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…the Eco-Friendly Edge!
By Shannon Binns and Shiloh Bouvette
This is the first in a yearlong series of articles on how to green your newspaper by North America’s leading environmental publishing advocates, Green Press Initiative and Canopy. Each issue they will tackle a different aspect of green publishing.
In a greening marketplace, there are many compelling reasons to make your newspaper’s operations more sustainable. Sure, we all want to do what’s right for the planet, but more than ever before, green is simply good business strategy, particularly for an industry navigating its way through a period of unprecedented transition and reinvention. Let’s explore these emerging opportunities in more detail.
Save Money
Printing newspapers is a big expense and more and more publishers are looking at ways to save money while shifting to more eco-friendly options. Reducing basis weight and trim size are well-known solutions but there are plenty of more ways to save. For ideas on reducing your energy costs and carbon footprint, visit:
www.greenpressinitiative.org/solutions/climatesolutions.htm
Mitigate Risk
Paper is the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases of all US manufacturing industries. In fact, the carbon emissions associated with the newsprint consumed in the US in 2008 was 39.4 million tons of CO2. With a new administration and Congress that is committed to passing federal climate legislation this year, and a recent Supreme Court decision that gives the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gases as a pollutant, companies who are not already thinking about ways to reduce their carbon footprint could soon face stiff new costs. At a potential market price of $10/ton of CO2, the market value of the emissions associated with newsprint alone would be $394 million dollars – an additional cost that would certainly be borne by both newsprint producers and users.
Boost Performance with Green
A recent market analysis by the firm A.T. Kearney, concluded that the most sustainability focused companies may well emerge from the current economic crisis stronger than ever. In addition, a global survey conducted by the Boston Consulting Group found that the trend toward buying green continues: more consumers purchased green products in 2008 than in 2007 and they were willing to pay 5% or more for these products. Paper products were also amongst their most frequent green purchases.
Gain Greater Access to Credit
A number of banks and lending institutions are now emphasizing the business opportunities created by “green” economic growth by providing financing to encourage the development of environmentally sustainable products and technology. Some are even building green criteria into their standard lending criteria. In fact, Bank of America has launched a $20 billion initiative to support the growth of environmentally sustainable business activity to address global climate change.
Boost Employee Satisfaction
Various job satisfaction surveys cite a “sense of purpose in their work” as being one of the top reasons for employee satisfaction on the job. The newspaper industry and the many employees who work within it face many challenges during this period of transition. Showing your employees that they can be part of something meaningful with environmental and social responsibility initiatives, particularly if there are incentives and rewards for doing so, can help create a more positive work environment.
Get Free Advice and Assistance
Your company does not need to work in isolation or with expensive consultants to implement environmental initiatives. Numerous resources, presentations and materials have been developed by non-profit organizations and your industry associations that can help save you time and money with the development and implementation of your environmental goals.
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