Southern Regional College has switched its printed promotional materials to carbon balancing printing in support of its aim to reduce the College’s overall carbon impact.
The newly created Further Education and Apprenticeship Course Guides seen the College balance 123kg of carbon emissions and enable the World Land Trust to protect 24 metres squared of critically threatened rain forest; a real and measurable impact. Additional carbon balancing benefits will follow with the implementation of carbon balancing initiatives across all course guides and materials.
The College effectively demonstrates how educational institutions can balance environmental responsibility with influential marketing strategies effectively. The College's 2025/26 course guides show smart design choices. A slimmed down single printed A2 fold out leaflet has seen print page volumes cut by 75% over the past two years, while still delivering key information customers need.
This initiative will help to reduce paper waste whilst also delivering quality content. Detailed information on all courses, including module information, entry requirements and assessment methods is available on the College website to aid applicants in the decision-making process.
The College's commitment to carbon balancing in its marketing materials stems from the College signing up to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Accord in 2023.The SDG Accord is an initiative within the College and University sector which aims to advance the role education has in delivering solutions to the world’s biggest problems. SRC’s new course guides specifically meets the responsible consumption and production goal through the reduction of waste production and revitalised efforts towards digital consumption.
Carbon balancing is delivered in partnership with the World Land Trust, an international conservation charity and helps with the protection and restoration of threatened forests in the tropics.
Raymond Sloan, Director of Client Services at Southern Regional College commented:
“The College remains committed to reducing its carbon footprint and plays a central and transformative role in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals which we have committed to. Gone are the bulky prospectuses, replaced with fully recyclable, slimmed down course guides which include carbon-balancing. This is an important factor in ensuring we continue to meet our commitments under the SDG Accord.”
Michelle Currie, Head of Marketing, Communications & Student Recruitment further commented:
“By transitioning from a traditional printed prospectus to concise, targeted leaflets on carbon-balanced paper, we are not only reducing our environmental footprint but also making it easier for prospective students to access key course information. This shift reflects our commitment to sustainability and our understanding of how students prefer to engage with us. Our website will now serve as a central hub for more dynamic, up-to-date content, ensuring that students have a more personalised and accessible experience when exploring their educational options."