Environment - Green Events

Created in the UK in 2012, Two Sides is the most important global campaign for promoting the sustainability of print and paper. Already present in major European countries in addition to the United States, Australia and South Africa, this campaign now comes to Brazil. “By joining this campaign, we take part in the most successful global initiative for promoting the sustainability of printed communications. We will work resolutely in order to show that we carry out an activity which is essential to people's lives and to the proper functioning of society. Not to mention how important our productive chain is in the generation of jobs, incomes, technologies and other added values”, declares Fabio Arruda Mortara, President of the Brazilian Graphic Industry Association (Abigraf) and the São Paulo State Printing Industry Union (Sindigraf-SP).

Organised by Sindigraf-SP, the launch was attended by the Director of Two Sides UK, Martyn Eustace. “To have Brazil join the Two Sides network is fantastic news. In 2013 alone, Brazil produced 15 million tons of pulp and 10.4 million tons of paper. It is now one of the world’s fast growing economies and with ambitious new pulp and paper projects planned and in production, Brazil is fast becoming a global leader in forest products. It’s exciting to be able to add the fantastic sustainability story of this country to the facts which Two Sides communicates about the paper and print industries worldwide” says Eustace.

The signing of the Protocol of Intent took place at the FIESP (São Paulo State Industries Federation) headquarters, in São Paulo, where the protocol was also signed by 42 associations which represent the various segments of the industry. In total, these associations represent over 80,000 companies generating 615,000 direct jobs and with a turnover of approximately 40 billion USD. The National Newspaper Association (ANJ), the National Magazine Editors Association (ANER), the Brazilian Association of Companies with Rotating Offset (ABRO) are some of the entities backing up this initiative.

In order to engage in an illuminating dialog with society and raise the awareness of opinion leaders, public authorities, educators, suppliers and consumers of printed products, Two Sides is preparing several actions. The first action is the publication and distribution of the booklet “Print and Paper – Myths and Facts”, with scientific contents backing up the sustainable aspect of the print industry. In May, the campaign website will be launched. Advertisements will also be launched for various audiences. “As the campaign progresses, the adverts will be customized and adjusted to the Brazilian reality”, says Mortara. Another action will the fight directed at specific public/private messages and initiatives which mistakenly associate printed communications with a lack of sustainability.

For people who find it unusual that a campaign praising print will be developed on-line and broadcast on the radio and on TV, Mortara explains that there is no contradiction and that aggressive competition between printed and electronic communication must be fought against. “The growing number of media channels favors the propagation of knowledge and information for all and the more the population becomes educated, the more the people will access the Internet and consume newspapers, magazines and books. In this changing media landscape, Print will not be annihilated by electronic media, rather it will remain, we believe, a vital and preferred means of communication”, advocates the President of ABIGRAF.

This is backed up by Pesquisa Brasileira de Mídia 2014, a survey released in February by the Federal Government's Social Communication Department, which shows that the use of newspapers, magazines and the Internet - all three of them! - increases in accordance with the income and education level. “Two Sides reinforces the notion that the printed media is and will continue to be attractive, practical and sustainable, in addition to being supremely reliable.

Orbus Exhibit & Display Group has announced a partnership with environmental not-for-profit Repurpose America. The partnership not only allows the company to further its own environmental protection efforts but also supports and encourages local recycling and repurposing of waste materials.

Orbus has been certified under ISO 14001:2004 since March of 2010, upholding a strong dedication to minimising harmful effects on the environment, protecting the environment, and achieving a continual improvement of environmental performance.

Recently, Orbus’ environmental preservation efforts via its Las Vegas facility, operated by Aaron Kozar, have branched into a partnership with local, like-minded not-for-profit organisation Repurpose America.  Headed by Zachary Delbex, the Las Vegas-based organisation aims specifically to reduce waste created by tradeshow exhibits and displays.

To date, the partnership has produced several repurposed items such as badge holders, masks, tote bags and iPad holders, all created from scrap vinyl and other materials used in the production process.  The collaboration furthers Orbus’ dedication to preserving the environment, and also serves as a means of supporting one of the communities the company is located in. Orbus is pleased with the results of the partnership effort thus far, and looks forward to what the future will bring.

In cooperation with Printing SA (The Printing Industries Federation of South Africa), the Two Sides campaign will soon be launching in South Africa.

“To have South Africa join the Two Sides network is fantastic news”, says Martyn Eustace, Director of Two Sides. “South Africa is the home to international companies like Sappi and Mondi and is the leading economy in Africa with important paper manufacturing and printing industries. The issues which Two Sides faces globally are highly relevant to South Africa and I look forward to working with an enthusiastic team to ensure that the environmental sustainability of our industry is communicated to the business users and consumers who are often subjected to incorrect and misleading information”.

Pulp, paper, print and packaging is a significant contributor to the South African economy with an annual turnover in excess of 65 billion Rand (€5 billion). The industry employs over 50 000 people in 3000 enterprises across the value chain from forestry all the way to print and paper based distribution. Suppliers to the industry of equipment, chemicals, print consumables and raw materials are also included in this number.

In recent years Two Sides has expanded its activities from Europe to the United States and Australia. Other countries are expected to join. Multi-county websites and newsletters hold and distribute information about the sustainability of print and paper and the organisation produces a fully sourced and detailed booklet on the Myths and Facts of the industry. Two Sides also engages with anti-print and paper messages which imply that print media may not be an environmental way to communicate and has had great success in changing the marketing messages of many well known corporate organisations.

