We are thrilled to have supported Creative Resource’s Two+Two event in Manchester for several years now. The event is a fantastic opportunity for upcoming creative and marketing talents to come together and showcase their skills. Over 150 students participate in the event, working on a live brief while being mentored by industry professionals. The ideas are then judged by a panel of experts, and this year’s winning team is invited to Headline Sponsor, Coinbase’s London offices for a full-day immersive workshop with the firm’s UK marketing team, international brand team and international design leads. As part of this experience, they design a marketing campaign that will be displayed throughout Coinbase’s London offices.

We were a creative partner for this year’s event, providing complimentary design work and printing. We also sent mentors for the day, including Senior Copywriter Nick Watmough and Account Director Louisa Thomas. Our Creative Director, Paul Dunleavy, was also one of the judges.

This year, the students were challenged to demonstrate the potential of blockchain technology and crypto assets. They formed teams of 30 students across 5 groups and were asked to think about how they can capture the public’s imagination on the potential of blockchain technology and crypto assets to update the system to drive societal change, and ultimately demystify the industry.

The Red Snakes team emerged as the winners, with their simple demonstration of how blockchain technology can provide reassurance and transparency in the food supply chain to consumers and retailers. The other finalists will also receive mentorships and internships from a host of agencies, including ourselves, and we are excited to work with them soon.

Congratulations to all involved and thank you to Creative Resource for once again putting on such an inspiring event!

Read about last year’s event here.

This week, we cemented our commitment to combat climate change in collaboration with the Woodland Trust by helping to plant 3,500 native saplings on the picturesque former Frodsham Golf Course in Cheshire. We joined 20 other businesses and around 100 of their enthusiastic employees and customers for a day of planting saplings which will one day grow into a thriving native forest.

Native trees such as Maple, Oak and Silver Birch, hold the key to addressing the immediate challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. Being a part of Premier’s tree planting initiative, Carbon Capture®, demonstrates a joint dedication to providing sustainable solutions for excess CO₂ emissions within our industry.

The Frodsham site is set to be transformed into native broadleaf woodland, contributing to the growth of The Mersey Forest and the larger Northern Forest, which spans from Liverpool to the Yorkshire coast. With tree cover in Merseyside and Cheshire at 6 to 7%, some way below the national average of 13%, this initiative serves as a beacon for environmental conservation and mitigating climate change.

The objectives for the Frodsham site are to support nature recovery, climate change mitigation, and increase community involvement. The new woodland will also provide habitats for wildlife, offer public recreation spaces, and contribute to long-term carbon storage.

“APS Group have engaged with the Woodland Trust for many Years and actively takes part in the Tree Planting days organised through one of our key Suppliers ‘Premier Paper Group.’ The Carbon Capture programme focuses on the UK, protecting ancient, veteran and valuable woods, plus creating new quality woodland and growing UK native trees to benefit nature, the climate and future generations. It is a perfect initiative which we at APS are glad to support and gives companies and their clients the opportunity to mitigate carbon and demonstrate their sustainable development goals.”

Brian Henners, Global In-Direct Supply Chain Director at APS Group

We’re proud to contribute to the UK’s ‘net zero by 2050’ target by being a part of Premier’s Carbon Capture® programme. This initiative has created over 3 million square meters of new native woodland in the UK, which equates to 107,571 tonnes of CO₂e to be mitigated. We can’t wait to join the initiative again next year!

Read more out about our sustainability commitments here.

APS developed Print Marketplace, an innovative online portal for purchasing print, in partnership with the Crown Commercial Service and YPO. We’re incredibly proud of the platform’s commitment to sustainability and social value. Schools, universities and academies now have a truly sustainable option for purchasing the thousands of print items they need every year.

Ross Buthee, Commercial Lead at CCS, recently featured in the Department for Education’s ‘Buying for Schools’ blog, explained how easy it is to make responsible buying decisions using the system, and how it can contribute to organisational goals. The online solution makes it easy to opt for more environmentally friendly buying decisions, even down to choosing a specific grade of sustainability (such as 100%-recycled) for materials used.

With ability to filter quotes by delivery miles, buyers can choose to support local suppliers and reduce CO₂ emissions with the same purchase, and residual carbon emissions can be offset with most print quotes, which is a win for everyone! You can read more about Print Marketplace here ??