Our GREENer initiatives are employee led and managed with the goal of improving our community and planet.

CCS Printing – A Sustainability Commitment

Reinvesting in the local -- and global -- community is important to us. That’s why we formed the Sustainability Council. The Council is employee led and managed with the goal of improving our community and the planet.  
 
In 20 years of business, CCS Printing has always adhered to responsible business practices by: 

   Utilizing local area recyclers 
   Minimizing waste 
   Offering recycled paper choices 
   Focusing on energy efficiency

Now that many more resources are available for these practices, CCS is taking advantage of them. The Sustainability Council has set its sights high -- with the goal of CCS Printing becoming carbon balanced.

 

Sustainability Council Mission Statement

In the interest of securing a better future for our environment and generations to come, we will reduce our carbon footprint and become a greener company. We will encourage our clients and partners to join in our efforts to minimize any negative effects of our industry on the environment.

FSC Certification

In March, 2008 CCS Printing was granted Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification.  The Forest Stewardship Council supports the growth of responsible forest management worldwide through its international standards. A key ingredient to program success is guidelines for labeling wood products coming from certified forests and also for incorporating the FSC logo into promotional materials (e.g., brochures, websites, etc). 

When we recommend FSC certified stock, and/or paper that has a high post-consumer waste content, we meet our commitment to Sustainable Printing while helping our clients meet their Corporate Responsibility goals.

Carbon Balance

In 2008, the Sustainability Council performed our first-ever carbon emissions inventory at CCS Printing, an important step in achieving carbon balance. We discovered that our primary carbon emissions are the result of electricity usage, space heating, delivery vehicles and travel by our field sales staff. 

For a one year period beginning July 1, 2008, we projected total carbon emissions of 671 metric tons.  We purchased offsets for that emission total through TerraPass, a group that funds clean energy projects and carbon reduction efforts.  You can find out more about TerraPass at http://www.terrapass.com/. 

In addition to purchasing offsets to attain carbon balance, CCS Printing’s Sustainability Council instituted a grass-roots effort to conserve electricity, thereby reducing our carbon emissions. Our employees are reminded to turn off lights that aren’t needed, turn off computers and equipment at the end of the day and practice overall responsible use of electricity. In fact these directives are included in every employee’s job description.

Recycling

 

Our recycling program through International Paper Recycling plays a large role in protecting our environment. Also included in each employee’s job description, recycling has become a way of life for the employees of CCS Printing. We recycle everything from paper and industrial plastics to break room waste – even our coffee grounds are recycled into compost.

In addition to recycling the majority of our industrial waste, CCS also encourages our employees to bring in their recycling. Through our partnership with International Paper, we have learned that industrial recycling allows for many more options than household recycling. For example plastic bottle caps, grocery bags and plastic utensils are not typically recyclable through household recycling but are through industrial recycling. Many of our employees have taken advantage of this and have reduced their waste at home.

Once a year, CCS also hosts a Recycling week for our employees encouraging them to bring in more difficult recyclable items such as computer components, batteries and hazardous waste. CCS absorbs the cost of recycling these items responsibly for employees.

Paper

On a monthly average, CCS recycles over 27 tons of paper and paper products. Yearly, we conserve: 

   4,080 trees – which will absorb 195,840 pounds of carbon dioxide annually and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support 8,160 humans 
   91,200 gallons of oil – enough to produce gasoline that could fill an average car’s gas tank 2,850 times 
   720 cubic yards of landfill space 
   984,000 kilowats of energy, enough to power the average American home for 82 years.

 

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13312 SE 30th Street - Bellevue, WA 98005

PH 425.653.9606 FX 425.653.9322

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