Sustainability

PrintForest is certified for sustainability

When you choose PrintForest, your printed materials send a powerful message about your support for sustainability.

Each printing project represents PrintForest’s efforts to reduce energy and water use, power with 100% renewable energy, print on recycled and sustainably sourced paper, operate a zero-waste facility, use plant-based ink, plant trees to restore forests and help educate the community about environmental sustainability.

PrintForest is a division of Posty Cards, a Kansas City based company that has a corporate sustainability philosophy of minimizing its impact on the environment. As a family-owned company since 1948, Posty Cards’ owners and employees are committed to creating the highest quality printing with the smallest carbon footprint. That means everything - from paper to printing - is done in the most sustainable way possible.

Recognized nationally by many sustainability certification programs, PrintForest and Posty Cards strive to be models for what is possible for eco-friendly businesses. From the materials, to the manufacturing processes and operation of the entire facility, PrintForest and Posty Cards are certified for sustainability.

When you print, we plant trees

For each printing job, PrintForest will plant trees to offset paper consumption. Through a partnership with PrintReleaf, all paper use is calculated for the impact on forests. Each PrintForest customers’ paper footprint is automatically reforested by planting trees at one of several sites that the customer selects. The PrintReleaf certification process provides each customer with an ongoing calculation of tree planting efforts that can then be shared with their customers. On average, PrintReleaf plants more than 1,000 trees a day to offset paper consumption of its partners.

Your shipping is carbon neutral

All products will be shipped with UPS® carbon neutral certified offsets that support reforestation, methane and landfill gas destruction and wastewater treatment projects. UPS® has a third-party verification and certification process that ensures the correct emissions are calculated and offset.

Posty Cards solar panels

Sustainability achievements are ongoing

A tour through the LEED Platinum® certified printing facility in Kansas City, MO will showcase these sustainability efforts:

  • 388 solar photovoltaic panels produce nearly 20-percent of electrical needs
  • Zero-waste facility
  • Extensive recycling program
  • Solar-produced hot water
  • 12 electric-vehicle charging stations
  • High-efficiency variable refrigerant volume HVAC with air-energy transfer system
  • Extensive natural lighting, 100% LED fixtures and automatic lighting controls
  • 1,800 gallon rainwater reclamation tank for garden irrigation and toilet flushing
  • Water retention basin for storm water management
  • Two-acre, native plant landscaping and rain garden
  • Low-VOC paint
  • 100-percent recycled, cradle-to-cradle carpeting
  • No-flow and low-flow plumbing fixtures
  • Low-e windows
  • FSC certified and recycled building materials sourced from within 500 miles
  • Previously used office furnishings

Our high-quality printing has a low-carbon footprint

PrintForest is a Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified printer and all paper is FSC® certified. Additionally, customers can choose recycled paper that ranges from 10 to 100 percent post-consumer waste. All envelopes are certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®).

Packaging is 100-percent recycled

All PrintForest packing boxes are made from 100-percent recycled corrugated material and are manufactured locally, further reducing their environmental impact. They are specially designed to be used as a shipping and storage container for your print product, and later reused for your office or household items. All packing materials are 100-percent recycled and recyclable.

We’ve made every effort to eliminate plastic. However, if you need items shrink wrapped, you can select this additional packaging option. It can be recycled at drop-off sites that accept plastic bags.

PrintForest strives for sustainability

PrintForest meets the high standards of these nationally and internationally recognized, sustainability certifications:

FSC

Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®)

The FSC® certification is recognized internationally for ensuring that products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.


Green-e

Green-e® Energy

PrintForest matches 100-percent of its non-renewable energy use with certified renewable energy certificates using Green-e® verified certification, the nation’s leading independent consumer protection program for the sale of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction credits.


KCP&L Clean Charge Network

Kansas City Power & Light Co. Clean Charge Network Partner

Posty Cards, the parent company of PrintForest, installed the first privately owned electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Kansas City in 2010. The company partnered with the KCP&L in 2015 to install six EV charging stations that power 12 electric vehicles as part of the utility’s 1,000 EV Clean Charge Network – making Kansas City the most EV friendly city in the country.


LEED

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED®) Platinum (USGBC)

The U.S. Green Building Council certifies the highest levels of building sustainability through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. PrintForest’s parent company, Posty Cards, was one of the first manufacturing plants in the country to be certified at the highest LEED-Platinum level in 2010.


PrintReleaf

PrintForest partners with PrintReleaf to plant trees through its certified Automated Global Reforestation program.


PEFC

Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)

As the world’s leading forest certification organization, PEFC works internationally to promote sustainable forest management and ensure certified companies are using sustainably managed fiber throughout the chain-of-custody process.

 

Recycled Paper

PrintForest paper options include 100%, 30% and 10% post-consumer weight recycled content or recycled fibers.


Sustainable Circles Leader

REV Sustainability Circles®

Posty Cards was chosen to participate in the first Sustainability Circles program in Kansas City in 2015 and developed a five-year Sustainability Action Plan, which now includes PrintForest.


SFI

Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®)

SFI® is a comprehensive, independent certification program that works with environmental, social and industry partners to improve forestry practices in North America and fiber sourcing worldwide.


SGP

Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP)

SGP is the leading comprehensive sustainability certifier of print facilities nationwide working to encourage printing companies to reduce their environmental impact.

SGP

TRUE® Zero Waste

PrintForest is certified as a platinum-level TRUE® Zero Waste facility – making it the first printing facility in the U.S. and first company in the state of Missouri to reach the platinum level through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Green Business Certification Inc. TM (GBCI®).


U.S. Department of Energy Workplace Charging Challenge Partner

PrintForest and Posty Cards join companies across the country in pledging to provide electric vehicle charging stations for their employees and the public.


EPA

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Green Power Partnership

The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program of organizations that commit to using clean energy for electrical use.

 

For chain of custody certificates, click here.