Can printing and sustainability really go together?

- Hell Yes!

It’s all too easy to condemn printing as being environmentally damaging, but in fact it’s one of the few industries that can truly say it’s sustainable.

It was, after all, one of the first industries to take responsibility for sustainable replenishment, carbon balancing, reduction of ‘nasties’ and recyclability. Digital media is on the other hand, not as ‘green’ as you might think and almost everything we do online increases our carbon footprint.

In reality, the print industry has had to take responsibility for safe disposal of waste products, recycling of waste paper, reducing use of toxic and damaging chemical substances, and streamlining efficiency - and has been doing this gradually but steadily over a number of years. As a result, print has naturally become more environmentally friendly – Most paper used now is FSC or PEFC as standard – sustainably sourced from a replenished sources and strictly monitored. Most litho inks are vegetable oil based and there are all sorts of waterless/chemical free plate making systems now in use minimising waste product.

As well as making ethical environmental choices, many papers have had their carbon footprint offset so they are effectively carbon neutral as well as being fully recyclable.

There are numerous environmental schemes out there and the Print lady is in the process of working to offset her entire carbon footprint through the World Land Trust.  You can offset the carbon footprint of your paper on almost any print job – either through the world land trust scheme or the Carbon capture scheme in partnership with the Woodland Trust.

There has been a lot of research of late into the effectiveness of print, compared to digital. We process the printed word completely differently to reading digital on a screen – and thus it is remembered differently. Digital is great for grabbing attention but print ensures that the message is more memorable.

If you then ensure your paper is from fsc sources (as most of it is now) you consider your use of any laminates very carefully and you add a ‘don’t forget to recycle me’ message then suddenly it’s a much more environmentally friendly project. If this all sounds a bit complicated - no problem. Why not have a chat to the Print Lady? She can advise on the best sustainable paper stocks for your project plus help you get the right balance between beautifully finished print and eco friendly credentials.

If you’re interested in finding out more about print and the environment, or you’d like to read about why print isn’t dead as a medium for marketing and communication, why not have a browse through The Print Lady’s mini newspaper ‘The Inky Thinker’?

Register here for your FREE copy, and we’ll post it over to you.