Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the order of the day. More and more companies are aware of the impact they have on people, the environment and society. And this awareness is accompanied by an increasing degree of ‘greening’. Companies and their customers increasingly recognise the importance of sustainable business practices, which increases the demand for sustainable products.
Every year, hundreds of millions of leaflets, brochures, magazines and reports are printed. And when printing these, many materials are used that are harmful to the environment. By switching to sustainable printing, you contribute to reducing the burden on the environment. Research shows that people appreciate sustainable products, while you do not have to make concessions on quality. Are you ready to make the step to sustainable printing?
What is sustainable printing?Â
In Europe, almost 80% of all printed matter is printed on paper. Traditionally, most printed matter has a significant environmental impact. Although many natural materials are used in paper printing, natural resources are unnecessarily depleted in the production process. Think of all the trees that are cut down for paper. In the traditional paper industry, trees are used as the primary raw material for the production of paper and cardboard. This means that the tree is planted with the aim of being cut down for paper. Depending on the species, most tree species in Europe have a growth time of between 15 and 80 years. That is how long it takes for a tree to grow before it is made into paper. In addition, chemicals are added to achieve a good end result. Why burden the environment with unnecessary tree felling and environmental pollution when there is another way?
Fortunately, there are more sustainable alternatives to conventional printed materials made from trees or recycled paper. Such as eco-friendly printed matter made from PaperWise paper. PaperWise is paper and cardboard made from agricultural waste. The non-edible stems and leaves left over after the harvest are used to make environmentally friendly paper and board. Raw materials and land space are scarce. PaperWise believes that we need to be ever smarter in our use of raw materials and land. Why use primary raw materials – like trees – for products, when there are plenty of secondary raw materials available? PaperWise gives agricultural waste a second life. By choosing sustainable printing from PaperWise, you reduce your carbon footprint. The environmental impact of PaperWise paper is 29% lower than recycled paper and 47% lower than paper made from trees. By choosing PaperWise paper and board, you reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to corporate social responsibility. Together Wise With Waste.
Sustainable and socially responsible paperÂ
Paper and cardboard from PaperWise is not only sustainable, it’s also socially responsible. Production takes place in factories in South America and India, where employment contributes greatly to prosperity. Investments are also made in education, infrastructure and health care. Moreover, the local farmers not only receive money for their edible crops, but also compensation for the agricultural waste (the non-edible stems and leaves that remain after the harvest). In this way, the factories where PaperWise is produced contribute significantly to the local communities.
CO2 neutral printing with PaperWise paperÂ
PaperWise is revolutionising the paper industry. By using stems and leaves left over after harvesting, residual streams gain new value. Agricultural waste that would otherwise be burned is now avoiding the unnecessary felling of trees for paper. PaperWise has ensured that more than 31,800 trees have not been cut down since its establishment. That’s 4,300 football fields. Besides the low environmental impact and no tree felling, PaperWise paper and board is also CO2 neutral. Greenhouse gases like CO2, methane, nitrous oxide and F-gases which are still released in the chain from plant to warehouse are compensated by PaperWise with Standard Gold Certificates. This way, people who choose PaperWise know they are positively contributing to a better world.
By having your printed matter printed on the sustainable paper of PaperWise, you contribute to a cleaner environment and a social society. But choosing PaperWise is not only choosing for sustainability, CO2 neutrality and social responsibility. You also choose for quality. The PaperWise paper meets the highest quality standards, is affordable and suitable for virtually all printing applications, such as books, magazines, brochures, flyers, calendars, business cards, calendars, cards, writing pads, notebooks, envelopes and annual reports. PaperWise White copy paper is certified for archiving up to 100 years (according to ISO 9706).
Why choose eco-printing?Â
As described, the environmental impact of conventional printing is very large. Valuable land is used for one-sided plantation forests, chemical production processes of paper pollute the ecological system and the CO2 emissions of the total paper industry are larger than those of aviation (source). Thus, the environmental impact of conventional printed products is very high. If you need regular printed matter, you can therefore significantly contribute to the reduction of environmental pollution by opting for sustainable printed matter. A relatively ‘small’ choice with a big impact on the environment. Only together can we make a difference and leave the world a better place!
But not alone. Research by PWC in 2019 has shown that 30% of Dutch consumers are actively looking for environmentally friendly products. Worldwide, this percentage is 37% according to this research (source). The use of sustainable printed materials therefore completely fits in with the positive movement that more and more people need.
Research shows that social and environmental risks can have a structurally negative impact on the long-term profitability of companies. Looking at it from the positive side, University of Oxford research shows that 88% of companies that actively adapt to environmentally and socially responsible processes achieve better operational results than those that do not (source). So sustainable printing is not only positive for consumers and society, but also for businesses.
Wondering what you can have made of the sustainable PaperWise? Get inspired by the many possibilities below.
Environmentally friendly business cards examples
Business cards something from the past? Nothing could be further from the truth! Worldwide, 27 million business cards are still printed every day (source). And that’s not surprising, because with the right choices, you literally give away quite a business card. Move with the times, not by ignoring business cards, but by choosing business cards with the smallest possible ecological footprint. No matter how simple or fancy the business card, PaperWise paper, which is made from agricultural waste, is always suitable. It is perfect for full colour or black and white printing. Pre-printing is also an option and gives your business card that little bit extra.
Sustainable business cards printed on unbleached CO2 neutral PaperWise Natural 295 grams.
Sustainable business cards printed on PaperWise Natural Coated 1 Side White 342 gram.
Sustainable business cards printed on unbleached CO2 neutral PaperWise Natural 295 gram.
Advice from PaperWiseÂ
At PaperWise, we know the challenges that companies can face when it comes to climate-neutral printing. For example, how do you let customers know that you are using sustainable printing? There can also be questions about the suitability of PaperWise paper and board for different purposes.
PaperWise paper and cardboard meets the highest quality standards, is easy to print on and is ideal for sustainable printing such as business cards, brochures, magazines, annual reports and more. And by using one of the PaperWise “on product” logos, you can show in a stylish and subtle way that you have made the choice for sustainable and socially responsible paper and board.
We would like to help you on your sustainable pathÂ
If you need advice on choosing the right type of paper or board for your printing, on the different application possibilities or if you have any other question: the experts at PaperWise are ready to help you.