Save a Forest: Print Your Emails

It's okay to use paper. Trees are renewable, recyclable and sustainable.



By CHUCK LEAVELL
AND CARLTON OWEN

Well-intentioned email taglines inspired by sincere desire to help the planet have become ubiquitous in recent times: "Please don't print this email," "Save trees: Print only when necessary," or "Please consider the environment before printing this email."

However, the World Wildlife Fund has taken this to the extreme with a new nonprintable electronic document. Patterned after the highly successful PDF (Portable Document Format) that has revolutionized electronic document sharing and storage, the WWF format takes the decision away from you.

This tact is sure to frustrate and increase inefficiency, leaving some saying, "Wait a minute, I really needed to print that document!" What many folks don't realize is that it also may indirectly hasten the conversion of forests to other uses like strip malls, parking lots and housing developments—because the nation's forest landowners can't keep growing trees without markets for this natural, organic and renewable product.

Chuck's email tagline reads: "Notice: It's OK to print this email. Paper is a biodegradable, renewable, sustainable product made from trees. Growing and harvesting trees provides jobs for millions of Americans. Working forests are good for the environment and provide clean air and water, wildlife habitat and carbon storage. Thanks to improved forest management, we have more trees in America today than we had 100 years ago."

Now, understand that we don't advocate wanton waste of paper or any other material, but avoiding the print option does absolutely nothing to save the planet or forests. More forests are dying of insect infestation and disease or being paved over across this country right now than could be converted to an email print-out in a thousand years.

Paper is good. Around 105 A.D., man discovered that paper traveled and transcribed better than stone; it became the renewable medium of choice. Frankly, the human eye can only stare at a computer screen for so long.

We appreciate and applaud people who are sensitive to environmental issues. We both love forests and are avid environmentalists. But we are going to continue to print out those necessary emails without guilt.

Honest, it's okay to print. Trees are renewable, recyclable and sustainable.

Mr. Leavell is a musician, tree farmer, environmentalist and author. Mr. Owen is a forester, wildlife biologist and CEO of U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.
Source WSJ

Is Digital Media Worse for the Environment Than Print?

MediaShift environmental correspondent Don Carli is senior research fellow with the non-profit Institute for Sustainable Communication (ISC).

Public opinion polls show that concern about the environment rises and falls based on the state of the economy and other factors, but concern about the negative impacts associated with using paper and printing continues to rise. Nothing captures the essence of these feelings more vividly than the signature line appearing at the foot of more and more emails: "Please consider the environment before printing this email."

This seemingly well-intentioned call to action, as well as others like "Sign up for paperless billing, help the environment and save trees" confront consumers with a false dilemma and present a forced choice that may have unintended consequences. The false dilemma is: "By using paper to print your email or by receiving paper bills you are knowingly degrading the environment, destroying forests and/or killing trees." The forced choice is: "Eliminate your use of paper or feel like a guilty hypocrite."

What's implied is that digital media is the environmentally preferable choice and that print media is the environmentally destructive choice. But is it possible that digital media could be more destructive to the environment and a greater threat to trees, bees, rivers and forests in the United States than paper-making or printing?

A heightened sense of awareness about the environment has developed in recent years. In particular, feelings of guilt and concern are on the rise about the use of paper and its alleged impact on the fate of our trees, forests and the environment. Are these feelings justified?

The story of sustainable media is a "bad news/good news" story. The bad news is that the public's concern about our forests and the environment is justified. The good news is that seeing beyond the green rhetoric and rethinking the lifecycle impacts of both print and digital media will play a major role in allowing us to enjoy forests and conserve our environment.

DIGITAL DEFORESTATION
There is growing recognition that digital media technology uses significant amounts of energy from coal fired power plants which are making a significant contribution to global warming. Greenpeace estimates that by 2020 data centers will demand more electricity than is currently demanded by France, Brazil, Canada, and Germany combined. What is less widely known is that mountaintop-removal coal mining is also a major cause of deforestation, biodiversity loss, and the pollution of over 1,200 miles of headwater streams in the United States.

If your goal is to save trees or do something good for the environment, the choice to go paperless may not be as green or simple as some would like you to think.

