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Daniel Attallah, founder & CEO of Pixum

We Care About Sustainablity

"As a modern and forward-thinking company, the commitment to sustainable business practices is essential and intricately linked to our success."

Daniel Attallah, founder & CEO of Pixum

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We are not perfect but we are working on it

As a leading online photo service, we are aware of our societal responsibility and understand the need to align our processes in a way that ensures the resources we use are available to future generations in the same quantity and quality. Therefore, we are working towards adapting our processes to reduce and ultimately eliminate our CO2e emissions. Where we have not yet achieved this, we compensate the resulting CO2e emissions. We hold ourselves to high standards in this regard, striving to make our customers happy while minimising our impact on the environment.

If you have specific questions about sustainability at Pixum, please visit our FAQ section.

Production Of Our Products

We are particularly committed to responsible handling of the natural resources used in production. With our FSC®-certified products, we promote sustainable forestry and ship them in FSC®-certified packaging with CO2e-compensated shipping to our customers.

Avoiding resources during the production

Prevention And Reduction

As a paper-processing company, it is important to us to responsibly manage the natural resources we use for our production processes. This means that we continually work to reduce and avoid the CO2e emissions from our production. For our reduction targets, we have set our own Science Based Targets in collaboration with our corporate group: By 2025, we aim to reduce our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 50% (baseline year 2015) and our Scope 3 emissions by 25% (baseline year 2015). We have already achieved our goal for Scope 1 and 2 emissions ahead of schedule. At all our production sites in Germany, we use 100% green electricity from DREWAG. Additionally, all major production sites are certified with the environmental management system ISO 14001.

FSC® Certification

Responsible management of the resource wood is more important than ever nowadays, and that's exactly what we strive for. By using certified and environmentally friendly materials, we emphasise our environmental expertise and commitment to sustainability. That's why we have been FSC® certified since 2013.

Image of a forest with the sun shining through the trees

FSC® Certification Process

The aim of FSC® certification, or the Forest Stewardship Council, is to promote environmentally-friendly, socially beneficial, and economically viable forest management. This ensures that the needs of present generations can be met without jeopardizing the needs of future generations.

Furthermore, FSC® certification guarantees complete traceability of the entire processing and supply chain, from the forest to the end customers. This means that all stages of the product chain, starting from the forest operation to the final processing step, must be certified according to FSC® standards. Only then can the FSC® logo appear on the end product. This transparent certification process ensures that FSC® certified materials can be identified at all times.

Climate Partner certificate for Pixum

Climate-Compensated Production

To compensate for our CO2e footprint, it is re-evaluated annually. This allows us to calculate the actual emissions produced, such as those in the production process, logistics, or administration, that cannot yet be avoided. This portion can be offset by supporting certified climate protection projects. We work with ClimatePartner for this purpose. For the year 2022, we have offset 5,012 tons of CO2e through a wind energy project in Nong Wang, Thailand.

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Wind farm project in northeastern Thailand

Climate Project In Thailand

The wind farm project we support in northeastern Thailand helps reduce CO2e emissions by supplying clean electricity generated from wind power to the national grid. This contributes to increasing the share of renewable energy in the country and improving energy security.

Located in the Nakhon Ratchasima region, the wind farm consists of 45 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 2.3 MW. This adds up to a total installed capacity of 103.5 MW, expected to generate approximately 232.5 GWh of clean electricity per year.

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Logistics

We place great importance on using recycled material for our shipping packaging. Therefore, we exclusively use FSC® certified material for this purpose. Since 2022, we have completely eliminated shrink wrap from our advent calendars, further reducing plastic packaging. It is our ongoing goal to continuously improve and become increasingly sustainable.

FSC® certified packaging with Pixum logo

FSC® Certified Packaging

We prioritise the use of recycled materials in our shipping packaging. We utilise FSC® certified material, which is either made from 100% recycled material or consists of at least 70% recycled material. The remaining 30% is sourced from controlled sources (Controlled Wood).

To reduce waste, we have long refrained from including invoices and return forms in our packages. As of 2022, we have completely eliminated shrink wrap from our advent calendars, further reducing plastic packaging. It is our ongoing goal to continuously improve and become increasingly sustainable.

FAQ - Sustainability At Pixum

Your Pixum photo book is of high quality and can bring you joy for a lifetime. Its long product lifespan helps protect the environment. Additionally, all Pixum photo books are FSC® certified.

We are continuously working to further reduce and, where possible, eliminate CO2e emissions generated during production and office operations. For emissions that we have not yet avoided, we offset them through a certified climate protection project in Nong Wang, Thailand.

