A signmaker is expanding its headquarters after another year of certified carbon-neutral status.

Ast, a leading signmaking company that specialises in transport branding, announced the retention of its carbon-neutral status for another year.

It added that due to ‘increase demand for its services’, it will ‘significantly expand’ its Cumbrian headquarters this year.

Based in Penrith and Warrington, Ast’s big name clients include Amazon, Barclays, Culina, and Malcolm Group.

It became officially certified as carbon neutral in accordance with PA32060 - a specification detailing how to demonstrate carbon neutrality produced and published by the British Standards Institution, the UK’s national standards body, in 2023.

In Cumbria: Ast's Penrith headquartersAst's Penrith headquarters (Image: Ast)

It said it’s achieved a 17 per cent reduction in intensity and a 10 per cent reduction in absolute emissions over the last 12 months.

Carbon neutrality means having a balance between emitting carbon – a major pollutant - and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere.

Essentially, it means whatever pollution is emitted, the same is absorbed back, effectively meaning the business is not emitting any pollution because of the balance.

Over the last year it’s increased the number of electric vehicles in its fleet and said it’s ‘overhauled’ how it processes and compacts waste to ‘increase recycling efficiency’, which all contributed to the reductions.

On the back of this, its Penrith headquarters will see the addition of a CNC workshop created using four shipping containers, and a new building to house its graphics fitting facility, which it said was designed with sustainability in mind.

Mark Aston, MD, said: “We’re very proud to be leading the way in our industry.

“We’re doing this in a genuine way – we’re still the only carbon-neutral transport branding company in the UK.”

He added its not a ‘completely altruistic’ endeavour, though, and ‘makes sound business sense, especially in the long term’.

In Cumbria: Mark Aston, Ast's MDMark Aston, Ast's MD (Image: Ast)

“Since we started to calculate and monitor our carbon footprint in 2011 we’ve reduced it year on year and our aim is to continue to do so until we’re net-zero.

“This approach is serving us well and our clients value our carbon-neutral status which has led to us needing to expand our Cumbrian base.”