Digital media doesn't grow on trees, but increased use of digital media is having a profoundly negative impact on our forests and the health of our rivers. Computers, cellular networks and data centers are connected to the destruction of over 600 square miles of forest in the U.S. One of the more significant direct causes of deforestation in the United States is mountaintop-removal coal mining in the states of West Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina.

America's adoption of networked broadband digital media and "cloud-based" alternatives to print are driving record levels of energy consumption. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the electricity consumed by data centers in the United States doubled from 2000 to 2006, reaching more than 60 billion kilowatt hours per year, roughly equal to the amount of electricity used by 559,608 homes in one year. According to the EPA that number could double again by 2011.

Chances are that the electricity flowing through your digital media devices and their servers is linked to mountaintop-removal coal from the Appalachian Mountains. The Southern Appalachian forest region of the U.S. is responsible for 23% of all coal production in the United States and 57% of the electricity generated in the U.S. comes from coal -- including the rapidly growing power consumed by many U.S. data centers, networks and consumer electronic devices.

HOW GREEN IS YOUR DIGITAL MEDIA?
To find out how much of the energy you use comes from mountaintop coal you can visit What's My Connection to Mountaintop Removal? an interactive tool built by the non-profit organization Appalachian Voices. By entering your ZIP code it allows you to see if the electricity you are buying came from a coal mine employing mountaintop removal.

If you thought you were saving forests and protecting the environment by going paperless...think again. The real dilemma you face is that you may be doing more to cause environmental degradation and deforestation by going paperless than you think, and making responsible choices requires informed decisions and rational tradeoffs.

Coal-powered digital media is destructive to the environment in many ways beyond deforestation. Coal fired power plants are responsible for 93% of the sulfur dioxide and 80% of the nitrogen oxide emissions generated by the electric utility industry. These emissions cause acid rain that is destroying red spruce forests in the Northeast and Appalachia, and killing brook trout and other fish species in the Adirondacks, upper Midwest and Rocky Mountains.

According to a paper published in the journal Science, researchers found that recent scientific studies showed mountaintop coal mining does irreparable environmental harm. The researchers said their analysis of the latest data found that such mining destroys extensive tracts of deciduous forests while also hurting fish and plant life.

The widespread practice of mountaintop removal has been described as "strip mining on steroids" in which forests are clear-cut and topsoil is scraped away. Next, explosives up to 100 times as strong as ones that tore open the Oklahoma City Federal building blast up to 800 feet off the mountaintops and then dump tons of "overburden" -- the former mountaintops -- into the narrow adjacent valleys, thereby creating "valley fills."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that mountaintop removal's destruction of West Virginia's forests buried over 1,500 miles of biologically crucial Appalachian headwaters streams, disrupted key nesting habitat for migrant bird populations and decreased migratory bird populations throughout the northeast United States. The Office of Surface Mining reports that more than 1 million acres of land in northern and central Appalachia were undergoing active mining operations as of 2004. In some areas of West Virginia, more than 25% of the land surface is under permit for current or future mountaintop removal.

GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN
It's somewhat ironic that print media and the paper-making industry are so often targeted for "killing" trees while digital media is so often characterized as the greener "environmentally friendly" alternative. While its record is by no means perfect, the North American forest products industry has made great strides in the adoption of sustainable forestry and environmental performance certification practices. In addition, the majority of the U.S. paper industry's power and electricity needs are derived from renewable biomass that is sourced from sustainably managed forests. On the other hand, digital information technology's dependence on coal-powered electricity that is derived from mountaintop removal goes largely unreported.

If you care about the environment and the health of forests you should become more informed about the energy sources used by both digital and print media. Research recently published by Bell Labs concluded that today's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) networks have the potential to be 10,000 times more efficient than they are today. In fact, they can also be powered by forest bio-refineries that sustainably produce energy, biofuels, polymers, and paper with renewable forest biomass.

Forest biomass can provide valuable baseload capacity for more intermittent renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. When you purchase paper, you should consider if the brands you buy are investing in the development of renewable energy projects that employ sustainable forest biomass and close-loop water recovery processes that protect the quality of water in our rivers. This resource guide from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development can help you in choosing paper products.

