Accreditation for EMAS – eco-management and audit scheme – rewards companies that push beyond minimum legal compliances in their efforts to be environmentally-friendly.

The standard is held by only a handful of UK printers, according to the 350-staff print and direct-mail producer based in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

Businesses have to achieve ISO 14001 certification and undergo local authority and Environment Agency checks to win certification.

They must make an environmental statement publicly available outlining information on waste recycling, eco targets and energy use, and all claims are independently tested.

Howitt, which already has FSC and PEFC chain-of-custody accreditation, said its green focus had helped win contracts from companies at the vanguard of environmental concerns such as Friends of the Earth.

Howitt managing director Gurdev Singh said: "EMAS is the pinnacle of green standards and one more crucial environmental string to our bow.

"It is another important step that shows how committed we are to environmental responsibility."