Hemlock Printers: Protecting Our Forests with Sustainable Procurement

Written by: Amanda Chor, Hemlock’s Sustainability Coordinator

Safeguarding our ancient and endangered forests takes commitment from all aspects of the print industry’s supply chain. Canopy, an award-winning non-profit organization dedicated to conserving our ancient and endangered forests, is a driving force behind creating permanent solutions for our world’s climate, species and threatened forests. We look to our 15-year partnership with Canopy with the utmost gratitude, knowing that they are a key contributor to strengthening Hemlock’s sustainable procurement practices.

Drawing insights from longstanding partnerships such as Canopy, Hemlock has made significant strides in caring for the world’s forests:

• In 2004,Hemlock was the first printing company in the Pacific Northwest to receive FSC Chain-of-Custody Certification
• In 2005, Hemlock developed an Ancient Forest Friendly policy with Canopy
• In 2009, Hemlock launched the Zero Carbon Neutral Program, enabling our clients to purchase carbon neutral print jobs
• In 2014, Hemlock partnered with Neenah Paper, to create Coronado SST 100, a carbon neutral and 100% PCW paper
• In 2015, Hemlock published our paper procurement policy, further articulating our commitment to sustainable purchases

Today, Hemlock is an environmental advocate for the circular economy, alternative fibers in paper products, transparency throughout our supply chain and conservation of forests through science-based research and development. To encourage transparency from our mills, we are incredibly proud to support Canopy’s ForestMapper map of global ancient and endangered forests. This tool enables mills to transition to more sustainable fibre supply chains by helping identify areas of potential sourcing risk. This year, Hemlock has reached out to 15 mills to share the ForestMapper tool and request sourcing information.

Sustainability transcends beyond the internal workings of a business. It is up to businesses to broaden their outlook and take a critical look at their supply chain. How can you influence your suppliers to become more environmentally progressive? What purchasing decisions can you implement to further embed sustainability into your procurement policies? When can you make these changes happen? These are the questions that we are committed to answering since sustainable procurement is a key aspect to preserving the long-term viability of our business and our planet.