Features Business Sustainability
Hemlock Expands Carbon-neutral Printing Program

Hemlock Printers of Burnaby, British Columbia, one of the world’s most environmentally progressive printing companies, launched two new offset portfolios (domestic and international) for its carbon neutral printing program called Zero.



In partnership with Offsetters Climate Solutions, Hemlock’s new initiatives allow clients to direct their support, as defined and recorded within its Zero program, to national or international climate offset projects.

Originally launched in 2009, Hemlock’s Zero program has now served 278 clients throughout North America, with more than 16-million pieces being printed within the carbon neutral program. As a result, more than 4,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions have been offset to date, which is the equivalent of taking 833 cars off the road for one year.


“We first started working with Hemlock Printers in 2008 with a simple offset purchase. Since then, our relationship has evolved into an innovative partnership, growing Hemlock’s business while tackling climate change,” stated Jeff Calvert, CFO and VP of Marketing for Offsetters Climate Solutions. “By building on Zero with these new [climate] offset portfolios, Hemlock has once again demonstrated why they are North America’s most environmentally progressive and client-focused printer.”


Within Hemlock’s Zero program, clients can direct support to the following new initiatives within a Canadian Offset Portfolio: The Great Bear Rainforest Carbon Project, which is an Improved Forest Management initiative that generates emissions reductions by protecting forest areas that were previously designated, sanctioned or approved for commercial logging; and the Nanaimo Landfill Gas Capture and Flare project, where carbon offset funds have enabled the Regional District of Nanaimo to reduce emissions of methane from its landfill by capturing and flaring the landfill gas that is normally produced.


The International Offset Portfolio available through Zero support now includes the Mai Ndombe REDD+ project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, helping to protect 300,000 hectares of tropical rainforest from complete loss of forest cover; increased distribution of efficient wood burning cook stoves in Uganda to households and institutions; and Lee Country Waste to Energy Facility in Florida, which uses a combustion process that eliminates 100 percent of the potential of municipal solid waste to generate methane.


“The enhancement to our Zero program through the addition of these new portfolios allows us to further emphasize the benefits of this program for our clients,” stated Richard Kouwenhoven, President and GM of Hemlock Printers. “By working with Offsetters, we have been able to identify a fantastic group of portfolios for our clients to choose from.”


As part its overall sustainability program, Hemlock also made a commitment to reduce its own operational emissions by 33 percent by 2020. The company conducts an annual waste audit to ensure it is continuing to divert over 90 percent of non-paper solids and 100 percent of paper waste from the landfill.