Environmental

Yearbook & Paper Recycling

We’re committed to responsible practices to protect the future of our planet. Our company invests in research and innovations to improve the management of our global forest resources.

We source paper and other materials for the yearbook and commercial publications we produce from organizations that, like Balfour, are committed to supporting sustainable forest management, the protection of wildlife, and air & water quality.

In the past five years, we’ve recycled over 7,900 tons of paper. In doing so, we’ve helped preserve more than 120,000 trees, 49 million gallons of water, 7,000 tons of C02, 39 million kilowatt-hours of energy, and 23,000 cubic yards of landfill space.

We’re proud of our accomplishments and will continue improving, monitoring, measuring, and reporting our progress in meeting sustainability standards. Join us in our efforts to support a more environmentally conscious tradition.

Graduation Regalia

Balfour produces the UltraGreen Souvenir Caps & Gowns for graduation. UltraGreen is 100% polyester fabric made from 100% recycled plastic bottles and is an excellent choice for both your school and the environment. Made with a 100% post-consumer recycled textile, manufactured from recycled plastic PET bottles in a crease-resistant satin finish.

Clean Class Rings

Balfour was the first class ring manufacturer to endorse No Dirty Gold’s Golden Rules calling on the mining industry to extract and manufacture gold under higher social, human rights, and environmental standards. For more information about this movement, please visit www.nodirtygold.org.

The Kimberley Process

The United Nations passed a resolution called the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme that is designed to certify the origins of diamonds and to ensure these stones are not “conflict” or “blood” diamonds.

It is Balfour’s commitment to you that diamonds used in our products are conflict-free, based on written guarantees from our diamond supplier.

Environmentally-Friendly Stones

Our simulated birthstones are all lab-created stones, with many sharing the same chemical properties as genuine stones. Except for diamonds, our birthstones are not mined and are very eco-friendly.

Recycled Steel

Our Celestrium™ material is a fine jeweler’s stainless steel that is over 95% recycled material.

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education

Balfour is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE),an association of colleges and universities working to create a sustainable future. Its mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation. They do this by providing resources, professional development, and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research.