy our products for longer, with no need to buy a replacement. We currently offer the following range of environmentally friendly products:
Photo T-Shirt
The high-quality Switcher T-Shirt is made from 100% organic and Fairtrade certified cotton. The T-shirt is characterised by the 170 g/m2 strong and durable material and ensures a comfortable wearing feeling.
Poster Hanger
The wooden strips of your ifolor poster board are made of durable solid wood and will last a very long time. The lime and oak wood come from an European forest and was manufactured in the EU.
Easel calendar
The easel calendar with wooden stand is both elegant and sustainable. The wooden stand is made of European oak, and the monthly cards are made of wood-free natural paper.
Photo Flip
In April 2022, the plastic stand for the photo flip book was replaced by an environmentally friendly cardboard stand. The plastic cover sheet was also replaced by a transparent paper.
Wall calendar
About two years ago, the plastic cover sheet on the wall calendars was replaced with a stiffer cover page. This means that our calendars are completely plastic-free.
ifolor’s CEO Hannes Schwarz “As a family-run company, we have lived and breathed photography since 1961. Environmentally friendly development and production on site according to Swiss quality standards is a tradition with us".
Andreas Schmidt, Head of Quality Management Systems “We are renowned for carefully crafted, high-quality products and guaranteed satisfaction.”
Andreas Schmidt, Head of Quality Management Systems “We are renowned for carefully crafted, high-quality products and guaranteed satisfaction.”
Social commitment to climate projects
By investing in Swiss Climate projects and saving resources within the company, we are making our contribution to environmentally conscious living and a sustainable future. The greenhouse gas emissions generated by business operations are offset via a percentage-based contribution to one of Swiss Climate's climate projects. This amount is calculated based on the quantity of CO₂ generated in the corresponding reporting period. The two projects we have been supporting since 2016 are:
Energy-efficient stoves in Ghana ifolor supports this project, which uses specially developed, efficient stoves to help families in Ghana drastically reduce their need for firewood. These energy-efficient stoves reduce health risks, create jobs, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and protect forests and biodiversity.
Forest protection in the Congo Basin ifolor supports the project, which fights against the destruction of the rainforest in the heart of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It provides the local population and a variety of rare and endangered animal and plant species with a sustainable livelihood. and thereby significantly reduces the annual CO₂ emissions..
You can find more information about Swiss Climate and the climate projects here
We like to give something back to our planet via our Happy Hour campaigns. Read about the fundraising activities that have already taken place and the active contribution we make to preserving a sustainable planet.
Swiss Climate CO₂ Neutral
We have held this certificate – based on the international ISO 14064 standard – ever since 2012 for our commitment to continuously improving our carbon footprint in line with Swiss Climate. Because we take our responsibility to preserve the environment very seriously, we strive to use natural resources in a mindful and sustainable manner in our daily operations. You can find more information on the “CO₂-neutral” certification at www.swissclimate.ch
ISO 14001:2015
In 2022, we received this certificate – based on the international ISO 14001:2015 standard – for our excellent and thorough organisation in setting up and implementing our environmental management system. Our commitment to environmental issues is part of this integrated management system and is constantly being developed and optimised. You can find further information on the “ISO 14001:2015” label at https://www.sqs.ch/de/dienstleistungen/produkte/iso-140012015
Interesting facts about sustainability
Read our sustainability blogs on the Inspiration page.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
ifolor carries out fundraising activities as part of its Happy Hour campaigns. Click here to see what fundraising activities we do.
Poster Hanger
The wooden strips of your ifolor poster board are made of durable solid wood and will last a very long time. The lime and oak wood come from an European forest and was manufactured in the EU.
Photo T-Shirt
The high-quality Switcher T-Shirt is made from 100% organic and Fairtrade certified cotton. The T-shirt is characterised by the 170 g/m2 strong and durable material and ensures a comfortable wearing feeling.
Easel Calendar:
The easel calendar with wooden stand is elegant and sustainable. The wooden stand is made of European oak, and the monthly cards are made of wood-free natural paper.
Photo Flip:
In April 2022, the plastic stand for the photo flip book was replaced by a more sustainable material, such as cardboard. The plastic cover sheet will also be replaced with transparent paper.
Wall calendar:
About two years ago, the plastic cover sheet on the wall calendars was replaced with a stiffer cover page. This means that our calendars are completely plastic-free.
The business operations surrounding the creation of our products are climate neutral. This means that we measure all consumption required to manufacture the products, such as waste, chemicals, business trips and electricity. We offset the emissions calculated from the consumption by supporting climate projects. Since 2012, we have had our CO₂ management independently audited by Swiss Climate AG and are re-certified as "CO₂ neutral" every year.
You can read more about the climate projects supported by ifolor here.
In 2013, ifolor switched to sourcing all of its electricity from Swiss hydropower. Since 2012, ifolor has focused on the systematic collection and recycling of paper and cardboard waste, and it implemented a comprehensive waste concept in the same year.