Beyond ‘recycle, reuse, renew’: send the right message with your green packaging

What is green printing? really all about?

When we think of ‘green printing’, the terms ‘recycled’, FSC certified and ‘soy inks’ come to mind, right? But is that all there is? Are these things really enough? Did you know that one ton of recycled paper still consumes up to four trees, 18,000 BTUs of energy, generates up to two tons of solid waste, and generates thousands of gallons of polluted sewage? What about the FSC? Certainly FSC is an important designation and diverting pulp production from old and irresponsibly managed forests is critical, but at what point will we start to tip the balance of FSC paper production versus FSC forest growth in the negative? And soy inks? Well, offset printers have been using soy inks for years, but are they really beneficial for flexo printers to use for their labels/stickers, banners, and packaging? Nope! The point here is that print buyers, green merchants, brand owners, designers, and printers in general have gotten lazy. It’s so easy to say, ‘Green, oh, we use recycled paper and by the way…recycle this packaging when you’re done with it.’ We focus on ‘upcycling’ and recycling because it’s easy, cheap and everyone understands it (well sort of… but that’s a different article/post!) What I’d like to see are brand owners, printers and consumers are focused on the ‘green issues’ that will be more important in the future, sustainability (getting printing and packaging from more abundant renewable resources) and carbon footprint.

Sustainable paper options versus traditional tree pulp papers

Tree-free papers made from decaying plant waste such as banana, papaya and coconut palms, bamboo and bagasse are an option here. There are some companies that have dedicated decades to the production of tree-free paper and although the performance of these papers as a labeling/packaging material is limited, in some cases they have successfully replaced tree-pulp papers. Take a look at a sustainable option from Pure Labels and explore the Label Impressions, Inc. site for more sustainable, tree-free label paper options that work. Stone paper (rock paper) made from natural chalk (calcium carbonate), a renewable resource (yes, renewable, I expect some opposition/comments on this one) and abundant is one of the high performance options for eco-friendly printing and packaging materials with a superior sustainability history. Natural Source Printing, Inc.’s FiberStone(TM) tree-free paper is the most popular performance paper in this category and has been used in a wide variety of printing and packaging projects, from free gift bags/shopping bags from trees to printed folds. boxes, waterproof maps, books, brochures, annual reports and green labels.

Carbon Footprint: ‘What does it really take to produce and supply your ‘green’/recycled paper?

In this writer’s opinion, this is the ‘real’ issue that ‘green’ printers, print buyers, marketers and consumers need to be concerned about. When the folks at Natural Source Printing started looking at eco-friendly paper options, they took a hard look at the carbon footprint (which is why FiberStone stone paper became one of Natural Source’s featured products). We certainly conserve our most significant carbon storage resources, but at what point will the carbon storage capacity of our forests stop keeping up with our carbon-producing activities? of recycled fibers is the real culprit here. Did you know that to produce one ton of recycled paper, four trees are consumed and up to 22,000 BTU’s of energy are consumed? This massive consumption contributes to the emission of an enormous amount of Co2 into our atmosphere. You can see how an argument can and should be made for using low carbon footprint materials (lower energy consumption) vs. recycled papers for printing and packaging.

What I can do??

What’s next? What should I do as a green consumer, print buyer, marketing manager, sustainability manager or green printer to help raise awareness of the other two sides of the ‘green’ story? You can start by educating yourself, your employer/corporation, your customers, and your friends and family about the other threats to a cleaner planet: carbon emissions and the depletion of non-renewable natural resources. You can choose to stop ‘buying’ the simplified mantra of ‘recycle, reuse, renew’ and dig deeper! You can take responsibility by educating yourself and others about these concerns and the options that help counter them. Shouting ‘Go Green’ isn’t enough folks: dig deep, learn… and teach!

*Note: Jeff Salisbury (that’s me) is president of Label Impressions, Inc. and has worked with Natural Source Printing, Inc. on the development of FiberStone(TM) label stock for the past eighteen months. While I would appreciate it if you would visit our websites and use one or both companies for your green labels and packaging, this article is primarily intended to check your awareness of the ‘other’ green issues. I just got tired of hearing and seeing ‘Printed on recycled paper’ everywhere and decided it was time for a ‘call to action’. Thanks for listening and commenting! I can be reached directly at: [email protected]