The operation, which has plants in London, Peterborough, Plymouth, Andover and Cornwall, also expects to achieve FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody certification by the end of 2008.

The accolade comes as part of an ongoing push by the printer to reduce its VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emissions and improve its carbon management.

St Ives Plc health, safety and environmental officer Geoff Court told printweek.com that "we already had environment systems set at our other sites" while the company's employees "have become increasingly in tune" to green issues.

Mark Geary from St Ives human resources team said that the firm is "committed to reducing our emissions" while "environmental performance is an additional criteria for our suppliers".

He added that the accreditation and the "speed of its introduction is clear demonstration of our conformance and dedication to environmental best practices".

St Ives plc has also signed up to the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme in order to maximise energy efficiency and cut its carbon footprint.

The company recorded a 9% decrease in waste, a 3.3% drop in water consumption and a 0.64% improvement in energy efficiency during the financial year from July 2006-July 2007.