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Research shows that two-thirds of global consumers prefer to give their business to companies who give back to society. How do you reduce your printing environmental footprint in today’s world?

In honor of Earth Day April 22, we take a look at a few ways you can “think green” when it comes to print projects:

• Use recyclable paper; even better, use paper with recycled content from post-consumer waste. 100% recycled paper is not necessarily 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper.

• Use paper from sustainable forests.

• Use low-polluting inks (soy or vegetable-based).

• Use process chlorine free (PCF) or totally chlorine free paper (TCF), eliminating chlorine from the pulping process. Paper labeled as “chlorine free” or ECF (Elementally Chlorine Free), is not the same as Processed Chlorine Free (PCF).

• Look for printers who focus on water and energy conservation, pollution prevention, and solid waste reduction and recycling. 

• Maximize the press sheet by tweaking the size of your print pieces to reduce paper waste -- and potentially lower your printing costs.

• Plan ahead to combine print projects whenever possible. This should lower paper waste and energy needed to produce your pieces, while lowering your printing costs. 

You can also save paper and ink by changing your day-to-day behavior. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, thousands of acres of forestland can be saved just by reducing margins, reducing line spacing, and changing and reducing font size. 

Uncover opportunities to improve your existing marketing campaigns by saving money. Sign up for our FREE Education Email Series Direct Mail: Cost Reduction Strategies for more cost-saving strategies.