PAS 2020 is the direct mail industry's new environmental standard, unveiled at the end of January.

"We worked closely with Antalis and certification company BM Trada, because we worked with them on ISO 14001 as well as FSC and PEFC," explained compliance director Peter Ingram. "We said ‘we want to try and do this before it launches', and they've used us as a beta site for planning the certification process."

Printflow and sister company Cross Media achieved the standard after a process that took about three weeks. "It is similar in a way to FSC, so we were geared up for it and had done a lot of the necessary background work. Our control processes were there," Ingram added. "It's a real boost and nice to be on the front foot with this. EMAS will be the next thing, and then ultimately we'll be aiming for ISO 27001."

Printflow managing director Les Manning said: "It complements what we currently have and ties the two businesses together. We're very conscious that we have something that nobody else has so we want to make the most of the opportunity."

Clerkenwell-based Printflow is one of the few remaining printers in the City of London, and its services encompass litho and digital printing. The £5m turnover firm employs just under 50 staff.