Will Print Survive the Green Revolution?
By Designitgreener Editor
With environmental concerns at the forefront as well as costs, organizations are taking an ever-harder look at printed materials such as product brochures, collateral and even annual reports. Consumers too are taking a hard look at how they use print. They are becoming more selective and are shifting their views as to its appropriate use.
Major newspapers and magazines are finding out the hard way that a large percentage of their audience is moving from print (along with many of their advertisers) to online news. Catalog retailers too have put far more of the resources into online stores and printing far fewer catalogs. So, does this signal that print as we know it is dying? If the newspaper, magazine and catalog industries were any harbinger of the long-term health of print, the short answer would have to be yes. But these mediums represent only a slice, be it a sizable one, of the print universe.
In other areas of print, book sales remain brisk and packaging in many cases is moving from plastics to print as recycled paperboard and its renewable and sustainable perceptions improve.
The ultimate irony is that direct mail seems go on unabated despite it’s high cost both financially and environmentally. In this case, most consumers don’t want to receive it at all but would rather receive it in their mailbox than in their e-mail. This is also driven by the current anti-spam legislation, which makes direct mail one of the few direct marketing options.
As far as high-end printed collateral is concerned, cost may be as much a factor as green. Marketers with the profit margins to support it are still using print effectively to add brand value with a tactile presentation – but it is expensive. Consumers still appreciate a well-printed piece on high quality paper and welcome them, provided they are done responsibly. That said, print is quickly becoming more of a luxury medium and as a result will be used less frequently as it is reserved for special, more lasting communications – junk mail not withstanding.
What do you think?
- Will Print Survive the Green Revolution?
- Carbon Offsets – Green Incentive or License to Pollute?
- Is The Next Bubble “Green?”
Are there new “paper” products that are made from renewable resources?
There are many papers made from renewable resources. Traditional papers are made from trees which are a renewable resource. Look for papers that are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. This ensures that sustainable forestry practices have been followed in harvesting, replanting and manufacture. There are also tree-free papers made from non-tree sources such as Hemp, Kenaf, Jute, Cotton, Bamboo and Flax. Recycled stocks are the most eco-friendly as they require far less energy to manufacture than virgin or first generation paper.
Within the near future, print will still be around. If you are talking about ten to twenty years from now, I don’t think newspapers will be in print format. Don’t be fooled though. If you go into your local mall, you will notice something very important. I was walking through Silver City Galleria, and I notice a great leap forward in advertising. Even though the technology has been around for some time, I thought it would take longer to show up. Well, I was completely wrong. Instead of hanging printed advertising posters, the mall now uses digital advertising boards. Even though they look like an average mall directory, they remind me of the modern movie advertising found in “The Time Machine”.
Time Machine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6lkxqGDeyo
Digital Ad Boards (Reality):
http://www.adspacenetworks.com/index2.php
Anyone caught in the printed advertising world is about to lose their job. Not only are these boards greener, but they also give you a boost in advertising dynamics. After I saw these digital boards, I signed up for classes in web development and digital media. Graphics deisgners are progressing towards becoming digital designers everyday. Its just around the corner.
Print will survive! There will be less of it, so we will value it more. I also feel that 100% PCW recycled, PCF, manufactured carbon-neutral and papers created from sustainably managed forests are much gentler on the environment than all the hard metals we are mining and solid waste we are creating by continuously upgrading all of our technology.
Will print survive? I agree with Woodhouse-Keese that it will survive and that we will value it more just like almost everything. Those of us living in the green world probably already value water and lighting more. Also, just like everything, there’s no simple solution. It is NOT a solution to just replace all printed material with electronic media. We have to reduce, not just recycle or replace. We have to be mindful of what we are using and not use anything to excess. Having said that, our business uses small squares of hemp paper for advertising and only if someone requests a card. We also have FSC business cards printed with soy ink that I absolutely love and dole out on an as-needed basis.
I think it will be hard for print to keep up with the green revolution.