The Print Group Australia have a passion for print. We live and breathe print and feel that in the digital age, that paper and printing certainly still has its place in the world. We make environmentally responsible paper choices and do our very best to be responsible business owners. The great thing about paper is that it is a versatile and sustainable communications medium and is one of the most recyclable products on the planet.

We wanted to take the time to talk about a couple of myths and misconceptions about printing and paper. Two Sides Australia is an organisation whose “common goal is to promote the responsible production and use of print and paper, and dispel common environmental misconceptions by providing users with verifiable information on why print and paper is an attractive, practical and sustainable communications medium”. ₍₁₎

So here we will talk about 2 major misconceptions about paper:

Misconception #1:
Print and paper is a wasteful product

Paper is a versatile and sustainable communications medium and is well known as one of the most recyclable products on the planet. Here a few statistics about recycling in Australia:

• 95% of Australian households recycle/reuse their paper products. ₍₄₎
• Paper is recycled more than any other household item. ₍₄₎
• In Australia 78.7% of newspapers are recovered/recycled representing a world’s best outcome. ₍₄₎

Misconception #2:
Electronic communication is more environmentally friendly than print and paper.

While you may not think of the immediate issue of electronic waste or energy consumption while you type away at your computer, electronic waste is now the fastest growing component of the municipal waste stream. ₍₅₎

At the end of the day, paper is far more recyclable than electronic waste and still has a value in today’s society as an effective communication tool. Our question here lies at the marketing strategies based around cutting the use of print and paper… is it really about the environment or more about cost cutting measures?

• The amount of electronic products discarded globally has sky rocketed recently with 20-50 million tonnes generated every year. ₍₅₎
• In Australia more than 234 million items of e-waste end up in landfill each year. In any absence of e-waste recycling programs, e-waste volumes are forecasted to triple by 2020. ₍₅₎

The paper and print industry understand they have a truly sustainable and recyclable product. Statistics show that the paper industry in particular, plant more trees than they actually consume and virgin forests are indeed protected. So embrace the traditional and effective communications medium of paper and print and let us show you how amazing it truly can be.

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