“I want you to act as if the house is on fire, because it is.”
Greta Thunberg
The world as we know it is rapidly changing and we all have to do what we can to stop it from getting worse. From killing sea life with our plastic bags to overheating the planet so that the icebergs are melting, it’s not good – and it’s entirely our fault.
But we can all make a positive difference in the fight against climate change; we just have to act.
And that is exactly what Join the Dots has done through our membership with paper advocacy group, Two Sides, as well as with Ad Net Zero, an initiative that is helping reduce the carbon emissions of the advertising industry.
So, read on to find out more about sustainability and print media…
Sustainable print media with Join the Dots
Here at Join the Dots, not only are we are acting out against irresponsible and unsustainable print, but we are also passionate about educating people turning their backs on printed media because of the myth that it’s bad for our planet.
Through much education and working with Two Sides and Ad Net Zero, we have learnt that print can make a positive difference to the world – which is great news for us and our clients for whom print media is a core part of their marketing and communications strategy.
“Go Paperless”, “Go Green” and “Save Trees”
These are common messages seen these days as many organisations encourage their customers to switch to electronic transactions and communications.
But is digital marketing as green as we are led to believe? It’s harder to measure the impact of digital communications on the planet, but there are countless examples of how this is not a truly sustainable option.
The electronic waste problem is colossal, and it’s growing. In 2016 alone, 44.7 million tonnes of e-waste were generated globally, of which 435 thousand tonnes were mobile phones, representing more than the mass of the Empire State Building.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2018
Making print sustainable
So, if digital marketing alone isn’t the answer, how can we make print marketing and print media buying more sustainable? Well, for starters, paper is made from wood, a natural and renewable material. In fact, it is the ultimate sustainable material, reinforced by the fact that European forests have been growing by over 1,500 football pitches every day.
By only sourcing paper from FSC approved forests, we are ensuring forests are not sacrificed for our marketing. And beyond the paper, we can also source vegetable inks, electric vehicles for transportation – even paper mills run on water power! Basically, it is all possible if you want it to be.
And on top of that, when you enlist the help of the Join the Dots team for your print media, you can also offset the carbon impact of your print campaign by donating to the World Land Trust using Carbon Balanced Paper.
This way, the carbon emissions of the paper used in your campaign will be calculated and will be offset via a small donation to World Land Trust. One of its patrons is none other than Sir David Attenborough who has said of the World Land Trust; “The money that is given to the World Land Trust, in my estimation, has more effect on the wild world than almost anything I can think of.”
Want to make your print media more sustainable?
Here at Join the Dots, we are committed to working in a sustainable manner for all of our clients and actively promote responsible practices across the media supply chain, whatever your chosen channel or medium.
Sustainability isn’t just a buzz word for us; we are truly passionate about making sure our campaigns are as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. So much so, in fact, that we only work with partners who also share our vision for a better future and are aligned to our values about sustainability.
We are also proud to be a certified B Corp and have recently celebrated one year of B Corp status.
Print media with Join the Dots
At Join the Dots, we are a specialist media agency that is innovation-led with sustainability at our core. We take a truly customer-centric approach by turning data into insight, allowing you to find the audiences that matter and deliver campaigns the right way so you can reach your business goals.
Sure, our tailored and targeted approach means we might contact less people – but we believe powerful sustainable campaigns should be about quality rather than quantity. To find out more about how we can help you to target the right people and deliver effective print campaigns without costing the Earth, contact us today.
Alternatively, why not check out our B Corp Impact Report to find out more about the sustainability efforts we’ve made since our certification and our upcoming goals to be an even better business for the planet.
