When companies start making changes towards a more eco-friendly business environment, paper is often one of the first things to go. When you think about printing on paper products, your mind might conjure up images of a devastated, clearcut forest. But the print industry is much greener than you think—and it is helping to prevent deforestation.

As I've said before, print marketing is far from dead. And while it's still an effective way to attract a wider range of customers, it also helps preserve the environment. Print marketing collateral is sustainable, recyclable, low on carbon emissions, and high on impressions.

Here's a look at the benefits of print marketing.

Print grows trees

More than half of the forests in the United States—or 55 million acres—are owned by private landowners, most of whom make a living off the land that they own. When private forestland is used in the production of paper, the landowner has an incentive to keep growing more trees and replenishing whatever was cut down. In fact, in many cases, more trees are planted than are harvested, often in areas where there were no trees before.

Without the print industry, many private forest owners could not turn a profit on their land as is and they would be forced to sell it to outside developers or to clear it away for other agricultural purposes. Moreover, planting trees reduces stormwater runoff, improves water quality, and helps lower carbon emissions—but the same can't be said for livestock and cash crops. Think of it this way: Print marketing is more eco-friendly than eating a hamburger.

Print is recyclable

People are getting so good about recycling paper that 65.1% of all paper products are now recycled. However, that only accounts for the post-consumer waste; many printers also recycle the scrap paper leftover from a print job into biofuel. In fact, paper used for printing in the US is composed of over 60% biofuels, which create a lower carbon footprint by requiring fewer fossil fuels and reduce waste.

Print is non-toxic

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Marketing With Print Is Greener Than You Think

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Vladimir Gendelman

Vladimir Gendelman is founder and CEO of Company Folders Inc. He has spent over a decade learning the ins and outs of print marketing and specializes in helping businesses create quality marketing materials they can be proud of.

LinkedIn: Vladimir Gendelman