Hemlock Printers is the First Canadian Printer to Earn Green-e Certification

SAN FRANCISCO, December 4, 2012 /3BL Media/ - Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) announced today that Hemlock Printers, based in Metro Vancouver, BC, has joined Green-e® Marketplace after purchasing nearly 2,500 megawatt-hours of Green-e Energy Certified renewable energy certificates from 3Degrees–enough to meet 100 percent of the total annual electricity needs for the printer's entire U.S. and Canadian operations. By participating in Green-e Marketplace, Hemlock can now display the Green-e logo to inform its customers of its commitment to clean, renewable energy.

"Hemlock Printers has been a leader in the printing industry for many years. We are extremely pleased to add Hemlock as a part of our Green-e re:print initiative," said Orrin Cook, manager of Green-e Marketplace. "We look forward to seeing many customers in Canada and beyond use Hemlock to lower their environmental footprint and support renewable energy use."

Hemlock Printers is one of the largest commercial sheetfed printers in the Pacific Northwest, with a 79,000 square-foot facility and over 170 employees. Its other environmentally friendly practices include an aggressive recycle and reuse program in its facilities, and practices to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 33% below 2007 levels by 2020.

"The re:print program is another significant step towards a truly sustainable paper and printing industry," said Richard Kouwenhoven, President and General Manager of Hemlock. "It's the first program that addresses renewable energy use across the supply chain, which raises the bar in our industry and allows our clients to demonstrate their commitments through the use of the Green-e logo. We're very excited to support the growth of this important program."

By offering its customers printing and paper that has been sourced from renewable energy, Hemlock can use the Green-e logo on printed materials through the Green-e re:print program. This program promotes renewable electricity in the print supply chain by granting use of the Green-e logo to organizations that source both their paper and printing through Green-e Marketplace Certified printers and paper lines.

Hemlock joins a growing list of companies and organizations taking real action to reduce the impact of their energy use. Electricity generated from renewable sources results in less environmental waste and pollution and displaces other non-renewable sources from the electric grid. Hemlock's purchase of electricity created from nearly emissions-free renewable sources avoids carbon dioxide and other pollutants and serves to build the market for renewable energy nationwide, increasing incentives for developing new facilities. Currently, renewable energy accounts for less than ten percent of total electricity generation nationwide.

Renewable energy certificates purchased by Hemlock are certified by Green-e Energy, the leading renewable energy certification program in the nation. Green-e Energy provides independent, third-party certification to ensure renewable energy products meet strict environmental and consumer protection standards, including being sourced from verified, new facilities; not being double-counted towards any state's renewable energy goal; and being retired on behalf of the purchaser. Every Green-e Marketplace participant undergoes annual verification and audits to document that it has purchased enough certified renewable energy to meet its annual commitment. 

  About Hemlock Printers Hemlock Printers is one of the largest commercial sheetfed printers in the Pacific Northwest, and is a professionally managed, privately owned family enterprise that has built its success on service integrity, quality products and a commitment to continuous innovation. With a production facility in Burnaby, British Columbia that operates 100% carbon neutral, and offices in Victoria, Seattle, and San Francisco, Hemlock is consistently recognized as an industry leader in both quality and sustainability. Learn more about Hemlock at at www.hemlock.com.   About Green-e and Center for Resource Solutions A program of Center for Resource Solutions, Green-e is North America's leading independent consumer protection program for the sale of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions in the retail market. Green-e offers certification and verification of renewable energy and greenhouse gas mitigation products through Green-e Energy, a renewable energy certification program; Green-e Climate, a greenhouse gas emission reduction certification program; and Green-e Marketplace, a program that provides forward-thinking organizations a simple, nationally recognized logo they can use to communicate their renewable energy and climate commitment to their customers and shareholders. To learn more about Green-e Certified products and programs available in all 50 states, visit www.green-e.org.