A Greener Way to Market
If your company is in the process of going green, you may be on the lookout for
environmentally friendly paper products. But do you really know where your
paper has been? Sure, we're all happy to see a high percentage of
"post-consumer content," but how can you be sure that the paper stock you're
using has been produced according to responsible environmental practices?
The Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC), an international accreditation organization, assesses the work
of forest managers, paper manufacturers, distributors and printers to certify
that paper bearing the FSC mark has been produced according to the FSC's
principles and criteria.
These standards cover not only responsible forest management and conservation,
but also the land rights of indigenous people, workers' rights and economic
feasibility. Although these principles are a little more far-reaching than you
might expect, the FSC's goal is to ensure long-term sustainability – and that
means making sure that responsible paper production continues to be profitable
and beneficial for the communities that depend on the paper industry.
In order to earn FSC certification, a product must pass through a complete
"chain of custody" from an FSC-certified forest to an FSC-certified pulp
manufacturer to an FSC-certified papermaker, merchant and printer, ensuring
that the principles and criteria are upheld through every step of the process.
What's more, many FSC-certified printers have begun using vegetable-based inks
as an alternative to conventional petroleum inks. With lower levels of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs), soy and other vegetable-based inks help to reduce air
pollution by minimizing toxic emissions. Soy crops also require very little
energy or irrigation to produce, further reducing environmental strain.
And whether you're implementing greener printing methods or marketing
environmentally friendly products, it’s important to carefully evaluate any
environmental benefit claims. Increasingly savvy customers are not just looking
for the words "eco-friendly"; they need to see facts that make them feel like
they’re doing something good for the earth. Statistics, test results and
certifications are important tools that consumers use to evaluate products'
true environmental benefits.
But consumers are also sensitive to "greenwashing," that is, touting company
products or practices that give the appearance of environmental action while
other practices communicate just the opposite. Consumers want to support
companies that share their convictions. This means that they notice things like
the type of paper used to print promotional materials and how a company affects
the natural resources it touches. A significant component of successful green
marketing is demonstrating a clear company-wide commitment to the environment.
From packaging and print collateral to the manufacturer's approach to waste and
recycling, consumers need to know they are purchasing a product that is good
for the environment all around.
See the promotional materials we designed for Pittsburgh Paints' eco-friendly
product lines,
Pure Performance
and
Olympic Premium.