A printing firm that has won a string of awards for its care of the environment is to add another green process to its working practices.

Beacon Press is to become the world's first carbon neutral printer in a programme developed and managed by Future Forests.

The company is sponsoring the countrywide planting of 650 trees to compensate for carbon dioxide emissions from its Uckfield factory.

Future Forests, which raises awareness of the benefits of forests in mitigating the build-up of carbon dioxide, has assessed Beacon's emission levels and then calculated the tree cover necessary to absorb them over a 99-year period.

Beacon chairman Mark Fairbrass said: "Because we are one of the country's greenest companies, you can be sure we make every effort possible to minimise the amount of environment-damaging carbon emissions we create.

"For a start, we strive for real energy efficiency so that our contribution to global warming is minimal. However, we still need to use power and fuel if we are to run a business and that means some unavoidable emissions."

Welcoming Beacon's actions, Dan Morell, chairman of Future Forests, said: "Through this initiative, Beacon is demonstrating best practice in carbon management. Not only has the company looked at reducing source emissions but it is also addressing those that can't be reduced.

"The result is, Beacon is helping to deal with the problem of global warming, setting the standard for the rest of the printing industry and increasing public amenity space and biodiversity."