Terry Turner, managing director of the Wiltshire-based company, said the certification would help clients that wished to take advantage of extra postal discounts on the Royal Mail's Sustainability Mail service.

He said: "We have always tried to look to the future and to what our clients want next.

"Without ISO 14001, we would be limiting our customer base because there is a groundswell of opinion directing direct mail companies to more environmentally friendly methods of delivering their message."

He added that the standard is a prerequisite if a company is to have any credibility in the direct marketing and mailing industry.

The company is set to save £10,000 in the first year, he said, and it is hoped that this alone will pay for the accreditation.

Priority Mailing and Digital Print has 65 staff and its markets include the direct marketing industry, with high-speed laser personalisation of documents, paper enveloping and polymailing, as well as commercial digital printing. 

Over the past 12 months, the £3.5m turnover company has replaced two of its four Sitma polymailing lines with new machines, and added one new Sitma SM15 paper enveloping line.

Turner said: "We plan to consolidate in 2010 and we have updated most of our equipment, including digital presses and mailing lines and taken on a sales director.

"We need to drive additional work through the machines while times are difficult so that financially we are in the best shape possible to further enhance our services when the economy shows consistent signs of recovery."