Why Printing is Environmentally Friendly

Earth Day is coming, and as a print business professional, you know that printing is a sustainable industry. But you’ve likely heard naysayers who believe that printing is bad for the environment.

Contrary to popular belief, the printing industry is in fact one of the more environmentally friendly industries. Here’s why.

Paper is a Sustainable Material

Paper, which is by far the most popular printing stock, can easily be recycled. According to a study by Two Sides, paper is the most recycled commodity in North America.  Paper also decomposes naturally, unlike many digital devices that many consumers see as an alternative to print.

Many printers offer products printed on recycled paper stocks. SinaLite, for example, offers business cards and other print products on Kraft paper stock, which is made completely from recycled fibers.

Furthermore, trees are a renewable resource that sustainable forest management is continually replenishing. Research by Two Sides finds that in the U.S. and Canada, significantly more wood is grown than is harvested, resulting in an increasing net forest area.

Print Has a Smaller Carbon Footprint

Some industries create large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. The total amount of these emissions produced by human activities is called a carbon footprint.

Two Sides reports based on national and international data that the paper and print products sector produces a much smaller percentage of the human carbon footprint (only 1%) than sectors such as transportation (15%), land use change (15%), and energy supply (13%).  

Moreover, Printing Industries of America points out that “in terms of carbon outlay, printing is the only communications media with a one-time carbon footprint; all other media require energy every time they are viewed.” So it’s important to remember that choosing digital media over print is not necessarily better for the environment.

Printing Helps Save Forests

Could the environment actually benefit from printing companies? It does.

Every time your customers order printed products, they’re giving value to paper and trees. They’re also giving value to forests, which are owned by decision-makers who need to choose between keeping that forest or converting it into agricultural or industrial land. This is how the print industry saves forests.

The “Print Grows Trees” campaign explains this is a powerful way:

The ideal would be if growing trees was so profitable that landowners could not only afford to manage existing forestland with all its biodiversity in a sustainable manner, but they could also convert land that currently has no trees into forests grown specifically for harvesting as timber, much like Christmas tree farmers do. That would reduce the pressure on primary forests and add, rather than subtract, trees from our landscape.

“Print Grows Trees” by the PGAMA Education Fund

Print Technology is Becoming Greener

Finally, print technology is continuously improving to become even more sustainable. This is not only to reduce environmental impact, but to reduce production costs as well. Printers know that waste is expensive, and they’d rather make every cent count, so printing technology that uses less resources will continue to be in high demand.

There is a wide range of examples. Many new types of machinery have significantly improved energy efficiency. Automated software is helping printers produce the same color quality with less ink. And some inks are now using more eco-friendly substances such as soy. Recycling is becoming more advanced, so that other types of print products (like textiles and certain plastics) can be recycled too.

ISO certifications have also contributed to the rise of eco-innovation in the print industry, including the ISO 14000 family, which provides standards for an environmental management system.

Print is Environmentally Friendly

Print professionals contribute to a future where forests are valued and technology is constantly evolving to reduce waste. You’re part of an innovative industry that keeps its carbon footprint small and seeks to provide the best printing services and products without sacrificing our our beautiful planet.

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