Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), also known as Green tags, Renewable Energy Credits, or Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs), are tradable environmental commodities in the United States which represent proof that 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity was renewable, that is, generated from an eligible renewable energy resource. These certificates can be sold and traded or bartered and the owner of the REC can claim to have purchased renewable energy. While traditional carbon emissions trading programs promote low-carbon technologies by increasing the cost of emitting carbon, RECs can encourage carbon-neutral renewable energy by providing a production subsidy to electricity generated from renewable sources. It is important to understand that the energy associated with a REC is sold separately and is used by another party. The consumer of a REC receives only a certificate.As of February 2009, according to Heidi Tolliver-Nigro, there were 18 printers of all sizes that announced over the last several years that they are purchasing 100% of their energy use as wind power:(Wikipedia: Renewable Energy Certificates)
- CPS Printing & Cordius Group—Carlsbad, CA
- Arizona Lithographers—Tuczon, AZ
- Curtis Packaging—Sandy Hook, CT
- EcoPrint—Silver Spring, MD
- EnvirofriendlyPrinting.com—Peetz, CO
- General Converting Inc.—Bollingbrook, IL
- Globe Lithographing—Ridgefield Park, NJ
- GreenerPrinter.com—Berkley, CA
- Herron Printing & Graphics—Gaithersburg, VA
- J. S. McCarthy Printers—Augusta, ME
- Johnson Printing & Packaging Corporation—Fridley, MN
- Merit Printing—Minneapolis, MN
- Monroe Litho—Rochester, NY
- MOSAIC Printing—Cheverly, MD
- PrintingForLess—Livingston, MT
- Quality Printing—Anderson, IN
- Recycled Paper Printing—Boston, MA
- Sandy Alexander—Clifton, NJ