THE UNSEEN IMPACTS OF DIGITAL MEDIA
Just because we cannot see something doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. While paper mills emit visible plumes of steam and waste paper can pile up visibly in our homes and businesses, the invisible embodied energy or "grey energy" used to manufacture digital technologies and the toxic e-waste associated with electronics are largely out of sight and out of mind, but their impacts can be profound.

E-waste

According to MIT researcher Timothy Gutowski (as quoted in Low-Tech Magazine), manufacturing a one kilogram plastic or metal part requires as much electricity as operating a flat screen television for 1 to 10 hours. And the energy requirements of semiconductor manufacturing techniques are much higher than that, up to 6 orders of magnitude (that's 10 raised to the 6th power) above those of conventional manufacturing processes. In addition to considering the way digital media can create new possibilities for a better world we also need to consider the less obvious impacts of the purchased energy, embodied energy, dark content and e-waste associated with the growing use of digital media.

INFORMED CHOICES SAVE TREES
Centuries ago the widespread adoption of paper and printing resulted in a spread of literacy that ended the dark ages, spawned a renaissance and changed our world for the better. Despite these advances, our environment now faces challenges on many fronts that call for a new literacy about the state of the environment and the "hidden" lifecycle impacts of the media choices we make. The widespread adoption of sustainable print and digital media supply chains can change our world again and help us to restore our environment. On the other hand, if we allow ourselves to be misled by false dilemmas or deceived into making unsustainable choices, distal concerns about destruction of the environment and the decline our forests will soon become a harsh and uncomfortable reality.

Image of e-waste by Jason Schlachet via Flickr
MediaShift environmental correspondent Don Carli is senior research fellow with the non-profit Institute for Sustainable Communication (ISC) where he is director of The Sustainable Advertising Partnership and other corporate responsibility and sustainability programs addressing the economic, environmental and social impacts of advertising, marketing, publishing and enterprise communication supply chains.

Print Pays Off - A Down to Earth Look at Environmental Issues & Trends

Doing business requires maintaining a balance among economic, environmental and social needs. Printing on paper meets those criteria. It's a way to drive business in a renewable way - to be more effective in your communications and to be more sustainable. It's worth printing if you incorporate environmental stewardship in your business, encourage your suppliers and customers to do the same and use printed materials wisely.

According to the latest research on advertising, printed communications are making a significant contribution to the economy and have a positive impact on business. Statistics show the following:

- Campaigns combinging direct mail and internet yield up to an additional 25% response rate.

- Nearly 80% of households either read or scan advertising mail sent to their household.

- Direct mail gives advertisers a whopping 13-to-1 return on their investment.

- Nearly 80% of internet users surveyed said they were directly influenced to purchase an item or service because of direct mail.

- Brand recall is substantially higher using print vs. onscreen. On-screen information is 20 to 30 percent more difficult to read.

- Small and medium businesses still rely on newspaper and magazine articles (43.6%) and direct mail, including letters, postcards and catalogs (43.5%) to get results.

Used wisely, print can drive revenue and be a valuable part of a smart media mix. That's why, for example, U.S. advertisers spend $167 per person in direct mail marketing to earn $2,095 worth of goods per person. They're scoring a return on investment of 13 to 1. With the right mix, it's worth printing.

Sourced from International Paper Company, 2010 edition of "Down to Earth." The full issue is available by visiting IP Sustainability

52 Weeks 52 Works - 2010 AGC Desk Calendar Now Available

Designed, Printed and Distributed by AGC The Creative Advantage, the 2010 edition of 52 Weeks 52 Works is now available.

Academy Graphic Communication’s (AGC) annual desk calendar has served as a stage for the creative community of Northeast Ohio for the past 8 years. This calendar seeks to demonstrate the power of expressing ideas effectively through print and the myriad of collaborative opportunities available with Northeast Ohio’s creative community. The collection represented ranges from sculpture to painting, photography to ceramics.

52 weeks 52 Works was printed utilizing environmentally-friendly, FSC and SFI certified paper containing both recycled content and post consumer waste. The print production techniques are water based, minimizing dependency on volatile organic compund (VOC) laden chemicals. And the inks and coatings used throughout are vegetable-and soy-based, increasing their biodegradalbe nature and ease of recycling.

