Increasing pressure is on our sector as many leading organisations, in a bid to reduce costs, including banks, utility companies, and telecommunications providers, urge their customers to go paperless with claims that paperless bills, statements, and other electronic communications save trees, are “greener”, and are better for the environment. Two Sides has been actively engaging organisations making these misleading and unsupported environmental claims, successfully influencing more than 980 organisations globally (227 in the UK) to remove or revise such statements. Research by independent research company, Censuswide, shows Two Sides activity has preserved £11.2m of value annually in the UK for the paper, print and mail sector, and stops greenwash messages being seen over 209 million times each year. Left unchallenged, it threatens the loss of £22.4m of value annually for the UK paper, print, and mailing industry, which employs 116,000 people in more than 8,400 businesses. Telling our Message As well as campaigning to fight greenwash, Two Sides provides information and resources to help our industry explain to both consumers and businesses the great sustainable story and nature of our products. Myths & Facts Booklet One of the most popular Two Sides resources, the Myths & Facts booklet, has been updated to take in the latest research, explaining in clear detail the many misconceptions about paper and its effect on the environment. Whether it’s the fact that European forests grew by an area bigger than Switzerland between 2005 and 2020, play an important role in Biodiversity, and are part of the solution to climate change; or that a total of 55 million tonnes of paper was collected and recycled in Europe in 2021, representing a recycling rate of 71.4% (CEPI key statistics 2021), the booklet is packed with facts and information. Packaging Booklet With the explosion of e-commerce and brands becoming more aware of their environmental responsibilities, the use of paper and cardboard packaging has grown significantly. Its strength, versatility, and ability to be recycled make it highly sustainable and an essential component of the circular economy. Titled Paper Packaging: The Natural Choice, the Two Sides booklet explains in clear detail the multiple benefits of paper and cardboard packaging, with plenty of facts and research from a range of organisations to prove its immense value. Fact Sheets To help companies and consumers understand the various issues around print and paper, and its environmental and social value, Two Sides has created a series of Fact Sheets. These easily downloadable documents clearly explain the details and facts around the most common areas of misunderstanding, ranging from the environmental impact of electronic communication to the sustainability of paper-based printed products, as well as tackling the vital role that print and paper plays in literacy and learning. Two Sides also produces a range of resources designed to be shared on social media. These resources include a series of mini videos and Factographics – small, easily digestible facts that can be quickly posted on any platform or used as part of a presentation. Co-branded Resources Members of Two Sides can personalise all of the resources with their company logo. By adding your company’s logo, the co-branded Two Sides materials can be a valuable tool to share with customers and stakeholders and provide sustainable facts for your marketing teams to utilise. Printers, mailing houses, and anyone involved in the creation of print, should support Two Sides and use the resources created to help tell the great sustainable story of print and physical mail. For more information visit: www.twosides.info/become-a-member. A GREAT SUSTAINABILITY STORY Two Sides tells of the great sustainability story of physical mail and paper packaging as it actively engages organisations making misleading and unsupported environmental claims 42 May / June 2023 - Issue 342 www.printmonthly.co.uk HOT TOPIC / TWO SIDES COLUMN
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