Choosing a Green Printer

In an effort to be more sustainable Omicron recently began to use Hemlock Printers for a variety of our custom print jobs. I had the opportunity to tour the 79,000 sq.ft. printing facility, located in Burnaby, BC. There I learned firsthand about their wide variety of FSC certified papers, the low VOC vegetable based inks they exclusively use and saw their extensive on-site recycling system.

Hemlock Printers also recently launched “Zero”, it is an innovative carbon neutral printing program; the first of its kind in Canada. “Zero” is an easy three‐step carbon neutral printing program that enables Hemlock’s print customers to make sound, environmentally friendly choices and demonstrate the positive steps they are taking toward climate change mitigation. The program was jointly created with Offsetters, Canada’s leading carbon management company.

I encourage you to go to http://www.hemlock.com/ and learn more about this local, sustainable company.

Print Jul 27, 2010 by Tammy Resources Trackback

03 Aug 2010 at 1:53 pm
Ben
CANADA

very cool! vegetable based inks- what happens when you want any other color than green??? Ha!
great initiative and cool graphic presentation on their website.
is carbon neutral mean they have changed their operations or just paid for the offsets to say they are?

09 Aug 2010 at 2:43 pm
DTade
CANADA

Yes the offsets are purchased. Customers can choose to add a 1-2% fee per print job which is then invested in recognized renewable and clean tech products. Hemlock themselves have managed their carbon footprint so that today they have reduced greenhouse gas emissions to 33% below their 2007 levels.

Here are 10 green questions you can ask your printer (courtesy of Hemlock printing)
1. Are you FSC certified?
2. Do you have an environmental policy?
3. Have you implemented an environmental management system?
4. Do you use Isoproply Alcohol in the pressroom?
5. How do you engage your employees in sustainability?
6. Which materials do you recycle?
7. Are you tracking carbon emissions? If so do you have a mitigation strategy?
8. What environmental performance indicators are you tracking?
9. Does your company generate haszrdous waste? If so, how is it disposed of?
10. What measures have been taken to reduce VOCs in your process?

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