In this ever developing world of texting, messaging and “bumping” smart phones instead of handing over business cards, you have to wonder if the techy dream of a paperless office is actually closer than we all might think. After all, it would save a lot of trees and reduce the “carbon footprint” (you gotta love the jargon) of the business world. Or so certain people would have you believe.
The trouble with this chain of thought is that it ignores the reality of the world around us. Paper is everywhere, and as far as we can see in the printing industry, it will be for a long time to come. Businesses still send letters on headed paper for advertising, marketing, invoicing and any number of other reasons. Products are sent out with delivery notes, and flyers are used to promote business locally. And the list just goes on, so taking this reality check on the chin, what can the printing industry do to help?
Simple really, and it’s two things. First we only use wood from sustainable sources. What that means is making a point of only using paper that has come from forests that plant more trees than they use. Because of the speed that trees grow, planting one tree for every one that’s cut down just doesn’t work. Fortunately there are now a lot of forests around the world that are managed this way, providing an on-going source of sustainable wood stock. Second, we then recycle as much paper as we can and also use that for printing, reducing the need to provide new stock. Combine these two and you have what we like to call Eco Printing, and we do actually get a warm fuzzy feeling knowing we’re doing our bit for the environment.
The really good news is most customers are quite happy to use recycled paper for their business print because over the last few years the quality has improved to the point that you often can’t tell the difference between new and recycled paper any more. Gone are the days when it was the rough stuff fit only for memo pads, toilet roll and Xmas crackers.
So go green – it’s whiter than you think!
Jim Cunliffe
Jim is a prolific networker, small business mentor and a supporter of anything 'community'. He is an ambassador for Young Enterprise on the South Coast and loves to spend his time encouraging entrepreneurial spirit in everyone he meets.