Vancouver, BC, March 30, 2011

Actions of leading printers go beyond certification or using minimum amounts of recycled paper

North America's leading green printers are going above and beyond certification to become active enablers of forest conservation and eco-paper development, according to a new Printer Leadership List, put out by environmental publishing organization, Canopy. It is the latest development in Canopy’s work to improve the environmental performance of North American printers and enable proactive printers to provide meaningful eco-solutions to the benefit of their clients and the planet.

The list is designed to help printers identify pragmatic ways to implement a visionary paper purchasing policy that will ultimately benefit their business, communities and forests while reducing the impacts of climate change.

“The actions of leading printers go far beyond obtaining certification or using minimum amounts of recycled paper,” says Neva Murtha, Canopy’s Printer and Second Harvest Campaigner. “What this list shows us is that a meaningful and rigorous eco-paper policy is only the first step.”

A select group of leading green printers are moving beyond paper policies and taking a more active role in forest conservation and eco-paper development, including:

• Transparently reporting on the increased use of FSC-certified and recycled paper;
• Lending their voice to forest conservation initiatives in North America and worldwide;
• Supporting landmark conservation initiatives such as the Boreal Forest Agreement;
• Providing 100% post-consumer recycled paper as house sheets at a competitive price;
• Offering press time to agricultural residue paper trials;
• Training their sales team on how to help clients source the best eco-paper.

As a “living breathing” document, the Printer Leadership list will be an ongoing showcase of green printer best practices and case studies from around North America, and printers are invited to submit new leadership developments to share with the broader print and publishing community.

The list joins Canopy's other online tools and resources for printers, including the Ecopaper Database.

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Canopy is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to making the conservation of wild places a reality. For the past 11 years, we have worked to protect the world's forests, species and climate by collaboratively engaging the business community and public to create a sustainable and innovative supply chain. In the past 12-months, Canopy has expanded its work to include the influential North American print industry.

For more information contact:

Neva Murtha

Canopy

604-817-4974

neva@canopyplanet.org