Graph Expo Goes Green —Morgan
These are just a few examples of the many industry suppliers that are creating a sea change in the way we will be doing business in the future.
The adoption of new technologies, workflows and solutions is typically slow in our industry, particularly on the printers’ side. Despite that history, we’re seeing evidence of very fast adoption, as large corporations are moving to create sustainability programs. An obvious target for these programs are print promotions. Print providers need to step up to the plate quickly, because major buying companies are quickly making the transition to buying green.
In a recent Print Buyers Online.com Quick Poll of 74 top print buyers, 57 percent said that sustainability and environmental issues have become more important in their companies in the past year. In fact, the topics of sustainability and environmental sound practices—including green printing and social responsibility—are red hot. Everyone is talking about them.
The motives behind the sustainability programs are sometimes very altruistic. Not every buying company uses sustainability as a flag-waving attempt to get more business by good public relations.
For example, a well-known mega clothing retailer comes to mind. The print buyer responsible for its catalog recently contacted me about the retailer’s efforts toward sustainability and the challenges it faces. The company has made excellent progress, even though the publication world faces tougher issues because of the longer press runs and the limited Forest Stewardship Council-certified papers available. Despite meeting its environmental goals, it has not leveraged that success. In fact, the retailer asked not to be identified, stating that it likes to keep a low profile.
Developing sustainability practices is sometimes a very complicated business. It’s tough to sort out all the certifications, what’s meaningful and what’s not. In fact, there’s a new type of consulting and educational business, such as Metafore, that helps companies sort through the tools and information for companies that are seeking to buy or manufacture “environmentally preferable products.”
