Claims Guidance
Last Updated: June, 2026
This document provides guidance on how to accurately communicate your partnership with PrintReleaf or utilization of PrintReleaf environmental offsets as a customer or client of a PrintReleaf partner, as well as the claims you can (and cannot) make.
When making environmental claims, clarity and accuracy are essential.
Clear communication strengthens the integrity of the PrintReleaf Certification system and prevents misunderstandings about what it represents - and what it does not.
Below are approved (authorized) and prohibited (unauthorized) claims for communicating with your stakeholders.
Approved: Authorized Claims and Communications
Sustainability Solutions PrintReleaf Offers: Biomass + Carbon Offsets
PrintReleaf issues a future biomass offset based on measured paper and fiber-based materials usage. PrintReleaf also facilitates the issuance of verified carbon offsets sourced through independent Standards and registries like American Carbon Registry (ACR) and Verra.
For biomass, trees are planted in forests designated for conservation and restoration and are certified to the PrintReleaf Standard. These forests are managed and audited to ensure they will generate the equivalent amount of fiber (biomass) measured and used. Carbon offsets offered by PrintReleaf are subject to field audits by independent certifying bodies ensuring their credibility and trustworthiness. That means that every Carbon Offset is making a tangible difference.
Understanding Biomass vs. Carbon Offsets
Biomass and carbon offsets are distinct and must be communicated separately. They represent different environmental outcomes, with different verification standards, and therefore should not be used interchangeably.
- Biomass offsets are generated through reforestation activities and relate to restoring fiber.
- Carbon offsets are not generated from these reforestation projects. They are issued independently, through verified third-party registries such as American Carbon Registry and Verra, and are often derived from renewable energy projects, reclamation projects and nature-based solutions projects.
Neutrality Claims
You may state that by offsetting paper and fiber-based materials usage with PrintReleaf biomass offsets, there will be a ‘tree neutral’ impact over time.
You may additionally claim a ‘tree positive’ or ‘net-positive’ impact or outcome only if you are sourcing paper that has recycled content or has chain of custody certification, for example Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification™ (PEFC™), or Sustainable Forestry Initiative ® (SFI®).
When We Talk About Trees: Why We Use “Standard Trees”
A “standard tree” is PrintReleaf’s unit of measurement for forest biomass. It represents a tree equivalent that is 40 feet in height and 7 inches in diameter at breast height (DBH) at maturity.
Because forests naturally include a variety of tree species and sizes, some trees represent more than one standard tree, while others represent less. By using standard trees, PrintReleaf ensures that the full environmental impact is delivered consistently and accurately over time.
Important note: When talking about the trees planted for your offsets, it is important to use “standard trees.”
Prohibited: Unauthorized Claims and Communications
A major objective for PrintReleaf, our partners, and their customers is to avoid greenwashing. Greenwashing is the deceptive marketing practice of portraying a company, product, or service as more environmentally friendly or sustainable than it actually is.
While PrintReleaf forests sequester carbon, biomass offsets are not the same as carbon offsets. Carbon offsets are issued separately, relating to the carbon emissions associated with the production of the paper and fiber-based materials that are consumed. Why the distinction? In order to generate verified carbon offsets, forests typically must mature 8+ years and be certified to a recognized standard (e.g., American Carbon Registry, Verra). Not all of PrintReleaf’s forests are at this stage.
Therefore it is not permissible to make a claim that by applying PrintReleaf Certification you are achieving a ‘carbon neutral’ impact or outcome based on reforestation activities. A ‘carbon neutral’ claim implies a level of mathematical precision that is nearly impossible to achieve, and would relate only to sourcing verified carbon offsets.
In order to avoid inaccuracy or greenwashing, you may also not claim ‘paper neutral’, ‘print neutral’ or ‘forest neutral’ outcomes. These terms imply impacts beyond PrintReleaf’s scope, including paper production, printing processes, and forest management factors. Using them may misrepresent PrintReleaf’s actual environmental contributions and value proposition.
As mentioned above, regarding biomass offsets, it is important to avoid saying “trees” without qualification. Instead, say: “standard trees.”
Ready-to-Use Partner Assets
To facilitate your communications regarding PrintReleaf, please feel free to leverage our prepared texts and graphics, available here.
Example Claims
Thanks to our customers, we have replanted 21,978 standard trees in forests in Northern California, Romania and Madagascar.
We have reforested 2,546 standard trees since partnering with PrintReleaf to offset our paper use.
We're proud to share that since partnering with PrintReleaf in January 2026 we have offset our printing of almost 1.5 Million sheets of paper by reforesting a total of 178 standard trees.
Together with our participating customers, we’ve planted 102,213 standard trees to offset paper consumption.
With our partners and customers, we’ve reached an important milestone: over 235,000 standard trees reforested worldwide through our integration with PrintReleaf!
Questions?
If you have any questions about how to accurately communicate your PrintReleaf partnership or use of our environmental offsets, please contact us at marketing@printreleaf.com. We are happy to review your content and help answer any inquiries. Other general questions about PrintReleaf? Please visit our FAQ Page.
For claims guidance regarding California AB 1305, click here ›