Being that we are avid printers, once in a while we receive publications from various organizations that are promoting different aspects of the printing process.
I recently received an email from the Print Council in Washington DC, which gave several interesting reasons that printing is already a very eco friendly enterprise:
“Our industry is a leader in recycling, sustainability and pollution control,” says Ben Cooper, Executive Director of the Print Council. “In fact we pioneered putting those concepts into widespread practice over the past three decades. But we did so quietly, to the extent that there is a lack of awareness regarding the environmentally responsible nature of print.”
They continue further to explain how printing’s “strengths as a sustainable and environmentally responsible communications medium…” can be seen through these five simple ideas:
- In 2008, more than 57 percent of paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling, more than any material.
- The paper industry is aiming to reach 60 percent recycling by 2012. Every additional percentage point means that a million tons of paper are recovered.
- Less than 10 percent of U.S. power comes from renewable sources, but in the pulp and paper industry, that figure is greater than 60 percent.
- Printers are frequent buyers of renewable-energy certificates. These certificates —which represent power generated by wind, hydro, solar, or biomass — support growth of renewable energy producers.
- The average person’s paper use for a year — 440 pounds — is produced by 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity, the amount used to power one computer continuously for 5 months.
While some people in the media claim that printing is lagging as an environmentally friendly medium, in reality, printing is a leader in this important field.
So the next time you are worried about the impact of your printing needs, particularly those regarding your wedding invitations, remember that you are helping to support one of the industry leaders in respect to environmental consciousness.
Written by Nick
Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.