AGC recognizes that environmental sustainability is a community-wide effort. We seek to showcase local resources, to create greater awareness of the eco-friendly options available within our community and highlight how innovative, forward-thinking individuals and groups can draw on each other’s expertise to make a bigger difference together.

Through our unique efforts, AGC has stayed committed to the renewable print medium and its potential to make a difference in people’s lives while demonstrating how environmental issues can be proactively addressed.

To obtain a copy of 52 Weeks 52 Works please email us today!

Which is Greener: Paper or Digital? The Answer May Surprise You - a ZDNet.com Blog

The DocuMentor Blog recently posted an interesting article on a subject we've been following closely:

Even though my brain is infused with a little too many toner particles, the Doc assumes that anything we can do to reduce paper consumption is good for the planet. But what about the significant impact of digital waste?

For a fascinating read, take a look at this interview with Don Carli, the Doc’s good friend and Executive Vice President of SustainCommWorld LLC and Senior Research Fellow with the Institute for Sustainable Communication. Here’s a few highlights from Don:

“Other than pushing the ‘cool’ factor, one of the main selling points being made by marketers of eReaders is that they are greener than print. It is little surprise that the common view held by consumers who don’t know the backstory is that going digital means going green and saving trees. Many are in for a rude awakening. When subjected to ‘cradle-to-cradle’ life cycle analysis, eReading is not nearly as green as many naively assume it is.”

“There is no question that print media could do a better job of managing the sustainability of its supply chains and waste streams, but it’s a misguided notion to assume that digital media is categorically greener. Computers, eReaders, and cell phones don’t grow on trees and their spiraling requirement for energy is unsustainable.”

“Making a computer typically requires the mining and refining of dozens of minerals and metals including gold, silver, and palladium as well as extensive use of plastics and hydrocarbon solvents. To function, digital devices require a constant flow of electrons that predominately come from the combustion of coal, and at the end of their all-too-short useful lives electronics have become the single largest stream of toxic waste created by man. Until recently, there was little, if any, voluntary disclosure of the lifecycle ‘backstory’ of digital media.”

“Sadly, print has come to be seen as a wasteful, inefficient and environmentally destructive medium, despite the fact that much of print media is based on comparatively benign and renewable materials. In addition, print has incredible potential to be a far more sustainable medium than it is today… and a truly digital medium as well. Despite its importance to business, government and society, print has been cast in the role of a dark old devil in decline. Digital media has been cast as the bright young savior on the rise.”

“Ironically the future of digital media and eBook readers is likely to be based on flexible polymer electronics manufactured using printing presses rather than silicon semiconductor fabrication technologies. In fact, the next generation of eReaders will most likely be digital AND be printed.”

There is a lot more from Don that the Doc guarantees will stimulate your neural economy.

Trees Are The Answer >> to Climate Change?

"As a natural, renewable resource, trees are the answer to many challenges facing our society today — most notably climate change.

Trees are one of the most efficient “solar-powered carbon collectors” that we have at our disposal. Every day, all day, during the active growing season (from May to August in mid west/north east) millions upon millions of trees of all sizes are busy taking carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, out of the atmosphere and storing it in their trunks, branches, leaves and roots. We call this sequestration, and it is highly effective.

So if trees are the answer, you might say, shouldn’t we stop using them to build houses or a dining room table, to make a sheet of paper, or for firewood? That’s the last thing we should do.

Four reasons come immediately to mind:

Trees are living things. When they die, they decompose, releasing the carbon they had stored back into the atmosphere. When a tree is converted into a house or a table or a ream of paper, the carbon remains sequestered for as long as that product remains in use. If the product is recycled then the carbon is re-stored in a new product.

Turning trees into products takes less energy than common substitutes such as cement or steel. That means less carbon gas is released to the atmosphere in the manufacturing process.

When a tree is used for fuel, such as firewood, we offset the use of fossil fuels (coal, gas, oil) that would otherwise have to be burned. Burning wood does release carbon dioxide, but remember that the tree would decompose and release its stored carbon back to the atmosphere anyway; so the net carbon contribution is nil.

Most importantly, trees are a renewable resource. Once a tree is cut to meet society’s needs, another grows to take its place and immediately begins to sequester more carbon.

