The printing industry has long practiced "green" methods and procedures. At Harper Stationers, green initiatives are at the forefront of our corporate philosophy.

We recycle all unused paper offcuts which are then used in the production of second generation recycled papers. All unused corrugated shipping containers and packing material is recycled in a similar fashion. All metal prepress materials, such as the copper from dies, aluminum from offset plates, and the film used their processing, are recycled by certified agencies. This practice even extends to the beverage cans from our common area.

Proper handling and disposal of all related products, down to unused fluorescent fixtures, are handled in ways that meet or exceed the requirements of local, state, and government agencies.

The engraving process, our founding product, is the most environmentally friendly process in the graphic industry today. The inks are a water-based mixture of inert vehicle and pigment, made with no petrochemicals. This ink is applied to the surface of a copper die, where tremendous pressure forces the paper into the die to withdraw the ink and adhere it to the paper being die stamped, without the use of chemicals or solvents. To demonstrate the eco friendly properties of this ink, we produced a project on plantable seed paper that was engraved and was then planted in the ground.

A great deal of our raw material is now FSC Certified, and most contains at least some recycled content. Our corporate brand of fine paper, Harper Bond, is available in 25% cotton and 100% cotton content, using cotton linters from the garment industry.