It’s no secret that the printing industry gets a lot of flak from environmentalists. We know these folks have the best of intentions, and raise valid concerns about print marketing campaigns. Here at PrintFirm, we do our best to offer green printing solutions, such as recycled paper, eco-friendly inks, and biodegradable vinyl banners. Our new Xerox iGen4 Digital Press happens to be one of the most environmentally conscious commercial printing machines ever made.
Print Marketing and Sustainability
We’re not the only big players in the printing world to embrace green technology. In fact, the print sector collectively made huge leaps towards reducing negative environmental impacts in the last couple of years. HP and Xerox in particular really lead by example as both manufacturing companies demonstrate a strong commitment to decreasing their carbon footprints. If you’re a business owner or freelance designer, we suggest you check out HP’s online carbon footprint calculator to gauge your non-commercial conservation efforts. Adobe is doing their part on the design end; adopt the Adobe PDF Workflow to cut down on waste in your office!
How to Run A Green Print Advertising Campaign
You don’t have to be a heavy hitting print marketer to get involved. First off, you should not feel bad about buying inked advertising. Your priority is ROI, and print media delivers in that department. If anyone gives you a hard time about your materials, remind them that computers also produce carbon dioxide, so going completely digital isn’t exactly a greener alternative. According to the UK Government Economic Service, print pieces actually have lower carbon footprints than their online counterparts. Since print media lasts for a long time, the associated emissions occur during production. Online ads eat up a lot more energy over time due to powering up electronic devices.
The best thing you can do for the earth would be to invest in professional design and only send highly targeted ads. Be sure to personalize the address labels instead of using a generic term, i.e. “resident.” This way your flyers, brochures, and coupons will be sent to interested customers who won’t mistake them for junk mail. You might want to add a bit of artwork reminding recipients to recycle your ads instead of throwing them away if they’re not interested.
Take the Green Printing Pledge
Are you ready to step up your green initiatives? Tell us how your business is setting green goals and sticking to them in the comments below!