Can trees—and sustainable forest management practices– solve our climate change problems all on their own? Of course not. But they are a critically important part of the solution — and another reason I’m proud to be in the business of growing trees.

Footnote: “Trees are the answer” campaign is led by the Soceity of American Foresters. To learn more, please visit www.safnet.org

Certified Forest Products: A Great Choice for the Environment

The Conservation Fund President and CEO Larry Selzer wrote a guest blog appearing on CNBC.com yesterday, which is pasted below for your reference. He outlines the critical role of forests in combating climate change and providing many other benefits. He also explains the importance of credible forest certification programs such as SFI.  To view the online version, visit SFI Inc.'s Blog at Good For Forests.


Certified Forest Products: A Great Choice for the Environment
Published: Thursday, 22 Oct 2009 | 12:03 PM ET
By: Larry Selzer, President & CEO, The Conservation Fund
 
There is not much debate that the environmental issue at the forefront of our minds these days is climate change.  
 
There is also no doubt that by taking care of our forests we can address a lot of environmental challenges - including some related to climate change.
Just think for a moment what forests provide.

They are natural filters - removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing carbon as plants, leaf litter and soil.
 
They provide habitat and support biodiversity, they regulate water flows and protect water quality. They offer enjoyment and recreation. They also support local economies, and deliver a stable, and renewable, supply of the wood and paper products.
That's right. 
 
The many benefits of natural forests are often found in managed forests that supply the products we use every day. And the economic value is an added incentive for owners to manage their forests with care, and to maintain them as forest rather than selling them for profit - which often results in the forests being turned into malls or subdivisions.
At The Conservation Fund, we have long recognized this.  We know that forests offering value economically and socially are more likely to continue offering value environmentally.
  
That's why we work with many partners to help communities develop sustainable solutions that integrate economic return with environmental quality.
 
That's also why we certify our forest lands to a credible third-party certification program, and make sure we always ask for wood and paper products with on-product labels that show the fiber is from responsible, legal sources.
 
Third-party forest certification began as a response to market concerns about questionable forest activities, primarily in developing countries, and has become an important tool to promote sustainable forest management and responsible procurement around the world.
Only 10 percent of the world's forests are certified and half of these certified lands are found in North America. 
 
That's likely because we have a choice of credible programs - such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council. These programs have been endorsed by respected organizations and governments around the world, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan and France.
 
An on-product label that says a product is certified to a program such as SFI or FSC delivers assurance you are making a choice that represents conservation of biological diversity, protection of special sites, sustainable harvests, respect for local communities, and much more.
In the United States and Canada, we are extremely fortunate. At a time when global deforestation and degradation account for 17 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, our forest land area is actually stable, if not increasing. At a time when illegal forest activities are contributing to deforestation and habitat destruction, we have laws in place to keep our forest lands healthy and resilient, making them less susceptible to wildfire, insects and disease.
 
And on top of that, we have the option of buying independently certified wood and paper products that we know come from responsible and legal sources.
_____________________
Larry Selzer is president and CEO of The Conservation Fund (www.conservationfund.org), an environmental non-profit that works with many partners to demonstrate sustainable conservation solutions by integrating economic and environmental goals.

AGC is an Emerald Awards Finalist - Crain's Cleveland Business

Academy Graphic Communication is pleased to announce we are a 2009 Finalist in the Crain's Cleveland Business Emerald Awards! The Emerald Awards recognize Northeast Ohio companies that have implemented sustainable strategic priorities to reduce their environmental footprint.

An independent panel of judges reviewed the nominations that included information on an organization's sustainability initiative and goals, as well as the results and impact of those efforts on the triple bottom line: People, Profits and Planet.

The judges were Nicholas Zingale, CEO of Affinity Consultants Inc., Colette Chandler of The Marketing Insider, and Glen Hasek editor and publisher of Middleburg Heights-based Green Lodging News.

Academy Graphic Communication (AGC) is an integrated marketing solutions provider specializing in design, corporate identity and brand implementation, direct marketing, print literature, sustainable solutions, print production, direct mail, web design and other marketing related services.

AGC seeks to promote the responsible use of paper and encourage renewable marketing practices. We have made a concerted effort to research trends, present our findings to our clients and prospects and to adopt policies and procedures to minimize or neutralize the environmental impact of our business practices.

