As we know, there’s more than one way to “go green.” Businesses and consumers are fighting the sustainable battle each day, trying to find ways to cut down their waste and excess while still saving or making money. Many people make the assumption that it’s as simple as replacing paper with electronic statements, but in reality there are several areas where we can reduce our overall impact on the environment.
Many businesses such as banks offer electronic statements and bills as an alternative to traditional paper mail, with the idea in mind that sending a statement via email and web sites will reduce paper usage and printing and mailing costs, which can be true. But we aren’t looking closely at the impact that electronic use has on the environment as well.
Electronic statements exist in an ongoing cycle through the data center, consuming energy and increasing the amount of e-waste. Companies often think that by simply switching to electronic statements they automatically earn praise as a green, forward-thinking business that saves trees. This is not always the case.
So what’s the reality?
When we go to the grocery store, we often look at the nutrition facts to purchase products with the best ingredients for our priorities. Why aren’t there real world comparisons such as this to help consumers choose more sustainable statements? These comparisons would help educate people on the environmental impact of the communications they choose.
The good news is that there are options with both paper and electronic statements. Programs have been created to reduce the amount of e-waste resulting from electronic statements, and renewable energy sources are expanding which can help the data center to be more sustainable.
Print shops are now taking control of this important issue, incorporating inkjet printers that use less energy, using paper with less environmental impact, and utilizing mail optimization systems that mean less waste in mail operations. Using recycled paper that is lighter in weight and from sustainable forests has also become a popular option.
As discussed in previous blogs, precision marketing is another tool that can support sustainability. By only sending out content that is directly relevant and targeted to the consumer, we can eliminate the excess use for unwanted inserts and materials. Instead, promotions are included directly on the white space of a statement as an “onsert,” also known as TransPromo.
With innovative solutions such as TransPromo, business revenue and ROI will increase while conserving resources. And by “onserting” instead of inserting, paper usage can be reduced by as much as 40 percent or 10 tons per million statements in a recent case study.
Onserts will change promotional mail so that it will actually be relevant to open and won’t be tossed in the trash. In 2009, each individual in the United States received about 560 pieces of junk mail, adding up to 4.5 million tons of junk mail in a year. This unnecessary waste needs to end.
Consumers and businesses are starting to take a look at the choices they make and change their habits accordingly. Committing to change and recognizing what is green or not should be focused on more closely.
I was able to discuss these ideas to help create a more sustainable future as a participant in a roundtable discussion for senior sustainability executives in Colorado just before the 5th annual Sustainable Opportunities Summit. InfoPrint was invited as a company who applies the principles of sustainable business management to drive cost savings and develop superior products and services, so I was happy to share some of the results of TransPromo and its green value.
What methods are you using to become more sustainable? Will your habits change after reading this blog? Please share the ways that you are green!
Joe Czyszczewski, Chief Sustainability Officer
