Green Printing
We believe in the power of letterpress to do good. For us to do good in this day and age, more is required than simply using recycled papers and soy inks on our wedding invitations. Being a green printer means researching and developing and striving and challenging and setting goals.
We use only vegetable-oil based and low-Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) inks, and low-VOC and citrus-based solvents. We recycle our photo chemistry, film, and paper offcuts. Empty ink cans and old rags are kept out of landfills. We recycle and compost our waste. We use recycled packaging materials and reuse packing materials from vendors. We donate surplus paper annually to local art teachers. We reuse paper scraps for office notes. We package our custom work in keepsake boxes made in Syracuse from 100% post-consumer recycled materials.
We letterpress our invitations on our 100% tree-free Bella Cotton and Bella Smooth Cotton papers. Both papers are made using reclaimed fibers from the garment industry, are totally chlorine-free and archival, and made exclusively for us at historic paper mills that share our environmental values. For our colored papers, pocketfolds and colored envelopes, we source the most environmental colored papers we can find (with FSC® certification and/or recycled content).
To reduce our carbon footprint, we are entirely powered by wind through the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). We purchase bus passes for our employees to encourage public transportation usage. We subsidize Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) memberships with a local organic farm because we believe our food shouldn’t travel 1,500 miles to reach us.
NativeEnergy Wind Power
NativeEnergy is a Native-American owned business that builds renewable energy projects for Native Americans, Alaska native villages, family farmers, and rural communities. For our letterpress shop to be wind-powered, we figure out how much energy our print shop uses annually, then we purchase that same amount in green-E certified RECs (Renewable Energy Credits) from NativeEnergy. The amount of energy that we use is then put back into the grid via NativeEnergy’s wind farms and other renewable energy sources.