Paper is one of the few truly renewable and recyclable raw materials available with the smallest carbon footprint. By aligning our paper use with the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative we’re able to ensure forests are responsibly managed and the paper we use is renewable and sustainable.

AGC also recognizes that environmental sustainability is a community-wide effort. We seek to showcase local resources, to create greater awareness of the options available within our community and highlight how innovative, forward-thinking individuals and groups can draw on each other’s expertise to make a bigger difference together.

NAPL Nominates AGC for an Environmental Award

"We are delighted to provide this letter of support for AGC’s nomination for the Northeast Ohio Environmental Award. AGC is a member in good standing with NAPL, the National Association for Printing Leadership. NAPL is a not-for-profit business management association representing progressive leadership companies in the $120+ billion graphic communications industry. Located in Cleveland, OH, AGC is a full-service, eco-friendly marketing communications company and was recognized by NAPL this year for a Marketing Award in green/sustainability efforts in the printing industry.

Nominated Program: AGC has produced a capabilities brochure in a desk calendar format. Entitled 52 Weeks 52 Works, the project highlighted ways community businesses could be more environmentally friendly in producing their own corporate material. In addition, the project showed how AGC is leading the way toward more environmentally conscious work processes through its own continuous improvement and integration of new environmentally friendly technologies into its manufacturing processes.

Community Needs Addressed: AGC recognizes that environmental sustainability is a community-wide effort. The project was designed to showcase local talent to create greater awareness of resources available in the community and highlight how innovative, forward-thinking individuals and groups can draw on each other’s expertise to make a bigger difference together. As part of the project, AGC developed a list of best practices local businesses could use when undertaking new communications projects including using nontoxic soy and vegetable-based inks and varnishes and looking for FSC certified business partners.

Innovative Solutions: The AGC project notes that: “Images are powerful marketing tools.” The entire project is a graphic symbol of how to produce an effective marketing piece while maintaining environmental stewardship. AGC is becoming a local thought leader on how to approach a traditional communications effort in an innovative and environmentally consciousness- raising way. In teaching about environmental alternatives including not only recycled paper, but recycled inks and solvents, AGC is encouraging change in standard business communication procedures while leading by example.

Effect or Impact: AGC has been proactive in teaching clients to consider the entire life-cycle of a product or campaign from raw material usage to end use and disposal. The calendar is well known throughout the creative community as an outlet for highlighting local talent. By dedicating this familiar vehicle to environmental messaging, the project sought to invoke change through a ripple effect, providing a strong message and environmentally sound options currently available to those responsible for other local business marketing efforts. In addition, many of AGC’s clients are nonprofit organizations in northern Ohio including education and health care organizations. By demonstrating their services, AGC is encouraging other organizations on lean budgets to consider environmental alternatives for their business communications needs.

Leadership Qualities: The high quality project demonstrates that environmental products and production processes have improved to the point where no compromises are necessary for businesses to achieve effective and excellent effectiveness in their own customer outreach efforts. In order to produce the piece, AGC, itself, has undergone substantial changes in its production processes. As a result, it was the first commercial printing facility in Ohio to be dual certified by both the Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative. It invested heavily in upgrading equipment throughout the print cycle and exclusively uses EcoPride process inks and varnishes. Its comprehensive recycling program goes beyond most printers who simply use recycled paper and AGC’s processes includes a zero waste management system. AGC applies the same stringent standards to its own partners and vendors, thereby encouraging a complete Chain of Custody sustainability program.

When discussing environmental concerns, there is much hype put out by key lobbying groups on the negative impact paper, inks and print can have on the environment. Much less is known about the industry’s dedication to forest stewardship and ongoing commitment to environmentally friendly means of helping people communicate effectively. Personal communication is a key human trait, and electronic communication vehicles appear to be environmentally friendly but use enormous energy resources largely unaccounted for by many who purport to be environmentally friendly. Through its unique efforts, AGC has stayed committed to the print medium and its potential to make a difference in people’s lives while demonstrating how environmental issues can be proactively addressed.

Please consider AGC for this prestigious local award. They are certainly deserving."