The emissions generated during the shipment of our products to you are also CO2e-compensated. We utilize DHL Go Green, dpd, and UPS for this purpose.

As diverse as our customers are, so are their individual preferences and requirements for their Pixum photo books. That is why we give our customers the freedom to choose from all the paper qualities available in our range. However, it's important to note that every Pixum photo book, regardless of the chosen paper quality, is already FSC® certified. We believe in providing environmentally responsible products and supporting sustainable forestry through our certification.

Pixum photo books are of high quality and can bring you joy for a lifetime. However, if you ever need to dispose of one, the method of disposal depends on the type of paper used: If your Pixum photo book is made of photo paper, it should be disposed of in the regular waste bin. If it is a Pixum photo book printed on digital paper (premium paper), it can be disposed of in the paper recycling bin. It is recommended to separate the cover and inner pages to facilitate the recycling process.

Not recyclable is the cover lamination of the Pixum photo book. It is made of polypropylene and is separated from the recyclable paper fiber and disposed of separately in the paper recycling. This also applies to the adhesives used for binding. The inks used for printing are also not recyclable. They are therefore removed from the paper during the deinking process.

In order to certify a product as FSC®, 100% of the relevant materials must be certified. For some products, we still use occasional non-certified material. For others, we need to adjust the process to ensure compliance with all FSC® guidelines during the annual FSC® audit. Therefore, we continuously work towards expanding the FSC® certification to more products.

We are aware of the criticism and recognise that there is room for improvement. However, the FSC® seal continues to be the most comprehensive label for paper and wood products internationally and is still supported by many prominent environmental organisations. Therefore, we still consider the FSC® seal as the best option to promote sustainable forest management within our production processes.

It is important to us to of minimise complaints and reduce paper waste through re-production. To achieve this, it is necessary to protect the Pixum photo book from damage and contamination. However, Pixum is actively seeking ways to replace plastic films with more environmentally friendly alternatives in the long term. We are committed to exploring sustainable options and finding suitable solutions that align with our environmental goals.

The emissions generated during the production of Pixum photo books depend on whether they are produced using digital printing or photo paper. All emission values are regularly monitored and are well below the legally defined limits. Adequate occupational safety measures, such as ventilation and exhaust systems, are in place to ensure the health of employees.

The Pixum photo book produced using digital printing utilises the Liquid Electro Photography (LEP) technology. During this printing process, emissions can occur in the form of volatile organic compounds or ozone.

In the production process of Pixum photo books on photographic paper, wastewater emissions such as silver and complexing agents may be generated. The contaminated wastewater is directed to a treatment plant for recycling.

Additionally, there is the potential for air emissions during the binding and finishing processes.

Our highest priority is to reduce our CO2e emissions. However, until we achieve our long-term goal of net-zero emissions, we aim to compensate for our remaining CO2e emissions. Currently, we do so through a certified climate protection project in Nong Wang, Thailand. Transparency in our communication with customers is important to us, and we want to make it clear that the resulting carbon neutrality is achieved through compensation rather than having already reached a net-zero emissions goal.

Pixum's vegan products are free from ingredients of animal origin. No substances containing animal components are intentionally used or added during production and processing (derived from the definition of the "European Vegetarian Union").

The Pixum photo book with softcover on all digital printing papers is free from animal ingredients. Similarly, the Pixum photo book in booklet format, as well as all photo calendars and greeting cards produced using digital printing, are also vegan. Additionally, all textiles and drinking vessels (except the porcelain cup) and many other products in the category of photo gifts and wall art produced through direct printing are vegan.

If you are looking for information about products not listed here, please feel free to contact our customer service.

The Pixum photo book with a hardcover is bound using animal-based glue called animal glue, which is commonly used in bookbinding. This glue is made by boiling animal by-products and is therefore not vegan. Additionally, our products on photo paper require an emulsion layer made from gelatin, which also makes them not vegan. Unfortunately, we have not yet found vegan alternatives for these products that maintain consistent quality and are technically feasible.

Regarding our recycling paper, we cannot exclude the possibility that paper waste bound with animal glue has been included in the recycling process. As a result, the recycled paper may contain minimal residues of this glue.

We strive to consolidate orders whenever possible, but unfortunately, partial shipments due to production constraints cannot always be avoided. This may occur when different products are manufactured in separate production facilities.

Additionally, our priority is to dispatch already finished products as quickly as possible, even if not all components of an order are ready at the same time.

Please note that shipping costs are charged only once per order, regardless of any order split initiated by us, and irrespective of the quantity of items. In cases where products are not available in the same order and, for example, a customer orders a phone case after a Pixum photo book on our website, we may issue a credit for shipping costs as a gesture of goodwill upon request.

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