Facing mounting evidence to the contrary, companies are not so eager to take the “go digital, go green” route.
It’s a good time to be a tree hugger.
Two Sides North America announced last week that more than 65 big US companies have removed their “go paperless, save trees” claims thanks to the group’s educational efforts.
“The list includes several Fortune 100 companies in the financial, telecom and utilities sectors who have engaged in a dialogue with Two Sides and modified their marketing messages to consider the social and environmental benefits of print and paper, as well as the life cycle of sustainable forests and paper products,” the announcement notes.
Consumers are increasingly aware that these greenwashing claims are not backed by facts, and several companies had already removed their anti-paper claims as early as two years ago. They were joined by Verizon and others this spring. While it might save companies a ton of money to send digital-only communications, the environment could be paying the price in a huge digital footprint.
Going paperless will not, in fact, save the forests, and companies and their customers are getting wise to the fact that sustainable paper practices do a marvelous job at preventing deforestation.
“An overwhelming majority of 88% of respondents believe it is environmentally friendly to produce products such as wood for construction and paper for printing, as long as resources are responsibly managed. An even higher percentage (91%) agreed that, when responsibly produced, used and recycled, print and paper can be sustainable ways to communicate,” the article continues.
We applaud the work Two Sides NA is doing to educate the public and the business community; and congratulations to those companies who are making a positive change.