Deon Joubert, Past President of Printing SA, will be heading Two Sides South Africa, and comments, “Printers and their associates have been maligned for many years, yet we don’t attack other forms of media. Through Two Sides, we have a golden opportunity to defend the paper-based community and provide valid arguments for the prolonged success of our industry.”

Patrick Lacy, CEO of Printing SA, adds, “A campaign blueprint is almost complete. As a non-profit organisation, we’ll be relying on members and media partners to support our efforts to elevate the value of this important issue.”

Mondi, the paper and packaging manufacturer, has become the latest company to join Verdigris, the environmental initiative from graphic arts research group Digital Dots. Mondi is the first representative of the paper industry to join the Verdigris project.

Verdigris helps all parts of the print chain evaluate the carbon footprint of print and electronic media, from the point of file creation via production to final distribution, use and disposal.  The project's goal is to raise awareness of print’s capabilities in reducing environmental impact, through cooperative content development shared with an international network of trade publishers.

"We are very pleased to have signed on as an Associate Member of the Verdigris Project,” says Johannes Klumpp, Marketing and Sales Director for Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper. “Print does have a positive story to tell: Paper is a recyclable material that comes from a renewable resource. As a leading producer of office and professional printing papers, we are reliant on forests as the primary raw material for our products and we have a responsibility to maintain the healthy functioning of the forest ecosystems we own and manage. Sustainability is vital to Mondi’s business and our license to operate and we are happy to use the synergies between the paper and printing industries to tell this story."

Mondi's manufacturing process looks at the issue of carbon footprint from the ground up, starting with the development of a sustainable forestry programme. In 2012 Mondi Group sustainably managed around 2.1 million hectares of boreal forest in Komi Russia and 306,000 hectares of plantation forests in South Africa. Mondi Group planted some 31 million new trees.

The latest development from Mondi has been the Green Range of products. As of January 2012 all Mondi branded papers now meet the company's Green Range criteria. The Green Range consists entirely of FSC™ / PEFC™ certified paper from responsibly managed forests, totally chlorine-free paper or 100% recycled paper.

Welcoming Mondi’s support, Verdigris founder Laurel Brunner says,  “It is wonderful to have a paper company add its support to the Verdigris project. Mondi is one of the few paper companies which really appreciate what we are trying to achieve with the project. Mondi is certainly practicing what it preaches with its sustainable forestry programme and the development of its 'Green Range' of paper products.”

Italian paper company Favini is underlining its commitment to protecting the environment by renewing its support for a community based project in Madagascar, off the African coast.  The company is working to help improve the quality of life for the community of Sahavondronina by teaching more innovative farming techniques that make it possible to respect the local ecosystem while helping to develop a more ecological tourism industry.

The project is named “Voiala” and is a microcosm of community actions aimed at protecting and recreating natural resources that have been heavily exploited.  The main goal of the project is to use the experience at Sahavondronina to develop a model for other local communities to follow. At present, the inhabitants of this village in the east Madagascar, are protecting 2,077 hectares of virgin forest and in reforestatiion around the village, which has been stripped bare by decades of exploitation. 

For the first three years, Project Voiala focused on protecting 2,077 hectares of virgin forest from further destruction, exploitation and poaching, as well as on related education efforts. At the same time, infrastructure was created in order to help with reforestation.    Between December and March, a period that coincides with the rainy season, the project has planted more than 12,500 plants donated by Favini, involving 300 people and 2 schools, covering 6 hectares. Quarterly reports are posted to the Favini website to highlight the progress being made.

Andrea Nappa, CEO  of Favini, comments, "We are proud to be partners of a project that has a great social value that provides a real support to the people to preserve their own environmental heritage.  We strongly believe in the need to protect and reforest valuable forest, which fully represents our philosophy and our commitment to protect the environment , this is an important 7 year project from 2009.”

Favini was the first Italian paper company to adopt the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Standard as a guarantee to respect rigorous environmental, social and economic standards in the raw materials used to manufacture paper.

For more information on the project, please visit www.favini.com/madagascar/en/

Royal Mail has joined the Two Sides and Print Power campaigns, describing the groups' actions to promote print as a sustainable medium as 'completely complementary' to its own work in the area. Royal Mail has emphasised 'the important role mail plays in the fabric of our daily lives' as well as the impact of printed marketing material in a digitised industry.

The goal of the Two Sides and Print Power campaigns 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.

Royal Mail is an essential part of the UK’s economic and social infrastructure, serving companies, customers and communities six days a week; delivering 59 million items every working day to businesses and households.

David Gold, Head of Public Affairs at Royal Mail comments: “It is important that we recognise and focus upon the importance of mail for all UK citizens; ensuring that companies and consumers alike not only recognise the important role mail plays in the fabric of our daily lives but also how mail can deliver corporate marketing messages that really stand out an increasingly digital and media cluttered world”

Gold continues, “The mission of Two Sides, to promote the attractiveness and sustainability of mail, is completely complementary to our own activities and we are looking forward to working with the organisation to assist the development of their campaigns and strengthen our own relationships with information that will benefit all our stakeholders”.

Martyn Eustace, Director of Two Sides responds; “It’s great to see Royal Mail, an organisation very much at the forefront of print and mailing technology, supporting our campaigns. We’re currently having great success, supported by magazine and newspaper publishers, with our £2.5 million ‘No Wonder You Love Paper’ campaign, aimed at changing consumer perceptions about print and paper’s sustainability. The Print Power magazine, which promotes print’s unique effectiveness as part of multi-media campaigns, is now established as a must-have magazine for Brand Owners and Media Decision Makers. Royal Mail’s support for these campaigns, and our ability to collaborate with them, will be invaluable.”