Environment
Two Sides has calculated that greenwashing is costing the UK printing and postal industries an estimated £10 million per annum; all under the pretence that paper is not sustainable.
Europe managing director, Jonathan Tame, said: “These greenwash claims not only breach established environmental marketing regulations but also harm an industry with a well-established and continually improving environmental track record.
“It remains vital that these misleading messages are challenged to ensure the industry’s great environmental record is acknowledged and to protect the livelihoods of thousands of people who work in the forest, paper, packaging and print sectors from the impact of opportunistic and deceptive greenwash marketing.” And that is precisely what Two Sides is doing. So
far, the organisation has challenged more than 2,800 organisations about these claims with more than 1,200 removing or changing anti-paper statements. In Europe alone, 811 companies, including South West
Water, New Look, BMW Financial Services and Deutsche Bank, have removed or changed these statements.
WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS Two Sides boasts more than 600 members worldwide, the latest of which to join is the print company Formara. The Southend-based business has advocated for sustainable practices for decades being one of the fi rst UK companies to gain the accreditation Environmental Standard ISO14001. By joining, Formara has access to a large library of co-brandable communications tools, consumer research, industry-leading information, sustainability advice, and events.
Studio marketing executive, Russell Turner, said: “We are making every effort we can to be more sustainable and become a more eco-friendly business. “People think going digital is more eco-friendly because you aren’t using paper but this isn’t true. “It’s a common misconception that electronic communications are better for the environment than paper-based communications.
“Businesses are creating more and more amounts of electronic waste which is becoming an ever-increasing global issue but most paper products are being produced on fully recyclable paper.” Since investors bought into the paper product and print business in July 2023, Formara has been looking at more ways to demonstrate its commitment to paper sustainability. Conversations between Josh Birch and Gina Smith of
Two Sides and Andy Pond and Russ Turner of Formara started in December 2024 and very quickly Andy, the company’s managing director, grew excited by the initiative.
Russell continued: “After speaking with Josh, we liked the campaign and how they are trying to educate people about paper. Everything we spoke about we want and our customers want too. “What stood out to me was the myth-busting campaign
it runs, and it also offers to visit customers with concerns and host presentations to explain all the information it can give.
“It also offers branded fact sheets and does all this on our behalf so we can keep providing a service to our customers while leaving the sustainability explaining to the experts.
www.imagereportsmag.co.uk | 21 Josh Birch
Rolls of industrial white paper
IT REMAINS VITAL THAT THESE MISLEADING MESSAGES ARE CHALLENGED TO ENSURE THE INDUSTRY’S GREAT ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD IS
“Paper is everything to us; it’s our bread and butter; so being part of this project will help wipe away false claims to ensure people see how sustainable our practices are.” It is still early days for Formara’s membership, having only joined early January, but it is another active step towards its commitment to sustainability. Russell is very positive about the future and looks
forward to what the partnership between Formara and Two Sides will bring.
PUSHING THE PROJECT It is not just the industry that Two Sides hopes to enlighten as its Love Paper campaign, aimed at consumers, also explains the positives of paper sustainability through marketing channels and digital communications to a different audience. To push the initiative, Two Sides held its fi rst
Love Paper Week between February 3 and 7 where it encouraged business members to display the campaign’s logo on social media platforms. Through this exposure, it hopes the information can spread to as many industry members as possible and go a long way to debunking the misinformation being accepted as common knowledge. At its heart, Two Sides is more of a marketing organisation, spreading facts through various platforms. Through its members, the group is making leaps and bounds to combat industrial greenwashing ensuring the paper industry gets the just credit it deserves for its efforts towards sustainability.
Russ Turner
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
