DALLAS, March 11 -- Kinko's, Inc. today announced a new forest-based product procurement policy incorporating a strict set of vendor requirements and establishing a central set of recycled content standards. Rainforest Action Network (RAN) has hailed Kinko's new policy as one of the most effective and meaningful policies put in place by a company to help protect endangered forests and end old growth destruction. The policy is part of Kinko's longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship and was developed with input from prominent environmental groups and suppliers, including RAN and International Paper (IP). "Kinko's new policy extends our commitment to ensuring we use forest-based products efficiently and we continue to increase the recycled content of the paper and wood products we purchase. It will also ensure that, when we must use virgin materials, they originate from well-managed, non-endangered forests," said Gary Kusin, Kinko's president and chief executive officer. "Together with our vendors, Kinko's will continuously improve our paper and wood purchasing practices, ensuring sustainable use of the planet's natural systems and resources." "Kinko's new forest-based products policy continues the company's trend of strong environmental leadership. Six years ago, Kinko's was one of America's first companies to prohibit the use of paper from old growth forests. Today, Kinko's has taken the additional steps of increasing recycling standards and setting strict guidelines to ensure its suppliers can guarantee that they are not engaged in the destruction of old growth and endangered forests, conversion of native forests, or using genetically modified trees," said Christopher Hatch, executive director for RAN, a non-profit organization that works to protect the Earth's rainforests and support the rights of their inhabitants. "Kinko's policy will have a real impact in saving the forests and provides an effective model for corporate responsibility that can help guide the growing number of American companies that are realizing it is no longer acceptable to sell wood or paper from our last remaining old growth forests." "We were pleased to partner with Kinko's in what should be a model process for drafting an environmental purchasing policy that takes the needs of both the paper consumer and the environment into account," said Carl Gagliardi, IP's director of environmental business services. "Because Kinko's brought us as a major supplier together in the same forum with environmental NGOs, it could get a balanced perspective on which policies make sense and which don't. We look forward to providing Kinko's products, like our recycled content papers, and services that will help Kinko's meet the commitments in its new policy." In addition to its own culture and history, Kinko's policy is also driven by needs of commercial customers, such as Bank of America, that increasingly favor sustainable business practices. "The environmental practices and policies of our key suppliers is of great interest and value to Bank of America and supports our company's environmental commitment," said Robert Kee, SVP and Senior Supplier Management at Bank of America. "We expect our suppliers to be environmental leaders. We appreciate Kinko's leadership and partnership in making sure the products we use at the bank create a sustainable future that delivers value to the triple bottom line of people, profits and the planet."