Two Sides U.S. Seeks to Tell Real Environmental Story of Print and Paper
CHICAGO—June 15, 2011—Two Sides will now be starting up in the United States with support from the NPTA Alliance and its member companies.
NPTA Alliance CEO Kevin Gammonley states, “We are very pleased that the paper merchant community has taken a pro‐active stance to support Two Sides. In our first phase of fundraising, we have received commitments from over 30 paper distributors who have decided to become early adopters of Two Sides in the U.S. The initiative can now establish a U.S. office and governance structure while defining its priorities to promote the sustainability of paper and print in the U.S. market.”
One of the successes of Two Sides in Europe has been its campaign to challenge misleading messaging related to the environmental benefits of electronic billing. Research carried out prior to the U.K. campaign launch revealed that 43 percent of the major banks, 70 percent of telecoms and 30 percent of utilities were using misleading environmental statements to support their marketing messages, thereby conflicting with current advertising regulations which are in place in most countries.
Martyn Eustace, Founder of Two Sides and U.K. Director, notes, “In 2010, Two Sides launched a campaign to target companies who claim that switching to online communication is better for the environment without verifiable supporting evidence. As a result, Two Sides has so far convinced 27 out of 33 major corporations to change their environmental claims or use wording that doesn’t include misleading or incorrect statements related to e‐billing. Every day we see misinformation but there is now a growing confidence that our industry has a good case to argue and a great record on sustainability.”
The second phase of fundraising of Two Sides U.S. will target paper producers and other U.S. companies in the print media value chain. Phase 2 will end June 30, 2011 and all early adopters of Two Sides U.S. will be announced later this summer.
Phil Riebel of Two Sides U.S. adds, “This is an exciting time and support has been fantastic. We are building on the success of Two Sides in Europe and we will be tailoring the campaign to the U.S. paper and print media market to ensure people understand that the responsible use of print and paper is a sustainable and effective way of communicating.
“A number of major pulp and paper producers and a large U.S. brand name retailer have already joined the distributors in phase 2. We are now sending out the message that we need strong support from the entire print and paper media supply chain to make Two Sides U.S. an effective organization that can produce results,” Riebel says.
Chris Creighton, president of PaperlinX North America, states, “PaperlinX has been a European member of Two Sides since its early days and we are thrilled to see the organization move into one of the largest print media markets in the world. There is a lot of negative, misleading and frankly ill‐informed messaging about print and paper in the United States and, therefore, confusion as it pertains to the sustainable life‐cycle of print products.
“Two Sides will help our industry send a positive, credible and consistent message based on facts. Its presence in the U.S. will also greatly strengthen the international network committed to the sustainability of print media,” Creighton aserts.
About Two Sides
Two Sides is a non‐profit organization which began in Europe in 2008, instigated by the UK National Association of Paper Merchants, NAPM, to promote the responsible production and use of print and paper. Two Sides is now present in 12 countries with links to similar projects in Australia and Japan. The European campaign has been highly successful and now has over 1,000 members covering the entire Graphic Communication Value Chain, including major pulp and paper producers, paper distribution, ink and chemical manufacturers, printing, printing equipment and finishing, mail and publishing.
The common goal is to promote the responsible production and use of print and paper, and dispel common environmental misconceptions by providing users with verifiable information on why print and paper is an attractive, practical and sustainable communications medium. www.twosides.info
About NPTA Alliance
NPTA Alliance (formerly the National Paper Trade Association, Inc.), founded in 1903, is the association for the $60 plus billion paper and packaging distribution industries. The mission of NPTA is to actively support the success of its members through the delivery of networking, education, industry data, research and advocacy, which focuses on the health of the distribution channel. www.gonpta.com
Source: NPTA Alliance.