We are so very happy being green. Print is the green marketing channel.

You think print marketing is out of style?

For an industry with a heritage that dates back centuries, print has been ahead of the curve for some time in one very important, prominent and current topic: Sustainability. If you want to embrace green marketing take another look at print.

The millenium dealt a digital blow to print.  The industry responded by refining processes, minimising toxic wastage and maximising efficiency. We streamlined production and became a more effective marketing channel. Print now stands head and shoulders above the digital saturation. Most print today is sustainable, it is oh-so fashionable, tremendously attractive and very effective.

50 shades of green, naturally.

Here are a few nuggets about how the print industry went on a green journey. Globally there is still a way to go, but in Europe, USA and Canada, where most paper is produced, these measures have been in place for some time – China lags but is improving! There is more work to do in developing countries like Brazil and Indonesia. 

• • The FSC’s Chain of Custody Certification (established in 1993) guarantees that paper comes from sustainably managed forests! Most commercial papers today have this accreditation.
  • Even better, producing recycled paper uses 28 – 70% less energy consumption than making virgin paper and less water. This is because most of the energy used in paper making is when wood is being pulped. Today, over half of total world paper supply comes from recovered/recycled paper.
  • In the mid 1990s there was a huge debate on water pollution and particularly the discharge of chlorine used in 90% of paper production. Since the early 2000s over 80% of paper has been bleached with non-polluting oxygen bleaches, when it is bleached at all.
  • Printers now use vegetable oil based inks — these are not toxic or a risk to health, are recyclable and renewable. Inks used to be based on petroleum, but the oil crisis of the 1970s provided the impetus for alternatives. The inks industry has been very successful developing inks using vegetable oils. Colours are clearer & brighter than before and printed paper is easier to clean when recycling.
  • All paper trimmings and packaging are recycled. For years waste paper collection has been a revenue stream for commercial printers. Any cut offs or damaged paper goes back into the paper making process. Recycling paper conserves natural resources, saves energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions. It keeps landfill space free for the rubbish that can’t be recycled. Recycling just one tonne of paper can save 17 trees, 3 cubic metres of landfill space and 4,000 kilowatts of energy.

Green, green grass of home?

Hopefully, we have shown you that while we are creating amazing tangible products, outside of the world of screens, we have for some time, used methods to consciously do the least harm as possible and the work continues.

It may surprise you when you look under the surface, digital marketing is not currently very eco friendly at all. Desktop computers, notebooks, tablets, e-readers, and smartphones contain some nasty materials. Unfortunately there is, currently, little financial incentive for recycling these so the majority of unwanted and obsolete electronic devices currently end up as e-waste in landfills where they leach toxins into the soil, air, and water. Things will change eventually, but it cannot not come quick enough for the planet.

How can NEXUS creative print production mix the right shade of green into your marketing?

• • NEXUScpp has the knowledge to meet your marketing objectives while making your print as sustainable as it can be.
  • NEXUScpp has a long list of paper and print suppliers who do all of the above. So we know exactly where to buy the greenest print.
  • Using a print manager like us gives you a service where knowledge and experience means getting your print right first time for all your stakeholders.

If minimising your footprint is important to your company but you’re looking for ways to stand out against digital marketing — then get in touch with Nexus Creative Print Production to find out how we can help you green up your marketing . You can email us at hello@nexuscpp.co.uk or get in touch via the website.