Greening Print Marketing: Push Your Printer to GO GREEN!

Want to do something positive for the environment in 2009? Push your printer to go green!

We are increasingly hearing about commercial printers making a commitment to environmental sustainability. For some, this is making investments in “greener” production technologies. For others, it means environmental certifications such as Forest Stewardship Council. For yet others, it means purchasing carbon credits or alternative energy sources, such as wind power.

While we hear about individual printers taking individual responsibility, where is the industry at large on the “green curve”? According to Kodak research (conducted via client and Web surveys) . . .

• 20% have no plans for environmental sustainability
• 30% have investigated it, but not started any initiatives
• 35% have not yet achieved any environmental certifications, but they have programs underway
• 15% have environmental sustainability programs in place, including certifications

Source: “Sustainability Is the New Green,” What They Think Webinars

As a marketer, what does this mean for you? It means that you should be asking questions. If your printer has not yet implemented any kind of program for environmental sustainability, there are plenty of other printers out there who have — or, at least, who are working toward it.

It’s an industry joke that printers never do anything until their clients demand it. So as an environmentally conscious consumer of print, there is something you can do — start demanding it. Once a single printer makes an environmental commitment, the environmental benefits are multiplied across every print marketing campaign it produces. So a little positive client pressure can go a long way.

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