At Hemlock, we believe individual actions by organizations culminate into a magnitude of benefits for the environment. Illustrating this positive impact, our clients collectively offset over a million kilograms of CO2e each year through their contribution to the Zero Carbon Neutral Print program. For the past decade, Hemlock has encouraged clients to participate in our Zero program to make their print projects carbon neutral and ultimately help build a sustainable future.
Diving into the environmental aspects of the Zero program, we would like to answer this question: How does Hemlock measure the carbon footprint of a print project?
Paper is a major part of any print project. With this in mind, Hemlock finds each project’s unique carbon footprint by evaluating the paper lifecycle from cradle-to-grave (forest, mill, our facility and end-of-life). To quantify a project’s carbon footprint, Hemlock first measures the distance travelled from the mill to our facility using transportation conversion factors and then utilizes the Environmental Paper Network’s (EPN) Paper Calculator to measure the following:
- Wood use
- Total Energy
- Climate Change Impacts
- Water Consumption
- Solid Waste
- Ground level ozone
- Particulates
- Regional acidification
- Forest and Freshwater Disturbance
- Ocean Acidification
The comprehensive list of 24 impacts can be found in the Life Cycle Impact Assessment Methodology report.
Since the EPN’s Paper Calculator is an integral component of quantifying the carbon footprint of a project, Hemlock ensures that Zero is aligned with its latest version. Their newest version, Paper Calculator 4.0, is powered by a next-generation life cycle assessment that continues the tool’s legacy of innovation in the field. This new version reflects the inclusion of more extensive climate change information which yields more comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) emission results. Due to the updated GHG emission results, our clients can make their print project carbon neutral by contributing an additional 2%, on average, to the purchase of their print project. Hemlock directs these offset contributions to invaluable initiatives that are committed to the permanent reduction of greenhouse gases, such as the conservation of BC’s Great Bear Rainforest.
As a Paper Calculator Power User who is committed to playing a leadership role in sustainable consumption, we are proud to have integrated the third-party resource, Paper Calculator 4.0, into our Zero program to accurately quantify and mitigate the environmental impact of our paper. Through the years, the EPN’s exemplary transparency and credibility has garnered the support of over 150 not-for-profit organizations and incorporates the expertise of leading environmental groups, so we look forward to seeing what’s in store for them next!