Submitted by:

Rhona Bronson
SVP Marketing
NAPL
75 W. Century Rd., Suite 100
Paramus, NJ 07652

Improve Your Sustainability Efforts

The United Kingdom's Two Sides initiative has jumped the pond and is making waves right here on the shores of the grand ol' USA.

Even in today’s digital age with the availability of alternative media, paper’s unique practical and aesthetic qualities simply can’t be achieved by using electronic alternatives. That’s not to say that one is less suitable than the other. Both paper-based & electronic communication have a role to play and can compliment each other.

In recent years, however, paper has been the target of negative and often misinformed environmental criticism. Listening to some people, its benefits are outweighed by the mass of misleading environmental disadvantages; shrinking forests, excessive energy consumption, and overflowing landfill sites. So as far as the environment is concerned, paper appears bad.

This site is actually quite interesting and it dispels the myths surrounding paper in a very quick and informative read.

Everyone is familiar with the "Marketing Mix." The right mix for your communication strategy is just that, a mix. Rarely are we advised to throw our proverbial eggs in one basket, and marketing is no exception. A strategic and collaborative mix of communication and messaging is best to truly serve our varied audiences. And paper can serve a portion of your audience.

Plantable Papers? Yes, It's True!

Although they've been around for awhile primarily serving the "crafts" industry, plantable papers are now available for offset printing.

Plantable Papers are handmade, "tree-free", recycled sheets of paper with wildflower seeds embedded in them. Commonly used for invitations, bookmarks, tags, and announcements, after use, you simply plant the paper in a sun drenched area, spread a thin layer of moist soil on the paper and keep the area moist during germination. In about 6-8 weeks your paper will begin to grow!

For more information:
Botanical PaperWorks
Plantable Paper
Plantable Seed Paper
Green Field Paper

New Book Celebrating the Eco-Movement "Green Graphic Design"

A new book Green Graphic Design is celebrating the Eco-Movement with style and grace.

Can a graphic designer be a catalyst for positive change? Breaking down the concept of "green design" step-by-step, respected industry leader Brian Dougherty captures the ability of designers to communicate, persuade, and ultimately spread a socially and ecologically responsible message to both consumers and corporations. Green Graphic Design reframes the way designers can think about the work they create, while remaining focused on cost constraints and corporate identity. Simple, eco-innovative changes are demonstrated in all phases of the design process, including:

Picking projects • Strategizing with clients • Building strong green brands Choosing materials for manufacture and shipping • Picking ink and paper • Binding • Working with clients to foster transparency and corporate social responsibility

Fully illustrated and packed with case studies demonstrating green design in practice, this reference guide explains and inspires. It includes a "sustainability scorecard" and a complete glossary of key terms and resources to ensure that anyone in the design field can implement practical green solutions. Green Graphic Design is an indispensable resource for graphic designers ready to look to the future of their business and the environment.

Published January 2009 by Allworth Press. All rights reserved.

Happy Earth Day Everyone!

As we celebrate Mother Earth and all her complexities and necessities, it is appropriate to look back over the past year and see how we have minimized our impact and helped our clients minimize their impact on the environment.

The desire for "green products" continues to grow (no pun intended!) and while marketers are faced with more pressure to meet these growing demands, it is important that we refrain from green washing (side note: earlier this week I came across a study conducted by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing regarding greenwashing, while I didn't post about it, I did tweet about it @VisitAGC with a link to read the full study) .

There are many ways to "balance our environmental. social and economic needs and impacts" and making smart choices about the companies you choose to partner with is one of them. AGC has implemented several practices to assist you.

~ AGC is certified to both the Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Our initial certification was September 2007. In 2007, we were the first commercial printing facility in the state of Ohio to receive dual-certification.

~ All of our "house sheets" are either Forest Stewardship Council certified or Sustainable Forestry Initiative certified. This means, even if you don't specify an environmental sheet; we're using it. In addition, there is no cost to add the FSC or SFI label to your printed communication.

~ AGC exclusively uses Soy- and Vegetable- based Inks and Varnishes. This also means, even if you don't specify an eco-friendly ink; we're using it. Additionally, there is no cost to add the EcoSmart, EcoPride or Soy Ink logo to your printed communication. We've been using Soy- and Vegetable-based Inks and Varnishes exclusively since 2003. While the choice is environmentally preferable, our initial decision was for the health and safety of our employees. Additionally, pieces printed with eco-friendly inks are easier to de-ink and recycle (see earlier post about DeInking Digital Printing).

