It’s not easy being green: sustainability and you
Posted on Mon, Nov 21, 2011
By Pete Carter, Sr. Vice President + Principal
Chapman Cubine Adams + Hussey
As a direct mail marketer of many years, I continue to search for ways to both serve my clients as well as preserve the environment. This is, of course, no easy task.
Before getting into the nitty gritty of direct mail and environmentally-friendly supplies, here is a bit of background on the subject:
Back in the days surrounding the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, global attention was focused on the world’s growing environmental challenges. For the first time, many were waking up to the enormous pressures placed on our ecosystems by the skyrocketing demand for natural resources. Unfortunately, the issues raised at Rio remain largely unresolved. But there is at least one lasting legacy: the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), founded in 1993.
In many places around the globe, tree harvesting contributes to habitat destruction, water pollution, and displacement of native communities. Over the past two decades, environmentalists and the paper industry have worked together to start addressing these challenges. The goal is to break the connection between logging and its potential negative impacts. That’s where the FSC comes in.
The Forest Stewardship Council certifies specific papers as coming from “responsible sources,” which offers a global standard for guiding forest management. FSC guidelines are developed by a variety of stakeholders, including both environmentalists and the forest industry itself. It’s an ongoing dialogue, but the FSC standards for forest management have now been applied in at least 57 countries around the world, including the United States.
There are many important attributes that make for a sustainable forest. But the main goal is simple: Paper and other wood products should come from sustainable forests that do not contribute to the degradation of our planet. Cut down a tree, plant a tree, as it were.
The U.S. is the largest market for paper products in the world, producing 90 million tons of paper annually and, in-turn, consuming about 100 million tons. Roughly 25% of timber cut annually in the US is used for paper production.
Anything we do in the United States regarding the sustainability of our paper production will have a huge impact globally.
But the compelling—and direct marketing-related fact is this: FSC-certified paper is almost always more expensive than its non-certified counterpart. Using FSC-certified paper does mean that the component can print with the special FSC logo, which is easily recognized by most consumers. And while this certification does convey a sense of commitment to improving the environment, it must be asked: is it worthwhile?
The answer to this question is up to each individual mailer, since the pressure to mail at the lowest cost is often the bottom line. But as we all know, it’s not always easy being green!
It’s important to point out that many FSC-certified paper stocks are actually virgin paper. They are NOT recycled, and therefore can NOT carry the recycled bug. They can state that the paper is made from “100% recyclable materials.”
But recycled and recyclable are very different concepts, and many consumers also know this distinction.
Many organizations decide that using standard recycled paper with a high post-consumer content, along with vegetable inks, is the more economical approach to eco-friendliness.
We may also see that as the availability and usage of FSC paper grows, the price will fall, so this will certainly be something to keep an eye on. As we move forward, hopefully environmentally-friendly paper and supplies will continue to be more widely available—and cheaper.
It would certainly be nice if it were easier being green—but luckily, I think we’re headed in that direction.
