The misconception is that printed collateral is less environmentally friendly than e-communications but this simply isn’t the case. If you make the right choices when you print then you can produce sustainably and contribute back to the environment. Paper is made from a natural resource that is renewable, recyclable and compostable. These features, combined with the paper industry’s advocacy of responsible forestry practices and certification, use of renewable, carbon-neutral biofuels and advances in efficient paper-making technology, make paper a product with inherent and unique sustainable features.
Here are some tips on how you can print in the most sustainable way:
Print less
Printing quality and targeted communications will drive improved ROI and you won’t be printing as much meaning less waste. Long gone are the days of printing high volume low quality communications. The tactile nature of print and the growth in online communications has meant the perceived (and real) value of print has returned. Brands are investing more time in designing beautiful printed communications and more on choosing the right tactile finish whether that be unusual paper or bespoke finishing like intricate foiling and engaging binding. Combine this with intelligent data management removing wasted communications and you will be printing less.
Print with environmentally friendly paper
The choices of environmental paper are numerous and can really add to the value of your communications. FSC papers ensure that the trees cut for the paper production come from well managed forests, 100% recycled papers are a great option along with so many interesting alternatives. Papers made from algae (Favini), from grass (Gmund Biocycle) and recycled coffee cups destined for landfill (G . F Smith Extract) mean the paper has a lovely tactile and environmental feel and a great story to tell.
Give back to the environment
Choosing a printer who has offset any omissions is a great option. A CarbonNeutral® printer calculates any omissions and then invests them in projects benefitting the environment. For example we have invested in the Kenya Cookstoves and the Household Agricultural Biogas in Vietnam which is transforming waste into a clean, affordable energy supply for 800,000 people. The initiatives we have invested in since 2002 have reduced 28,236 tCO2e – the equivalent of 110 million economy flight miles.
Offset your print with The World Land Trust
When you produce a printed product you can choose to carbon balance the paper with the World Land Trust. The carbon impacts of a product or service are estimated and an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide is either prevented from being released into, or is absorbed from, the atmosphere. Through land purchase of ecologically important standing forests under threat of clearance, carbon is locked that would otherwise be released. These protected forests are then able to continue absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. This is now recognised as one of the swiftest ways to arrest the rise atmospheric CO2 and global warming effects.
About Pureprint Group
Pureprint is a world-class printer and marketing service provider with a commitment to sustainability. For over three decades it has led the green conversation to reduce the effects it has on the planet. It is proud to have achieved a number of firsts in the industry since 1999 when it became the first EMAS certified printer in the UK and then, in 2002, the first CarbonNeutral® printer in the world, as well as winning three Queen’s Awards for Sustainable Development. Pureprint can advise on how you can make your print even more sustainable, so you can be confident you are protecting the environment as well as your reputation.
www.pureprint.com/sustainability
