Imprim'Vert®:
This initiative was launched in 1998 by the Chambers of Professions and the professionnal organisations of the region Centre (France). It is now used in many other regions by the Consular Chambers (Chambers of Professions and Chambers of Commerce). It permits graphic industries to demonstrate their commitment to respect the environnement (http://www.imprimvert.fr/)

In close collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nantes (France), Quo Vadis has obtained the Imprim'Vert® label in September 2006.

To obtain the label a company must meet the following criteria:f

• Dangerous waste must be destroyed in accordance with rules by authorized providers.
• The stocking of dangerous products and waste must be secured by retention means.
• The company must not use any known toxic product.
  

For instance:

All waste from dangerous products (ink cans, solvent packaging, used computer, batteries and used ink holders…) must be sorted and valorized through a specialised path.

ISO 14001:
The ISO 14001 certification, obtained in October 2007, assures that the environmental management of the company respects the standards requirements, meaning the applicable environmental regulation respect, the consistent improvement engagment and the pollution prevention engagment.

The approach for certification started with an environmental analysis, which allowed different work groups to identify the impacts of their activities on the environment.
The most significant impacts on the environment (highest frequencies and seriousness) needed control and survellance means.

 For instance:

Colour trays were installed in order to optimize the sorting of basic waste. This allowed a decrease of 50 tons (the first year) of non recycled products.

Environmental correspondents are present in each workshop and are active go-betweens in order to optimize the settlment of the different actions.

Our wish is to collaborate with suppliers and subcontractor who shares our environmental and social objectives. This is taken into account when we select and evaluate them. They for instance have to commit to respect the work conditions dictated by the internationnal regulations (time, minimum age, work security...).

PEFC:
Quo Vadis has certified its paper traceability chain since December 2007 with PEFC standards.
This assures that the forest from which the wood was taken obtained a sustainable management certification.

The criterias to respect are the following:

• Appropriate preservation and improvement of the forest resources and their contribution to worldwide carbon cycle.
• Forest ecosystems' health and vitality maintenance.
• Forest production functions maintenance and encouragements.
• Appropriate maintenance, preservation and improvement of the biological diversity in the forest ecosystems.
• Maintenance and improvement of forest preservation management (especially water and soil).
• Maintenance of other benefits (gneral public welcome, landscape…) and socio-economical conditions.

The paper traceability chain certification allows to ensure the wood traceability from the forest to the shop, by certifiying each step of the wood transformation into a diary.