~ As many of you are familiar, AGC is the publisher of 52 Weeks 52 Works, the desk calendar featuring Northeast Ohio area artists. The 2009 edition won a National Award for Green/Sustainability Marketing. The entire calendar was produced with a neutral impact on the environment! The press release and production notes are available, please email us if you'd like a copy.

~ At AGC's commercial printing facility, Sustainable Print Solutions, we actively recycle our paper waste, printing plates, waste inks and solvents.

~ AGC's design team, The Creative Advantage, is trained to maximize the printed sheet to minimize waste during production.

~ AGC's Fulfillment Yields Interest mailing team can help you maintain a clean, up-to-date mailing list to help you reduce your direct-mail's environmental impact.

These are just a few of things we're doing to minimize our impact. As we look forward to 2010 we hope this list will continue to grow with more innovative and eco-friendly solutions.

For more information, or if you'd like to share any ideas to help us improve upon our eco-initiatives please post your comments or email us.

Marketing Article in COSE Update by AGC

Check out the latest edition of COSE Update and enjoy the marketing article titled "Sustainable Communication Checklist" written by AGC!

Environmental issues have taken center stage over the past few years, and there is a “green” shift in the communications industry to minimize or neutralize environmental impact. A sustainable strategy, implemented correctly, will communicate your company’s environmental commitment to your target demographic and create more value to stakeholders.

Working collectively with your marketing firm or design agency to determine the most efficient use of your resources before, during and after production will help reduce the size of your footprint on the natural world.

When preparing your next marketing communication project ask yourself how you can be more environmentally conscious. Today, ‘green’ printing alternatives maintain the same or greater level of quality in comparison to traditional (non-eco-friendly) materials. In addition, a recent study conducted by the Centre for Sustainable Communications found printed communications has less of a carbon footprint than electronic communications, trading a renewable resource (trees) for a non-renewable resource (fossil fuels used in energy production).

Print can actually be more environmentally friendly than electronic media, but there are opportunities to make it even more so. We’ve developed a list of Best Practices for Sustainability in Your Communication Projects.

• Choose 100% post consumer waste (PCW) or 100% virgin FSC or SFI fiber. Virgin fiber coming from certified, sustainable forests has a softer impact on the carbon footprint then most recycled sheets.

• Choose paper that is processed chlorine free (PCF).

• Choose non-toxic soy- and vegetable- based inks and varnishes.

• Choose products and materials that are manufactured with renewable energy.

• Choose local materials

• Choose local vendors that utilize renewable energy (to save on transportation waste).

• Choose certified vendors that have been verified to offer Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative Chain-of-Custody.

• Choose to label your printed communication with the FSC or SFI logo. Use of these logos creates a positive image for your company.

• Choose a graphic design firm that adheres to sustainable practices and maximizes resource use.

• Choose to keep an open discussion with your team about project impact related questions.

Eco-friendly design can be cost-efficient, environmentally sensitive and beautiful.

AGC joins UnisourceGreen.com Respect Family of Printers

UnisourceGreen.com is a place where you can learn more about Unisource Worldwide, Inc.'s commitment to providing environmentally-friendly papers, with "green" attributes and green, certified printing companies like AGC who partner with them.

There are three categories to "green" papers available to you today. Unisource refers to these categories as "Eco-Pillars." These papers are made with:

• post-consumer, recycled fibers;
• wood fibers from responsibly managed forests and other certified sources; or
• a manufacturing process that uses a renewable energy source.

These three "Eco-Pillars" define the Unisource Respect family of mill brands and private label papers. All three pillars can be traced back to certifying agencies.

AGC is certified by both Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative. These certifications verify our commitment to the environment and guarantee our compliance of both the FSC and SFI standards as set forth by our certifying body, Bureau Veritas.

Recognition and certification programs have become central to the issue of green printing. Many companies make green claims as a marketing tool, to ensure your materials are being produced by a company with a proven track record request a copy of their FSC and/or SFI certification form. Download our Environmental Certification forms here.